Well , it started out with me looking for a budget dslr kit and the 520 was rated as a steal at the current price. And , the zuiko kit lenses are supposed to be great. The built in stabilization , size ( esp the 620), are all factors in favour . Also a friend has a 1000D and I'm not all that impressed. Plus I've never been a canon fan. My compact is a panasonic TZ5 , which no canon can beat at the price point.