I've finally bought my first Digital SLR. After much research, I chose the Canon EOS 400D Digital Rebel Xti. It's only an entry-level DSLR but it will do for me. Anyway, after a lifetime of operating simple point and click cameras I don't know the first thing about focal lengths, exposure metering, slow-synch shooting, AE bracketing, and all these other wonderful terms. At least I didn't. I bought a book earlier this week and I'm just starting to get to grips with the fundamentals.

I always think it's a waste for these people who buy expensive cameras and only ever use them in the pre-set AutoFocus modes. I'm determined to learn about the features and digital photography in general. It came with a standard 18-55mm lens but as soon as I've got to grips with it I'm going to buy a second lens. Probably a 70-300mm lens for better zoom. I know you can achieve better quality if you buy prime lenses set at different focal lengths for different types of shots but that would mean carrying around an heavy bag full of lenses. Plus, it's not like I'm a sports photographer or wildlife photographer, my photo's will probably cover anything and everything so the two lenses should be ok for me.

I'm also going to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop properly. I've seen some amazing photo's that have been enhanced using Photoshop. I've used Photoshop before but I've never really delved into all the features

Maybe one day I might get serious about photography, upgrade to a more professional camera and try to make a few bob out of it. Anyway I'll soon see if the Canon EOS 400D is as good as the reviews say - it's charging at the moment