learn on film first.. learn the basics of iso and manual aperture and shutter setting. also how to focus well. once you learn that, learn to shoot motion, then learn to use different types of lighting. read a book about basics, it'll tell you most of what you'll need, it's easy stuff... cheap cameras go for no mroe than 50 on ebay also for a digital slr, the nikon d40 is cheap about 500? and it's going to have all those settings i mentioned... i use it for professional work and it's the cheapest one on the market.
I think you should weight for the T2i .Price point will be sub 1k.. and has great Video options (better then the 7d or 5dmkII (until a firmware fixes that)).. Linky to T2i "We'd heard inklings, but Canon's brand new Rebel T2i (also known as the EOS 550D outside the US) is newly official and oh-so-desirable. The camera takes quite a few features from Canon's EOS 7D, including an almost identical sensor, the selectable frame rates, and the stereo mic jack. There's also a new widescreen LCD and button layout to differentiate it from its T1i sibling -- which will stick around on the market to pick up the poorer Canon lovers among us. The shooter can capture 18.7 megapixel stills at 3.7 fps, with better, 7D-style light metering and an expanded ISO range of 100 to 6400. Video is even more thrilling, with the addition of 30 / 25 / 24 fps 1080p (the T1i was limited to a silly 20 fps at that resolution), along with 720p at 50 / 60 fps and VGA at similar rates. The camera can also do an ultra-zoomed "movie crop" function that actually does the cropping on the CMOS sensor to provide about 7x of additional zoom without losing quality in SD. The T2i will hit retail in March for $800, with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens kit at $900. PR is after the break."
While film cameras are cheap, learning on film is not. Nothing beats digital when it comes to instant feedback and learning that way, imo.
OK don't come crying to me after you learn all this fancy digital photography and someone asks you about shooting on film. You'll look like a fool instead of a pro.
Who said anything about looking like a pro? That said, I'd certainly agree that the equipment is only as good as its user, and anyone buying a digital SLR should at a minimum understand the basics and be able to do more than just point and shoot. If you are going to just "point and shoot", you really can get some great compact cameras these days. However, imo, you are better served with a digital SLR. For point and shoot, your cell phone can probably take decent shots these days, anyway. We have a Canon 40D. We also have, but rarely use anymore, one of the original Canon EOS Digital Rebel's - bought way back in 2003. To be fair, it still functions perfectly fine as a camera. The speed in which new models are coming out has increased so much its ridiculous. We haven't had our 40D that long and it already feels like old news. It's gotten so it's worse than TV's and computers even. Before a new model is even released, you here and see rumors of the next 2 models in the series, which are likely to both be out in the next year+. Your difficulty in choosing one to buy is a direct result of the plethora of options available and soon to be available. I'd suggest not fretting over it too much. Personally, I'd stick with Canon or Nikon. I'd also suggest NOT getting the top of your budget camera. I mean, we'd all love to have the best camera available, but the body is only half the battle. You need lenses, accessories, computer software/space, etc, etc, etc. We have built a nice little lens collection. As far as lenses are concerned, we HAVE waited to save some money, and then spent at the top of our budget. In 5+ years will we still be using the Canon 40D? I don't know. But I know for certain that we will still be using the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens we have...because its freaking awesome and always will be (and should be, for what it costs!). As far as Canon vs. Nikon...I don't think it really matters. Both make great products. Sometimes it seems a little like the old Playstation vs. XBox debate, but I think that's died down a bit, but in reality, both are awesome. We have Canon because my in-laws had used Canon's and had some decent Canon lenses around, so we just went that direction.
OK honestly, spend your money on digital if that's the main concern. Just saying if you want a strong background, check out film. Don't worry about the nikon v. canon argument either, shoot whichever you think works best for you.
the point is..getting an DSLR camera doesnt get u any better pics than a good point and shoot camera, unless u know what ur doing. so like others have said..learn the basics, and see if are up to the challenge.
Right. Which is why I am educating myself about photography as I am looking for a new camera. I am looking at it as a new long term hobby and i do not want the camera to be a limiting factor after a year or so. I would rather have myself be the limiting factor. This is what I am going with: Nikon D90 Nikkor 18-105 mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S VR Lens Nikkor 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S VR Lens Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 AF-S Lens Cant wait to take some pics once the package arrives! Thanks for advice everyone!
Wow can't believe that 35mm 1.8 is only $200 This will probably be your #1 indoor lens.. The Aperture is right at 1.8 but if your going to take some indoor shots with poor lighting from far away (Think about Concert,Church,Weddings) Then your probably going to have a hard time taking shots... Post pics of your new Hobby!! I just got really into it about 1.5 years ago. Had the original Canon Rebel but only recently got into the Hobby and got me a 50D. I can tell you that the problems I have (because I don't have the glass for it) is Range under poor light conditions with moving objects. Also range with great IQ from stadium stands in a track meet. Hopefully when I get my 70-200mm IS I'll be much happier
just a few notes as i thought about the responses in this thread, i take a lot of photos of the same thing in different settings, this helps me figure out what works best when i'm out in the "field", i have also tried to mimic shots that i like just to get a sense of the mechanics of another photographer, dont be afraid of either the automatic or the manual settings, and for those who dont know and are interested here is the link for clutchfans on flickr http://www.flickr.com/groups/clutchfans/
