I'm getting a bit nervous now!!

[scoobysnax]

Hiya, I'm new here so be gentle with me ;) I'm off to buy an EOS 350 next week and I'm getting a little bit scared about it. The thing is, I've never owned or used a digital SLR or a normal SLR before for that matter and I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be biting off more than I can chew. I've had a digital point and shoot for a few years now (Sony DSC-F77) and it's probably one of the best things I've ever bought because it's given me so much enjoyment and fond memories from living abroad. Just reading through the forum over the past week or so has made me realise that it's a very complicated business.

I've wanted to buy a digital SLR for about 2 years, and finally got the funds together. Am I making a big mistake or am I about to begin an enjoyable hobby?

Cheers

Scooby

[05Xrunner]

Go for it.
Well I am sure when you bought that Point and shoot you didnt know all the ins and outs. You had to learn. Same thing with the DSLR

[Steve Parr]

It's easy for a DSLR to get complicated. It's also easy to keep it simple and enjoy it without worrying about the bajillion different things you can do with it.

I bought a DSLR without knowing a damn thing about them, and I've never regretted it...

Steve

[scoobysnax]

Well yeah...I suppose so 05X, it's just that my point and shoot was easy to get my head round, a digital SLR scares the life outta me.

Scooby

[900spg]

No need to worry, it can be as easy or as hard as you would like to make it. You will enjoy it very much.

[scoobysnax]

That's all I wanted to hear really Steve. If it's something I'll be able to pick up and learn as I go along and get some enjoyment whilst I'm making mistakes then I should be alright. Will the instruction book get me through a few basics??

Scooby

[stevefossimages]

You can use it just like a point and shoot if you want to. Set it to "P" or fully automatic (the green box) on the dial, and just learn as you go. And even if you leave it in those modes, you'll be happy at how much faster it focuses and shoots than a P&S.

The instruction book will do you fine, and as you have questions the book can't answer (the Canon manuals are better than most, but they all seem to be written to some degree by little green men from Mars), you know where to ask them. :grin:

[mson]

There is nothing to be worried about. The great thing about a DSLR is you control how you want to use it. You can easily leave it in full automatic exposure (green mode) or one of the other "basic zone exposure modes" and get good shots. Or you can put it in one of the "creative zones" and see what happens. The great thing about digital is you get immediate feedback. I learned on a film camera, I didn't find out for days or weeks how my shots turned out :)

[scoobysnax]

Thanks for the replies ppl. I'm starting to get the confidence back to dip into the savings !!!

Cheers

Scooby

[Steve Torelli]

Scooby, you hit on it right there.Read the manual.After you've read the manual,read the manual again. Don't be so intimitated though.The learning curve is steep but the rewards are much greater,like anything else, you'll get out of it what you put into it.
I disagree with Steve's idea about using it in full auto.The way to learn is use it in manual mode,don't be afraid to make mistakes.Not all your shots are gonna be keepers.For a while you'll probably get a very low percentage of keepers.But you'll soon see improvement and that's very satisfying. Your expanding your photographic horizons with a DSLR.Learn it,don't stay shackled to the P&S mentality of letting it make your choices for you. I think the best photographers are the ones that realize that years later, they're still learning. Read about it and ask questions in the forums. I learned a lot at Photonet when I first came to digital from film. It's a challenge, there is a lot learn, but it's also fun. Good luck.

[stevefossimages]

Steve, I wasn't recommending scooby leave it in those automatic modes FOREVER. It's just a nice comfort zone or starting point for someone who isn't sure how to proceed and needs some reassurance. And, once a newbie gets a few frames under his/her belt, it's time to experiment. That's kind of what the "learn as you go" comment meant.

[scoobysnax]

I feel like Luke Skywalker surrounded by a load of Jedi's in here ;-)
One thing's for sure Steve is that I don't give up easily and I've got a fairly good understanding of Photoshop CS. So if I can turn one good enjoyable pic out of 500 or so, I'll be happy in the beginning.
Will the kit lense get me by whilst I'm learning or will it be a disappointment?

[nation]

..... and I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be biting off more than I can chew.

