Once you've made the decision, that a tiny point and shoot cameras simply aren't going to cut it for you any longer, you've probably started looking in to the world of cameras known as SLR. SLR stands for single lens reflex, and if you think that sounds confusing, you ain't seen nuthin yet. There's a whole jungle of tech terms you get to learn, if you proceed further down this path.

Well, depending on the kind of shopper your are, or how much information you like to digest before making a purchase, you can be in for quite a ride on your quest towards buying a digital SLR. It's my intention here, to help make that ride as painless as possible.

Lets get right to it. It's very true, that the immense popularity of digital cameras (SLR and otherwise) and rapid technical advances have produced a glut of choices and features that can be bewildering to the average consumer. Those same trends have also pushed manufactures and retail establishments to be highly competitive in both design and pricing. That's something that can only benefit the consumer. In a couple of ways actually. Not only do you have a bevy of choices, but the vast majority of those SLR choices are really good cameras.

What I'm trying to say here, is that just about any SLR camera you end up buying will be a good one. That's not to say, that there aren't some lemons. If you stick with one of the major established brands, like Canon, Nikon, or Olympus your pretty much guaranteed to make a good choice. The Nikon D60, the Canon Rebel line (XT, XTi, XSi, T1i), or an Olympus Evolt E510 are all excellent choices. Considering you'll pay the same or less for one of those, that you would have paid for a basic point-and-shoot camera five years ago, is a testament to how far digital cameras have evolved.

Something to think about when upgrading to an SLR, is to upgrade your own photography skills. Due to the complexity of these cameras, you will likely find that the biggest factor contributing to the quality of your images, is your own ability. Not to mention, you'll be a more informed consumer when you make your purchase. A photography course would be a good investment. Having spend some time with a SLR before buying one can provide some valuable insight into what features are important to you.

Try out as many models as you can, taking pictures of people, things, shadows, and any odd lighting areas of the store you can. Try different lenses to. Have lots of questions for the sales people, but take their answers with a grain of salt. They are sales people after all.

Don't get overly hung up on technical specifications for each camera. A few extra megapixels here and there aren't going to make much difference. For a first time SLR buyer, as long as you get a good lens, with at least 8 or 10 megapixels, and a solidly constructed camera body, you'll be content.

If you really have a burning desire to delve deeper into specifications, tech jargon, and features, then go right ahead. I know that for some, that's just part of the fun of buying a camera, or any product. Just remember, in the long run, it's a lot more fun to be taking pictures than just reading about taking pictures.

Most casual users of digital cameras will only ever use it for point and shoot occasions, rarely ever experimenting with all the different functions,unfortunately this doesn't help potential buyers as they just don't understand what it is they need to look for. If you were to buy a digital camera tomorrow, what functions would you want to see it have as standard? Would you be using it for astrophotography or for landscapes? Just to help with the confusion that you may be feeling, some information on what to look out for is discussed below. The most important question you need to ask yourself is: what sort of photography do you intend to use the camera for?

Will this be purely for casual use for special occasions, for example? Even with the overall reduction in cost and improvement in abilities and design during recent years, the cost is still something to factor in. If you are using you home pc to carry out photo editing you will need to think about whether your pc is up to the task. Some new personal computers come with a digital camera as part of a package, this may be worth considering. Fortunately you won't have to pay for the image editing software when you buy a digital camera but if you are after a printer or cartridges, these will be an extra expense that will have to be catered for.

Most people with computers will have a printer but you must check to see if it can be used for printing photos. The megapixel resolution of the camera will ideally need to be adjusted as high as it will go if you want to produce decent size images. some have a small built in memory as well. The storage capacity of some current storage cards can go up to 32 gigabytes,some require a card reader for a high speed connection to your pc.

Another, sometimes under-used test is just holding a DSLR to see how it feels. Despite the leaps forward in technology, many manufacturers are so focused on gadgets that they forget that a person will want to use this so it has to be simple to operate. Before you buy a digital camera, check to see if it is supplied with batteries that are rechargeable,long term it will be less expensive to use this type of battery. Some people buy their digital camera purely on the size of the screen,this allows you to frame the image better and you can also preview the pictures you take.

