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We bought the Canon Rebel xsi a year ago and absolutely love it. It was a new model last year and was in your price range. We've used it in Africa, in Europe, and just around the house. Just this week, I was taking pictures with it and with our small digital camera; the quality that comes out of the SLR is so much better than the small camera, which takes good pictures, just not great. Send me a message if you want more information.
We bought a Canon XSi as well, right before the wedding, and we took it on the honeymoon with us. We got it from B&H Photo - they had a package where you got the camera body, two lenses, and a bunch of accessories for under $1,000. I love it!
I have the Nikon D80 and am still learning how to use it. It takes fabulous pictures, and was compatible with all of our old Nikon lenses.
We just bought a Nikon D60. One of my best friends is actually a professional photographer and she helped me find the best deal. The D60 is the one she recommended the most. And we got a great deal.
sisters.jpg (119.5 KB, 29 downloads) 1 year old 
I have the Canon Rebel XTi (the older version of the XSi) and I love it! I think the kit starts easily below $1000. My sister actually damaged her XTi and got an XSI...she says they are pretty similar. The only thing I'd warn you about is that they are much heavier than film SLR's. I believe the Nikon prosumer models are great as well, but the most important thing is that they be comfortable to hold. I tried several at the camera store before choosing the one I bouth. If she's taking your pics, I would make sure it's something she's comfy carrying all day.
FWIW, I bought my camera from BeachCamera.com ($850 for camera, kit lens, some filters, flash card) and an upgraded lens (not the kit one, but the image stabilizing zoom, $570), from BuyDig.com. No problems with either, and the best prices. I have also bought *tons* of stuff from B&H, though, and I've never had an issue.
I know a few local professional photographers who SWEAR by their Nikon's. They say they hold up better than the Canons in the long run, and are about the same price point.
The Canon v. Nikon debate will always rage on. So don't really pay attention to what photographers gear they swear by nowadays. Especially when the technology has advanced so far that any brand you choose will offer excellent results, if used right. Each of their lifespans, are also, equivalent to their competitor's range as well.
There are some internet sellers that look great for their prices, so if it looks too good to be true...
Here's a good place to read about some places where not to buy: http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=374
I <3 my Nikon!! It's a little older now (a D50) but when I upgrade body I'll definitely stick with Nikon.
I use the Canon 40D and adore it!
The Xsi is a great camera too and fits right in your price range.
I have the Canon XTi as well (as someone said, its the older version of hte XSi). Some of the differences is that XSi has higher megapixels, and the kit lens it comes with is better. I forget the other differences, but they're fairly similar. I absolutely love love LOVE my camera and it is one of the best purchase decisions I have ever made. It is a beginner model dslr, meaning that there are still some preset and auto modes to use if you don't know how to adjust everything yet so it really is easy to use. In all honesty though, it is the LENSES that make such a big difference with the photos. Get yourself a good lens! I didn't even bother buying the kit lens, which isn't bad, but it just wasn't what I was looking for. PM me if you want some suggestions :) When XSi came out, it was about $900 including the lens (700 withouth I think?). I bought my XTi used for $450, without a lens. My favorite lens I have was about $350, but looks like its a bit over $400 now on amazon. However, there is a cheaper, but still good version of the lens that cost less than $100. If you intend on having indoor photos, you may need to invest in a new flash though, because the built in flash on ALL dslrs just isn't very good. However, with the lens I have, it takes pictures well in low light so I do ok managing without it. Anyway, there is quite a bit more that I could tell you about, but just PM if you are interested :)
By the way, I personally prefer Canons because I tend to find the colors more vibrant, BUT, I have nothing bad to say about Nikons either. If you do go the DSLR route, definitely go Canon OR Nikon.
Oh, and they also have newer models that can also do video! I have no idea how much they cost, but I would guess it's more than $1000
I second the rec for the Nikon D50.. It was about $1000 brand new 4-5 years ago, so its probably come way down by now. Make sure you give your sister enough time to practice with the camera before the wedding. Also any DSLR that you do buy, she should shoot in manual mode, you get better pictures when you set your own ISO, etc. AND if you're going to plop down the money for a DSLR you mine as well purchase a speedlight flash as well. Your pictures come out amazingly better than when using the on-camera flash. (Examples seen here: http://anneruthmann.blogspot.com/2009/04/on-camera-flash-intern-edition.html)
You can find a decent speedlight for around $300. Either way you can't go wrong with a Canon or Nikon.
I have a Canon xti as well & honestly, for a long time I didn't take better pictures with it. BUT, that was ME not the camera. Does your sister know a lot about white balance, shutter speed, exposure, etc? If not, I'd suggest a photography course if you invest in a dlsr.
