I only had a digital point and shoot in college and i rarely used it. Then I got a hand-me-down DSLR camera from my sister 3 years ago and it’s only within this year that I start to take photography more seriously.
The camera I have is a Canon Digital Rebel Xti, I think it first came out in 2005. Since then Canon came out with Xsi, T1i,T2i,T3i, almost every 1-2 years there’s a new model out. The sensors got bigger, so you get more pixels, LCD screen improved, 1080p movie mode added.
Picking up a camera depends on your 1) budget, 2) the type of picture you want to take. For someone that only started out, a entry level beginners kit could be picked up for $500 dollars that come with a standard zoom. The top brand for DSLR is Canon and Nikon and both sells good beginner kits. Canon Xsi or Nikon D3100 are both popular kits for someone on a budget. You can move to the Nikon D5100 or T3i if you want to spent less than a $1000 if you’re more sure about your photography pursue.
As you start to know what type of pictures you would like to take then you could spent on extra equipments, e.g. flash units, tripods, more lens for different type of photography, or upgrade your camera body and lens. Investing in lens are usually more prudent then in camera bodies as lens depreciates less and are a better investment.
-Huan
