OK, So I'm going to buy myself an early birthday present and get mesen a digital SLR. (I have experience of film SLRs but not digital).
Looking to spend £5-600 on body + lens kit for starters.
Have discussed this with a keen amateur photographer at work, which has helped me narrow it down to this shortlist:

Nikon D5000
Canon 500D
Pentax K-x
Olympus e620

Any opinions on the above, or any I should look at in addition?
I'd be particularly interested in any opinions on possible pros/cons of the e620 4/3 system (am I making future lens procurement harder for myself), and also if anyone has experience of the K-x (the K2000 predecessor sounds great in the dpreview review bar a dodgy jpg engine).

My next step will be to seek them out in the shops to see how they handle.

ta!

I bought one in the spring. I toyed with the Olympus ones but was in the end put off by the combination of their viewfinder layout and availability of 3rd party lenses. They felt very nice in the hand and had a good finish.

So it came down to either a Canon or a Nikon who together seem to have the market pretty much sewn up. I opted for the Nikon D60 based on no better reasons than a) it generally had a better quality feel to it (Canons felt very "plasticy" at the lower price end) and b) it seemed to fit/feel better in my hands

I was amazed at just how good my pictures were without even trying with a DLSR!

Also take a look at the appropriate Sony

I got a Sony A200 last year for Christmas.. Very happy with it..
Pretty easy to work your way around, and get some great results..
The snobs will not reccomend Sony, just because..
But IMHO they are well worth a look at..

sorry to to Hijak this thread but would any of the above be suitable for short,but good quality video clips?.

cheers for opinions all.

I think the canon and pentax record HD. Olympus doesn't, not sure about the Nikon.

I'd say stick with the Canon or Nikon, not because I'm a snob, but because if like me you will look to buy extra lenses etc second hand you will probably find more of a choice with the big two brands. Alternatively you could buy a very good second hand body for your budget, but I'd stick to buying from a shop or talkphotography rather than Ebay if you go this route. Something like a D40 body would probably cost a couple of hundred quid, leaving you a bit of a budget for a decent flash and maybe a couple of lenses. If you want to upgrade in a year or two you'll easily sell the body.

Sony sensors used in some high end Nikons, so shouldn't be discounted.

Is video important to you? If not, you could go back a generation and up a grade, for better build quality and same or better image quality.

Ignore megapixel counts, unless you want to print bigger than A3 in the near future. 6MP is plenty.

This is a little over budget, but would be very tempting. Lens alone worth well over £400…
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nikon-D80-Digital-Camera-with-18-200mm-VR-Lens-MINT_W0QQitemZ300368119193QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN?hash=item45ef55c599

The D80 with the 18-70 kit lens will leave you change from your budget for a 70-300mm tele zoom and some accessories.

If you want video, then go for the latest model, as the earlier video capable DSLR's had manual focus video only, and any cheap proper video camera will easily out perform it.

Also consider Samsung cameras, they are rebadget Pentax cameras and usually a good bit cheaper.

olympus user here. don't worry about 3rd party lenses, their own entry level lenses are awesome. Have a look at these (taken with the packaged zoom lens (75 – 150mm) and costs less than £200)

Grass needs cutting in the second photo

Damnit! Ashamed to say I actually ledol, WCA.

Posting serious photos on here is doomed to ridicule.

The Sonys have in-body stabilisation and there's a huge amount of excellent Minolta lenses on the used market (all of which will be stabilised, including primes and wide-angle zooms), making them a much better bet than canikon if you like the idea of used lenses.

The sony a550 or (if you can still find one) the a700 would fit your budget.

Have a look at Dyxum if you want to find out more.

Olympus – superb standard lenses. Always aim for best quality optics over the body type. The only lens system designed from the ground-up for digital. Lens availability sketchy but you're only buying them once. And pricewise they stack-up well. Inherently, smaller/lighter cameras and lens.

Sony – In-body stabilisation. Konica-Minolta lens compatibility. Good lens and flash support on the market as per the big boys. And start-up packages are cheaper.

And the other two – you know about.

You might find this interesting: DSLR Group Test

It looks like Cornwall Cameras and Dell still have a700 bodies and the new (highly rated) 18-55 would make a good kit lens for it (£99 at Bristol Cameras)

Had same choice recently. NArrowed it down to d90 d5000 or 500d. Nikons felt better In the hand and more solid but canon spec I preferred (screen res, HD video, etc). Went for canon and had no regrets. Great camera.

I've an E400, does what it says, but I really should spend more time experimenting (and reading the manual).

Olympus E520 here – beginner but I have caught some good stuff with the supplied lenses plus the $100 extra lens

If you are interested in the Olympus E620, this is a very good price

http://www.abc-digital-cameras.co.uk/p12550-olympus-e-620-body-14-42mm-ed-zuiko-digital-lens.htm

Another review that might be of interest: 50D, D90, A500

I bought a Canon EOS 450D recently on the recommendation a professional photographer mate. Can't say I'm disappointed. I am consistently amazed at the quality of the images. I've shot stills of the kids, landscape, action, dogs, close-ups and its all good. Mate says the tech in the camera is similar to what he shot weddings with 3 years back. And he's a £2k a wedding guy.

Another Canon 500D recent purchaser here – love it!

Another Canon 500D purchaser and just learning how to use it.

Currently £50 cash back by redemption. I also used Quidco and got another 10% cashback from Jessops (currently 4% at the mo)

I've got a Sony A200, very happy with the results

I'd say the Olympus route, I have an E-500 and a Panasonic DMC-l1 (both 4/3 lens system).

Both are brilliant.

I have a Nikon D200 that I rate pretty highly. I may even be looking to sell it soon as it looks like I may be the only money earner soon if my wife's job finishes so one of my cameras will have to go. I have a Sigma 70-300 lense on it that I would let go with it and it is boxed with about 14000 clicks (I would have to check the amount though)

Drop me an email if interested pchris400 at yahoo dotcom

I've only used Canon, but recently changed my 30D for a 500D. The 500 wipes the floor with the 30, I've yet to be disappointed with it in any way. The video is great for short clips and although I agree about having a high MP count is not the be all and end all, it means I can get better results using a wider angle and then cropping than using the full range on my cheapy Sigma 70-300. The kit lens is pretty good as well.

Having said that, I think these days it comes down to what feels best in your hands and whether you find the menus intuitive. Excellent image quality is something you can pretty much take for granted.

I've just bought a Nikon D5000, and have to say I'm well impressed with the quality of the pictures and the ease of use of the menu system. Still lots to learn about it's full range of capabilities, and think it will suit my needs very well.

Sample shots here

Its also light enough for me to happily carry it on long walks,which my film slr wasn't.

Wow, a DSLR thread where Olympus gets mentioned more than once!

I'd echo the comments above. The kit lenses are excellent and the next step up are weatherproof and smaller than the faster equivalents (benefit of a smaller sensor).

The other thing that drew me to the E500 six years ago was the controls that are offered even in the bottom of the range models. As you progress you can take over more of the automated functions than is possible with many other entry level cameras.

I would definitely recommend going to a shop and trying them though. How they feel in your hand is more important than the specs (pretty much all contemporary DSLRs, even the entry level ones, take good shots). If it feels right, and the controls fall naturally to hand then you'll use it more and ultimately enjoy your photography more.