Some lower specification versions only have a LCD screen and the larger this is, If you want yours to have a good zoom facility, you should opt for those with an optical zoom lens. Digital cameras that are only equipped with a digital zoom should be avoided as images look blurred and pixilated. If you have any sort of visual impairment then buying a model with a diopter adjustment can be a real benefit but this does not apply to screen only digital equipment. With this knowledge you should be in a better position now when you buy a digital camera.

There are many of us who simply can't get enough of the color pink. We want a pink everything, and thankfully, manufacturers of all kinds of wares oblige. Here are 5 items on the market that will make any pink-lover

Wasabi Portable Color Printer Roughly the size of a box of kitchen matches (4.8" x 2.9" x 0.9"), the Wasabi portable printer from Dell is easy to bring along just about anywhere. It prints wirelessly (or via USB) and produces 2x3 sticky-back borderless prints using a new, inkless technology called "ZINK" (which stands for "zero ink"). You have to use the special ZINK paper, which looks like regular white photo paper, but has dye crystals embedded in it that, when exposed to heat in the printer, produce an image. The Wasabi comes in pink, blue or black, and costs $99.

Fluorescent Pink Diana F+ Camera When I made the switch to digital after years of shooting with film, I found myself with quite a bit of unused film in my refrigerator door, getting closer to its expiration date every day. I couldn't stand the thought of just throwing it out, and kept hoping I'd come up with a creative way to use it.

If you're in the same situation, or just want to give something different a try, check out the Lomographic Society: a worldwide community of photographers not only passionate about shooting with film, but shooting using cheap, mass market plastic cameras made in China, Hong Kong and the Soviet Union in the 60s - 80s. There is no limit to the creative ways you can use these cameras - take the lens off and make your own pinhole cover; shoot with 35mm in a 120 camera (which means the image will be exposed all the way to the edges, over the sprocket holes); advance the film just enough between shots to make one long panorama of an entire roll of film; make double exposures - you get the idea. The Lomographic Society's shops (both online and "for real") have tons of cameras to choose from, so you're sure to find something that suits your style (and leftover film).

A new addition this spring is the hot pink Diana F+ medium format camera. If 120 film is not your thing (although I love the square negatives it produces), don't worry - you can get both a 35mm and an instant back as well. This retro-cool, plastic camera with removable lens (other lenses such as fisheye and telephoto are available) gives you gorgeous, soft focus, vignetted, saturated images that have a decidedly yesteryear look. The camera is available in many different configurations, but the basic kit, which includes the camera, an external flash, "More True Tales & Short Stories" Diana Vignettes hardcover book, color gel filters (for the flash), 12 & 16-shot format frames, shutter lock, neckstrap and lenscap, costs $105.

Sony's VAIO JS PC This iMac look-alike comes in an elegant pale pink (as well as silver, black and bronze) and I have to say I do like the design. Other things to like, in addition to it taking up a lot less space than ordinary desktops, are: the 20.1" LCD display, 4GB of memory, the 2.50GHz, 2MB L2 cache Intel Pentium dual-core processor, the 500GB (7200RPM) SATA hard drive, and the built-in microphone and webcam (with face tracking technology). At the time of writing, it retails for $949.99

Colorful Inspiron Desktops From Dell Finally, someone is adding a rainbow of colors to desktops as well. While laptops are available in all imaginable colors and designs, desktops have remained in the silver/black range. Dell's new Inspiron desktop line has so far only been released in China, but is scheduled to appear on the US market later on this spring.

Available as a mini-tower or a slim tower, the customizable Inspirons come in 8 different colors. The pink one is part of Dell's "Promise Pink" series, which also includes several of their laptops, and Dell donates $5 from each sale to the Susan G. Komen foundation. Starting price for the base configuration will be $299.

Poken - Your Social "Business Card" With the growing number of social networking sites, keeping track of your identities and contact info can be a daunting task, and sharing them with friends even more so. Poken - a keychain-sized gizmo with a USB connector and a huge hand - will take care of all that for you. Select which profiles you want to share with people, add them to your Poken, and when you meet someone you want to exchange info with, just have your Pokens "high five", and voila! The two of you have exchanged your social networking info. The Pokens come in a few different shapes: Panda, Alien, Fox, Bee, Voodoo, and the two pink choices, the Geisha and the Piggy. They cost around $20 and are available online.