A DSLR was my first foray into photography. I started out with an A80 but didn't bother with any of the terminology or photographic relationships so would say that I was a complete newbie when I picked up my 20D for the first time. Try and get an understanding of the aperture, shutter speed, ISO triumvirate and then move onto exposure compensation, white balance etc. Just take your time with it - start out in auto mode if you have to. Read the manual, then reread the manual. If you are completely new to photography even the manual may be over your head (the manual explains how to perform particular functions but provides little additional info on what that function is). To supplement the manual get a copy of the short courses guide to 350D (ebook version) or the magic lantern guide. These provide the extra info to give you an understanding what it is you are actually doing and how it impacts the photo you are taking.

http://www.shortcourses.com/bookstore/canon/


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157990761X/104-4827816-1980743?v=glance&n=283155

[Tsmith]

I've got a fairly good understanding of Photoshop CS.

Then your in good shape and good to go.

[BearLeeAlive]

If you are willing to learn, absolutely go for it. You obviously understand that you will have lots of learning to do (this will never end). It looks like you would be a great candidate for dSLR photography. This forum is the single best resource you could ever draw from.

I would suggest learning the basic concepts. You could by a book like "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson (I believe).

The difference between SLR photography and P&S is that this is way more fun. You are in control and can create as you see fit.

[BIGTUFFGUY]

you learn a lot everytime you take a photo. you will see whats working and what isnt.

i had never used a DSLR and bought the XT, i find i'm getting better every time i use it.

the one thing is thouhg, you will quickly see your limitations with the current gear. you will want to add more and more to the camera and before you know it you've taken a 1000$(canadian) camera and slapped more than that on it.

one peice of advice, buy the fastest card with the most memory that you can afford.

[stevefossimages]

scooby:

I couldn't get rid of the 18-55 fast enough. I've got the 17-40L. But I never know if what I shoot will need to be enlarged into a big fine art print, so I'm kind of a stickler about the sharpness, contrast, color detail and other advantages of L glass, as well as the rugged L build being a big plus in the rough environment I'm shooting in up here.

The 18-55 should be fine for you. Go slowly with adding new glass, and don't be afraid to take that body into a camera store and slot on a few telephoto lenses when you feel like you've gotten the hang of the body. You can get a serviceable zoom telephoto that takes nice images for a few hundred bucks, and if you're like me, the more you shoot, the more you'll like to shoot tight from a distance, and that's a telephoto game. If it comes time you want to add a telephoto, a 70-300 can be quite affordable.

[mson]

I forgot to add in my previous post. If you want to learn more about the basics get this book. It is excellent.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817463003/ref=pd_cpt_gw_3/002-0780516-2927227?n=283155

[steved110]

The kit lens will be fine to start with, it will take a short while to get to grips with the camera. Till then you won't really know what other lenses you want.
You might want to consider one of the deals that includes a couple of lenses eg kit lens and 55-200 etc so you can have a lens-change/ perspective change and play with longer zooming. The quality of these lenses is reasonable considering what they cost, but you don't want to spend big money till you know more about what you really want/ need.
Unless you're rolling in loot that it! Check the sticky on lens choice for some great ideas.

[vkalia]

Two things:

1/ Buy a book on the basics of SLR photography - that'll teach you the rudiments of exposure, aperture, shutter, etc.

2/ Buy John Shaw's book on Nature Photography - it is the *best* treatise on exposure and composition that I have ever encountered.

3/ Dont worry about lenses, etc. Go out and shoot with the kit lens. When you start feeling the limitations of the lens, then it is time to get a new one - and you'll also know what to get.

Vandit

[Spencerj]

Go for it, ive never had a hobby that i enjoy as much as photography. It was fun when i had my finepix s7000 but since i got the dslr its just opened up whole new aspects, you wont regret it!

[scoobysnax]

Just posting the question has made my mind up because I've realised that there is a large depth of support and knowledge in this furum. I'm not used to seeing a "Newbie" treated so well which is a credit to the furum and all involved. Thanks to everyone thats taken time to reply.
I can't wait to go out and buy it now. I'm also looking forward to the week off work at the end of this month so I can go out and have some fun with the camera.



one peice of advice, buy the fastest card with the most memory that you can afford.

I was buying a 1GB memory card, are the speeds on them that much different or are they all pretty much the same?

Cheers
Scooby

[Dorman]

Scoobysnax, just go for it, you won't regret it at all.

