Hi all,


This is my first post here but I have been lurking in the background, soaking up information and admiring the photography here for a while! My name is Charlie, I am 29 and live in London, UK. After a great amount of searching - both on forums and photography review sites, I stumbled across this site which has turned out to be a fantastic discovery. There is a huge wealth of knowledge and ability that I hope to tap into in the future as I near my first DSLR purchase - and it is for this that I come seeking assistance!


As you may guess from the title of this thread, the decision that I am faced with is whether to buy the 500d or the 550d. I will initially be looking to buy either with the 18-55mm IS kit lens whilst I learn the basics and find out which direction I want to take things in the future. In the UK, the 500d is approximately £510 whereas the 550d is about £610. (I also believe that the 500d is on rebate at the moment which would be an additional discount of £30). I have a budget of about £650-£700 for camera, lens, memory card and some kind of case/bag. The question that I am trying to answer is whether the 550d is worth the extra £100, or would this money be better put aside to start saving for an additional lens in the future?


I also have a contact in a camera shop who can get quite a good deal on a 550d with the 18-135mm IS for £740. I realise that this breaks the budget but thought it worth throwing in to the mix, as it seems to be quite a good deal for the extra focal length. I should perhaps also point out that I am quietly swaying towards the 550d for no other reason than it is newer and therefore has a few more features! - I am quite a geek at heart and although newer and more expensive doesn't necessarily mean better, it has some leverage on my decision making! I am however open to being convinced that the 500d is a better buy.


Any help or opinions will be greatly received - I would like to try and get something sorted in the next few days before the tax goes up on purchases in the UK!!


Thanks.


Charlie.