Your First SLR

EOS 100 @ 13 and an EOS 500 as a backup a year later... I still have the 100, serving as a paperweight with my 75-300

My first SLR was a Rebel X (35mm not Digi) think I got it when I was 16/17.

I wasn't a terribly patient photographer then so buying and processing film was a pain. Especially when your still learning and most of the shots are getting processed by the lab.

XT - 25 yo
30D - 26 yo

12 years old : zenit 11

thanks guys and gals, lots of XT's along with some "older" cameras, gives me an idea of at what age you started learning, of course starting out in film would benefit more; requiring more skill than a DSLR

Not necessarily, although film is a great way to start, it certainly helps you apreciate the digital aspect of photography, I tend to think the more immediate results of digital happen to be better, you can take your pictures chimp for better results, see what works and doesn't work and you can do all this at the same time as your taking the photos. On the other side of the coin though film can be a great way to leanr as well, you tend to have to work with what you have available you cant change ISO on the fly and you tend to be more careful with the shots you take.

Also if you do happen to get into processing your own film its a very different as well as useful experience. I would say though that nowwadays... starting out your best bet would be to go digital from the beginning, and then if you want to go into film and processing your best bet would be to go with a medium format otherwise you just wont see the quality difference in film.

Maxypad19 wrote in post #3524160
thanks guys and gals, lots of XT's along with some "older" cameras, gives me an idea of at what age you started learning, of course starting out in film would benefit more; requiring more skill than a DSLR

Learning on a fully manual film SLR using a hand held light meter certainly helped my appreciation of the fundamentals of photography from an early age...

Lets see...I got my 350D when I was 15, but started saving up for it when I was 14...

xt @ 18

Canon AE-1 Program at 21, then the F-1.

At about 15, I started with my sister's Fujica, which I used for many years before buying an AE1-Program, my first Canon.
My first DSLR was the 30D, purchased at the beginning of this year, as a 40-year-old.

At 18 I used a Praktika MTL-3 then bought a Zenith 11B. After that I went through screw-mount cameras before going Pentax, Nikon and now Canon. I still think that the screw-mount bodies were about the best. They were simple and indestructable.

DSLR or does film count as well?
Got my first film SLR at age 18 - Minolta something or another, like it and still have it - just don't use it anymore with digital. Got nicer accessories with my last one.
First DSLR was at ummm....24 I think, Christmas gift from hubby - 20D.

First SLR was given to me by my father. A minolta I believe. I was around 18 or 19. I bought my first DSLR at age 26 which is my current camera, the 20D.

Canon FTb at 17. F1 at 18.