Hi


You should hunt around and see if there are any 40D's floating around. I had (and still have as a spare) a 450D which i bought in 2008. Late2009 I then picked up a 40D for about the same price I paid for the 450D as the 50D had been released. Unless the 450D is going for an utter bargain basement price you may be able to get 40D and 17-55 with your budget which would be a very sweet combination that will keep you going for quite some time as you learn.


The 17-55 willoffer a lot more flexibilityfor your proposed use. I previously had the 17-85 but it was just too slow for my travel and general usage e.g. using it at 85mm inchurches etcrequired very high ISO which you may be able to get away with a significantly more expensive camera but ISO1600 on a 450D rebel was notusable in my opinion. I am sure there are many 17-55 users who will vouch for it.


Hope that helps