Part of being completely open with my finances on Consumerism Commentary involves sharing “major” purchases. One such purchase occurred this weekend. After quite a bit of research and waiting, I ordered a Canon Digital Rebel XTi SLR camera (10 megapixels) from Amazon.com with some additional accessories. Prices were significantly lower than what I could find in brick and mortar stores, plus I had a few gift certificates to help lower the cost to me. The shipment should arrive this week, with enough time to prepare before my girlfriend and I depart for a mini-vacation next week.
I’m excited about learning about the finer aspects of photography. Feel free to recommend any resources.
Meanwhile, here are some articles from the web that I recommend for readers looking for more in personal finance:
A budget in your head isn’t really a budget. Mighty Bargain Hunter shares excellent points about budgeting. It’s easier to commit to a budget and track your progress when the details are in writing. Go one step further and start a blog to track your progress. Then you’ll have an added motivation: you don’t want to disappoint your readers.
No Credit Needed shares his 3 favorite books about debt reduction and credit and his reasons for his picks. His number one pick is The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I can’t say I’m a Ramsey fan, but I understand that he has done quite a bit to motivate people to take control of their financial lives, and anyone who reach so many people should be commended, as long as the people converted are thinking for themselves.
In the United States, the rich are getting richer, and Five Cent Nickel has the statistics to prove it. The interesting ensuing discussion shows that there are many ways to look at the data, and there are no good solutions to creating equitable arrangements for all Americans.
JLP asks his readers who makes the investment decisions in their households. For me, that’s an easy answer. My households consists of only me. I made the decisions, whether good or bad, and have to live with them.
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12:24 am (reply)
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!
12:52 am (reply)
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…
8:48 am (reply)
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-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU – it’s a great lens that won’t break the bank.
Have fun on the mini vacation.
9:13 am (reply)
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=HomePageAct
12:16 pm (reply)
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.
12:16 pm (reply)
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
1:28 pm (reply)
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.
8:10 am (reply)
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 http://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.
3:36 pm (reply)
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/0801/08012415canoneos450dchanges.asp
12:22 am (reply)
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.
11:38 am (reply)
Dasha: There will always be a newer model on the horizon, no matter when one buys.
11:27 am (reply)
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!