New Toy: Canon Rebel XSi DSLR Camera

As I teased the other day, I did indeed obtain a new (to me) Canon Digital Rebel XSi. And I love it.

Since I started the Flickr 365 project, I’ve known I wanted a new camera. I’ve been selling off some of my yarn stash and putting aside pennies, all the while doing research on what’s available. I wasn’t completely convinced that I was a good enough photographer to warrant a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera, to be honest. I understand that photography is an art, and requires as much talent as it does book-learning skill, no matter how easy other people make it look. And I had to wonder if I was talented enough to “deserve” a fancy camera, if that makes sense.

Then my co-worker B. brought in her DSLR to let me play with it. And I was hooked. I loved it. I loved the noise it made when it auto-focused, I loved hearing the mechanical click when a photo was taken. And while I didn’t become a better photographer that day, I felt like I got better pictures.  And those pictures made me want to be a better photographer.

I started researching, looking at Nikons and Canons and (thanks to Lakeline‘s suggestion!) the Olympus models, and I finally settled on a Canon, really for no other reason than I could get cheaper lenses and I knew more people who owned them (safety in numbers, and all that).

A super-lucky eBay find of a 2-month old kit with a couple of extras for a price that was $200 less than every other kit I could see, and I’m now a DSLR camera owner.

I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m no Pioneer Woman, that’s for sure. But I’ve got books, and I’ve got my eye on a couple of classes I can take, and I’ve got friends (like B) who don’t mind my silly questions.

And I’m super excited. It’s fun to have a new hobby.