Recommend a good entry level package

[Europhyllia]

saabtech's beautiful nature thread and me getting a new HD monitor for my computer made me realize how terrible and fuzzy my pics are.
A few months ago I talked to princer about suggestions for a good entry level DSLR and she mentioned Canon Rebel but even with those these are tons to choose from.
Does anybody have any recommendation as far as a moderately priced decent entry level system would go?

A $700 package like this looks good to me but is it just a bunch of junk and focusing on fewer higher quality components would be better?
This package includes all of the following items:

http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00643.jpg (http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/large/00643.jpg)
http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00195.jpg (http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/large/00195.jpg)
http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00038.jpg (http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/large/00038.jpg)
http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00049.jpg (http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/large/00049.jpg)
http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00050.jpg (http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/large/00050.jpg)
Canon Digital Rebel XS Camera Body
Tamron 28-80mm Lens
Tamron 75-300mm Standard Telephoto
58mm Wide Angle Lens
58mm 2X Telephoto Lens
16GB SD Memory Card
http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00246.jpg
Slingshot Backpack
Hard Shell Case - Protected Touring!
Digital Flash
3 Piece Filter Kit
62mm UV Filter
USB Card Reader
http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00167.jpg (http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/large/00167.jpg)
http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/small/00381.jpg (http://www.getitdigital.com/display/images/large/00381.jpg)
Multi Section Tripod
Mini Travel Tripod
Lens Cap Holder
LCD Screen Protectors
Lens Cleaning Kit
Memory Card Wallet
Canon Wide Strap
Canon Charger
Canon Start Up Battery
Canon Video Cable
Canon USB Cable
Canon Software CD

[Bill S]

Once you figure out what you want, go to www.slickdeals.net (not .com), and then keep an eye out. Several times a week there are posts on some steals for DSLRs.

[kkiel02]

I was talking to my cousin about getting an entry level dslr as he has his own photography business up in Austin and he recommended the Canon T2i. Now that I have access to the D5000 I wont be getting the t2i anymore but you might want to give it a look over.

[Europhyllia]

Yeah I noticed the t1i seemed pretty popular. More so than the xs. Not sure I need the t2i but I'll check it out. Thanks

[swjim]

I would pass on the pre-packaged kit and work on putting together your own kit with a few good components. Keep in mind that if you put a cheap lens in front of a good camera body you'll probably still be dissatisfied with your images.

We can offer suggestions but need to know what you are most interested in shooting and how much you want to spend.

Also, there are a lot of shady camera dealers on the net, be sure to check out your vendor on resellerratings.com before buying if you haven't heard of them before.

[Europhyllia]

I want to take pictures of my corals and fish (indoors) and my kids (action shots, portraits, outdoors, etc.) The kids tend to be especially cute when they're sleeping so something that takes good pics indoors without a flash would be nice too.

[txg8gxp]

From what I have been told by my brother is normally the combo packs come with lenses you will not use/or want to replace. I think I would get a good body kit then add lenses as you learn what you need/want. I have my brothers old d200 laying around I need to learn to use, I'm sure it would be alot nicer then my video camera. Saabtech's thread has me wanting to learn to take better pictures aswell....looks like I will need some leasons from my brother.

[swjim]

If you haven't already gone to a local Best Buy or other camera shop I would start off by going to one and handling the Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, etc bodies and playing with the controls and menus to see which ones seem most natural to you. I like Canon gear but don't care for their rebel line because it feels a bit small in my hands and prefer the wheel control on the back of their midrange series bodies. If you're pretty sure you would like the Rebel and want to keep initial costs down I would probably go for the T1i with the EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. This is a good starter lens with a wide to midrange zoom and an image stabilizer that will come in handy when you want to take lower light shots of your kids. It is not an actual macro lens but it could still be used to take pictures of your fish and corals. Here is a link to the kit at B&H (a well regarded camera seller) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/613613-REG/Canon_3818B002_EOS_Rebel_T1i_500D_.html

I would consider adding a Canon 430EX or 580 EX Mk II flash, once you learn how to use a flash it can really improve your images.

There are a lot of tripods out there, I have an aluminum Bogen Manfrotto 3021B with 488RC2 Ballhead and it works really well for me, but it would be heavy for someone who does a lot of walking with it i.e. backpacking, hiking, etc. Carbon Fiber tripods are much lighter but more $$$. If you're going to use one, I wouldn't recommend scrimping on a tripod, you'll probably end up buying a good one down the road anyway and you'll be potentially putting some expensive gear on top of it so you want it to be stable both so you can get good photos and so that nothing drops.


Other items that could be bought at the same time as your camera or later after you have a better idea of what you most need for what you're shooting:

If you want a true Macro lens I would look at the Canon 100mm f/2.8 (approx $520 new), Sigma 105 f/2.8 macro (approx $480 new)or Tamron 90 f/2.8 macro (currently has rebate that makes it $410 new after rebate). They are all good.

For the action, portrait and outdoor shots a Canon 85 f/1.8 ($380 new), 70-200 f/4 L (Currently on sale for $594 new) are both very nice lenses with decent reach that aren't overly expensive.

This is a Canon site designed for helping people to get started with their new DSLRs but taking a look at it now might help with your buying decisions. The concepts could be applied to any of the other manufacturers as well: http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/index.html

This tool can give you an idea of what different focal lengths look like: http://www.tamron.com/lenses/learning_center/tools/focal-length-comparison.php

Camera gear can get quite expensive, I chose to get more into photography a few years ago because I wanted to do a better job of capturing images of my kids growing up. The money I have spent on camera gear did cause me to greatly decrease my reefkeeping budget but I haven't regretted it a bit. Another thing to keep in mind is that GOOD camera gear - especially lenses and flashes hold their value pretty well. If you invest in a nice lens and it doesn't work well for your shooting style you can sell it and use the proceeds to buy something else that works better for you. If you choose to buy used from the start you might be able to sell it with no loss at all.

I hope this helps, I can talk about this stuff all day, just let me know if you have any other questions. :)