Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

In the four years I have been into the digital photography hobby, I have worked my way up, starting with point and shoot compacts, then travel zooms, bridge cameras, and what I thought would be the last step; micro 4/3. While checking emails last nite, I noticed that both Radio Shack and Target stores had a special on the Canon Rebel T3 with the 18-55 kit lens AND a 75-300 EF zoom lens for $499.00. Did I NEED this camera? NO. I need food, clothing, shelter, and to a lesser degree, due to my age, sex. I WANTED it. At that price it was too good to pass up, and buying it wasn't taking food off of my table or the roof off my head. Yes, it is a two year old model and at the bottom of the DSLR food chain, but in terms of image quality, the worst DSLR is like dating the ugliest gal in the Miss Universe contest.

Roy Hakala Loc: Red Wing, MN

Love the analogy! And that is great gear. I have some friends with still older versions of that camera and those lenses, and they routinely take shots that are magazine-worthy. Enjoy!

tramsey Loc: Texas

You are certainly right. That was too good to pass up and you are right again saying that the worst DSLR is like dating the ugliest gal in the Miss Universe contest. I've never heard it but that way before but that's a good way to put it. That is one heck of a camera and so are the lens. A good thing about buying a two year old is that there are plenty of books that can tell you how to use it that are written a whole lot easier to understand then the manual that comes wiht it.
Now that you are all done glouting let's see what you can do with it, post some photos.
Excellent purchase :thumbup: :thumbup:

Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

If that sounds too sexist, how about the dumbest graduate of Harvard Medical School?

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

"If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life,
Never make a pretty woman your wife.
So from my personal point of view,
Get an ugly girl to marry you."

Harry Belafonte, 1963

rebride

"That's right de woman is uh smarter."

tramsey Loc: Texas

Now see what you've done. You had to make an analogy using Miss Universe. You see how the subject of you thread has been totally lost to these guys. They are all going off and talking about women instead of the camera that you bought and the good deal you got. Ahhh well another thread lost. :)

Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

Tramsey, I appreciate your support of, and interest in my thread, but perhaps you are being a little hard on me. Whatever their other interests might be, men, being men, will always elaborate on any subject where women or their assets are mentioned. Ever wonder why most of the greatest photographers have been men? It is because our gender responds more to visual cues than females, and photography is basically just that. As to Harry Belafonte, I suspect that he was just saying that in jest. Looks aren't everything, but it seems to me, that anyone going out of his way to find a particularly homely partner, has some major insecurity issues. At any rate, perhaps I should have stuck to the analogy about the dumbest graduate of Harvard Medical School. Speaking of brains and sex appeal, more women find a brainy man sexy than the other way around. Growing up, I felt that brains on a woman were like a roof rack or trailer hitch on a Ferrari; just didn't belong. As I have matured, they are more like a getting a sunroof on a pickup truck; If I need a vehicle that day and the one on the lot has one, fine. On the other hand, were I ordering the truck from the factory, I wouldn't check it off on the options list

GrahamS Loc: Hertfordshire, U.K

You can write that in stone!

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

when the rebel t3 came out, they touted it as a great camera.if it was good then, it's good now.

noknees438 Loc: NYC

My exploratory timeline somewhat mimics yours. I picked up that precise equipment as "refurbished" a few months back from B&H. I could swear the stuff is brand new. I paid $350 for the body and kit lens and $100 for the telephoto. It is great gear and I'm still learning the glass. Enjoy.

Scoutman Loc: Orlando, FL

Sounds like a great deal. Make it your sailing camera. Won't mourn too long if it goes overboard.

But your a REAL doctor and could buy anything.

jkm757 Loc: San Diego, Ca.

I'll take the ugliest girl in the Miss Universe contest over the Harvard Medical grad. Enjoy your new camera.

wylie Loc: Canada

It's never how or what you shoot! It's whether or not you do shoot!!

wjdonahue Loc: Kansas City

Glad to see this thread. I keep getting p*ssed at those idiots that think that just having the newest and latest equipment will have them automatically outputing better pictures. Kinda like the "wine snobs" of the camera world. I have had a D300 since they were first introduced and still use it as my primary body. Sure, there are newer bodies with larger CMOS and more bells and whistles, but I'm still taking great photographs with the D300 and when I ask myself if I need the newer bodies, the answer is always no, so I pat 300 a couple of time, and shoot another 500 pics.