I am somewhat new to serious photagraphy. I tried a few rolls on my dad's old canon F1 this summer with a very low percentage of shots that even looked respectable (maybe I shouldn't be looking at this site, it raises my expectations quite a bit lol). Any decent shot I've taken so far was on your average joe point and shoot sony digital (dsc-w40), with auto settings (obviously). So I'm wondering what your opinions are on someone like me purchasing a new SLR? Looking at the Nikon D40, its supposed to be a solid entry slr and will cost around $550. But thats still a lot of money... Should I figure out the old F1 first, or will the D40 allow me to get to some decent looking photos sooner while still giving me manual settings? Help appreciated... It is worth mentioning that I'll be going back to school (Notre Dame) soon and wont have nearly as much time to go around taking photos once I return. Photography classes WOULD sound perfect but they are supposed to be really intense and time consuming, so that is not an option. I know this is all kind of vague but any input appreciated... Thanks

Well, I'll tell you what I've done and you can take what you can from it! I started off with a credit card thin Nikon Coolpix just to carry around in my pocket for random shots. After awhile I found myself a new hobby, photography, and I too wanted something a little bit more than a dinky little point and click.

So, I graduated up to a Canon Powershot S3 IS. I didn't want to go all the way to a SLR, since I felt I wasn't ready yet, but I wanted full manual control, decent optical zoom, etc (something a little more capable). Sometime down the line I'm going to make my next leap to an SLR, but I'm more than happy with my situation right now.

It really all depends upon the person and circumstances. You could have money to burn and have a real talent that would make you progress lightning fast. I compare it to something else I picked up in the past few years...surfing. I wanted to graduate right to the best short boards money can buy and start ripping it up...but, the fact is you will progress faster starting off on a longboard to really sure up your technique and the rest will come in time.

When all else fails, go with your gut!!

some could argue that it is not the camera that is taking "some decent looking photos sooner" .. it is the person behind the lens .. it is YOUR eye, YOUR mind that needs to see that the image exists for the taking .. then, it helps, if you have an opinion about how it should look (exposure values), how it should fit within the frame (composition) .. whether your subject should be separated from the rest of the scene (depth of field)

As you said, you are going to be busy with school .. you should continue trying to hone your skills with what you have now .. learn what interests YOU in the photographic field .. finish school .. if you even wait just one year, better cameras will be available for less money than today .. you will have a better idea whether you are still interested in a better camera, or whether a point+shoot fulfills your needs

don't let these guys discourage you to much from an slr:P. While you could go the way of something like the s3is the manual settings are not as easy to change as they are on a slr (pretty minor mind you) and also if you think an slr is going to be your end result, why wait and spend money on something in between?

I would say having a digital camera will help you figure things out. I don't think they are going to make your pictures look better right away, but the fact that you can instantly see what you got helps you figure out what you did wrong and fix it while you are still in the moment.

First: if you have the cash to buy a DSLR, get one since you can always grow into it...which is better than growing out of a compact camera.

You have a F1 already, most likely with some canon lenses. In that case, get a Canon DSLR - like the Rebel XTi or XT with no kit lenses (assuming you already have some autofocus canon lenses).

As for learning, there are a ton of websites that talk about photography. Here's three: here or here or here.

*blank*

My first digital was a Canon Powershot A75 and I loved it. At first, not only could I not afford the Rebel XT but my thought at the time was what do I really need a camera like that for? As I learned more, I wanted more. Well, lo and behold, last year I broke my Canon Powershot. I looked at getting the Powershot Pro GS2 as it had some manual features and I didn't feel I was good enough for the Rebel XT but it was what I REALLY wanted. I figured instead of buying the one I would settle for and in a few years get the one I wanted, I ended up just getting the one I wanted.

I do agree that it's not the camera that takes the shot. I got some beautiful shots with my old film Canon point & shoot camera and I've gotten some lousy shots with my DSLR. After having the SLR for a year, I'm finally just now learning how to use it manual modes.

