I wish that I knew what I know now....

With used dSLR prices dropping especially for the rebel and rebel xt (probably due to the xti?)....it seems like there's a lot of new people finally stepping into the SLR world myself included, my "new" rebel should be here soon ('bout a week) along with a used 50mm 1.8 to break it in

Anyway, I know there are a lot of FAQ's and all that up top of each forum....but if you could "knew what you know now"...

anything come to mind right away for the new folks? any bad habits you wish you didn't start? any good ones you started late and wish you started sooner?

c'mon, let's hear a few general newb tips

edit, I'll start...since I am not new to photography, and wish I knew a few things starting out...

I really wish I knew the basics (rule of thirds) before I started shooting back in the day. Back when I very first started I had no idea about photography but thought I did and never cared to read and educate myself about "the basics" ... as a result I find myself regretting not knowing about them from time to time...because I know everything I shot could have looked so much better...

Yeah, going digital mad thinking i dont have to develope these so lets take HUNDREDS. Slow down and think about your composition, Tripods help

I'm still a noob, but I think of a few things I would have done differently. One is read my manual from cover to cover, and then read it again. Another, spend more time with my kit lens getting to know my camera. I was too anxious to buy more lenses, so I bought the 50 1.8 and the Sigma 70-300 APO very quickly. Neither is a really bad lens and I learned alot from them, but I probably should have saved up for better lenses.

Iv rather enjoyed learning as Iv gone along, and Im re-experiancing that with a new camera all over again.
I think if I knew what I know now, I would have found myself very bored and frustrated with the gear I had, and might have given it up before I had a chance to buy something a little complex and involving.

lol, that's a dang good tip i think, .....waiting for glass.

I am a week away from my first SLR and it comes with the kit lens but I already bought a used 50mm1.8 and have to continually tell myself to not even look in the buy/sell forum for a long time...

i keep thinking i need a new lens...and the freaking camera is still in the mail!

Essentials - exposure, and minimum shutter speed to prevent shake. (do add in your crop factor to your calculations).

Check all your settings and THERE IS NOTHING WRONG with chimping. Wait till you come back from a shoot, thinking it's all in the bag, and it isn't - and a simple glance at the LCD would have saved you. I would rather be called any number of names, but get the photos I need/want, all for the want of a glance at the LCD. Digital is an asset and a liability. You have the right to get used to its assets (LCD being one) because you will have to put up with the liabilities (postprocessing, can't just throw the roll at the lab and say I'll be back in a while).

You WILL initially shoot a lot of shots and there is nothing wrong with that either, as long as you take the time to analyze every shot. I did 15K frames in my first year which some people think is nuts, but that GREATLY accelerated my learning curve. And, I didn't just hold down the shutter either. I did go through each and every one, including reviewing all the discards before I bin them, and asking myself "What can I do better next time?"

Now I'm in my 2nd year and the run rate has gone down dramatically even though I have even higher speed cameras. This is pretty much normal. Keeper rate has gone up. Some days I go out and shoot just 36 shots (digital RAW) and keep 20. Those are the good days.

Enjoy your camera and take everything you read (including this) with a pinch of salt. You will ultimately have to discover what matters to you.

Lightstream wrote in post #2291370
in my 2nd year and the run rate has gone down dramatically even though I have even higher speed cameras. This is pretty much normal.

lol, funny how that works huh?

Yup, you eventually learn what you want so you stop shooting everything and anything. But to get there in the first place, you have to shoot anything and everything to begin with..so do that

What people may be forgetting is that we are now compressing the learning curve into a much shorter time. Perhaps I would have learned this way in the film days too, maybe halve the number of shots, and increase the time span to say, 5-10 years instead of 2 years!!

10K shots / 5 years = roughly a roll (36 exp) a week. Factor in lab turnaround time and everything. GOOD lab, not "1 hour slam-it-in-the-machine-double-quick" lab

(BTW: Film P&S user here, but all my SLRs have been digital except for those I borrowed to shoot a couple of rolls of Velvia)