I own a Canon Elan IIe, which is a better camera in some ways but I would certainly recommend the Rebel 2000 to anyone wanting a superior point and shoot, a photography student, or a traveller needing light weight and do-it all capability, or even as a second body for someone with another Canon camera (I'm thinking about this myself).
The Rebel 2000 is OK for beginners, but if you are still shopping around give some serious consideration to the Pentax ZX series.I own both a Rebel 2000 and a Pentax ZX-50. I have taken the exact same shot with the two different cameras and found that the Pentax consistantly gave me better results. The images were more sharp and also had better color. Although the Rebel has some very nice features such as the 7 point focusing system but the main thing that makes a difference is the lens. The lens that comes with the Rebel 2000 simply doesn't cut it.
Of course it is possible to buy the body only and spend a little more money on a better lens. This of course would make the camera more expensive, and since price is a large part of the appeal, this kit becomes a lot less impressive. Besides looking at Pentax, also consider Nikons in your price range if you like the multi point focusing. The rebel 2000 is one of the best selling cameras on the market but I would advise you to look around before settling for it.
Like I said, I am new at all of this, but if your a beginner like myself you cann't go wrong with this camera. This was the Camera that was recommended to me over and over again. 500.00 has got me up and going ( that is with film, tripod, extra batteries, filter, camera etc. )
It WOULD have gotten 5 stars, but that manual, lol kinda a hard read.
