Noob here with a million questions..

I am looking to get into photography and know a very small amount. Where should I begin? I was planning on buying a EOS T1I as my first nice camera. But other than that, I am kinda clueless. My mom has an XSI, are the lenses interchangeable?

I mean I don't know even what type of lense to look into. Are tamron's worth the money savings? I mainly want to do wildlife/nature pictures and live in Florida.

Thanks!

Is there a camera club in your area? If so, there is nothing like learning "hands on" from like-minded people. Their experience can help you learn what to buy and where to find interesting locations to shoot.

Yes the lens from the XSI is interchangable with the T1I.

for Florida Wild life you will need long. Most economical that will give failry good results would be : Tokina 80-400mm Tamron 200-500mm or Sigma's big heavy 50-500mm or 150-500mm.
A tripod will also improve the results.
Or a Canon 70-200mm F4L and a 1.4 TC.
A Kenko or Tamron 1.4x Teleconverter is helpful and compatiable with most of the lenses ( where as the canon is only compatable with some of the L lenses.

What sort of budget do you have for a nature / wildlife lens? And, by ''nature'', do you mean birds and animals or more like landscape shots?

I think it's wise for beginners to start with a camera that fits their budget, by the time you learn how to use it there will be a new model with new bells and whistles and your money will serve you better when you know what your needs are. If your Mom will let you use her XSI, that would be the best way to go for now. All the Rebels will take EF and EF-S lenses so no worries there. The only cameras that don't take EF-S lenses are the 1D, 1Ds and the 5D series bodies.

I would begin with a lot of Google searches, if you want to learn about something just Google it. First Google a photographic glossary, then go to the Library and get some photo books on exposure and whatever else piques your interest. You can also search for material here as well, the search function is at the top of the page next to New Posts.

I don't have much experience with Tamron, but the 17-50 f/2.8 and the 28-75 f/2.8 seem to be two of the best deals because the Canon equivalents cost so much more.

Most wildlife photography requires telephoto lenses and they can get pricey, but that doesn't mean you can't learn about wildlife photography now.

amyandmark3 wrote in post #9417090
What sort of budget do you have for a nature / wildlife lens? And, by ''nature'', do you mean birds and animals or more like landscape shots?

I am not sure really what to expect to spend. I dont see myself though taking 4-5k pictures a year though. More like 100 or so a month.

By nature, I mean birds and just local Florida scenery. Also of course sporting events, and an occasional concert.

Would you consider buying used items? Or would you only consider new from a store? With proper guidance, education, and research, buying used items can save you alot of money. I will base my next paragraph as if you are willing to buy used equipment.

Ok, so birds seem to be the main interest (which so happens to be my favorite subject). To be honest, a nice birding lens is gonna cost a good chunk of change. In the used market, you are looking at $850 or more, and that would be finding a Canon 400mm f/5.6 for a bargain price. If you want a more flexible lens, the 100-400mm that I have is very good, but a few more hundred $$$. When talking about birding lenses, hundreds of dollars are talked about as if chump change unfortunately. Many serious bird shooters spend in excess of $5,000 for a single lens!!! That's not in my price range, unfortunately, so I am telling you about the birding lenses that will provide superb results and still have a "reasonable" price of around $1,000. So, as recommended above by some other posters, it's not a bad idea start out using your mom's camera if she'll let you and saving up for a nice lens, unless you already have the cash in hand. I would suggest starting out with a lower priced used camera body in great condition, something like a used 30d or 40d, the 40d would be ideal if you can swing $550-600 for one because the autofocus system is very good and there's lots of good bird photographers still using that camera. It is a better action camera than the T1i. Not that the T1i can't get good action pics, but the 40D is more made for action with better autofocus, more frames per second, and better/sturdier build. If the 40D is out of budget, the 30D is a good alternative and costs a couple of hundred $$ less. Do alot of research and save up to buy the right equipment the 1st time, there's no sense in buying the wrong tool for your needs, it will only disappoint you.

