tambo, you're not kidding but she'll be paying most of it herself. thanks for the link, will take a look.
chris, never heard of them (and why would I? lol) but will also look, thank you.
helen, good advice.. we have a Jessops in town, thanks to you too :o)
dusty, I'd be too scared to spend that much on Ebay (though have bought my own camera on there, it seems too risky). thanks for the link.
I have the sony a200, its an entry level digital SLR, the quality of the pictures are excellent, the internal battery is rechargeable, it has loads of features and is very easy to use, it is also a lot cheaper than the big camera brand names.
Before you jump, you need to find out exactly what she needs in terms of function rather than just picking up something cheap. I do some instruction at a local college in Photography and the kids use Canon 450's just now because they are damn good value for money and some of the best cameras around for the money. They also provide a huge amount of function that help the youngsters learn more abot the cameras and how to use them to the best effect. Personally I have 4 Canon slr's an EOS 1DS mk 3, two 1d mk 3s and a EOS 7 that I'm testing. You cannot eat Canon for price and function (and yes I've tried most of them!!)
slapshot, I think that's a bit pricey. the school won't recommend a camera so we'll be looking for a good "all-rounder" I think! thanks for the advice.