help.. overwhelmed moving up to DSLR

Apricane wrote in post #15028025
To be honest Wilt, what you are asking the OP to do sounds rather elitist, and would seem nearly impossible to verify (no, posting pics from his P&S won't actually tell us much about his photographic potential).

IMO, he/she doesn't need to justify the intent to purchase a DSLR, and it would be much more helpful if we concentrated on giving tips and recommendations on how best to upgrade/what to buy.

To recommmend that everyone buy a dSLR is a bit like recommending that everyone buy a Porsche Cayenne with 6 speed transmission. It is a failure to recognize that some products go well beyond NEEDS, not the potential of the user! We saw millions of folks scramble after the Canon AE-1 after Canon made it seem like "everyman's camera" when a point and shoot might be better suited.

I asked the OP to define their shooting needs and expectations so we could make suggestion about best fit without overselling the Posrche Cayenne. I did not try to JUSTIFY their decision, merely to tell us needs and expectations, to guide them. That is not elitist, it is guiding the buyer to best meet their needs.


I used to NEED medium format and large format. I do not NEED to have a FF camera, the APS-C 40D which is now many year old, meets my NEEDS! I am not elitist in my equipment purchase or recommendations. Maybe the OP only needs a used camera rather than the latest models, saving money by not buying unneeded features.

There's no recommendation to buy a DSLR involved here. The OP wants to buy a DSLR; it's about which one is right for him, since he's already made up his mind he wants a DSLR. Of course we don't have to recommend a FF, but going and saying that he should/might want to stick with a P&S is somewhat condescending and doesn't help.

So how will we know if a 350D or 450D or 550D or 650D will satisfy, unless we understand the OP needs or expectations? Would you recommend a 1/2 ton pickup truck not knowing the person lives in NYC and needs to have a very small car which fits into small parking spaces? Maybe recommending a small 2-seat electric would suit, rather than a 4 seat gas car. That would not be condescending to say "Maybe you don't need a 4 seat gas car"

Huh, aren't we in the process of finding out what the OP's expectations are? Isn't it a bit soon to assume he doesn't 'need' a DSLR (as if that was our business to decide in the first place)?

I was in exactly the same position as the OP. I have an elph i960s pocket camera which I love for the portability. I did a lot research and ended up with the T3i. To me, it represented the best compromise between quality/features and price. I would have loved to get the 7D but couldn't justify paying almost double the price. Amazon was having a $200 off the 70-300 IS USM when purchased with the T3i/18-55 kit and I jumped for it. I got the whole package for about $900, which I thought was pretty reasonable for starting off. Moreover, since the T3i wasn't the top of the entry-level cameras (the T4i), it didn't demand a premium for that status.

I do get 7D envy often , but all in all, I feel that the capability of the T3i far exceeds my ability to be limited by it any time soon.

Hi everyone.
So I didn't get a chance to see everyone's posts before going out shopping..
I am the proud owner of a 1100D... And I'm in absolute awe of the difference..
The reason for the upgrade was to have more control of shots.. My A3300 is a great little camera and will still live in my pocket most of the time but it doesn't have very much room for my input...
I will be posting pics soon.. I'll post some from both cameras and a few I have processed.. Hopefully you will approve...
Thanks everyone for their input...
I will be annoying everyone for their advice in the future no doubt..