I agree with possibly looking at a Canon DSLR if you already have the F1. And yes, you should be a part of this site. I too already have higher expectations and feel that in a few short weeks, my shots have gotten a little better from being a member here.

Thanks for the comments guys... Maybe my best bet would be to spend the rest of the summer trying to get used to the F1. I kind of think there is an artistic side and a technical side to this - I think I have a decent eye for it, its just getting used to the technical part of it. I figured the F1 would be as simple as picking a shutter speed and adjusting the f stops but this did not necessarily yield clear photos. One plus about stepping up to a DSLR is I could get used to those manual settings a lot faster with instant feedback on a screen instead of waiting on a roll to develop. I've heard there might be a club at school - if that is the case, it will probably be the deciding factor. Assuming I did go for an SLR, how important is autofocus? I'm pretty sure the D40 has no autofocus motor in the camera body itself... Only certain lenses with integrated motors offer this option (the lens that comes with the camera is not one of these lenses). If I've paid a lot of money partially just for the manual settings, should I worry about auto focus anyway? Thanks for the links, noahnott.

What lenses do you currently have with the F1? If you already have some good lenses, it would make more sense to remain with canon than to jump over to nikon...but, if the lenses arn't anything special, i guess it doesn't really matter what brand you go with then. >_>

Anyways...autofocus is great to have. It's usually quicker and sometimes sharper. On my nikon at least, i can't tell if i have the shot perfectly in focus (ignoring the red square for arguments sake).

I mainly bought a DSLR because a) almost instant review/feedback/whatever it's called b) has lots of buttons to press c) makes picture taking more fun. *shrugs*

Auto focus is huge. I use it 98% of the time. The only times i ever don't use it is on some macro stuff because my macro lens often has trouble picking the right spot because macro is so sensitive, and when it is so dark out that i am just guessing focus anyways (ie shot of the stars where i set the focus to infinity).

It seems however that you have something mixed up. The lens that comes with the d40 is an afs lens, meaning it does have the focus motor. The d40 focuses with a good majority of the new lenses that have come out in the last couple years. There are some exceptions of course.

Since my kit has been compiled over the last 2 years or so, most of my lenses would work on the d40 (exceptions being my macro, which now has a newer afs replacement, and my 50mm 1.8). I would miss not having my 50mm, but there are still plenty of lenses to choose from that have the afs motor.

Also it is good to keep in mind that the afs motor is an upgrade from the motor in the camera body. On average it focuses much faster. My opinion is that nikon won't be releasing very many (if any) new lenses without afs, so you probably don't need to worry about something coming out in the future that you wish you could get.

Good to know... After I made that post I went and checked the magazine I got it from and realized that, as you said, the bundled lens is afs. It surprises me that autofocus is so popular, though. I thought that one of the major purposes of an slr was being able to manually focus, but I guess all of these other features I've been learning about take priority over simple focusing on an object. Im still thinking on this...

The way i see it is my camera is much faster at focusing than i am, and it is pretty much bang on when it says it has a focus, so why bother doing it manually if its going to be slower?

Well, decided to go ahead and go for it. Thanks for the input everyone. Got a very good deal on ebay, a factory demo (I called Nikon and they said they are typically used by dealers for trade shows, but never consumer owned) for $475 shipped... No grey market stuff either (seemed to be all over ebay), its a USA model with full Nikon warranry. Pretty excited about it, hopefully should have a new slr within a week. I've heard nothing but good things about it since I started reading reviews, especially at its price point - they can be had brand new for under $550 from all sorts of reputable sites, like dell.com. Anyway thanks again for the advice, I look forward to taking some shots and posting my progress on here as I improve.

just know that trade shows involve EVERYONE at that trade show holding and messing around with the camera, not just the dealers.

Im sure it will be fine. Not a picky person, it goes back to Nikon USA for reinspection so Im not worried. lol I doubt camera shows get too wild anyway