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Buying My First DSLR Camera – My New Toy

I shared a few weeks ago that Sweet Shark gave me two great gifts for Christmas: The Southerner’s Cookbook and a subscription to Garden and Gun.  After Christmas, I also had the excitement of buying my first DSLR camera ~ my new toy.

Sweet Shark put a little surprise in my stocking: a nice check that I could use to buy whatever my little heart desired. I thought about Botox or jewelry or clothes. But I don’t need jewelry or any more clothes and Botox didn’t seem like a practical option (Maybe later.). So I bought something useful, something that I had been thinking about for a few months; something fun and a little scary. My new toy is a DSLR camera and I’m like a little kid showing off what Santa brought me for Christmas.

Have you been thinking about buying your first DSLR camera? Well, then you might want to read my camera story.

Buying My First DSLR Camera: My New Toy

Like most people today, I use my iPhone to take pictures, especially for Bluesky at Home.

If you read a bunch of blogs or you’re addicted to Instagram, you know that beautiful pictures are almost as important as the content we bloggers write about and share.

Beautiful photography is everywhere: Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook , the Internet. Now, you can do a great deal of awesome photo editing with apps and software (I love PicMonkey.), but I was itching to step it up a notch with my photography.

A couple of months ago I started researching online. What brand of camera? What kind of camera? As a beginner in digital photography, I didn’t want to “overbuy” for my limited skills. I read posts on other blogs about photography. I asked other bloggers in my Facebook groups. I spent an hour with a very helpful salesman at my local Wolf Camera Store who was familiar with blog photography. The consensus became clear about which camera would be the best one for me.

Here’s the Camera I Bought

Drum Roll, please.

Canon EOS Rebel T5

My New Toy ~ Buying My First DSLR Camera. If you are on the fence about spending the money for a new DSLR camera, here's the reasons you should just do it.
My New Toy ~ Buying My First DSLR Camera. If you are on the fence about spending the money for a new DSLR camera, here's the reasons you should just do it.

Why I Bought This DSLR Camera

DSLR cameras are not cheap, so I wanted to make an informed decision. A little research always helps. In the end I chose the Canon Rebel T5.

  • This camera would give me the features I needed with a fairly short learning curve.
  • It was recommended by a blogger whose photography I really admire (Paula at Thirteen Thoughts.)
  • I explained to one of the photo experts at my local Wolf what I was looking for in a DSLR camera and he spent a long time with me explaining the features, the pros and cons.
  • It’s relatively inexpensive for a DSLR.
  • It’s not heavy.

Where I Bought My First DSLR Camera

I bought my camera at Wolf from the nice salesman for 3 reasons:

1. If something went wrong with the camera, I wanted a real person to help me with the issue. (I did buy 3 years insurance which included 2 cleanings.)

2. Wolf offers four free group classes (taken in any order and at your convenience) and other perks (as in discounts) for all their services.

3. The price was the same as Amazon.

NOTE: Wolf camera went out of business in 2017.

Although the camera comes with a lens that offers wide angle and telescopic options, my research revealed that I would need an additional lens for close up, bright, clear photos.  That lens is a “Nifty Fifty”, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens.  That lens I bought from Amazon and it arrived on Friday, just in time for the first class at Wolf.

My New Toy ~ Buying My First DSLR Camera. If you are on the fence about spending the money for a new DSLR camera, here's the reasons you should just do it.
My New Toy ~ Buying My First DSLR Camera. If you are on the fence about spending the money for a new DSLR camera, here's the reasons you should just do it.

This weekend I started taking photos since practice makes perfect.  Here are my first 3 photos.  I haven’t done any editing to them ~ that’s for another day.

Since he is responsible for my ability to buy the camera, my very first picture was of Sweet Shark.  Isn’t he cute?

My New Toy ~ Buying My First DSLR Camera. If you are on the fence about spending the money for a new DSLR camera, here's the reasons you should just do it.

And flowers are always a pretty picture subject.

My New Toy ~ Buying My First DSLR Camera. If you are on the fence about spending the money for a new DSLR camera, here's the reasons you should just do it.

Not bad for no editing.

My New Toy ~ Buying My First DSLR Camera. If you are on the fence about spending the money for a new DSLR camera, here's the reasons you should just do it.

I’m having fun playing with my new toy and I’m looking forward to my first class tomorrow.  Hopefully, you will see the pretty results of my efforts soon.

You can thank Sweet Shark for my new toy.  I have. He got a big hug and kiss.

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4 Comments

  1. Carol, I’ve been researching digital cameras also as you probably guessed from my nrw Pinterest board Photography Tips. Thanks for following. I’m going to visit Wolf Camera when time permits. Thanks for your info. Great advice.

    1. I’m slowly getting used to the camera. You just have to take a few classes and play with the settings. Had my private class this afternoon and I’m so excited about the possibilities. I’m looking forward to taking better photos. Let me know what you do.