Nice Camera for Beginners?

This summer i'm taking a photography course and I need a good camera. I'm a beginner when it comes to cameras but i will have time to get used to it and learn how to use it. My Price range is maximum $600. What's a nice enough camera that will make me look like i know what i'm doing? (I was thinking ds3000 from Nikon or the EOS Rebel XS 18-55IS Kit) Thanks!

Both of them are excellent for beginners. Both brands are very reliable. You have to remember that the most expensive things are the lenses and Accessories so, your decision today has to be made thinking in the brand you would prefer to stick with.

If you have friends or relatives with the same SLR camera brand, you can borrow some accessories for occasional use or test before buying. That will be decisive from my point of view.

I have the nikon d3000 and the nikon d3100 love them both… There great cameras! Also the nikon d5000

Check with the course… You wouldn't want to drop cash on a DSLR only to find out your are supposed to show up with a flim SLR camera.

"What's a nice enough camera that will make me look like i know what i'm doing?"

For 600$ you can only afford a entry level DSLR like the T3 or Xsi… And if you are talking to anyone who knows anything about photography… They will know you are new to this after less than a minute.

Do you just want to LOOK like you know what you are doing, or do you want to actually KNOW what you are doing? If the former, then I would say forget about spending so much money on a camera, and just buy a decent compact camera. If the latter, then any of the two cameras you mentioned will be good (assuming the ds3000 is an SLR like the d3000)