Mrs. Avocado changed my photography life. Check out her blog for a much better explanation of what I was attempting to say. & she had great tips to boot!
http://thatwifeblog.com/2009/03/taking-your-photos-from-blah-to-bam/
& for a direct link to ALL of her photo tips:
http://thatwifeblog.com/tag/photo/
good luck!
I know that this is probably a little after the fact but I have experience with the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D80. I am pretty partial to the Canon because the shutter speed is amazing. A faster speed will allow your photographer to capture a greater number of pictures in a small time frame. This is something that I particularly love because you can't miss a moment. I use my XT for sports photography and she never lets me down!
Your lenses and flash are going to be very important. If your ceremony and reception are outdoors you can do without an additional flash. If you are taking photos inside you will at least want to buy a flash that attaches to the camera (these can be very affordable depending on what you are looking for).
My biggest piece of advice, no matter which camera you choose is to allow your sister time to use the camera for weeks before the wedding. SLRs are much heavier than what she may be use to and she might want to build up those arm muscles before the big day. If she practices she will also become comfortable with the camera and it's innerworkings- so hopefully nothing can go wrong at all. Be sure to buy memory cards with plenty of space....and more than one battery! Also, the review button may be your best friend but reviewing constantly all day long will eat up the battery life.
Well I think that you have more than enough advice to pick out a great camera. Good luck with your search. Your special day will be amazing and so will the photos!
NIKON! I would highly recommend any of their SLRs. I had a 35 mm film camera that was Nikon and the quality is unmatched. Nikon has been a less popular brand of camera so they have had to perfect and fine tune their cameras so that photographers would be inticed to buy them over a more popular brand like Cannon. Cannon, although a reputable company, has been able to mass produce their cameras with little attention to detail because the demand was there.
Oh, and I have the Nikon D 90 and it is amazing. I think it might be out of the price range, though. ($1200) The D40 is a good entry level SLR and it is going out of production. You may be able to get a deal.
From a professional standpoint, Nikon and Canon are equals. It's like saying a Ford is better than a Chevrolet...because in some arguments, one may be more valuable than the other, but in reality, they're both more than capable to do the job.
From a professional standpoint, one would typically consider the costs of the equipment. Canon bodies tend to be a little less expensive than Nikon, and they have typically been a leader in the entry-level dSLR world (Think, Rebel, XTi, etc). Also, the professional series lenses tend to be slightly less expensive, and Canon offers rebates from time to time.
Nikon answered by offering first the D50, and then later the D70. Now they have the D40, D60, and even D90. The Nikon D90 is right around $1,000 and has the capability to also shoot HD video. If you're looking for something that is user friendly and can do things, I'd suggest that camera, because it's well built and offers value that other bodies just won't.
Perhaps you could expand a bit on what your price range is? You mentioned less than $1,000, but that doesn't take into account any additional equipment. To shoot a wedding, even amateurly, one needs decent lenses and at least a flash, and some variations of memory cards. If you're really stuck on the 1k budget, I'd rather you buy an older dSLR like a D70, (You can buy them for around $300) and buy a Nikon flash, like an SB-600. Also maybe a small cheaper lens like the Nikon 50mm 1.8 and the 35mm 1.8. If you aren't familiar with those, if you go to any camera store they should be able to show them to you. All of that equipment should come close to the 1k range and you will have a more versatile and well rounded kit, as opposed to just buying something from a box and hoping to use it. Remember though, adding flashes and lenses requires a bit of research and diligence on the part of the person talking your pictures to get the quality up to par, but if they are willing to learn, the finished product will be MUCH better.
Unlike some of the other advice here, it's important to get a flash regardless. I'd highly suggest that your fill in photographer familiarize themself with photography, by buying a book about it, or even better, taking a class. There is so much information that goes on when trying to shoot a wedding, if you combine that with a lack of experience or knowledge of your camera, you won't get results you are pleased with.
If they're not too educated with photography and you're on a time crunk, I'd actually point you in the direction of a higher end Point & Shoot style camera, instead of a dSLR. While this may sound counter-intuitive, for someone who will be using the "Auto" mode a lot, it's actually a whole lot easier and you'll get a better quality product than using the Auto mode on a dSLR without knowing about the other modes and capabilities.
Models in that area would be something like a Canon G9.
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One of my sisters is excellent at taking pictures, and photography isn't one of those "omg we have to have THE BEST" items on our wedding to-do/to-buy list, so we're going to buy a camera and have my sister take the pictures at our wedding.
Has anyone bought a digital SLR camera? If so, do you like it and would you be willing to recommend it? Or maybe you know which camera your photographer used and thought it was amazing- either way, I'm looking for recommendations for an easy-to-use digital SLR for less than $1000.
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