So, you've decided to make the jump from simple point and shoot cameras into the realm of SLR photography. If you've done any sort of research, your mind and eyeballs are probably reeling from an overload of information. Digital SLR photography, is one those hobbies that is rich with technological jargon.

It gets worse, if your one of the perfectionist type that really likes to minutely analyze any major purchase . . . intent on getting the best digital SLR camera for your money. You could be in for a long bumpy ride. Today it's time to shorten that ride and smooth out the bumps.

With that little caveat out of the way, lets press on. Now if your more of a ready, fire, aim shopper, your going to like this next little bit. As a rule, it's pretty hard to buy a bad digital SLR camera in today's market. I'm not just referring to the fact that manufacturers and retailers are fiercely competing for consumer dollars in a tight economy. That's been going on for years with digital cameras. The other good thing, is that competitiveness has also driven up the quality, features and technology of cameras at a fevered pitch.

So, don't worry, you will get a good SLR with pretty much any camera these days. I'd stick with the major brands, and reputable retailer to hedge your bet. The best prices are still online, and the big online stores are as good or better than local stores with their return policies. Online buying is not just for price comparisons anymore. Olympus, Nikon, or canon are all reliable choices these days. For under a grand, you'll find a lot of entry level SLRs to choose from. The Canon Rebel line-up with the XT, XTi, XSi, XS, and soon to be release T1i are definitely worth a look.

When looking for the best digital SLR camera you can find, the important word to remember is "YOU". Ask a dozen camera enthusiasts why they their favourite camera is their favourite, and you likely get a dozen answers. Every photographer takes pictures for different reasons, values different attributes in the finished pictures, and handles a camera differently. And so will you. A good hands-on exercise before making your final selection, would be to go to a speciality camera store with lots of models on hand, during a non busy time.

Taking a lot of practice shots, in diverse environments, will give you a pretty good idea of how much you like or dislike different cameras. Try taking pictures at parties, weddings, sporting events, sunsets, sunrises, or just around the house and neighbourhood for a few days.

The actual experience of handling and using the camera should be your final factor in making your decision. Not specifications like burst mode, megapixels, ISO, or sensor size. The best digital camera, is the one that enables YOU to take the best pictures you can.

If you really have a burning desire to delve deeper into specifications, tech jargon, and features, then go right ahead. I know that for some, that's just part of the fun of buying a camera, or any product. Just remember, in the long run, it's a lot more fun to be taking pictures than just reading about taking pictures.

If you never bought a digital camera before, you may be a bit overwhelmed by all the different brands. Don't feel bad, as most experienced digital camera owners have the same problem. Professional and amateur alike.

Because everyone knows that regular (film) cameras are far superior to digital cameras. Hang on a sec, or was that the other way around? Who can keep track these days? Now before I digress too far from the topic, lets take a look at that age old battle, and see if we can determine which brand is best.

There are a few photographers that stick with one brand, but their mostly professional or semi professional photographers. The average digital camera consumer these days, is pretty much brand blind. Generally, I think they look more at features and price.

With all of that in mind though, there do seem to be some camera brands that are more successful than others. Canon, always seems to grab more of the top spots from most top ten lists than any other. There's a couple lists I perused just before writing this article, and Canon had between 7-9 of the top cameras on the lists.

Sharing the top 11 spots with Canon are 2 of the Pure Video manufactured Flip Video cameras. Nikon has 2 cameras in the top 25 including the Nikon D40, and the Nikon D300. Panasonic sneaks in with a couple of their Lumix models, specifically the DMC-TZ3K and the DMC-TZ3A. And finishing in a strong 25th spot, that old stalwart Kodak with the Easyshare Z812IS.

Of course being popular, or the best seller does not the best brand make. It simply means you have the best salesmanship. How exactly would we determine the best brand? Best service, best design, best features, best customer support, best images, and best user experience are all valid traits. Perhaps a critical / scientific /empirical examination of all cameras models by manufacturer would be in order. Let's see if we can aggregate a lot of the work already done by a couple of camera review sites who take the above traits into consideration.

Ok, so I took a little gander at the top camera review sites,to see what they had to say. And, I afraid I must admit, that it doesn't look too good for the anti-Canon crowd. Canon seems to once again have garnered much praise from the critics. After aggregating a number of five star - top 100 camera choices, Canon seem to occupy about 50% of the top spots, with Sony and Nikon both achieving around 25% each. There were a few other nice camera models, but none statistically significant.

