so i have gone through ww looking at all the threads about good starter slr cameras. as i am looking into getting one to start taking nicer quality pictures. i have to start somewhere so where should it be? i am considering either the 20D or the D80. can i go wrong with either one? i would like to stay with canon or nikon. the camera will mostly be used to take wakeboarding pictures. what do you guys think? more questions will come later with lenses once i get a camera

Cannon 20D would get my vote, and a 28-135 IS lens will get you good wake shots and life style as well.

20D will win for FPS but as far as MP, Off camera lighting ability and general sophistication the D80 is a newer model and will have better overall things, but FPS can certainly be a thing to consider with sport shooting. the difference being 3p/s vs. 5p/s

Get a used D200. They are excellent,they can be had for cheap and have already lost the majority of their value.

i would also second that bakes. i love my D200 but the only thing is they have no presets which is a good thing because it forces you to learn photography and become a better shooter but at the same time if your not interested in putting in some time to learn it then the presets could be nice.

What's a preset?

Another vote for a used D200. Keep an eye on nikonians.org fredmiranda.com along with other respected camera websites. There are deals to be had, and you can easily find out how many clicks the camera has.

i meant like the dial on the top that has exposure setting for certain situations.

Oh.....I always wondered about those preset things. Never understood why someone would buy a nice DSLR and then let the camera make all the decisions. <BR> <BR> That being said, it was a little frustrating the first few weeks when my wife would put it on P and take better pictures than I would using my new found "knowledge" But after a little while things started making sense and Now I am almost never satisfied with the P mode shots. For me it's either shutter priority or aperture depending on what I am trying to do and then manual if I am doing pano's or sequence shots. <BR> <BR> Anyways, good luck with your search.

ok it looks like the D200 is the best bet for me then. what would a used one set me back? im looking at one for 750. is that a bad deal? or should i pull the trigger?