If you are looking at digital cameras for Architectural photography you
should look at what camera systems have perspective control lenses.
Your choice is either Nikon or Canon. You will also want to have wide
angle lenses in your arsenal.

Although, you can use photoshop to correct perspective at some point
you will want to make these adjustments at the time you take the
pictures.

I won't recommend particular camera models, but you will only have a
couple of choices in your price range with these capabilities.

Hope this helps

Don Harper
The Edge Photography Studio
Leesburg, Virginia

Your needs are modest, and virtually any camera can fulfill them.

I do a lot of architectural and landscape work, and I strive for realism.
Specifically, I want the spatial relationships among the objects in my
photos to appear as they do to the human eye.  I have found the normal focal
length to be invaluable in this regard.  I shoot with a 6-year old digicam.
I also have nearly a dozen film bodies for more critical work, but I
continue to use the normal lens nearly 90% of the time.

I do not use PC shift lenses, as I can correct for convergence in my editing
software.

You don't say exactly whet kind of photographs you will be taking, so I
cannot determine if my setup would be right for you.  I personally have
little use for wide angle or telephoto lenses because they exhibit apparent
perspective distortion.  One thing that I do recommend is that you get into
the habit of shooting on a tripod, as it will have a marked effect on
improving sharpness.  You might want to consider buying a camera with a
remote control.  Mine has one, and I routinely use it as one would formerly
have used a cable release.  This enables the camera to shoot with no
additional vibration from pressing on the shutter button.  You could use the
self-timer to do this, but I find that is not as good as a remote control,
because the self-timer makes me wait 10 seconds before the shutter fires.
That often results in vehicles driving between my camera and the building,
making it necessary to re-shoot.

With your budget, you will be limited in your dSLR choices. I'd look at the
entry-level Nikon and Canon. Both offer an extensive system of lenses, that
you can "grow" into. If you will be doing primarily architectural photography,
I'd go with a relatively fast, but sharp, wide-angle prime. Next choice would
be a WA zoom, but you will loose a touch of sharpness, at the expense of $.
Though you will gain the ability to frame without moving the camera around.

I will go the opposite way from some respondents: get a really good tripod
with a head featuring bubble levels for each axis. It should have a wide range
from very low, to quite tall and be stable. However - that will likely cost as
much as the body/lens! For architectural work, I nearly always use my film 4x
5, but press my Nikon D70 into service, when the job allows. I've got
Photoshop and several other high-end processing programs, and still frame,
level, stabilize my dSLR, when shooting architectural.

Hunt

I think you could do well with something like a D70, which should be cheap
with the release of the D80, and the kit lens which is wide-angle enough for
most interior shots and is very sharp.  Add to that a TTL flash you can
bounce off an interior ceiling or wall and that may be all you need.

If you want to correct the perspective in exterior shots of tall buildings
(make all parallel lines parallel) you will have to get hold of a lens that
shifts to correct the perspective which will probably bust your budget.