I started from good old Canon XTi about 3 years ago. Now I own Canon 5D Mark II. The latest entry level DSLR for Canon is T2i which is about $200 expensive than T1i and has better HD video shotting capabilities. T1i is a good entry level DSLR which also has HD video shooting capabilities. For beginners like you, I would say this camera is good enough if the budget is right for you.