New to photography! need some advice!!

[david068513]

Ok so I am gonna try my hand at photography. What would be a good start out camara? Good tips? etc.

[Slow Motion]

From what I am learning, being new to photography myself. Just find a camera you can afford and learn with that. It's all about the photographer. You make the pictures not the camera. It's just the tool you use to capture what you see. Having a good DSLR doesn't make you a good photographer. Your eye and imagination does. <==My first lesson.

[A.A]

You can find a Canon rebel xti for cheep these days because it is so outdated. Use the kit lens that comes with it, because it is terrible and it will force you to learn your camera settings to move around the lenses short comings.

If you prefer SD memory cards over CF cards go with the Canon rebel xs or xsi for a little more... the xsi is leaps and bounds better than the xti though and is more expensive.

[HatchMan]

From what I am learning, being new to photography myself. Just find a camera you can afford and learn with that. It's all about the photographer. You make the pictures not the camera. It's just the tool you use to capture what you see. Having a good DSLR doesn't make you a good photographer. Your eye and imagination does. <==My first lesson.

So very well said.

[87 Turbo II]

Go with a higher end point and shoot just to get started. There are some nice ones out there with 10X optical zoom, image stabilization, and manual settings. (don't pay the premium for megapixels, 8 to 10MP will be fine, everyhting else is just inflating the price unless you're printing LARGE prints from the P&S which is incredibly unlikely) Use that as a tool to learn manual settings like shutter speed, aperture, and what they do and how they effect the shot. If you decide that learning the manual stuff isn't as fun as you thought after the first year or 2 (a lot pf people do) then you've still got a nice point and shoot you can throw in a bag, bring to a party and pull it out to use on full auto (having a heavy DSLR around your neck at a party is a good way to get avoided a lot by people, and it's intimidating, so casual hanging out with friends memories won't get captured). Then, if you DO like where the photography passion is taking you, you can sell the P&S and get a DSLR, or keep the point and shoot as the casual snapshotter, then move your manual usage over to a DSLR.

[Tarzanman]

Yeah, listen to 87 Turbo. don't get a DSLR until you KNOW that you're going to stick with taking photos because getting a DSLR camera is only the start. You'll spend at least twice what you spent on the camera on lenses if you want superior results.

[james]

omg dawg. definitely buy nothing less than a nikon dslr. if you dont have a dslr you aint shit, amirite

[Slow Motion]

omg dawg. definitely buy nothing less than a nikon dslr. if you dont have a dslr you aint shit, amirite

Um no.

Go with a higher end point and shoot just to get started. There are some nice ones ... you can throw in a bag, bring to a party and pull it out to use on full auto (having a heavy DSLR around your neck at a party is a good way to get avoided a lot by people, ....

[A.A]

Go with a higher end point and shoot just to get started. There are some nice ones out there with 10X optical zoom, image stabilization, and manual settings. (don't pay the premium for megapixels, 8 to 10MP will be fine, everyhting else is just inflating the price unless you're printing LARGE prints from the P&S which is incredibly unlikely) Use that as a tool to learn manual settings like shutter speed, aperture, and what they do and how they effect the shot. If you decide that learning the manual stuff isn't as fun as you thought after the first year or 2 (a lot pf people do) then you've still got a nice point and shoot you can throw in a bag, bring to a party and pull it out to use on full auto (having a heavy DSLR around your neck at a party is a good way to get avoided a lot by people, and it's intimidating, so casual hanging out with friends memories won't get captured). Then, if you DO like where the photography passion is taking you, you can sell the P&S and get a DSLR, or keep the point and shoot as the casual snapshotter, then move your manual usage over to a DSLR.

Looking for value, yes get a P&S camera.

For a person who would want to learn how to use a camera, a point and shoot would only allow them to learn how to frame an image and have nothing to grow into... Granted it would encourage photo sessions because it is easy to use and takes good pictures, but it would never cultivate the skills to go beyond and learn how to really use a camera.

Getting a dslr would be harder/more expensive to use than a point and shoot, especially an expensive high end P&S, but it will force the user to learn why his pis ass dslr captures images the way it does.

I would suggest if you are going to get a point and shoot camera, get a cheep one, because if you really have any interest in digging into photography you will out grow it fast.

