Beginner to Photography!

[pagansoul]

I only play with photography. I take pictures of my family and pets, flowers and animals. I have a simple, light, digital camera that cost me $100. I love it. I have another, larger digital by Sony that cost me about $400 a few years ago. I don't even look at the larger camera even though it takes a better picture, nice wide angle views that are better for landscapes but I can't get past the weight. My father left me his professional camera with a ******-load of lenses and I never used it. I eventually sold the entire set to someone who would use it. Do you currently have a decent digital camera that you are upgrading to the DSLR or are you simply jumping into the deep water?

Try looking at some online digital gallerys to see what cameras can do.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Gallery/

Below are pictures of my baby with my cheap but ever useful digital camera.

 

[tinman0]

I am on a slight budget so I'd be going at the entry point for lenses and the body. Can anyone reccomend me a camera/lenses? Are there any technological advancements forthcoming in the photography world which will cause even a slight price drop which could help?

p.s. i live in the UK

Canon vs Nikon - it's very simple.

Buy whatever your friends have.

The reason being is that photography is a great hobby but if you have the same kit as your friends, it's much easier to swap lenses occasionally. In my bag for instance is a 300mm, a 100mm macro, and an 8mm fisheye that I've borrowed off different friends. Plus there is a 105mm that I found in an old box, etc.

That's in addition to my own lenses. If we're out on a photography evening I will happily lend out my UWA (Tokina 11-16) for a kit lens for an hour.

So get yourself whatever your friends have at the end of the day and don't worry about the Canon vs Nikon thing.

BTW, if you have no other friends with camera gear, then buy Canon as the Nikon lot are gay.

 

[Ish]

I don't think you're tied into a system from the start if you start gradually, like most people do. After having my first DSLR camera and kit lens for a while, I decided I wanted to swap to a different system. I then sold my camera and bought what I wanted and I've never regretted it.

I'd advise a beginner to try out the cameras, buy the one they like the feel of or whatever inspires them to want a particular one and probably to get it with the kit lens. If after a while you decide you love the camera, then you can get extra lenses or whatever. If you wish you'd gone with another system, it's no big deal to change. It's only when you have a ton of gear it gets expensive!