Looking to get a good digital SLR camera

The one I've bid on is this one!!!

That one looks fine, seems to specialise in selling emerald's but looks ok, might have been using the camera for photos of the jewels amongst other things and more importantly it's local for you!

Looks like a good bet

Yeah, the Canon 450D looks excellent value for money. If this bid fails I might look into getting one of those. Afterall the Nikon D3000 lacks live view

Personally I see little benefit in live view on an SLR, you have a real live view via the viewfinder, never used a camera with live view apart from on compact digital cameras.

People say they use it for fine focus but to be honest it's not something I have ever felt I was lacking on my SLR's.

The only use I would have for it is perhaps in Astrophotography where manually focusing a mirror lens on the moon for example can be quite tricky.

Regards the standard Canon450D the kit lens, if it is the older version of the 18-55 is not as good as the Nikon I believe.

Got outbid, so not getting that Nikon D3000

Nae luck mate, but with 9 hours still to go I would bet that kit goes for close to 350 in the end, really dumb too if it does given that the D3100 kit is available new at 398 quid.

Just seen a Canon 450D + 18-55mm lens for £349

Here's another Nikon D3000 kit with a buy it now of 299.99 This one

That other one went for 340 in the end

Might go and get this bad boy from LCE tomorrow morning

The Nikon's are probably better built but I'm a Canon man and I would not argue with you going down that road, as I mentioned before if you don't buy too deeply into a companies lens system, you can always change platform without losing too much money, me I'm stuck with Canon for good

If you do go for that one then when you get a bit more cash the first additional lens you should look at is this one it's nickname is the plastic fantastic and is the best value lens in the entire Canon line-up.

It's f1.8 so it's fast in low light and it's as sharp as the more expensive f1.4 version, this is a portrait lens on the 450D body but will really give you an idea of what the camera can really do!

Meant to say as well that personally I prefer the Canon Ergonomics the buttons and overall layout of the Nikon's are not as logical in my opinion, one of the main reasons I went with Canon when I got into Digital.

I had tried out a Nikon in a shop and hummed and hawed about it as although the camera felt good there was something not quite right for me, I used to own a Canon T90 back in the 1980's and that was one of the first truly modern designs that Canon introduced, all their cameras since then have had that fluid curvy body style and the control dial at the front, it's the combination of the front dial and large rear circular controller that I really like, although I think you don't get the rear controller on the 450D still the handling is similar.

Yeah, think I will be heading to LCE tomorrow so I can get it to play with at the start of my weekend (I am off work Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Had thrown a few other bids on Ebay and was kind of feeling gutted if I had to wait for long.. You know, boys and their toys

Bought a Nikon D5000 from London Camera Exchange for £350

Went in, told the guy my budget and he went straight to the window and brought it out with a Nikon 18 to 70mm lens (not the kit lens). Bought a basic UV filter and an SD card, so now I am all set Really glad I didn't win one on ebay, and the sales agent (Dave) was a star.. Was very helpful and told me to pop back in if I need any questions answered about anything I might not understand about a DSLR (being a newbie and all).

Seems this camera went in the window this morning and I bought it a few minutes later, which is why it is not on the website

Well done Sean

Hope you have lots of fun with it, looks like a good buy from the quick reviews I've checked.