NothingRemains10 wrote in post #9416988
I am looking to get into photography...I am kinda clueless

Borrow your mom's XSi and shoot a whole bunch. If you like it, come back and ask more questions. Otherwise, why spend a bunch on a hobby you may not like?

If you're hell bent on buying your own camera, get a point and shoot with a decent zoom. Then shoot a bunch. If you're hooked, you can always sell the P&S (or keep as a backup) and then get a DSLR.

Unless you're rich, just take it easy at first. These guys will convince you that you need $5,000 worth of gear if you let them. Some day you might--but for now, you can borrow or buy inexpensively, see if you like it, see what kinds of photography you like, and then ask question about the best lens or body for your tastes and needs (needs being key. We all have expensive tastes!).

While I agree with what DD posted above regarding whether or not you will pursue photography as a serious hobby, I want to stress that my suggestions above were regarding bird-shooting only. I will also say that my post above regarding prices for a birding setup is reality. The price I would spend at a minimum would be $600 for a 40D and $900 for a 400 5.6 lens, total $1,500 plus add an 18-55is for another $100 to cover "normal" shooting. If you want to get high quality shots of birds, you need to spend a (relatively) little bit of money. Otherwise, you can get away with a less expensive setup, but you will need to get very close to the birds to be happy with the photos, at least I would. Again, regarding birding photography only: If you want really good pics of birds, it doesn't come cheaply.

NothingRemains10 wrote in post #9417315
I am not sure really what to expect to spend. I dont see myself though taking 4-5k pictures a year though. More like 100 or so a month.

By nature, I mean birds and just local Florida scenery. Also of course sporting events, and an occasional concert.

the T1i (500D) and a good wildlife lens like the Canon 100-400 will set you back at least $1,500, probably more. Start thinking about a budget !

+1 on what Diamond Dave say, by borrowing your mother camera and get a feel of it. Get to know the different set ups the camera has to offer. The T1I is a great camera and offer as well some video, if you are interest in video.
Now I'm no pro in taking pictures of birds but I know some friends who are and they use a very long type of lens to at least reach their subject. Plus they have a faster camera meaning they have a 40D or 50D which they can do a continuous shoot for 5 to 6 seconds a shot.

Don't know if you go to school, but the way I learned photography is by taking classes at my university and it helped me understand the different mechanics and the proper settings to take wonderful pictures.

Good Luck! Photography is an awesome hobby and yet addicting!

Is there a good kit on Amazon or anything that I could buy?

I dont really know anything about lenses, what all the numbers mean etc..

I would say borrow your moms xsi for a while and see if you like it.

NothingRemains10 wrote in post #9802427
Is there a good kit on Amazon or anything that I could buy?

I dont really know anything about lenses, what all the numbers mean etc..

XS + 18-55 IS + 55-250 IS $754
http://www.adorama.com​/ICADRXSKB5.html

XSi + 18-55 IS + 55-250 IS $950
http://www.adorama.com​/ICADRXSIBK55.html

T1i + 18-55 IS + 55-250 IS $1100
http://www.adorama.com​/ICADRT1IK2.html

Tamrons are definitely worth the cost reduction in many cases, IMO. If you're still figuring out the hows and whys, and want to find the sort of range you want, I would highly recommend their super zoom (18-270mm) or the Canon 18-200mm.

These lenses will give you a great range to play with and find out what distances and types of shots you normally take. From there you can worry about getting lenses specific to your needs. Plus, those lenses have a great bit of utility as you can just stick it on and go.

Yes; you WILL give up image quality to a degree by going with one of those lenses, but not to the degree that people make it sound. Up until about 4mo ago I was shooting with the Tamron exclusively and have plenty of shots that I'm perfectly happy with.

The other bonus to the Tamron is its image stabilization system; it's just rock solid and makes camera shake much less of a stumbling block while learning other parts of shooting (proper exposure, etc).