with everyone stated above by dalto, vviper, and G26ster, except:
1. Older DSLRs aren't "obsolete" - they still work perfectly well and take great photos. But like computers a "bigger better" version comes along every 18 months or so. I still shoot with a 7-year-old Nikon D2H and a 5-year-old D200 (and occassionally with an 8-year-old D100). But the overall point that you're better off spending your money on quality GLASS instead of expensive camera bodies is good advice. With those "old" camera bodies (ancient by DSLR standards, each at least two or three generations behind state of the art) I have some remarkable lenses that cost a pretty penny .... Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR, Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8, Nikkor 12-24mm f4, Nikkor 18-200mm variable aperture, Nikkor fixed focal lenghts 85mm f1.8, 50mm f1.8, 20mm f2.8 - My lenses are still worth nearly what I paid for them and are far from "obsolete". The camera bodies are worth pennies on the dollar compared to the new retail prices I paid for each. But they all still work, and if I finally decide to upgrade to new bodies, all that expensive glass will work with the new bodies.
This is why it's important to know what kind of photography you want to try, so you spend money on quality lenses for that type of photography, then whatever money is leftover, buy whatever DSLR body you can afford. This is also why I still recommend Canon or Nikon (because of the HUGE amount of quality new and used equipment/accessories available). Olympus, Pentax, Sony all make good DSLR systems. But buying Canon or Nikon is like buying Glock or 1911 because everybody has one and you can swap parts, find quality used parts/accessories, etc.
Buying a camera is a lot like buying a good rifle and scope, only moreso. With a rifle the rule of thumb is to spend the same amount on the scope as you spent on the rifle. With a camera, spend two or three times more on lenses than on the camera body.
2.
http://www.kenrockwell.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is a good informative site. Be warned, however, that Mr. Rockwell is quite full of himself and is by trade a television videographer/movie cameraman, and NOT a professional photographer. So take all of his "this is the way it is" blather with a grain of salt. There are MUCH BETTER photographers in the world. That said, his site is fun to read, informative, and there is a lot there for beginner's to learn.
http://www.bythom.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is great for Nikon stuff
Also this guy REALLY knows lens glass ...
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And just to be sure this post has at least SOMETHING to do with firearms, the greatest gun-related photo ever taken ...
http://www.worldsfamousphotos.com/index.php/tag/bullet/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (interesting to note the "photographer" was actually an MIT scientist - by today's standards, he wouldn't even be allowed to bring a rifle onto campus in Boston)
