If you’re an enthusiast photohrapher looking for new gear but your budget is limited, don’t worry – there’s plenty to choose from right now, and if you’ve got at least $1000 to spend, you should be able to pick a great camera that’s well worth the money.

First, the absolute best choice for this price range, the Nikon D3000. It comes with a 10.2 megapixel sensor and costs just $550, making it great as an introduction to SLR cameras.

The Nikon D5000 is also a great choice, although a bit more expensive – it’ll cost you $750 to get your hands on one, but for that price you’ll also get 720p video support, and a tilt-up screen for those extreme shots.

Fans of Canon also have a great offer – the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS, priced at $570, and while it doesn’t offer the advanced range of features that you get in the Rebel XSi, it can still be a great camera for beginners without that many pretentions.

Olympus also have something to offer, with their E-520 which will set you back $600 but comes with 14mm-to-42mm and 40mm-to-150mm lenses. It also has great autofocus capabilities in daylight, however it tends to perform very poorly in low-light conditions.

Last but by no means least is the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, which boasts an impressive array of features and costs $650. If you need a camera packed full of advanced features for those impressive shots, this is the best choice in its price range.

[ Via PCWorld ]