Rex Photography - What kind of camera should I buy if I want to get into photography?

What kind of camera should I buy if I want to get into photography?

I was looking to get into photography. Partly because I'm really interested in it.. and partly because I wouldn't mind turning it into a side business. Headshots and weddings maybe.. but primarily events/concerts to compliment reviews I write and whatnot. Any suggestions on what camera to buy? Also any sites that have deals? Film to use.. where to develop.. tell me everything! :)

Public Comments

Start with Canon... Develop at Costco. (good prices, good quailty)
I recommend digital SLRs to beginning pros. You may want to stay from weddings till you have experience. Weddings are a one-shot affair; if you blow one you have ruined a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime event for a couple. Digital Photography Review has a Buying Guide which lets you select tons of things that are important to you and then gives you recommendations for the best cameras which meet your needs. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp A big advantage to this approach is that you can change a parameter such as price range or megapixles and see how that changes the recommendations.   Matching a camera to your specific needs and desires is much better than just having someone recommend models that they like. 
Get a Canon and get the best you can afford.
OK first off - nobody use film any more. Those that still use film are people who are really old (and can't learn digital technology) or more likely they are at the very high end that can afford to charge for the extra cost. Personally I think film is actually lower quality, but it does have a special "old world" look to it. Second, as the poster above said, don't do wedding for a while. That really is some body's once in a life time event and if you screw it up, it is a big screw up. Volunteer at your family's and friend's wedding (but not as their sole wedding photographer). ===== OK when people say buy Canon or Nikon, etc. what they really mean is that that's what they bought and what they like - not necessarily the best for you. There are plenty of great camera companies out there. Having said that, I have experience with Canon 10D, and currently own Nikon D70 and Fuji S2 pro. When you buy a camera you are not just buying one camera but a system (of camera, lens, flash, etc.) You will often upgrade cameras but keep the accessories (lens, flash, etc.). Also think of the long run. Minolta just went of out business (and Sony took over the DSLR section- but for how long)? If you want to be taken seriously as a pro then stick with Digital SLR. Also you would need external flash (the look of small on camera flash is not professional looking). The poster above said to "get the best you can afford." I agree. But don't confuse the BEST you can afford with the most expensive camera. There are plenty of people out there making money with "amateur" Nikon D40 or Canon Rebels. But then again, the pro lens and flashes are definitely more expensive. When you are doing PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY, in movie industry terms, you are the director, camera-man, lighting person, stage director, production manager, etc. You will also be working with non-professional (models). Which means you have to know coax people to be their best. Don't confuse picture of a beautiful person with a beautiful picture of a person. There's a saying that in photography, beauty is a problem. But you can easily convince plenty of people in to thinking you take beautiful picture by taking pictures of beautiful people. To begin head shots and portraits, it is always best to shoot outdoors at a natural setting (I like parks - some people like beaches, etc.). All of studio lighting is to copy "God's one great light - the sun." So just use the sun. If you intend to shoot on one particular day of the week (like Saturday), visit that park one week before (same day of the week) to see the "crowd" factor. Check to see if you need a permit to shoot professionally. For outdoor portraits, long lens is flattering. For indoor events, wide angle lens is often very useful. Contrary to common notion, sunny day is NOT the best day for portrait (harsh shadows). Overcast day give even soft lighting. Be careful of shooting under the shades of tree (you'll get ugly bluish / green cast). Just to be safe, use flash on auto flash exposure (for fill flash). Photography is a huge subject matter. It is always safe to go get a book on the subject and learn one chapter at a time. But you'll never learn as much by experimenting. Also buy picture books (with nothing but great pictures) and magazines and study the photography and how you would recreate those images. You can research camera choices here: http://dpreview.com/ http://www.imaging-resource.com/ You can learn some stuff about photography from here: http://ir.webphotoschool.com/ Good luck - but most of all have fun. === Don't forget to vote for the BEST ANSWER - please - whoever it may be. FACT: You also get +3 points when you vote for BEST ANSWER
I would recommend you the camera I have which is Panasonic Lumix LX-1 (or the new model, LX-2). The lens is a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit f/2/8-f/4.9, the exact same lens as the Leica D-Lux camera. So you're basically getting a Leica camera with the name and price of a Panasonic. The LX-1 shoots at 16:9 so it's wide angle. It also shoots at 4:3 and 3:5 dimensions. It comes in Aperture, Shutter Speed, Personal and Manual mode and also allows you to adjust exposure. You can shoot in colour, sepia or B&W. It's Macro focusing is really good; I take beautiful close-up shots all the time. With 8.4 megapixels and the ability to shoot in RAW format, you'd need a large SD card. The downside of this camera is that if you shoot is ISO 200 and above you get really really noisy shots. You can't extend the flash either, so indoor shots aren't very nice (but outdoor shots are beautiful) The Lumix LX-1 retails for S$650 at Mustafa (I bought it for S$999 at an IT fair!) The LX-2 is a 12megapixel camera with apparently much better noise reduction. I don't know how much it costs.
If you know anyone who has a current Mac computer, you can use IWeb to create a website showing your recent photographs. Set up an .mac account [$99 per year] and publish your IWeb webpage(s). Acquire from Vistaprint.com a colorful business card by selecting from their many templates a suitable one that meets your needs. Make sure to list the URL of your website along with a telephone answering device. Do not place your home address or anything personal such as a cellphone on this businesscard. Then when you receive the finished business card, pass it around to various churches, temples and the like to solicit business. When you receive a major photography assignment, visit your local professional camera store and "rent" the necessary camera equipment to fulfill this assignment. When starting out, you don't want to tie your money up with a piece of camera equipment which because of ever changing technology "becomes obsolete." Remember, that 90% of professional photographer are not "buying" camera equipment continually which can easily become outdated; instead, they merely "rent or lease" the camera equipment for set period of time; thereby keeping their money for other expenses. Even though you may have your heart set on an SLR and film, you may have to give up that concept for the moment, since digital photography offers the most economic method of photo reproduction. Digital imagery is easy to edit on a computer and the print quality is often far superior to regular film-generated prints. You want to buy an "essential/basic" DSLR system which has an all-around affordable accessory lenses, then consider the award winning Pentax KD series beginning with the Pentax K100D 6.1 mp DSLR with "image stabilization" built into the camera body. "Image stabilization" is essential for allowing you to take telephoto pictures at weddings, parties, while on the go and you don't have to drag along a tripod to steady your camera. Unfortunately, Canon and Nikon have chosen to install their "vibration reduction" devices into very expensive auxiliary lenses. But getting back to the Pentax K100D which comes in a starter kit consisting of two Pentax lenses: a 18-55 mm. normal lens and a 50-200 mm. telephoto which sells for $650 at samys.com. Again, the Pentax K100D starter kit runs circles around the D40 Nikon! For digital print processing, find a private professional film processing lab who can handle all your client's print orders. And with a resale license, you will be qualified for considerable "professional" discounts on lab fees. A search on the Google and Yahoo for wholesale photo albums will connect you with various distributors who, again, you can sign on as a photography studio and get a dealer's pricing for any number of albums, guest books, etc. Instead of renting a studio, take people pictures at local parks and beaches and for indoor shots, go to the client's residence or office to set up a photo shooting environment which consists of a set of lights, reflective screens, background drapery, etc. Good luck!