A Beginner... Again!

[ChristopherCoy]

I posted this in the Sticky at the top of the page, but if this forum is anything like the others I'm on... I'll post it here as well... LOL

Greetings,

First let me start by saying that I am a complete forum junkie! I think I have a forum for each of my many hobbies, from glass art to chicken raising. I checked out a few different forums before settling on this one. It appeared to be the most 'beginner friendly,' and I thought it appeard to be very well organized.

In any event, my name is Chris (or Christopher) and I've recently been bit by the photo bug again. I had taken courses in high school, and apprenticed under a professional for a short while after graduation. Sadly, I've forgotten most everything I learned back then, so I'm here to start with the basics, again!

Just this week, I was able to purchase my entry level DSLR, which just happened to be an Oly E520 kit with the 14-42mm lens. I hope to buy a better lens later on, but I plan on using this one as much as I can. I really wanted the E620 for the in camera art filters, but I had to stick within my budget. I compared the E520 to comparable models of Nikon and Canon, but chose the E520 as I thought it had more features and I just liked the feel of it better.

In any event, I hope to learn as much as I can while here, and I've got to get in on one of those assignments quick! For now though, I'm off to the bookstore to find a copy of "Digital Photography For Dummies!"

[dcclark]

Welcome! And glad to have you "back" :P. Your story sounds very similar to mine -- I did a lot of photography starting as a young child, but dropped most of it when I went to college (and didn't have money for a camera or film developing). You'll probably find that digital photography has some real benefits in terms of seeing and learning from what you're doing. Enjoy!

[AMAHOGANY53]

Hi Christopher,
Welcome I am new as well. Quick quesition how did you research what SLR to buy? I have a point and shoot advance but now I want to upgrade to an entry level SLR but there are so many out there I am totally confussed. The sad thing is I just brought this Sony point and shoot a couple of months ago but I digress. From what I can see on the site almost everyone has a Nikon or Cannon.... Happy clicking... (LOL)

[ChristopherCoy]

Well, there were a lot of things I did actually.

I first spoke with friends about their preferences and opinions of the available brands. I then went online and read a few reviews of each. After that I actually went to my local specialty camera store (Arlington Camera) and looked at/handled each brand/model that I was interested in. After hearing the salesmans recommendations and handling the available models in my price range, I went back home and did even further research online. I read more reviews, compared features, and looked up things I didn't quite understand. Once I had narrowed down my options to the two models I liked the best, I went back to friends to get their opinions of each, and after that returned to the store to handle/compare only the two models that I was interested in.

And after all that, I chose my E520. I didn't understand half of what I was looking at, but I read and researched enough, and looked up enough customer reviews to feel comfortable with the decision I made.

ETA: I used to use a Canon EOS Elan II when I was doing 35mm. However, PRICE was a driving factor this go round. I started with available models in my price range, and went from there only looking at the ones I knew I could afford. Otherwise, the many models can get overwhelming very very quickly. Process of elmination really...

[save_alkaline]

there's a forum for raising chickens?!

[ChristopherCoy]

There sure is! I raise ornamental breeds for exhibition. I'd post the link, but I dont know the rules of this forum regarding such a thing just yet...