steinr98

First of all - buy the best camera you can afford- to buy a cheapie and not be happy you will waste your money- that said- Any of the Canon Rebels, or Nikons are great cameras!! Stay away from the glorified point and shoot cameras as most will not give you as sharp a photo as the Canon and Nikons. You get what you pay for!!
Now - just remember YOU- have to "MAKE" the picture, not "Take" the picture. The photographs that are winners are made between the ears!! not by the camera!!

RonaldLewis Loc: Chicago, Illinois

I used to read Herbert Keppler's articles in Popular Photography and he used to always say that if you can afford a $5,000 camera body and a $2,000 lens buy it but for the rest of us a Canon or Nikon prosumer camera and lens will do just fine. I have owned Hasselblads, Canon F-1's with motor drives etc. The main thing is the person with the camera in his or her hand. The most important tool is the photographer's ability to see an image in his mind and to create it with the tools at hand. A professional camera will not make you a better photographer. The only thing that will make you a better photographer is to constantly take pictures and read everything that you can get your hands on.

friedeye Loc: Los Angeles

Hey - isn't the X-100 a 23mm (in actuality) and a 35mm equivalent?

ked Loc: California

I like Nikons and I would get the Nikon D3s or the D3x if you have the money

josoIII

If you are just starting out "pro" would not be a word you should use.

The camera industry uses that word to sell equipment, it has little or nothing to do with taking good photographs.

I recommend at least a 10mp camera, with a good zoom range lens, 18-200mm, and a flash, the on camera flash has it's limitations.

Extra batteries and extra memory cards, a little lens brush to clean the dust off the front of your lens filter, I would suggest a ND2 for a filter.

you are good to go...

lindysuewho

Irina, I make my living shooting Seniors and Weddings. I use a Canon Rebel. You will want to get an external flash which runs about $320. If you look around, different stores run specials with the Rebel and I got an awesome zoom lens with mine. I have invested in other types of lenses which give me more flexibility and filters. Good luck.

josoIII

nobody buys those cameras, you work for someone and they hand you that to take photos for them.

Now a D700 or a 5D MkII you would own, if you were good enough.

She mentioned that she was just getting started, and you want to suggest a $5500.00 camera body. now that's funny right there...

KathyinNH Loc: Kingston, NH

Excellent advice.

KarlMan

One thing to remember is the camera is the tool you use to take pictures with, a good photographer with a P&S can still take presentable photos while a not so good photographer with a "pro" camera can take lousy pictures. I can use a chisel to cut a brick in two, but Michelangelo use one to carve “David”.
Buy a good camera with interchangeable lenses and learn to use it. The more you use it the better you will get.

katie mae Loc: Albany NY area

I would love a pro (DSLR) camera also. However, the costs of camera/lenses/filters/etc, on a fixed income, are just too prohibitive.

I just bought yesterday a "bridge" camera. Per Wikipedia, bridge cameras "....are cameras which fill the niche between the single-lens reflex cameras (SLRs) and the Point-and-shoot camera."

I paid $130 for a GE X500 and I am in heaven!!! It features an Electronic View Finder (EVF), 16‐megapixels, Optical Image Stabilization, 15X optical zoom and 27mm wide angle lens. It has advanced features like Shutter and Aperture Priority Modes; High Dynamic Range and Smile, Blink and Face Detection and so much more.

The KMart sale purchase was bare bones; that is, camera, CD, lens cap, strap, USB cable, and batteries. The CD contains the user manual (I already printed out those pages I need to read and reread), ArcSoft MediaImpression software, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and QuickTime.

This camera is now $149 locally but can be had direct from Amazon (http://su.pr/2vHjqR) for $138 with free shipping. Save your gas!!! :D

I then purchased from an Amazon seller (http://su.pr/1zUmC2) a complete accessories kit that includes: (4) AA High Capacity NIMH Rechargeable Batteries & Rapid AC/DC Charger; Vivitar Deluxe Camera / Camcorder Case Inner dimensions L 6 x W 3.5 x h 4.5 inches; Vivitar - USB 2.0 Secure Digital Slim Card Reader/Writer; LCD Screen Protectors; Mini Tabletop Tripod; Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth. Regularly $49.95 but on sale for $25.95. :D

I feel like Christmas morning all over again!!!

I think this bridge camera will give me an opportunity to really push myself to take a chance or two and go way outside the bounds of my Kodak point-and-shoot experience without the investment in "boo coo" dollars in a DSLR that will be way beyond my understanding at this point.

Let us know what you do. :)

Katie Mae

RobertMaxey

Well, there is Hassleblad for around 65,000.00. Leica is a good choice and never forget a Linhof if you wanted a bigger format.

I am looking at a camera made by RED. Still quite pricey, but amazing quality.

"With the innate ability to capture 5K REDCODE RAW stills and 4K motion, resolution sustains itself as a dominant gene in the RED family. Scarlet-X functions as a flexible device, utilizing HDRx and interchangeable lens mounts to provide you with options in a world that’s always changing. 5K burst modes snap up to 12 fps with 4K reaching up to 30 fps—helping you capture every perfect moment. All of the finest qualities of cinema and photography have now aligned, letting you take advantage of the best of both worlds with Scarlet-X."

Not much to say; it is a camera up to the task or shooting Hollywood movies.

Pros use all kinds of cameras. Pros use Nikon, Pentax, Rollei, and others.

alann Loc: Virginia

Canon lists the (current models) as the 1Ds MK III and the 1D MK IV. These bodies are made to withstand severe daily use. The designation of "pro" body is much more the IQ. As an example: I dropped my 1DMK IV when I fell on the sidewalk. It hit the pavement and bounced a couple times. Sent to canon as for any needed repair and it came back with just a sensor cleaning. Try that with any camera other than a 1 series! I put my gear through literal hell and it has to hold up.

xlynn

I think it all depends on what you are wanting to do/how much you want to spend (not just money wise time wise as well)

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

What do you consider a "pro" camera?

Any DSLR?
What is your budget?
Do you need programmed settings (most PRO cameras do not have programmed settings)

SteveR Loc: Michigan

The first thing that comes to mind when you say "pro" camera is "full frame." Since you are just starting out in photography, and apparently have money to spend, I'd recommend the Nikon D800. It is full frame, 36 megapixel and will give you outstanding resolution. This camera will cost you $3,000. Now, how much do you want to spend on lenses?