SD cards are a pain if you try and upgrade (but if the OP doesn't mind its a null point). Spot metering is a definite plus. The ISO handling of the 350D is way ahead of the D50 though. Admittedly, the kit lens on the 350D is utter tripe and b*****ks, but it can take some nice photos stopped down. Another advantage of the 350D is the EF lens mount, which is wide and shallow enough to allow many older MF lenses to be used (M42 screw mount, Nikon F etc). This means the OP could get very cheap high quality primes (that are fast) for less than £50 (often)
Anyway, its really up to the OP. Remember that your buying into a system, not just a camera. If you buy a D50 and lenses, you'll only be able to upgrade to Nikon, and likewise if you buy a 350D and lenses, you'll only be able to upgrade to Canon (unless you scrap all your lenses and start again
)
My advice? Read the reviews, find the comparisons (not done by Nikon owners or Canon owners - there is always bias
), price out the body and lenses, and work out how soon you can own said camera. Remember to consider the 300D as well - its cheaper, and with a firmware hack (the Undutchables
), you can get almost all the functions of Canon's 10D, a much more expensive camera.
Leo