Newbie's buying a camera

Hello everyone, I'm the newbie of newbies and I'm about to purchase a new camera. I'm looking at the Canon 60D with 15-85mm and 70-300mm lenses. I want a camera that will do everything; candid christmas shots, beach shots, sport shots (particularly volleyball and soccer - so indoor and out), and nature shots. This camera has way more than I know what to do with but I'm planning on growing into it. Does this kit cover my needs? Where is the best place to buy camera equipment in Montreal? I would also like to know if you can suggest a beginners' photography book? I would love to hear your feedback. Thank you:)

welcome Mandville to the forum and to dSLR.

First off you should buy a Nikon. :evil2:

ok, kidding......I couldn't resist.
I think that the kit lenses will be fine for you and once you get further along you can make informed decisions as to what you want. Good lenses are NOT cheap so you want to make sure you will get use out of it.

There are many books out there- Scott Kelby, (although I was disappointed). For me, I love the podcasts on this site and the information that others have so generously shared.

Welcome mandville :)
I found this book to be good as a starter: Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera: Amazon.ca: Bryan Peterson: Books. It covers an important topic and is suitable for entry level photographers.
Speaking as someone that has recently been through the first time dSLR shopping experience, I can tell you that you'll be glad when you get that out of the way and can start learning to shoot with whatever you end up buying. One piece of advice that I found very helpful was to go to a store and handle all the various makes and models before deciding.

Thanks for the replies Bambi and MartinW. I will check out that book. I just spoke with a gal who suggests I go with a Nikon so that I can buy other brands of lenses (less expensive). She said that when you buy canon, you can only put canon lenses on the body. Is this true and am I compromising quality going this route? Please reply. I'm so confused:(

No it's not true! Manufacturers like sigma make lenses for many brands. Go to the store and chat with someone knowledgeable . But first figure out your budget

The Canon 60D is a fine choice and so is the Nikon counterpart whatever that may be. There are third party lenses available for every camera. I use a $289 Sigma lens on my Canon and it works great! That being said, lenses are the one place you don't want to go cheap if you can afford it.

Rather than ask advice about which camera to buy, though, I think you should ask about features that are important to you and think about how you plan to use the camera then try out the cameras that match what you want. Canon and Nikon are the two elephants in the room, however, Sony and Olympus make wonderful cameras too as I'm sure others on the board can attest. As Bambi said, go to a camera store after you have a good idea of which cameras fit your needs and try them out and get the one that feels right.

Do you like how the camera feels in your hands?
Are you comfortable when looking through the viewfinder?
Does it feel like you can access the controls while looking through the viewfinder?

Don't be swayed by brands or what someone else uses, being comfortable with the camera is important. I like a larger body that fits my hands better, my wife likes a smaller body. Now we shoot the same brand so we can share lenses. Don't worry too much about which lenses you have to start with the kit you describe sounds like it has a good range of focal lengths, trust me you will upgrade if the bug catches you.

So remember the more comfortable you feel with the camera in your hands the more likely you will shoot lots of photos. I was once at a poetry reading and the young poet was describing his learning process. He had told his mentor that he felt all he was writing lately was 'sh!t' so his mentor reply 'Write lots of sh!t then'. Shoot lots and that is how you learn. Inspiration -- The Mindful Eye Photography School

Ok, I get it. Just had a lightbulb moment. Nobody is going to tell you what to buy (which is basically what I was looking for - the easy route). Everyone is telling me "it's got to feel right" kinda like a pair of jeans or running shoes or a tennis racquet....... So I'm going to the camera shop and hopefully I'll get a patient and knowledgeable salesperson and I'm going to trudge through all the possibilities 'till it feels right :o). Thanks everyone. I'm much less confused, and Greg, I will shoot lots :)

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Originally Posted by mandville

Ok, I get it. Just had a lightbulb moment. Nobody is going to tell you what to buy (which is basically what I was looking for - the easy route). Everyone is telling me "it's got to feel right" kinda like a pair of jeans or running shoes or a tennis racquet....... So I'm going to the camera shop and hopefully I'll get a patient and knowledgeable salesperson and I'm going to trudge through all the possibilities 'till it feels right :o). Thanks everyone. I'm much less confused, and Greg, I will shoot lots :)

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Sorry. I know it's a bit more painful that way but you will be way more happier in the end. Shy away from the big chain stores like Futureshop or Walmart, etc. and visit an actual camera store. Hopefully, Marko has some suggestions since you are in Montreal and he lives there! :)

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out and come back and show us your photos too!

Welcome mandville - a fellow montrealer!

How a camera feels in your hand is important for sure - try a bunch of them out. See how X brand and model fit and feel in your (teeny/small/medium/large/sasquatch-like) hands. Diffreent models make a big difference as do the features of those models.
Don't be put off by loser/impatient salespeople, just go elsewhere.
If you don't know the bigger photo stores in Montreal feel free to Pm me. I've had great service/pricing from Royal Photo On Rosemont and Photo service in Old Montreal.