So I’m no photo pro, nor do I aim to be. I just take a bunch of pictures and wanted an upgrade to the point and shoot world. The digital SLR world is huge with so much to learn but yeah, I’m more the automatic-mode-picture-taking kind of guy. 
After doing some research, here are some items for a DSLR camera starter kit. Some factors for picking these items:
- Lower cost for entry level learning. Like I said, I don’t aspire to be a professional photographer, so I don’t want to spend the bucks.
- Amazon availability. These items are sold through Amazon which ships to Hawaii for free. I would have picked other products sold by third party vendors but the additional shipping was cost prohibitive.
A little more about this list:
- Canon EOS Rebel T1i
. Does HD video as well, but I wouldn’t get the camera just for the video. While good to have available, using the camera in video mode is clunky. But still a great camera to start with.
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens
. Supposedly a 50mm lens is a must have and at $100, why not? There are more expensive, higher quality versions, but to begin with, I’m willing to spend $100 to learn.
- Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens
. What can I say, but I’m cheap. One of the cheaper telephoto lenses.
- Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash
. So needed when taking a bunch of pictures in low light. The built-in flash can’t keep up.
- Tiffen 58mm UV Protection Filter
. For the included 18-55mm T1i lens. Did I mention it’s cheap but will protect the lens from damage.
- Delkin eFilm Pro 8GB Secure Digital SD Class 6 Memory Card
. You need a high speed aka Class 6 memory card so your camera is ready for the next shot. You don’t want to see that BUSY message as your camera is saving images to the memory card.
- Lowepro Fastpack 250
. I’ve said enough here.
- Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set
. I picked up Volume 2 from Costco, and it’s great. Each page is one lesson in photography with topics explained in non-photography terms. This set has all three volumes.
With this gear, check out these simple, short, and extremely useful Canon tutorials. Most of these are 3 minutes long and explain topics in easy to understand ways. Here’s one on choosing lenses. Fantastic!
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Did you already buy the camera, or are you just fixated on Canon? Personally I like Nikons.
Check out my cousin’s site — he quit his day job and just does photography now. His attitude is that if you can’t take a good photo with one of those throw-away paper cameras, don’t bother with anything more expensive. Lots of good advice on kenrockwell.com.
Fixated on Canon. Thanks for the link.
oh yeah… is the camera a FX (film) profile, or DX (digital)? There’s about a 50% difference in lenses. A 17mm DX is equivalent to a 28mm FX, and a 200mm DX is about a 300mm FX.
In DX, a 50mm lens is “normal” profile. I never liked normal, and always carried a 28mm or a 105mm. I notice you don’t have a wide lens in your list… you should.
UV filters are great sacrificial protection. Especially if you don’t believe in lens caps.
Unless you’re doing serious work in the dark, the external flash might be something you put off for a while. With the auto-ISO in digital cameras, a little flash can go a long way.
Yeah, I might go for a wide lens too but I need to fund that rumored Apple tablet first!
The main reason for the external flash was to keep up with shooting in low light kids events.
If your goal is to chase kids, get a wide lens. You’ll appreciate it in small spaces.
My experience with the built-in flash on my Nikon D40 is that it keeps up just fine. Get a tripod and wireless remote now, and re-evaluate the flash later.
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