Seems to me there are quite a few talented "point and shooters" on this forum who might feel the need to upgrade to an entry level digital SLR in the future.
This thread will serve as a resource for anyone wishing to learn more about Digital SLRs, lens components, where to buy them, reseller ratings, etc.
Guess i'll share my thoughts, I am self taught and the following links helped me tremendously.
Learning about Photography in General:
Before buying the fancy camera, make sure you understand the essentials of photography! What's the point in buying a digital SLR if you are just going to put it on full auto, point, then click??
Glossary: Learn: Digital Photography Review A rundown of terminology involved in photography, might be best to start here by reading each entry.
A good FAQ can be found here
Digital Photography FAQ
Might be a good idea to skim through it after reading the glossary.
Photo.net's online textbook is a great resource
http://photo.net/learn/making-photographs/
You will see photo.net come up quite often. Its by far my favorite photog related website.The online textbook in the link above is geared towards beginners. After reading that, you can learn more about specific subject matter, from shooting macros to nudes, here
Photography tips and techniques: articles and guides from Photo.net
Camera Review Databases:
By far my favorite review site is DP Review, found here
Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ
The reviews are very in-depth (many are over 20 pages), provide sample pics, and cover a wide variety of tests for each camera. The only downside is that some cameras aren't covered (like my beloved Pentax K20D). If they do not have a review at DP Review, i go to.....
Steve's Digicams - Main Menu <-- Steve's Digicams is My second favorite review site. Large database of reviews written in a straightforward manner. Reviews tend to not be as in depth as DP review, but still great.
Also, photo.net has a GREAT equipment page. They have everything from lists of available lenses/bodies for each major brand, to an excellent "building a digital SLR system" article.
Photography Equipment reviews and guides from Photo.net
I love this site!!!
Camera Database and Museum at PBase.com This is a huge online database of various cameras and sample pictures. Make sure to see what lens was used when browsing!
Shopping for the Camera:
To get prices, I tend to check
Tech product reviews for cell phones, computers, MP3 players - CNET and
Google checkout
Google checkout is neat because it has reviews for each site. BE WARNED!! The lowest price are sometimes scams!!
Store Ratings and Reviews by Real People - Trusted Online Shopping Online retailer review site. This is a great website that everyone should bookmark. If you do ANY purchasing from an online company who you are unfamiliar with, go there first and search the name of the company. Honest reviews from people just like you.
Shopping for Lenses:
Now that you've picked out (and maybe purchased) a DSLR body, it's probably time to look at some lenses.
Camera Database and Museum at PBase.com yes the link says cameras, but it has lens manufacturers too. Check here for sample shots.
Pixel-Peeper -- More than 100,000 full-size sample photos from lenses, SLR cameras and digicams. another great lens and camera comparison database complete with sample pictures and user comments.
Buying Used Equipment:
Used digital photography equipment is quite popular. Many retailers (such as B&H) have a used department specifically for selling cameras and lenses, you can save a ton this way.
I go here to browse used equipment.
Buy & Sell - FM Forums
The forum classifieds here are crazy active.
For lens reviews, I try to go here (note, this site has a huge focus on nikon/canon equipment)
FM Reviews - Main Index
the site started as an online forum and portfolio of professional photographer fred miranda, but has since grown into a huge review database site and lots of photo critique stuff. A good site to browse too.
I think those are about all the links I have that i frequently visit. I hope they help you somewhat.
If you guys have anything to add to this please do!
-Cheers,
Chip
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
