As an Air Force veteran, thank you to all that acknowledge the service and the sacrifice that the men and women in (and out) of uniform have made and continue to make. I, too, was angry, but not at the government, but those that spat upon servicemen and women returning from service in Viet Nam. Frankly, I believethat that was the most shameful period in our short history. I decided to serve our vets and am now working at the VA Medical Center in Baltimore. I figured that the best way to change things was from the inside. Sure, there are things that cannot be done, but our veteran population keeps on growing and our funding continues to be cut. I don't use that as an excuse, I'm just stating reality. I give these guys my best, I will accept NO LESS than what I would want for my father (WW II vet) or myself.
The government does need to quit talking out of both sides of their mouth and make good on the promises that have been made.
For everyday photography, I shoot Large Fine jpeg; weddings or events, I use RAW/Large Fine only. It really is a matter of taste and what works best for you. The beauty of digital is that you know instantly whether the picture is worth keeping or not; I didn't have that with film! If you aren't selling your work, experiment...sometimes, the best way to learn is to make mistakes; just be sure to learn from the mistakes.
Keep in mind, the 60D has an APS C sensor, so you can figure a 1.6 factor on your lenses (e.g., a 50 mm lens on your camera will be like an 80 mm lens).
Service Photo in Baltimore will match B&H Photo pricing.
I live in Catonsville. Thanks for the Welcome.
I got hooked on photography when I was overseas in 1968 and took some slides of a solar eclipse. In '75, I was dragged in kicking and screaming to shoot a friend's wedding; no more kicking and screaming, but I'm still doing weddings. Love nature and travel photography! Except for the Minolta SRT 101 that I bought overseas, I've been loyal to Canon (did a brief run with a Mamiya 645). Now have a 5D MkII, 50D, 17-40 f4.0 L, 28-135 Canon IS, 17 to 70 Sigma (for the 50D) and a 70 - 300 IS Canon, 1 Canon 580 EX & a 580 EX II, 2 Quantum batteries, battery grips for both cameras, flash brackets, etc., etc.. Plan on doing weddings and events as my retirement career. Hope to learn alot from this forum and contribute what I can.
Nikon or Canon. One thing to consider first, which camera do you have now and will any of the lenses that you currently have fit (and be careful in your selection of lenseswork) on the digital that you're looking to buy. My preference is Canon, but I started with Canon and have built upon the original. Whichever brand you choose, be careful in your selection of lenses (e.g., if the lenses that you have for your 35mm will work on the brand that you decide on, they will Most likely work on a full frame or APS sensor). Canon EF S lenses will not work on my 5D Mk II, but will work on the 50D and if you decide to purchase aftermarket (Tamron or Sigma, etc.), be sure that they'll work with what you will ultimately be working toward. As far as MP, starting out you don't have to start at the top; I've shot weddings with a 10MP and gotten great results with a 16 x 20 enlargement. Long and short...buy a camera that you can afford, but one which you will be able to build upon if you decide to stick with it. Good luck!