DISQUS

Patrick · 1 year ago

Congrats on the purchase! I've got the same camera and I absolutely love it. (A word of warning, however: You may find yourself outgrowing the capabilities of the kit lens fairly quickly, so be prepared to look for more lenses.)

If you're interested in learning more about photography, you may benefit greatly from this forum: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

I've been a member for about a year, and it has helped me immensely.

There are tons of pros with scads of knowledge on how to get the best & most from your camera. They are also very helpful when you have a problem.

Best of luck, and enjoy your new camera!

David · 1 year ago

We got that camera last year, best purchase in a long time. Pick up a zoom lens, you will need it. I recommend the 28-135mm Ultrasonic if you have to choose one. You won't be disappointed, it is great! Congrats...

JSB · 1 year ago

I have the previous version of that camera - the XT. I love it. I highly recommend the Canon 50mm 1.8 - http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Len... - it's a great lens that won't break the bank.

Have fun on the mini vacation.

Derek J. Punaro · 1 year ago

I purchased the same camera a couple years ago. Canon's Digital Learning Center is a great resource: http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=Hom...

Daniel · 1 year ago

I have to ditto on the 28-135mm lens, it's amazing. We have the same setup and love it! I've found that with photography more than half the battle is editing. We've used the built-in editing features in iphoto and are pleased. We're also looking to get more involved with the Adobe lineup.

Nature Lover · 1 year ago

Great beginner's camera. I started photography about 9 years ago, with the film version of this camera and i have grown out of it since then, but is definitely one of the best to start with. Check out photo.net website. It is one of the best sites for both beginners as well as advanced photographers

Him · 1 year ago

Take a class. Seriously. Don't buy more crap. More crap won't make you a better photographer. Also, unless you regularly print photos larger than 11" X 14", megapixels don't matter.

Oof, I could go on all day about this stuff.

juggler314 · 1 year ago

I got into higher end amateur photography in 2005 when I bought my first rebel, It can be a lot of fun! I'll echo the comments about picking up a 50mm f/1.8 lens - by far the best bang for the buck and it'll let you play with nice bokeh effects (that's when the background is blurred out). The 28-135 is a classic zoom for a full frame camera, unfortunately it's a bit long on an APC-C sized sensor. Canon sells two 17-85 mm lenses that are the equivelant on the smaller sensor. The better f/2.8 lens is close to $1,000 so maybe not the best choice for someone starting out, the cheaper one is just a bit slower and not a constant zoom. I would also echo the comment about taking a class, learning how to use your camera will definitely make you better than expensive glass. I bought a few lenses and find myself mostly using the kit lens (the 18-55) it's not the best, but it suits what I like. Had I the money I would definitely buy one of the 17-85 lenses now. The best thing to do is figure out what you like taking photos of and get a lens that works well with that. Figure out if you mostly want to shoot actio scenes, portraits, landscapes, low light etc. I liked this website www.bobatkins.com it's not a high end photog site, but the guy that runs it (who is a pro) is very responsive on the forum which is nice.

Dasha · 1 year ago

Any reason you didn't hold out for the XSi?
It has some sensor and display improvements, larger battery, amongst other things.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08012415canon...

thomas · 1 year ago

definitely one of the best prosumer cameras out there. It was on my buy list till I did my taxes (d'oh).

Be careful about those upgrades, lenses aren't cheap!

Definitely take classes, well worth the money.

Flexo · 1 year ago

Dasha: There will always be a newer model on the horizon, no matter when one buys.

GeekMan · 1 year ago

Nice camera! A website/forum suggestion for you would be fredmiranda.com. They forums especially. The people there are truly helpful and will be happy to offer advice and critiques of your photos.

Good luck!