Very well said, Alex! :snap:

The general population is overrun with consumers who buy DSLR cameras, but have no idea how to use it and simply keep it on "Automatic" settings. So, it becomes nothing more than a bigger, more expensive point-and-shoot.

A retail store such as Calumet San Francisco would be a good place to start if you want to visit a real camera store, versus a Costco or Wal-mart, etc. A camera store will have more models available for you to see, try, hold in your hands, and ask for buying advice from a hopefully knowledgeable person.

All Calumet Photo locations periodically hold events/workshops on various photography topics, such as "Understanding Your DSLR" which cost $50.

But the first step in learning how to use ANY camera is to READ THE MANUAL and then learn by trial and error. It's a basic concept, but most people never even bother.

I have strictly been using Canon cameras, since the days of film, so I usually recommend Canon-brand cameras, since it's what I know and I've owned and used numerous Canon-camera models over the years.

Canon's entry-level DSLR models are the Canon Digital Rebel. You can find older models for less money, but the retail price of a new EOS Rebel XS kit (which comes with a 18-55mm Image Stabilizer lens) costs $599.99.

For a lot of people, the SIZE and WEIGHT of a camera does matter. Some people are more likely to regularly use and carry around a small, light point-and-shoot camera. A DSLR model is potentially a better camera, but will you actually use it frequently if it does not easily fit in a pocket/small bag?

Again, I would go with Alex's advice and try to learn how to use your existing camera to its maximum abilities first, if money is a factor. Also, many point-and-shoot models actually have "Manual" settings if you want to learn by trial-and-error on our own, before investing in a DSLR.

Okay, let me ask another question. Is it possible to to do timed night exposures with point and shoot? I do not have my manual handy for the canon SD900 I currently own to check here. But this is something I am interested in playing around with, with my camera on a tripod. If I can do timed exposures with the P&S, I can play before making another investment.

Some yes some no, you'd have to check the manual.

Advancded User Guide should have it.

GD beat me to it!

I think Page 55 "Shooting in Long Shutter Mode" in the Advanced Manual would tell you how to adjust it, so the answer is probably "yes."

And you can also download the Basic Manual and other manuals for the Canon PowerShot SD900 at this Canon Website LINK.

O-kay, thanks, I knew I was asking at the right place. I will save my $$ for now and experiment with my point and shoot. I do want to become a better photographer and I already know from experience, shoot 100 pics and you're lucky if you get 5-10 great ones. Look for some experiements soon!

The reason I dropped having a camera soon after the digital age arrived is that I'm a nutjob for compositions, odd ones usually, and I take forever to "snap" a photo. Well, what my companions invariably deem "forever" when we're out on adventures worth photographing.

All that careful camera work also takes me out of the adventuring a bit ... but mostly it was because people complained about me taking photographs so slowly.

So once photos became so completely shareable, I let others to the snapping ... and I stayed more in-the-moment of the adventures and fun which rightly inspired photography.


I finally got back into it ... no SLR, though. Just a point-and-shoot for now. Because I doubt I'll ever get back into photography in the same vein as I did in the days of film.

I've barely used my camera. I try to remember to take it places, but I'm not having too much success with that. I'm glad I didn't go all out on a really expensive unit till I can figure out if I can catch the photo bug once more.

One of the things I used to love about film is I'd have to put the photos in albums, which I would be very creative with .... and use albums with wide format pages. That way, I could have a creative layout with Places photos and People photos in the same spread. People are drawn to People photos, and too many gorgeous Places photos seem dry at first glance.

Giving viewers the option to see both kinds at once, and then zero-in on individual shots of either People or Places at their option was a wonderful thing that is pretty much lost in the digital age.

Now we share photos one and a time. Rarely do I ever print any out. If I want to get creative with them, I'll make a slide-slow with music and intricate timing. Music is a fantastic element that was not available with film photos displayed in the real world. But it's rare that more than one image at a time is displayed in the digital world.


A creative trade-off. But the fact remains, people are far more drawn to People photos than Places photos. I miss displaying them together in cool layouts.

Funny timing on the discussion: Susan just found and dragged out some of my prints from when I took photography classes in college.