Hi Pete.
A few other points to bear in mind:
- go digital (instant results you can see on the screen) but do remember you will need to store a lot of pictures on your PC which will eat up hard disk space pretty quickly.
- then you need to have a means of backing up your pictures so in the event of your PC's hard disk going bang you don't lose everything. You can get a 2nd back up disk very cheaply these days (1Tb = £90) or use DVDs'CDs.
- a big monitor if you want to see your pix in all their glory, or replay them through your LCD/plasma TV if your computer has the ability to connect.
- think about something a bit longer than 200mm. I use a 100-400mm Canon lens and that often leaves me wishing for a bit more length.....hmmm....stay on topic Mr SW....
- image stabilisation systems built into the lens is a godsend for reducing camera shake. It does push the price up a bit but you will see the results in improved picture sharpness.
- tripod: essential.
- external flash: essential, especially for doing close ups of flowers.
- polaraising filter: essential, does wonderful things to the sky and water reflections.
- at least 2 memory cards on you at any one time - they do go wrong, don't buy fake ones on eBay, stick with OEM.
- at least 2 sets of charged batteries.
- a decent, waterproof bag to keep it all in that is comfortable to carry on your shoulders whilst hiking.
So by now you can see the ££££££ signs flashing, you don't need to get it all in one go and I promise you won't regret going digital.
One more thing, this is a great site for camera reviews:
Hi Pete,
Glad to see things are on the up for you.
Firstly, I would say go digital, you can instantly see how your pics turn out, rather than wait to get the film developed and find you had the wrong settings and your pics turned out poo.
If you are doing wildlife, then you will need as much focal length (or reach as some call it) as possible, as the shorter the lens, the closer to the subject you will have to go, and there will be times when you need to be quite a way away so you don't disturb the image you are after.
Not knowing your budget, it is difficult to say what to go for, but you will need a camera body, a suitable lens for starters, as time goes on, you can then upgrade your kit, better lenses, a tripod for stability, etc etc etc.
If you need any help, my inbox is open.
Hello Pete! Nothing to add.... but good to see you! :thumbup:
Edit: Oooh... just thought.... does your local college do classes on photography?
See... I can help when I put my mind to it! :lol2:
Definitely go digital, all new cameras coming out these days are digital, even the pro-level medium format cameras (Mamiya etc) are digital these days.
Most popular makes for SLRs are Nikon and Canon (I use a Canon 40D) though Sony, Samsung etc also make them. Nikon's tend to be more expensive and once you've made up your mind on which make to go for, bear in mind, lens are for the most part not compatible (ie. Nikon won't fit Canon and vice versa) though companies like Sigma make comparable lens.
My suggestion is check out places like eBay as you can pick up bargains on second hand kit, especially lens which cost £100s new but you can easily enough get them for under £100.
A good magazine for learning techniques is Digital Answers, they also cover how to use photoshop etc.
Check out Ephotozene
It is a web based magazine, cum forum, cum show case. Most people on there are friendly and helpful, and your dilema and question have been asked and answered 1000s of times before, so you should soon be able to pick up ideas and make informed descisions on your own. All the advice so far is bang on, but keep in mind the most important thing....
A good eye for a photo.
£1000s of kit, 600mm telephoto fast lenes and all the other stuff is just wasted money if you can't visualise a good shot. So stick within your budget, and master what ever kit you buy. You can always squeeze a good shot out of cheaper kit with some planning and a good eye...
Of course, if you have a good eye, the dearer kit will make that good shot even better LOL
Hope this has helped the confusion :P
It is also worth mentioning that you can hire all sorts of kit at reasonable prices as a600mm L series lens will cost an arm and a unless you are out all the time it will sit at home for most of its for before you buy.
Meaty, if you are going down the Canon route, try and get the extra money together and go for a 450D rather than a 1000D, the 1000D is too limited with its auto-focusing.
Thats not a bad kit at all, and a decent price.
For stuff like memory cards and other accessories, check out or , who both often have some good deals.
I was just gonna use Ebuyer as usual, i can get a Kingston class 6 4Gb SDHC for £8 and an 8Gb Lexar SDHC for £12, just need to check if the camera takes the 8Gb card
I kinda make my living out of photography nowadays ...
Personally I'd recommend Canon - you're buying into a whole system and Canon lenses do have the edge when it comes to sharpness. Nikon are great too, but they haven't got the same amount of money to invest into research as Canon do - all about personal taste at the end of the day. Loads of pros swear by Nikon - personally speaking I also dislike their menu system.
However, whatever you decide, the trick is to take photos, take more photos and when you have finished go and take more photos ... go with a plan, experiment, make mistakes, make more mistakes and keep shooting. Get a reputation for being "the one with the camera" and keep shooting.
I shot over 40000 images last year alone ... I got a new camera in November and am up to 6000+ already.
The only way to learn is to keep shooting - but think about what you're doing, the difference between a pro and an amatuer is often no more than attention to detail and willingness to really try to get that shot.
It's not rocket science, don't be scared to experiment.
Hi Pete
I'd look at the cost of any lens you might want to get in the future as this can be expensive.
Also don't get too carried away with the number of pixels a camera has to offer as this does not always result in a better picture.
I use the review site as well as - some of the user comments are useful.
If you are using a telephoto lens then a mono pod might be a good idea as I find camera shake is a problem-or maybe that's just my nervous disposition.
Have fun.
) 
( 
Nice to see you back again. 
). However I went to a local dive shop and he used a fairly basic set up for little more than a hundred quid and had some remarkable results! A lot of it is not so much the equipment, but the setting and object you are snapping.
:lol2:
:flipa: 
