First thing i'd do is read this, its stickied at the top of the photography forum:
tons of great info
http://www.tristatetuners.com/forum/...ad.php?t=22863
Then after that, i'd look for a used DSLR, probably a D50, D70 or something along those lines. I'm only suggesting Nikon, because thats what I have, and know.
I'd also suggest reading up on camera, and decide what company youd like to go with. 2 major contenders are Nikon and Canon