When I purchased my first digital SLR camera I was given a great beginning photography tip: don’t buy more than you need. I was a beginning photographer who had never tried a film SLR camera, who didn’t know the definition of aperture, and who basically didn’t know much at all. I ended up purchasing the Nikon D50, which was Nikon’s introductory digital
SLR at the time, and I am very glad I did.

I have spent a few years learning the basics of digital photography and for the first year or so I
almost never felt that I needed more than what my Nikon D50 has to offer. Of course, now I am ready to move up to a model with more features, but
had I paid for those features initially I would have wasted several hundred, if not thousands, of dollar on features I never would have used.

Had I not listened to that beginning photography tip I probably would have purchased the Nikon D100, which was an amazing camera at the time. I would have spent at least one thousand more dollars, had a heavier camera, and had a few more features.

However, today I would still be wanting to
upgrade my six megapixel Nikon D100 to the newer and much better Nikon D300 or the Nikon D3. I’m not saying that those who purchased the D100 back then made a mistake by any means. It is a great camera. What I’m saying is that for me, purchasing it would have been a mistake because I would not have used the additional features that the D50 does not have.
Learning how to use a digital SLR camera takes time, especially if you are a complete beginner in the photography world.

You have to learn what aperture, ISO, white balance, shutter speed, f-stop, focal distance, and
many other things mean. And then, after knowing the definition of those terms, you have to learn how to manipulate them and how they work together to help you take and create great photographs. More simple, entry-level cameras are designed just for this purpose to help you learn the basics.

You can spend around $500 and get a great beginner camera that will enable you to learn the fundamental principles of photography. And the best part about buying a entry-level camera is that you generally don’t sacrifice much at all on the most important aspect of photography, the picture quality. I have seen amazing prints from both introductory-level digital SLR’s and pro-level cameras and many times I cannot tell the different.

In fact, if you read many photographer blogs, you will find out that most professional photographers do not just have one camera, they almost always
have a backup camera, and that backup camera is usually an entry level digital SLR just like the one I purchased.

So, remember this great beginning photography tip: if you are a beginning photographer, then start with a introductory DSLR. Then, when you understand how to use aperture and ISO and shutter speed together, you
will be ready to upgrade to a newer, better camera. You will never regret it.

Michael Clark
http://www.articlesbase.com/gadgets-and-gizmos-articles/beginning-photography-tips-for-buying-a-camera-529769.html