I use, and love, a Canon 400D with Tamron 17-50 2.8 I would recommend it over a used 20D because it will have a larger screen, auto-vibration sensor cleaner, and several other bells and whistles. The 450D is the newer version, but the 400D should be found rather easily and affordably in the used market, since its a little…
Yeah, full frame is good, but it's honestly not needed unless you've really determined it to be. Here is how my progress went. Bought a 40D, 17-40mm f/4, and 70-200mm f/4. Found out that the 17-40mm was too slow for a lot of images I wanted to take, so I bought a 35mm 1.4. Loved this lens. Found out that 17mm on a crop…
Almost everyone in this thread is talking about budget setups and good UV filters cost as much as decent prime lenses. And UV filters degrade flare, not really contrast or sharpness. Even with my nice lenses, i'd rather spend 100 USD on a new lighting modifier than a UV filter. They're snake oil. If you personally want to…