Hello, I'm a newbie. Where do I begin?

[crotograph]

Hey There Potato. I think your best bet is to find an SLR with a kit lens. these are always zoom lenses now-a-days and the quality is good. Don't get yourself wrapped up, for now, in all the discussions about lens quality. You can buy a Nikon D40x with a good lens, same goes for Canon or Pentax. They're all good. In case you're interested, the difference between "pro" cameras and lenses and amateur cameras and lenses is that a pro can shoot a photo with an amateur lens and make it look professional. Reason: knowledge of how a camera and lens work together with light to create the best image of any subject.

When you buy a camera I have always suggested that the "feel" of a camera body and its controls to you, individually, is the one you should choose. I assume that you are going to buy the lens along with the camera that fits your budget. Go to a camera shop and try out many different brands. You WILL find one that feels right and whose controls are right where you want them.

 

[Tiberius47]

Read up on exposure and how the shutter speed, aperture and ISO work together. Read the tutorials in my signature, they'll give you the basics of it all.

 

[potato]

Thank you for all your suggestions. My bookmark list for photography is getting quite long.