What would you recommend to a beginner photographer?

I'm beginning to follow my dream of becoming a professional photographer, yet I don't own a camera. I mean, I use my iPhone and my parent's digital camera, but not one of my own. I've used Canon's cameras before, and I think I want to save up for one. Can someone recommend a few that I could start with? Something HD, with a nice grip, not too bulky.

The canon Rebels are great and not too expensive. Look into the T3i, the T4i, and even the T2i. They are all very good, and they take fantastic video as well.

I honestly would start with an entry level DSLR.

http://www.amazon.com/...B003ZYF3LO

Learn about the camera and read up on exposure, composition etc.

I'm amateur rather than professional, but I can see that you have a long road of learning ahead of you. Maybe you could consider an apprenticeship, training or college course? You need to learn about exposure, composition, light, and a whole lot more.

Any SLR or DSLR will aid you, as long as you use it as a learning tool. Just make sure that it has interchangeable lenses, and fully manual exposure controls.

A basic canon rebel DSLR will serve you very well as a learning tool. I would recommend however that you start off with a 50mm prime lens rather than the kit lens. The 50 1.8 is good, or the 1.4 would be even better if you don't mind spending the money. Personally, i learned on an old 35mm film camera with a 50 1.8 lens. I know i might get some flack for this, but i think the simplicity of a set up like that served as an excellent learning tool. I still have that old cam, and still use it all the time. Not having the ease of use, and the ability to fire off a million shots may seem intimidating, but henri mattise once said that creativity is caused by the limitations an artist wages with his medium. Personally i think those limitations really help during the learning process but thats just my opinion, and even i'll admit a very biased one based only on my own experience. If you want a dslr, definitely a canon rebel with a 50mm lens.It'll go a long way creatively, until your growth and skills dictate the need for better gear.