I started my photography experience 10-12 years ago. Here's my advice to beginners and intermediate photographers.
If you are starting out in photography as a hobby, my recommendation would be to just get any DSLR and not worry about which specific one to get. Just get something, anything, to get your started.
Work your way up as time progresses. I’m guessing that when you first got the desire to pursue photography,
your first question probably was “Okay, what camera should I get? Which one takes good pictures?”.
Let me make a bold statement here... I’ll even type it in bold: All DSLRs take good pictures. Asking “What camera should I get?” seems like the question to ask at first ... heck, I was asking the same exact thing when I started. However, I’ve learned that the camera is not as important as the knowledge used to operate it.
All experienced photographers realize this. The first camera you have just isn’t important.
What is important is just to get one, become very familiar with the fundamentals of photography, then discover
what you need in your next camera and upgrade to that when you are ready to progress.
Another thing you should know is that, in a big-picture context, all the different camera brands are basically
selling the same thing: cameras. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Fuji, whatever. No brand has any magical powers when compared to another brand. The brand is unimportant and irrelevant in a big picture context. The photos that you capture are what matters, not what brand was used to capture them.
Once you actually start using a DSLR, you will start learning about photography concepts -- things like exposure, light, and composition -- and will naturally become more familiar with photography as a whole.
After you become more familiar with photography by using a particular camera, you will sooner or later become aware of its limitations and will then realize what camera has the specs and features you want to upgrade to next.
Disregarding camera specs, All DSLRs, no matter how inexpensive or expensive they may be, give you the
option to manually adjust the Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, White Balance, and Focus; your first priority should be to learn how to appropriately adjust these essential variables so you will know how to take a good picture no matter what camera you are using, no matter what situation you find yourself in.
Nothing else matters before mastering how to manipulate these variables. Knowing how to manipulate
composition, light, and subject matter is also very important, but those aren’t necessarily dependent on the camera technology you are using.
Technology is not really much of an issue any more. Basic entry level DSLRS of today are better and even less expensive when compared to the flagship models that were made 10 years prior. Everyone now has access to usable equipment. The barrier to take good photos has never been as low as it is today. The main limiting factor is knowledge and experience, not “the best equipment”
When I started out in photography I came across this information that helped me save a lot of time and money. I learned the secrets to creating amazing photos from this site, I hope this will help you if you are serious about taking stunning photos.
David Barns
Christchurch
http://PhotographyMadeEasy.net