What is the best digital SLR to start a course with?

Any will do. If you are starting a beginners course, you won’t yet need all the features of the high-end models. Even the cheapest digital SLRs will take fantastic pictures when you know (which is the point of the course).

The other advantage of SLRs is that you can buy bodies and lenses separately. So when you outgrow your kit after several years, you can buy a new body but keep your lenses.

Most of the discussion about DSLRs is Canon vs Nikon. Both make similarly priced models with similar features and they have their relative merits. It does not matter which you get. I’d also urge you to try Sony’s offering. It’s not such a big name but the cameras are excellent and usually cheaper than either Canon or Nikon.

As ever, go into your local camera shop and have a go on all of them. You can pretty much not bother looking at the features and specifications – any will be fine. However, you’ll notice that some feel “right” in your hand, and some don’t.. Then you will know which to buy

the three I would most recommend are

Pentax K-x
Olympus E-620
Sony Alpha 500

I would recommend you Nikon D3000 Digital SLR Camera 
10.2megapixel CCD sensor,11-point autofocus system, Fast response,Guide mode,3-inch TFT, 3 fps continuous shooting allows you to capture fast-moving action at 3 frames per second
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