Camera for Student?

For learning the basics, I would strongly recommend a 35mm film camera. Nikon FM2, Pentax K1000, or a Minolta just to name a few. You could learn on a DSLR, but you won't understand the true art of photography as you would with film.

Although I understand why the one person said a film camera, I would rather you go digital. With digital you get the advantage of being able to see instantly the results of your efforts. You can also be very creative or experiment and not have to worry how much it will cost. The Rebel is a very good camera, it's worth considering.

We use the Canon Rebel XTi at the Art Institute. It's a pretty nice camera and is reasonably priced... the price has dropped a lot since the newer version (the XSi) will be coming out soon. I've had mine for about 2 years now and I am still perfectly happy with it. It has both automatic and manual features... don't be afraid to play with the manual features.

I used the Nikon D40x. It's a low end professional camera but it's good for learning the basics. Takes great pictures. 10MP.