Just do your self a favor... I know that with Canon cameras the firmware OS is similar from the cheep P&S to the high-end DSLRs... I don't know about Nikon... so if you get a cheep P&S Canon and learn its OS you are not lost when you do move up to another Canon DSLR because the settings navigation will be familiar to you.

good luck.

[Tarzanman]

Granted it would encourage photo sessions because it is easy to use and takes good pictures, but it would never cultivate the skills to go beyond and learn how to really use a camera....

It sounds like you've never used any of Canon's high end P&S cameras. They have manual modes, creative modes and automatic modes just like a Rebel does.

The problem with a DSLR as a first camera is the cost involved. Even buying used, you're going to have to drop at least $300 on a body and at least $100 (usually $200-$300) on each lens you get to cover different focal lengths.

A nice P&S will be cheaper, more versatile, and still have the necessary modes for learning (as well as a hotshoe for an external flash).

The Canon G11 is a good camera. There isn't much that a Rebel can do that it can't also do.

[A.A]

It sounds like you've never used any of Canon's high end P&S cameras. They have manual modes, creative modes and automatic modes just like a Rebel does.

The problem with a DSLR as a first camera is the cost involved. Even buying used, you're going to have to drop at least $300 on a body and at least $100 (usually $200-$300) on each lens you get to cover different focal lengths.

A nice P&S will be cheaper, more versatile, and still have the necessary modes for learning (as well as a hotshoe for an external flash).

The Canon G11 is a good camera. There isn't much that a Rebel can do that it can't also do.

you miss the point.


*for my validation*
I have used a g11 when it first came out. I started with a 3.2 mp sony cybershot back in 2004.

I had this camera before I moved "up" to a Canon xti. yup that is a hot shoe on this old ass expensive at the time camera.

link to specs: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonpro1/

With the L glass that came on this point and shoot camera (hard to immagine it did... but it did have L optics on it) it was actually worlds better than an at-the-time $850 xti with kit lens.



The point is if there is an interest in photography... skip all the point and shoot shortcuts and learn what certain equipment does for you and why, it will save you money that can go toward buying equipment that will be used for a lifetime.

Get a cheep $100 digi-cam to see if it is your bag, sure... it will teach you the interface with your computer which is very valuable.

Play around with expensive point and shoot cameras, like I did, and you will find that you have blown your money on equipment that you will never use again once you graduate past it. My old junk amounts to about $1,400 that could have been used to buy an assortment of lenses I could use today with timeless function.

[2jdm4drift]

down with all this stuff... just get a nikon d50 its cheap and easy to learn on. with simple to advance setting and you can use just about any nikon lens with it. look to spend 300 on clist. 500 with after market lens on it. I wish i would have thought about this when i bought a new p&s for the first time. I would have just spent another 1oo bucks and ended up with a dslr, I have a d90 now and I think that it was a simple transition from the d50. good luck with the hobby!!

[Tarzanman]

you miss the point.

Maybe? ...but then only because you didn't make one (or presented it poorly enough that I couldn't understand what you were trying to say).

Get a cheep $100 digi-cam to see if it is your bag, sure... it will teach you the interface with your computer which is very valuable.

I'm afraid that he won't learn much of anything from a modern el-cheapo digicam except how to change ISO. All the other settings are given cute/mnemonic names so that the average consumer can remember them like 'beauty mode' or 'sports mode', etc

[DVSRX-7]

Go with a higher end point and shoot just to get started. There are some nice ones out there with 10X optical zoom, image stabilization, and manual settings. (don't pay the premium for megapixels, 8 to 10MP will be fine, everyhting else is just inflating the price unless you're printing LARGE prints from the P&S which is incredibly unlikely) Use that as a tool to learn manual settings like shutter speed, aperture, and what they do and how they effect the shot. If you decide that learning the manual stuff isn't as fun as you thought after the first year or 2 (a lot pf people do) then you've still got a nice point and shoot you can throw in a bag, bring to a party and pull it out to use on full auto (having a heavy DSLR around your neck at a party is a good way to get avoided a lot by people, and it's intimidating, so casual hanging out with friends memories won't get captured). Then, if you DO like where the photography passion is taking you, you can sell the P&S and get a DSLR, or keep the point and shoot as the casual snapshotter, then move your manual usage over to a DSLR.

Same reason why I bought my Canon. I'll look into a DSLR later when I'm better at taking pics.