1. First off, if you know how to compose a picture then you're 1 step ahead of a rank-beginner... (but get ready to have ur mind blown!)Originally Posted by Blitanicle99
2. There is no 'right' answer to your question. as to what camera or gear to get. Even if you knew *exactly* what you were going to take pictures of and *exactly* what conditions/lighting/effects would be involved, there would probably still be 2-3 excellent choices to make.
There are a few steps up from the Canon Powershot A510 that you use, but from what you have said, I would reccomend making the jump to a dSLR camera. An SLR camera is the 'non-flat' type of camera. These are the types of cameras that enthusiasts and professionals use to take high quality photos which allow them to have more control over the settings and lenses used.
There are a ton of guides on dSLR cameras (the 'd' is for digital), but the most popular brands are Nikon and Canon, which come in three levels of price/performance. Consumer, Prosumer, Proffessional. However, it is important to understand that with an SLR, 90% of the quality from a photo comes from the lens you are shooting with, rather than the body of the camera.
Without getting into the specifics too much... as a beginner (with a lot to learn about lighting, lenses, aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc) You should ignore the professional grade cameras unless you happen to be *stupid-rich*. Many of the SLR cameras of the SAME BRAND have the ability to swap lenses back and forth easily, so selecting a less expensive body over another won't necessarily limit the quality of your photos.
I own a Canon Xsi, but Nikons are slightly more prevalent (maybe 50-40?) among the consumer crowd. There are other very worthy brands like Pentax and Sony, but they aren't as common. I am not going to tell you which camera to buy... I am going to tell you to:
-Go to the nearest camera/electronics store and hold as many as you can, and try them out in the store if possible.
-Do your research! Try to identify the pluses and minuses between the different models... most of the cameras are 85% the same in terms of basic function. It is more the smaller features and extras that seperate them.
A word of warning: This is a potentially very expensive hobby. A used, entry level camera BODY (no lens) will cost between $350-$600 depending on what you get. Most half-way decent used zoom lenses will cost $200-$600. The top-of-the-line glass (lenses) cost $800-$1500 used. You can start off with just one lens, but you'll probably break down and get at least one or two more in your first year once you see what some are capable of. (I got my camera two weeks ago and have already bought two extra lenses!).... However, if you are a shutterbug then you'll enjoy the challenge of taking pictures that don't suck using the manual settings that you put into the camera.
As of right now, I am a much crappier photographer with my SLR than my ultra-compact point&shoot (Canon SD630) because I have been forcing myself to use the manual modes, and I still don't always choose the right ones... or haven't learned to use some crazy feature on my camera. At this point, I am still thinking too much about the mechanics of taking the photo and not composition, color, angle, etc. Sure, my camera has an 'auto' mode, but that defeats the purpose of having a nice SLR, imo.
As an aside (and no offense to the Nikon fans)... the very top end of professional grade lenses is generally considered to be the Canon 'L' line.... which are (nice, I admit), but super-overkill for mere mortals (and priced about 2-3x what they should probably cost). If I sold my motorcycle, then I could probably buy one or two of the nicer 'L' lenses. Maybe :-)
I'm sure this thread will get a ton of replies, so good luck!
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