Your holiday gift guide - a DSLR camera

Have I ever told you how much I love the Holidays?  Seeing the decorations in the stores makes me giddy.  I know that it's still early and Thanksgiving is still around the corner and many of you are probably walking around the stores, sighing deeply and wondering why there are already Christmas decorations and Christmas items around the stores.  But me?  Nah uh.  I'm excited!

So to celebrate the stores putting up Christmas decorations, I am going to start an annual holiday gift guide.  I'll just review the items I own and love and if you're struggling to find the perfect gift for your loved ones, check it out.  I'll add all the items to this here handy shopping guide:

And I'm going to add a Linky Tool at the bottom so if you want to pitch in and give your ideas - Link up!

Today I'll start with my love, my heart, my DSLR camera.

I did a lot of research before finally settling on my Canon Rebel Xsi.  The reason I chose this camera above others is its ease of use, the price, and its capabilities.

I really wanted something that would allow me to get started since I've never had a DSLR before, but I also didn't want to buy a "start up" camera that I would have to replace not too long after. 





I actually settled on a Canon Rebel XS which is currently significantly cheaper but when I was finally ready to purchase the camera, the Canon Rebel XSi fell in price so much that it was only about $50 difference!  I couldn't say "no" to that.  (ps- I recommend putting your "wish list" items in your shopping cart on amazon.com because you get notified anytime it decreases in price - that's how I caught my deal).

So let me tell you what I love about my camera.

First and foremost, I LOVE the picture quality.

Picture with digital camera

Picture with Canon Rebel XSi

See?  It's impressive! And that's on an automatic setting.  That's right.

Which brings me to my second favorite thing about this camera - it takes incredible pictures even on an automatic setting.  One of the things that really scared me about getting a DSLR is that I would never know how to use it.  But this camera has made things super simple.  I think the best part about this auto setting is that it also lets you know what settings are on during each shot - i.e. ISO, etc.  I use that to practice later on on my own and try to mimic the settings and then veer off a bit.

Then, once you get the hang of it, it's super easy to start trying out some of the other settings.  I'm still looking for a book or two on DSLR's and photography (*hint hint*) but in the meantime, I've been using the wonderful Google to get hints and advice and learn about this amazing new hobby.

Some things that I think aren't all that great about this camera is that it is big, as are most DSLR's.  I was ready for that though.  But I do wish I waited a bit longer because just a couple of months after I bought my camera a new one came out with HD video capabilities.  I'm not sure that I would pay the price to get that, nor am I sure I want them all in one, but I would like to have had an option.  Overall though, I really have 0 complaints.  Nada.  I love it.  It's my baby.

But be careful because this hobby is super addictive.  These are some items that I bought almost instantly:




This bag holds the camera and a whole bunch of lenses.  I'm not a big fan of the fanny-pack-looking thing and I wanted something easier.  Plus if fits a bunch of other stuff in case you want to pack up a sweater for cool weather or throw in a charger or two.  I love it.











Then of course I bought a whole bunch of SD cards.  And then I bought this 32 GB one for our trip to Dominican Republic because I panicked and decided that there was no way that I would fit all the pictures I would take on the 16GB, 8GB and 4GB cards I already packed.  I may have an issue.  I blame Jon for supporting it.







Now what I really want is this lens:




But there is no way in my life that I will afford it for my little hobby.









So instead I think I'll be asking for these for Christmas:



For all my super awesome far away shots.  Everyone has to have a telephoto lens, right?  Anyways, I read a whole bunch of things about what lenses to get and this is what I settled on for a price I can afford.











And this one for close-ups.  I can't wait to get all in my baby's face with this one.














And this flash because I don't want to blind her with mine.  And it makes everything look more natural.  I'm excited.  Aren't you?








So there you have it folks.  If you are a photography lover or married a photography lover or want to be a photography lover or...well...you get the point.  Here are some ideas for you.  With my commentary.  Enjoy.

I'll try to keep these down to once a week so you don't feel overwhelmed.