Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography

This beginner's guide to digital photography will help you gather the equipment you'll need to start on the road to being a serious photography hobbyist or even eventually a professional photographer. There are so many camera choices and so much photography equipment on the market today it's hard to know what you need. These beginning digital photography tips will help you know what what equipment to buy to get started.

Choosing a DSLR Camera

First, you'll need a camera. You may already have one. If you do great! If not you'll have to get one.

Here are some things you'll have to consider before purchasing a camera.

• price
• size
• brand

DSLR cameras range in price from about $400 for an entry level camera to $4,000 for a more expensive professional camera. The amount of money you spend depends on what you can reasonably afford. Remember that besides your camera you also have to budget for other expenses.

DSLR cameras can be bulky and akward to carry around. If you don't want a heavy camera look into lighter models. Currently Olympus makes the lightest DSLR. Pentax also makes a lighter weight camera. These cameras are somewhat smaller and the buttons can be difficult for someone with larger fingers to navigate.

When you buy a camera you should consider the brand you want. The most popular brands are Nikon or Canon. Sony is following closely behind. The rear of the pack is headed up by Pentax and Olympus. These companies are quickly catching up with Nikon and Canon. They are making the lightest, smallest DSLRs on the market. I have a Sony and I love my camera. I know people with all these brands of cameras and they all like their cameras for various reasons. Once they choose a brand most people tend to stick with it. Because lenses are brand specific they don't fit on other cameras. If you buy a lens for a Nikon, you can't put it on a Canon.

Once you buy your camera you should purchase extra batteries and memory for it. You'll need it if you're traveling with your camera.

Lenses

Your camera may come with a lens. This is often referred to as a kit lens. Kit lenses aren't usually the best quality lenses. You'll probably want to get a second higher quality lens.

I recommend that you also get a good quality standard or prime lens instead of a zoom lens. The 50mm lens is a good lens to start with. It used to be the mainstay on film 35mm cameras. This lens is usually quite well built. Because it doesn't zoom it forces you to frame you picture better and take photographic composition into consideration. It is also a lens that makes you work to get the good picture. You have to get right in the middle of the action to get the great shot. It will force you to be a better photographer.

Tripod

Purchase a good solid tripod that will allow you to take pictures with your camera held vertically as well as horizontally. You need to look for a tripod that is stable, lightweight, strong, and easy to use.

A tripod is necessary to keep your camera steady when you're taking pictures that require longer exposure times.

Camera Bag

Now you've gotten all of this camera equipment you need a way to carry it around. Some cameras come with bags, but most don't.

There are a wide variety of camera bags on the market. Whatever you get make sure it has a good amount of padding. You want to make sure your camera and lenses are protected. You should also make sure it's large enough to hold the equipment you want to carry around with you.

Some bags are carried over your shoulder. Others are backpack style. The Lowepro SlingShot 100 All-Weather Digital Camera Backpack is one of the most common camera bags on the market today.

Well that's it for this part of the beginner's guide for digital photography. Eventually you'll need to buy an off-camera flash to get the best out of your flash photography. The more into photography you get the more equipment you'll want to buy. From studio lighting to extra lenses there's no end to the amount of money you can spend. Until then these basics will get you started.

Related Articles

Digital Camera Basics--Continue reading this beginner's guide to digital photography by checking out this page about camera batteries and memory.

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Digital Photography for Beginners--Here are some tips to get you started taking great pictures.