Jumping In

It's official. I have a new hobby. I laid down the cash for a Canon 350D.

I needed to get something that wasn't computer related, or at least mostly computer related. I'll still have to use the mini to process the photos, but I will have to get out of the house to actually take the pictures. That or I'll have a really big collection of abstract inside-the-house shots.

Against advice from pros I know and DPreview, I did get the kit lens. I'm not really at a point where I could make an informed decision on what kind of lens I would get instead, so I'll stick with the kit until I do.

It was a tough decision between the Nikon D50 and the 350D. Both come highly recommended from DPreview. They aren't that far away in price, at least at B & H. I knew that no matter which camera I picked it would be a really good camera that would serve me well for a long time. So, why the Canon?

I had been leaning towards the D50 from the day it came out. But in the end something as silly as brand loyalty got me. I've used two point-and-shoot Canons, the S110 and the A85, and I've loved both of them. I'm somewhat familiar with Canon software, even though the 350D will be a lot different I'm sure -- there is sure to be some similarities.

There are also technical details which swayed me at the end, such as the CMOS sensors and DIGIC image processing in the Canon line. All indications are that Nikon is still catching up -- even though they are ahead in other areas, like buffer storage. The pros say that Canon has better "glass". Which reminds me that I'll have to get up to speed on all the 1337 ph0t0graphy lingo.

Ahhhh, hobbies...