Getting Started

When I decided to jump into the world of d-slr photography, I spent a lot of time reading and asking people whose opinions I trusted about what I should get right away and what I could probably hold off on. First, I knew I'd need a camera. I already knew that the body I chose was going to be a little dependent on what lens system I wanted. While there are other companies that make SLRs and lenses, I decided early on that I wanted to stick with either Canon or Nikon, since I wanted as much flexibility as possible as far as lenses down the road. Initially I was leaning towards the Nikon D40, mostly because it was the cheapest offering by either company and I'd hoped it would be a good starter camera. I ended up choosing the Canon because of the Nikon's lack of an AF (autofocus) motor in the body. This meant that many of Nikon's lenses wouldn't have the ability to autofocus. Manual focus certainly has its place, but not having the ability at all with many of Nikon's lenses ended up being a big factor for me.

So, I chose the Canon Rebel XS, Canon's entry-level offering. I considered buying a used 20D body instead, but I didn't for a few reasons. One, I liked the idea of getting a kit lens - I'm still learning, and from what I've read the 18-55 IS lens that comes in the XS kit is a decent all-around lens to learn on. It would probably have been one of the choices I'd be looking at if I'd bought just the 20D body, and buying it separately would have added to the price. I could have bought that used, too, of course. I also don't know anything about buying used cameras - what should I be careful of, for instance? I'm all for buying used in general, but I liked the idea of getting this new, since I could be confident everything worked fine out of the box. Lastly, the XS is a little smaller and lighter, and I'm planning on using this camera to take pictures when I'm out at restaurants, and that makes it easier to carry with me. This was the least important to me, as I think the build quality and other advantages of the 20D would have more than made up for the XS's size advantage.

So the XS with the kit lens was a good start, but I knew that a camera's only as good as its lenses, but I really had no idea where to begin picking out any others. What would I really need? After a little Googling, I ended up at this page, which was plainly-written and very informative. I wanted to keep my initial foray into photography as inexpensive as possible, but it seemed to me that the 50mm/1.8 Prime lens from Canon would serve me well right from the get go. It's fast and sharp, even in low light which is where I do a lot of picture taking of food. It's also pretty cheap when it comes to camera lenses, and seemed to be a really great value.

Of course, that's no the only lens I want, just the only one I've bought so far. Photography has instantly appealed to my gadget geek side - there are already a good dozen lenses I've read about that I'd love to own, totaling more than a few thousands of dollars. Add in bags, filters, flashes, etc, and the hobby quickly enters the realm of "money sink," not unlike guitar playing.

For now, I'm going to stick with the kit lens and the 50mm and see how far it takes me. I imagine I'll want a good telephoto lens at some point, as well as something wider than I have. I'll also probably want a better general-purpose zoom lens as well.

As for books, I bought three, only one of which I've had time to actually go through. All came pretty highly recommended by people whose opinions I trust, and I'm hoping they'll serve as a good introduction to the art. The first, and the only one I've read so far, is The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby. This is less a book on theory than a "here's a bunch of really good tips and tricks" book. The author doesn't spent much, if any, time telling you why something works, just that it does. For a more thorough background, I ordered Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson and The Camera by Ansel Adams.

I already had a tripod from my days as a wannabe filmmaker in junior high and high school, so that's one expense I was able to avoid. I picked up a 4GB SD card for $9 as well. I'm still waiting on a camera bag and filters, though I imagine I'll be getting some of that soon. It's just too tempting.