There's a bit of a learning curve moving to an SLR, but that's what makes it so rewarding. There's been lots of good suggestions so far, get a book on exposure, read and re-read the manual, digest one function at a time, and stick with the kit lens until your skills increase to show you the limitations of your gear.

My peice of advice, get the Rebel XT w/ Kit Lens, a Lexar 80X 1 gig CF card, and possibly a tripod. Once you have all of that, shoot as much as possible, mess with the settings and have fun, remember, there's no self-destruct button!

[stevefossimages]

Scooby: There are different write speeds to the cards. As mentioned, get an 80x card. It's the fast one. Lexar 1Gb 80x will run you about $89, and that's not a lot more than a 40x 1Gb card.

And on another note. . .I've found people here very helpful as well. A good hint is to look at this and any well-attended online forum as a library. When you walk into the library, you go to the reference librarian with questions on where to find things. When you come on a forum, the "search" feature is your reference librarian. Much, much of what goes on in these forums is repetitive by such forums' very nature. New people come in and ask questions that have been asked many times before, and sometimes the answers are colored by that fact. The "search" feature can set you free! :grin:

[dmp-potn]

Hello,

That's all I wanted to hear really Steve. If it's something I'll be able to pick up and learn as I go along and get some enjoyment whilst I'm making mistakes then I should be alright. Will the instruction book get me through a few basics??

Scooby
The instruction book will get you started. You may wish to order the shortcourses.com book on the 350D, which does a pretty good job of covering the basics, with more examples than Canon's instruction book has: http://www.shortcourses.com/bookstore/canon/book_canonrebelxt.htm

Welcome to the forum. Look forward to seeing some of your photos with your new camera.

[Kendal]

Scooby

You and me both lol... Scary isn't it. I'm just comparing prices on packages etc. but am also hoping that I will be able to use the thing once I get it.

Kendal

[BIGTUFFGUY]

as mentioned the lexar 80x is fast enough for most peope. Even myself. i bought the extreme III because, we'll i'm a geek and love having expensive trinkets. it is blazing fast, but if you can live with waiting an extra few seconds, save the 100$ difference

[Steve Parr]

Will the instruction book get me through a few basics??


Man, I wish I could tell you. I haven't opened mine yet!

Well, okay, not true.

Yes, the instruction book will definitely get you through the basics, and more. I bought my 20D on January 2, and opened the instruction book, for the first time, two weeks ago...

Steve

[Elton Balch]

I feel like Luke Skywalker surrounded by a load of Jedi's in here ;-)
One thing's for sure Steve is that I don't give up easily and I've got a fairly good understanding of Photoshop CS. So if I can turn one good enjoyable pic out of 500 or so, I'll be happy in the beginning.
Will the kit lense get me by whilst I'm learning or will it be a disappointment?

The kit les is fine to begin with. You can visit the lens forum and they will give you great advice on how to spend your life's savings. There is quite a cross section of people on the forum and we were all beginners at one point. Your computer skills will help tremendously too. Keep us posted!!

[scoobysnax]

Thanks for all the sound advice and all the links posted, just wish I could reply to everyone that's taken the time out to post....Kendal we'll work throught this together ;-)

Cheers
Scooby

ps. there's too many Steve's posting on here ;-)

[Spencerj]

as mentioned the lexar 80x is fast enough for most peope. Even myself. i bought the extreme III because, we'll i'm a geek and love having expensive trinkets. it is blazing fast, but if you can live with waiting an extra few seconds, save the 100$ difference

I have got a basic pny compact flash and an extreme III but for single pictures i dont notice a difference, when i short sport the extreme III helps with write speeds greatly. In the UK you can pick an extreme III up for about 50 quid from www.picstop.co.uk - fast delivery as well.

http://www.picstop.co.uk/Compact-Flash-(CF)/SanDisk-Extreme-III-CompactFlash----1GB

[JayHawk]

No need to be nervous now, the fun's just starting. Give it a few years and when you look around you and you now own several other higher end camera bodies, studio lighting equipment, and a whole quiver of sexy lenses, that's the time to get nervous when you realize how many house payments you've spent!

Seriously though, it's an awesome hobby, and like other's have said, you can make and learn from as many mistakes as you want, and it doesn't cost you anything. With film, every mistake cost you the film and processing expense.