I need help on buying a professional photographers camera, i am looking for...?

I need help on buying a professional photographers camera , i am looking for the best in my price range of $300 i want a maximum shutter speed but know nothing about professional cameras i have read things like 1/ 2000 of a sec i want to know if that is a high enough shutter speed, and also i would like to know what kind of lens i need to take pictures of pets and children and what brand of camera would be best, I would really appreciate an answer from a professional photographer or someone who knows a lot about cameras thank you for all your answers.

And yes i want it to be digital =)

Hmmm, well for 300 you wont really be able to get to the "pro-sumer" type camera... unless perhaps you found a used one (I am assuming you want a digital camera). In the 450-600 range I would recommend a Canon G9, Rebel XT, or Rebel XTI. I am not sure if you can swing that price, but the pictures from the digital slrs are awesome.

I did notice the Canon S5 has dropped to $300... I was considering that camera for its advanced movie mode, high zoom, and good pictures (still doesn't meat the SLRs, but excellent for the price).

www.dpreview.com is a good website for researching cameras.

Talk about putting the cart before the horse! Now don't trash me because you asked for answers and I am going to tell you what you need to hear.

First of all, $300 would not even be a good down payment on a "professional' camera. A pro's camera body alone costs several thousands of dollars, then each lens is often well over a thousand dollars. So you obviously have NO idea of the costs involved in top equipment.

Also, it is painfully obvious you have no knowledge of photography in general, because if you did you would not be clueless about shutter speeds and lenses needed etc.

Your question would be like someone who does not even have a driver's license wanting to know what kind of Ferrari to buy for $1000 and what does a gearshift lever do?

As I say, you are going about this backward. I could put my Canon digital 1Ds in your hands, ($8000 for the body alone), and you would not get any kind of decent photos with it of pets or children or anything... because you do not know how to use it.

Your first step needs to be to LEARN. :-) Study books, take on line courses, take a photo course at a local college, join a local photo club.

I'm not trying to come down on you, but a camera, no matter how good it is, is no better than the person using it. It is only a dumb tool that must be used properly. Invest in yourself first, then spend your money on equipment.

My best to you,
steve

You can get a film Canon K2 for less than $200 and it has everything you are looking for on it.

You wont be able to buy a digital SLR for $300.00. You may be able to find a used one but I wouldn't count on it.
The cheapest DSLR's would be around $500.00
Look at the following cameras
Nikon D40
Canon Rebel XT