Hi I'm new with 2 Questions :)

[Sabrina]

Just wanted to say how glad i am that i found this forum, its filled with so much useful information.

I'm not a pro photographer by any means, in fact, i just recently decided it would be something fun to do as a hobby since i have the cutest subjects in the world my new daughter and my dog :D

I have two questions...

First off, im using a Canon Powershot SD400 ...what do you all think of this camera? Im wondering if i should maybe invest in another one.

Second, what advice can you give me as someone who is doing this as a hobby? What type of things should i have as a staple to coordinate my photoshoots? I've order a muslin background from ebay, i have a tripod what other things should i purchase so i can get the best photos that i can get?

I find photography so much fun...its really a great hobby, see'ing things from different angles and such......

Thanks in advance for any advice..

[CRE@TE]

Welcome to the forums.

Got a few thousand spare dollars hanging around?

Seriously, do you find your current camera holding you back?

You can spend a few hundred or several thousand.

[joegolf68]

Your questions are far to general for anyone to give you a serous answer, except general answers you could answer yourself. You need to ask:

Budget
Need
Goal, short, mid-term, long.

Welcome to the Forum. If you want opinions on a specific camera, do a search here and use Google. Good luck, I look forward to seeing some of your pictures.

[BJW]

Sabrina, I have a Canon Elph S400 and also a SD500. They're my favorite cameras because the Elph model will fit in my purse/pocket and they both make super shots. I went the route of larger cameras with telephoto lenses but left them home most of the time rather than lug them with me. Now I take an Elph with me wherever I go and I get lots more pictures. I have a Canon Elph (IXUS) group on Flickr and I think you'll enjoy it. You can share you pictures and there's a place to ask questions about the camera, etc.:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/canonelph/

[Sabrina]

Thanks thats a cool site, i bookmarked it.

I think im going to keep the camera I have for now, until i get better, i need alot of practice.

But how about the other stuff i should buy? Other than my background (which i already purchased) is there anything i should get that will make better pictures and not break the bank? I don't want to go crazy b/c its a hobby i just started, but i don't mind spending a few hundred dollars throughout the year.

I'd love to post pics of things i have shot, but they are not that good yet, i feel intimidated b/c everyone's else's photos are sooo great....when i get "the" picture I'll post it :D

[Jon]

I suspect that you're wondering at least partly because the SD400's not catching your dog in action, but is just that little bit late on everything. If you've ordered a backdrop, it sounds like you're planning formal photos; you really don't need one for kids/pets at play. In that situation you'll also want some way of controlling the light; "Hot lights" can be used, but neither your subjects nor you will appreciate using them for very long at a time. In order to use flash, you'll have to finesse using your camera's built-in flash to trigger off-camera strobes without messing up the light levels.

If this describes what you want to do, I'd have to say you'd be better served by a DSLR; the EOS 350D with the 18-55 lens and the 50 mm f/1.8. would be a good start; you can then get a couple of Canon's E-TTL strobes (a 580EX and a 430EX for starters) and light stands to position them on. Using your SD400 would mean having to determine exposure either with a flash meter or by trial-and-error; the E-TTL will automatically figure it out for you. You can then later go to manual setting of flash exposure if you like. The 350D also has less shutter "lag time" so you'll have better success with action shots.