Going Camera Geek

For years now, the reason I gave for why I used a point and shoot camera instead of a more serious SLR was that I needed something more portable for getting pictures of my kids, and that I didn't want to part with the additional money that inevitably gets spent when one starts buying the latest bodies and lenses.

But as managing and editing photos and video of my kids has basically become my biggest hobby (of course it had to be something that involves a computer), I have found that my inner geek has been drawn to the SLR world. As they have come down in price, I've noticed more and more parents at kid functions carrying the big cameras, and I have to admit I've been jealous.

On top of my techie desires, I've noticed that the pictures I've stolen from friends with SLRs have looked much better than what I've been able to take with my more portable cameras. This is due in part to the fact that they are experienced amateur photographers, but the equipment was definitely a big factor.

So I finally decided that I had to take the plunge. My first order of business was to take sides in the Canon-Nikon holy war. This wasn't really a difficult decision for me, of all of my friends and family with SLRs, the majority use Canon and I already have a loyalty to that brand (both my point and shoot and new camcorder are Canons).

Because cost is still an issue in these trying economic times, I tried to find a good deal on Craigslist for a used one, but I quickly found that they don't depreciate nearly as fast as one would expect. Instead I found a good deal on a refurbished Canon Rebel XS with a 18-55mm image stabilized lens (only $420 which was cheaper than some of the used models).

The camera was another birthday gift that I Shanghai'ed (is in not PC to use that term?) where I basically told Becky and my mother that this is what they were getting me. Thankfully they understand that this is often the best strategy when buying gifts for me and they are good sports about it.

This timing also works out well because we are leaving for San Diego on May 13th, so I'll be able to use that trip to get my feet wet with my new toy.

I've tried to learn about ISO, aperture, white balance, etc, but for now I'm sticking with the auto setting and the presets until I figure out how to outsmart the camera.

Thus far I've been really impressed with the image quality, even though I have the lowest-end SLR Canon sells with a kit lens. I'm sure that my inner geek will require me to upgrade the lens, but I'm trying to hold off until I learn enough about how to use the camera to know what kind of lens I really need.

But this is the last major electronics purchase for me for a while. But then, there are rumors of a new iPhone coming soon...