Beginner moving up to SLR

Hello! :)

For the past four years I have been using my Kodak DC265 and I really need to move on. The viewfinder is out of sync with the lense, sometimes you have to shake it to turn it on, and waiting a few minutes for it to save photos gets rather annoying. The battery drain is the worst. Was a great camera, but now it is really holding me back.

I have read plenty of reviews and have selected the Canon Digital Rebel and Speedlite 420EX for my next setup. Most of my subject matter is within ten feet of the lense. I do a lot of photo shoots of costumers and their models.

Comments, whatever... Let me know what you think. :D

Album of a couple of pictures I took over the weekend for the company magazine. I will add more from my collection over time.
http://www.experimentalinsanity.com/...ry/photography

Congratulations on your new camera. The Digital Rebel is a proven camera and it will serve you well. I assume you have the kit lens. If you want a new lens, take a look at the 17-40mm f/4L. That's probably the most practical and cost-effective equipment upgrade you can make. It sort of depends on your subject-matter, though. Another excellent lens upgrade is the 70-200 f/4L. That lens is arguably one of the best lens values around. If you want to shoot sports or any kind of telephoto photography, that lens is awesome.

I looked at your photos and my impression is that your still figuring out the camera and the subjects you want to shoot. There doesn't appear to be much focus or intent to the photos in that gallery. Not that there's anything wrong with that. We all have to experiment to find out what moves us and to develop a style. You might want to post some photos on the Photo Critique forum and ask people what they think. It's best if you have specific questions. Without knowing what you're trying to do, it can be hard to have much to say about some photography. I have a feeling that's why you didn't much response to your post.

Thanks for joining us. I think you can learn and grow a lot here. Share lots of photos and ask lots of questions to get the most out of the site. And congratulations again on your new camera.

This is my first post here and I'm in the same boat. I have been considering the same camera. I have a Olympus C-750 which is great, but I want to get a digital SLR. I own a Canon 35mm SLR, which I don't use much any more. Good luck finding the right camera.

Once you get your new camera, invest in Photoshop. You can really cleanup your images then. Many of your shots look too dark.Check out my site.
William Kazak
http://www.williamkazak.com
wkazak@ameritech.net