… and when all else fails, you may want to check with your local library, Community College, Park District or local photography store to see how much a basic DIGITAL photography class would cost. Often they are inexpensive, but the information you can get in a couple of hours will save you weeks or months (years in some cases) of experimenting with your camera. You may want to take a class before buying a new camera to help you select the one that is right for you.
On the cruise I just took, they had a “Learn at Sea” educational series on computer software and digital photography ($25 for 1.5 hours). A friend of ours bought a camera on the ship and took the class. Later that day she was showing me and explaining to me about features on MY camera that I had no clue about, and she took fantastic pictures the rest of the trip. Knowledge is power.
I’m a total newbie to fly fishing / tying but I do make a good portion of my living with my camera. The DLSR camera body is irrelevant for the most part. I can put a good lens on a Canon Digital Rebel ($600 body) or on a Canon 1DSMK11 ($7000 body) both on a tripod in the studio at ISO 100 and on prints up to 8x10 would be hard pressed to tell the difference and for web viewing the camera body is even more irrelevant. Now with that being said I was just trying to make a point. Under fairly controlled situations the camera body has little to do with print or web viewing quality and no you don’t need a $1500 lens or a $7000 DSLR body. You do however need a good piece of macro glass so if you are fairly serious about taking high quality pics of flies, are interested in a DSLR, want high quality and are on somewhat of a budget I would recommend starting out with a Canon Digital Rebel and the Canon 100mm f 2.8 macro. You can also justify this purchase to your “better half” as the 100mm f2.8 lens makes a very good portrait lens for taking family portraits. I have shot extensively with most of the DSLR’s from both Canon and Nikon and while I like both and each has its merits over the other in some areas it is “easier” for lack of a better term for a beginner with Canon. The files IMHO are just easier to work with. And if you are using a DSLR you are doing yourself a huge injustice by shooting jpgs. Shoot Raw (canon) or NEF (nikon) to really take advantage of your DSLR. Good luck!!
