Early Steps Beginner Seeking Help :)

[Mikeybent18]

My name is Mike, 19, and im from Massachusetts, USA.

As i have been searching around this sight. DPS has a phenomenal amount of lessons and tips for those beginning. I am a beginner photographer (well idk if you can even call me one yet) But im looking for help on several questions.
Short story on how i got into photography:
. A buddy of mine brought me to his grandparent for the holidays. His grandfather was very big into photography books everywhere a very nice computer with terabyte towers along the shelf. This guy has everything. So he was showing me several cameras and gave me a point and shoot to take home (Canon Powershot SD870)
I fell in love instantly I began taking pictures all ovr his house. He began showing me some finer points of shooting pictures as well as some basics of Photoshop. Naturally the generous man that he was he gave me copy of photoshop and a book to look into. and here i am now.

Now even going through this site. Photography isnt the biggest money maker unless you know what your doing. But its also not cheap.

I am a big fan of the higher quality items. But my pockets dont run that deep.

I am looking to invest into a Nice DSLR Camera. Preferably Nikon or Canon.

Are there any contests out right now that anyone knows about to win a camera or even a scholarship to help pay or even assist in the buying of a camera.????

If you can help me out that would be great. Provide a link or so. Thanks

PS. I am a beginner and pretty much just made my DPS account so i dont have any info.
However, if your wondering what type of photography im into. I have recently found a love for the Light Graffiti Photography.

[lputman]

I personally don't, but check out the Competitions section, there could be something there. You could do a google search.

[Sloseph]

if your just starting out no matter how passionate you are id still probably recomend going for an entry level dslr, i have started on a cannon 1000d (i belive it may have a differnt name over there) and they go for about £300 so you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get into the dslr game

shooting with dslr's is a fair bit differnt to point and shoot, there is mastering settings that from my experiance you just don't get with a point and shoot

once you have yourself a low to mid range body it will do you fine especialy with the sort of stuff you are intersted it

[Izzy]

+1 on Sloseph I would start out with an XS (1000D) about $400-$500 depending on where you look. Or the XSi which is basically the XS with higher resolution. That one will set you back about the same money, again it is a matter of where you look.

You do not see any difference until you get into the T series cameras. There is the T1i and the T2i. I got my T2i for about $650. Some call it the baby 7D. I am very pleased with its performance. Even at the higher iso's plus the use of Lightroom 3 I can make a clear image up to ISO3600.

Sorry I know zip of the NikCON brand

[Niresangwa]

do your research on entry level dsr bodies, then hit ebay and find a used one. assuming you maintain your passion for it, you'll grow out of it sooner than you might think. save your pennies for glass, which you will keep an awful lot longer than the body. for now a used body and kit lens will do you just fine. fight the urge to get all the gear under the sun.

[faeriegodess612]

If an XS costs that much, might as well go the extra $150 for a D3100. I had my sights set on a D3000, but decided to go one up for just a bit more. Was SOOO worth it!

I would suggest getting to know the point and shoot that you currently have first. It wont be able to do everything, but you can learn general composition. Then when you start to hit its limits in what it can do vs. the kind of shot you want it to take, then I'd say go for the DSLR. In the meantime of learning with the point and shoot, you can save for a DSLR, maybe with an extra lens, other than the kit lens. I'm kinda wishing that I had gone with my instincts and gotten the next one up. A 55-200mm really wouldve helped today.

Also, do your research before you start looking at DSLR's. Each brand has something that they do better than the others. Canon, for instance, has a line of faster lenses. Once you buy a brand, your kinda stuck with the lenses for that brand.

As for getting by with it cheap, you can peruse craigslist, ebay, and your local pawn shops. I've seen some pretty good deals at the better of my local pawn shops.

[ravncat]

you can also get fairly good deals on used, second generation equipment. You'll have to be a bit more careful about purchasing and looking into the equipment history - but you can save a lot and get very nice gear for alot less than entry level equipment is new...