Well, if you go by the numbers, it does seem to make a convincing argument for Canon. Big sales, and big critical reviews seem to keep them rolling in the money. A lot of that probably has to do with the fact, that they just offer so many models that cater to so many different people. I wouldn't discount any of the other brands, and not just Nikon and Sony either. I still make my camera buying decisions on features and price.

Once you've made the decision, that a tiny point and shoot cameras simply aren't going to cut it for you any longer, you've probably started looking in to the world of cameras known as SLR. SLR stands for single lens reflex, and if you think that sounds confusing, you ain't seen nuthin yet. There's a whole jungle of tech terms you get to learn, if you proceed further down this path.

It gets worse, if your one of the perfectionist type that really likes to minutely analyze any major purchase . . . intent on getting the best digital SLR camera for your money. You could be in for a long bumpy ride. Today it's time to shorten that ride and smooth out the bumps.

So, without much further adieu, let's dive right in. If your a fan of technology, your gonna love this stuff, as there is an almost limitless array of jargon, and technological advancements you can learn about with SLR cameras. That information should serve you well in making your final decision however. As, that same technology that has given the consumer a wonderful number of features, has also forced the manufacturers to be extremely competitive with one another. The result many a lot of very capable SLR cameras loaded with features at pretty affordable prices.

Long story short . . . it's hard to go wrong in this category. I'll make it even simpler for you. Pick any one of the following three digital SLR cameras, and you won't be disappointed. They are the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, the Nikon D40, and the Olympus Evolt E510. As of this writing, the 10 megapixels flavours for these cameras are all available for about $600. That includes a basic kit lens. That feels like highway robbery, compared to the $1000 I paid for a good point and shoot digital just a few years back.

Given the quality of all the top brands, the major differentiating factor between the final quality of your photographs has very little to do with the camera. That major factor is the person behind the shutter button. You, the photographer. Learning more about the art of what makes a good picture would be a good investment on your part. As well as spending some hands on time with the cameras your considering. Either borrow a friends camera, or sweet talk the sales clerk at your local photo shop into letting you take one home for a few days.

You don't want to believe everything your read and hear from sales clerks and websites, you'll want some first hand experience. Playing around with someone else's SLR either from a buddy, or a friendly camera store will give you a chance to form your own opinion about each camera.

Technical specs are good for narrowing down your short list of cameras, but the final camera choice you make should be based on personal experience. How does the camera feel in your hands, is more important than burst mode, ISO quality or the size of the image sensor.

Still feel a need to look some more? That's fine. Like I said there are a crazy number of choices when it comes to digital SLRs. It never hurts to take a peek into what Canon, Nikon, Olympus and others are offering as the latest and greatest SLR cameras. Just remember, the more time you spend looking for a camera, the less time you spend taking pictures.

So, you've decided to make the jump from simple point and shoot cameras into the realm of SLR photography. If you've done any sort of research, your mind and eyeballs are probably reeling from an overload of information.

Digital SLR photography, is one those hobbies that is rich with technological jargon. It gets worse, if your one of the perfectionist type that really likes to minutely analyze any major purchase . . . intent on getting the best digital SLR camera for your money. You could be in for a long bumpy ride. Today it's time to shorten that ride and smooth out the bumps.

Buckle up baby, and lets go. Believe it or not, all that technology your battling to understand is a good thing. Really, it is. The past few years in the digital camera industry, have been extremely competitive for the manufacturers and retail folks. As a result, each year they cram more and more features into those shiny little SLRs, and continuously drop prices to stay ahead of the competition.

Not only do you have a bevy of choices, but the vast majority of those SLR choices are really good cameras. Long story short . . . it's hard to go wrong in this category. I'll make it even simpler for you. Pick any one of the following three digital SLR cameras, and you won't be disappointed. They are the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, the Nikon D40, and the Olympus Evolt E510.

It's quite remarkable, that you can have any one of those SLRs for under a grand. That's a lot of camera for very little coin. Don't even ask me what I paid for my first digital camera. I get ill just thinking about it.

