It's not just the camera that makes a difference. It's the user and what they can do with it. I had a Nikon D1x when I first started to shoot for various magazines. It's the time and attention to detail within the shoot that makes all the difference. I have since upgraded to a Canon 5D but I don't feel it makes me a better shooter, it's the knowledge I gain and lessons learned from each shoot is what makes the shots better. Just my $.02. :)

Thats a good idea. I think I get some good shots with my camera, but I take thousands, so I am bound to get some good ones, but tips might help!

Ill volunteer my cheap camera and my car!!! Haha

While it's definitely not under $300, my D70 was only $500. This gets you a nice camera with a good lens by a respected name, Nikon. One of its biggest advantages is the ability to shoot in RAW, then compress the images into JPEG on your computer. This ability is very important as the compression software in the camera usually gives up a fair amount of detail.

Here are two shots I got recently.

Ok, ProTouring442 opened up a can of worms. I was a pretty decent shutterbug back in the day when I was buying SLR's overseas (waaay back before computer controls). Anyway, last year I picked up an Olympus E500 and although I can take a picture I have not even begun to tap into the cameras potential.
PT442 mentioned RAW images. I know my camera has this function but can someone explain what it is and the benefits of using it?

Also, any other tips sure would be appreciated.

Oh, and another thing.... if we started a thread where we could post pictures would some of the "Pro's" be willing to critique them and offer advice?

Yes. And if you are in the Wisconsin or Illinois area, I would be willing to let someone come on a shoot or two to get a feeling for what really goes into doing a real feature shoot. :thumbsup:

Raw is a completely uncompressed image file, the benefit of which is that the file carries all data including the image, color, shading, etc. The software in the camera can compress the file, but as your camera's processor is a bit less capable as compared to the one in your PC, it will loose detail, color saturation, etc when compressing the image. Your PC's software can compress it much more efficiently and thus loose fewer of the details. Also, as all of the image is uncompressed, I understand it makes for better photo editing when using Photoshop or one of the other photo software products. I say "I understand," as I am new to the world of digital photography, and have not yet purchased Photoshop Elements 6, though I plan to in the near future.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill