Just bought mine. First Dlsr. Im currently at a 6th form, doing photography. But I am hooked, and as a result will be quitting at the end of this year to do a BTEC in Photography
I paid £297 for my 450d, with the boots offer

I was unsure which camera to get, but it was too good to turn down imo. People said 40d would be better, but i was looking at £500 + with a lens , and thats 2nd hand. With the 450d, if and when i upgrade i can still sell at a good rate without losing much money. I am very happy with it, i just need to get to grips with ISO, Exposure and shuttur speeds etc ( i have bought understanding exposure

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So far I have bought a cheap £17 Tripod. It mainly going to be used for urbex, so didn't want to spend much, and also it has good reviews. I wasn't going to spend £50+ on one. It has a hook for additional weights if need be, so i am confident it will suffice.
I have also bought a Sandisk Ultra III 4gb for £12.
And then for my bag I have bought a Lowepro Flipside 200, it was £50 but i wanted something which looked good, offered good storage, and was secure and safe. This ticked all the boxes

But saying that i was shocked at how much bags where!
I plan to buy a new lens soon, and i am 99% decided on a Nifty Fifty. For the price of it, imo you can't go wrong. It takes some amazing shots.
Only had the camera a few days, and haven't been outside due to me not having a bag, and also a Tripod. Reason for this is I feel i need one to get something good as its dark when i get home from college now

I went for a walk without, but the results where not good, due to me not knowing what settings to use etc.
But I have taken lots of Macro shots so far, and am amazed of the quality.
Just a few, I am going to Blackpool this weekend, with my tripod etc so hope to get some good shots for C/W.