Now you may be thinking, that seems a little too easy. How can I choose a good SLR, without spending hours and hours over analyzing all the pros and cons of every little feature. Because, someone has already done it for you. Canon, Pentax, Nikon, and Sony all keep tabs on each other, and have really forced each other to release some really good stuff.

Try out as many models as you can, taking pictures of people, things, shadows, and any odd lighting areas of the store you can. Try different lenses to. Have lots of questions for the sales people, but take their answers with a grain of salt. They are sales people after all. The actual experience of handling and using the camera should be your final factor in making your decision. Not specifications like burst mode, megapixels, ISO, or sensor size. The best digital camera, is the one that enables YOU to take the best pictures you can.

Still feel a need to look some more? That's fine. Like I said there are a crazy number of choices when it comes to digital SLRs. It never hurts to take a peek into what Canon, Nikon, Olympus and others are offering as the latest and greatest SLR cameras.

Well, that's about as simple as I can make it. Time to decide. Believe me, it's a lot more fun taking pictures, than shopping for cameras.

If you've ever dreamed of starting your own photography business, there are a few things you need to do.

It goes without saying that you'll need to know a little bit about photography. Clearly you off to have some level of skill, but that is not nearly as important as you might think. You could earn a very substantial income even if you are only just competent in photography.

To achieve success, your knowledge of marketing in general and specifically how to find people to buy your photos is far more important. It may seem surprising, but you can learn a lot of good marketing tips at the movies.

One of the longest running Broadway plays of all time, "Hello Dolly" was made into a movie in 1968. (Before most of you were born.) It's one of my favorites and one of the biggest marketing training resources I've ever discovered.

In it, Dolly Levi, played by Barbra Streisand is an entrepreneur. She literally has hundreds of businesses. Every time she runs across someone who expresses ANY sort of need, she immediately hands them a business card promoting one of her businesses - specializing in that exact niche.

Throughout the entire movie, this is a running gag.

I was able to learn two valuable marketing lessons by watching Dolly Levi.

First, pass out your business cards! If no one knows you are around, how can they call? Dolly must have passed out over a hundred business cards before the opening credits finished. How many do you pass out? If you aren't going through at least a thousand cards a month - you aren't even trying!

"If you have to live from hand to mouth, you'd best be ambidextrous." Was the reply Dolly gave when someone asked her why she ran so many businesses.

I'm not suggesting you run out and start a ton of businesses, but how many of us get hung up on doing the same sort of photos, the same way, every day? Branch out! Try new things, new ways of marketing to new markets! That's when you will start to see the money you have been dreaming about.

At last, you'll have enough money so that you can ________________. How would you fill in the blank? I'm sure there is SOME reason why you want to make money with your camera! It really is easier than you think. Just stop dreaming and go for it. For a free mini course that will show you tons of ways to make money with your camera, check out my website.

The current modern cameras are prepared absolutely with newest functionalities as well as scientific sensations. Their dimension is compact and weight is also awfully wispy. All the existing generation cameras are made using the digital know how along with that offers the perfect proliferation of any coverage.

These Digital SLR cameras are quite usable in addition to undemanding to operate even for the beginners. These cameras are not only time saving but also quite cheap. The past cameras used to be laden with the camera reel for the shooting. The spool was reinstated with another one, after it got finished. All the uncovered rolls were given for the turning out in addition to issuing. The whole gamut was reasonably time consuming as well as expensive since each print used to rate quite elevated. There was always a fright while shooting that the image should not get finished or under disclosure, should not get heated with the excessive sun light along with it used to take a lot for proper framing of the object.

The fresh range of cameras has omitted all these disturbances along with made the photography an easy as well as instant job. The photo eminence is very definite as well as unambiguous as well as the process of shooting is also very effortless. You can also edit, correct or scrape any image in addition to remove useless substances from the photo. The magical features also allow changing the dye of fore ground or backdrop and the subjects as well. After finishing the editing job, you can send the whole shooting by an email to your friends and family members to view within no time. The digital equipment also allow to save the image either on digital video disc or on the hard disc of the supercomputer in addition to it could be seen any number of time without spoiling the picture superiority. The place of the camera could be instantaneously expanded by you with the help of an added memory card. You can say the supreme technical marvels are now into your hands.

