Tim answers:

I'd have a dabble with 35mm first then move onto digital. I'd get a Minolta SRT101, they're cheap to buy and very good to use.

Tim answers:

Deffly any Canon brand

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031~~cabcat0400000%23%230%23%23dh~~cabcat0401000%23%230%23%233e~~nf397%7C%7C43616e6f6e&list=y&nrp=15&sc=abCameraCamcorderSP&sp=%2Bbrand+skuid&usc=abcat0400000

Tim answers:

The short answer to your question is... The camera isn't as important as the photographer. Someone once told me "If you can shoot pool, you can use a broom stick and play well." Basically the same applies here. If you know how to set up a shot - composition, lighting, white balance etc - you can do well with almost any camera out there.

As for choosing a brand of camera, you can ask 5 different people and get 5 different answers. I'm a fan of Canon. I've always had Canons. That doesn't mean they're inherently "better" than the others, it's just what I'm used to using. All of my lenses are for Canon. Which by the way if you're interested in buying a DSLR, it's the lenses that make the difference and not necessarily the camera body. Nowadays they all have their pros and cons. Your best bet is to do some research on the different cameras in your price range. There are a lot of Digital Photo Review websites to get this info all over the web. My suggestion would be the Canon Digital Rebel. But then again I like Canon.

While getting a 35mm SLR is one way to "learn" about the different aspects of photography, it is a digital world and if you're not a die hard film person to start, getting a film camera just to learn is an added expense that I don't think is necessary. To me digital is better to learn with because you can instantly see how your shot came out and change things immediately without waiting for the developed pics to come in.

Good luck and remember the person behind the lens is always more important than the equipment.

Tim answers:

Don't think any of the major companies make film, or video tape, cameras now. The best all round cameras, especially for High Definition, with the fanciest features are JVC. You can take time lapse and high speed filming, as well as basic speed and still photos.

Tim answers:

I recommend you start off with a semi-professional digital SLR. It will probably cost you around 400 - 700 dollars depending on the brand and/or features.
Something like:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-+EOS+Digital+Rebel+XS+10.1-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/8929699.p?id=1214611419717&skuId=8929699

or

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-+EOS+Digital+Rebel+T1i+15.1-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/9318954.p?id=1218084392413&skuId=9318954

if you're willing to go a bit pricier.
A major difference in those two, is that the 2nd one (EOS Digital Rebel T1i) has 15 mega-pixels, as opposed to the 1st one (EOS Digital Rebel XS) which has 10.1 mega-pixels.
You can check out the rest of the features

Nikon and Canons don't have too much of a difference, when one comes out with a new product/feature, the other soon comes to compete. Nikon though, is an older company, but Canon has also come to the same in recent years.

Personally, I prefer Nikons, just because they appear to have a different ambiance when taking the picture that I like.
If you notice, they have right about the same kinds of features as the Canon (and price!):

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+-+10.2-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/9456803.p?id=1218107268800&skuId=9456803

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+-+12.3-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/9311755.p?id=1218082646627&skuId=9311755

And here are more references that you can check out:

http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/canon-vs-nikon.html

http://photo.net/photo/canon-v-nikon

Good luck and happy photoing!