Essentials for a DSLR beginner?

Question

I've been interested in photography for awhile,

and have been experimenting with point and shoots for even longer.

Now, I'm looking to move on to something slightly

more complicated.

Digital SLRs may be more expensive, but they

don't have as much hassle as non-digital.

So. I'm wondering besides the actual camera,

which lenses should I always have on hand?

Are there any brands that you recommend?

Price doesn't matter; I just want an effective tool

that I can use to take brilliant pictures.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I've been using a Canon 20D at work and love it so much that I've just purchased a 30D for myself.

Which body you buy really comes down to your preferences. Decide how much money you want to spend and then find a few different bodies that fit in that price range. Then go out to a camera store and hold those different bodies in your hands. The one that you feel most comfortable is the one that you should go with.

For lenses the more you spend the more you'll generally get. Which range of focal lengths you buy should be suited to your purposes. However if you're shooting all types of stuff you'll probably want one wide-angle lens, one telephoto lens and one quality portrait lens. For me I have the Canon EF 100-300mm as my telephoto, am getting the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 as my portrait and will be buying the Canon EF-S 17-55mm as my wide-angle once I can afford it.

If you do decide to go with a Canon camera I suggest you check out http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/index... to help you pick lenses.  

Answer 2

If price really doesn't matter then it is the old fight over Cannon vs Nikon. On the other hand, any good digital SLR such as Fuji, Konika, Olympus or Pentax will give you more bang for the buck in the long run. Just over a year ago I opted for a Pentax kit deal, due they had just come out with a new model. So I got it with an 18x55 lens for $400 after a $100 mail in rebate. I have since added a 75x300 lens, a wired remote and a lens filter adapter for the 55 lens (lets me use my Miranda filters) and a UV filter for the 300 lens. My Vivitar pro flash also works on both the Miranda 35 SLR and the Pentax digital SLR. My pistol grip also fits both cameras though I don't need the cable release on the digital but it is a big help when using the 300 lens.

Answer 3

Depends on what you shoot. Lens choice is very personal. I'd go for a good quality short zoom lens, about 28-140mm (35mm format). Since I don't like to interchange lens, that's the only lens I'd get. I would stay away from a kit lens and just buy a good quality lens.

Check out Olympus. They make excellent DSLRs and since they use the 4/3 system, their camera and lens system are significantly lighter and more compact than cameras from other manufacturers.  

Answer 4

You cant go wrong with Canon or Nikon. Both have entry level DSLRs available for under $1000. The advantage for these two is that the lenses are superior to other brands. Forget about megapixles and go for the larger image sensor. You can compare features, specs and prices at dpreview.com. As for lenses... the kit lenses that come with them are good but not great. But the kit lens is a good buy for the price. A good selection of lenses would be 1. the kit lens. 2. a wide angle lens in the range of 14-18mm and 3. a zoom lens in the range of 55-300mm.

good luck and remember that the most important part of any camera is 6 inches behind the viewfinder when the shutter clicks!