Camerahut.com.au is a celebrated company that deals in all styles of cameras that are manufactured by the top brands of the world. They are largest stockiest of modern variety of digital cameras like digital SLR cameras, Canon digital SLR cameras and their accessories such as memory card, connectivity cable, flash gun, camera case in addition to carry bag, camera belt, various types of filters in addition to camera lenses and many other photographic merchandises. At camerahut.com.au, you can find SLR cameras at the cheapest and most competitive charges, as compared to other companies in the marketplace.

Pink in all shades was all over the fashion runways again this spring - evidence that the popularity of the color has not diminished one bit since last year. And manufacturers of all kinds of goods are adding more and more

Wasabi Portable Color Printer Roughly the size of a box of kitchen matches (4.8" x 2.9" x 0.9"), the Wasabi portable printer from Dell is easy to bring along just about anywhere. It prints wirelessly (or via USB) and produces 2x3 sticky-back borderless prints using a new, inkless technology called "ZINK" (which stands for "zero ink"). You have to use the special ZINK paper, which looks like regular white photo paper, but has dye crystals embedded in it that, when exposed to heat in the printer, produce an image. The Wasabi comes in pink, blue or black, and costs $99.

Diana F+ In Flourescent Pink Ah, huge stack of film in my refrigerator door - what shall I do with thee? I could dig out my old camera I suppose, but my new digital one is so much better but I can't just throw all that film out. Sound familiar? I'm sure I'm not the only one with leftover film from the pre-digital days of photography hesitant to throw it in the garbage.

If you're in the same situation, or just want to give something different a try, check out the Lomographic Society: a worldwide community of photographers not only passionate about shooting with film, but shooting using cheap, mass market plastic cameras made in China, Hong Kong and the Soviet Union in the 60s - 80s. There is no limit to the creative ways you can use these cameras - take the lens off and make your own pinhole cover; shoot with 35mm in a 120 camera (which means the image will be exposed all the way to the edges, over the sprocket holes); advance the film just enough between shots to make one long panorama of an entire roll of film; make double exposures - you get the idea. The Lomographic Society's shops (both online and "for real") have tons of cameras to choose from, so you're sure to find something that suits your style (and leftover film).

Among their new cameras this spring is the Mr. Pink Diana F+, a fuchsia, medium sized (i.e. uses 120 film), plastic and very manual camera model that originated in Hong Kong in the 1960s. It produces beautiful, dreamy soft focus shots with unmistakable Diana-camera vignetting. If medium format is not your thing - don't worry. You can get it with a 35mm back as well, and new this spring even an instant back, for Polaroid-esque prints. The price runs from $105 (for the basic kit) to $280 (for the camera with an instant back and a 10-pack of film).

Sony VAIO Desktop PC Decidedly iMac-esque, Sony's VAIO JS desktop comes in a pretty pale pink and is slightly smaller and lighter than the iMac. The non-customizable VAIO JS has a 20.1" screen, an Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor (2.50 GHz), 4GB of memory, a 500GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive, an integrated webcam and microphone with face tracking technology, 5 USB ports, and 2 Dolby Home Theater speakers. The price at time of writing is $949.99.

Colorful Inspiron Desktops From Dell Finally, someone is adding a rainbow of colors to desktops as well. While laptops are available in all imaginable colors and designs, desktops have remained in the silver/black range. Dell's new Inspiron desktop line has so far only been released in China, but is scheduled to appear on the US market later on this spring.

The 8 color choices include the candy colored "Promise Pink", which supports the Susan G. Komen foundation (Dell donates $5/sale to breast cancer research). The customizable Inspiron will be available both as a mini-tower and slim tower, and the starting price will be $299.

Pokens Here's something for your "what won't they think of next" file Pokens are tiny figures (in shapes like pandas, bees, aliens etc.) with USB connectors and a giant "hand". An electronic business card of sorts, the Poken stores your social networking profiles (you choose which ones to include) and when you meet another Poken owner, all you need to do is have your Pokens high five each other, press a button, and voila! You have exchanged all your social networking info, so that your new friend easily can find you on Facebook, MySpace, etc. Where is the pink? The "Geisha" Poken is a nice fuchsia and the "Piggy" a pale pink (although Piggy looks more like a human baby to me). They retail for around $20 and can be hard to find in the US (for now).