im 17 and quite interested in photography. Waht would the best and cheapest...

[Kevin R]

...camera to buy ? Also, what editing software should I use and can someone please teach me about what lenses to use, what effects to use on the camera when taking different pictures e.t.c. Thanks

[*x*Kayleigh*x*]

You want to get yourself a good SLR, but they tend to be fairly pricy.

A good one to get is the Canon EOS 400DSLR camera, its lovely. If you find another one, you really want to make sure its at least 10MP for a good sharp quality photograph.

For editing software I would suggest using Adobe Photoshop, again that can be pricy. Photography is not the cheapest of hobbies =]

Good luck! I love photography, maybe I will see your photos some day!

[Kay A]

If you are really interested in photography, you should get a digital SLR. Remember that the body will last you years and years, and offers superior quality, so you must be able to dish out a few hundred dollars. Look into the Canon Rebel line (XT or XTi). A $500-$600 price tag may seem excessive, but it's worth it, and actually really cheap compared to other cameras.

You can use GIMP for basic editing; it's free. If you want something better, get Photoshop Elements (it's around $100).

http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/best-digital-slr-lens.html
Try that site for lens info- and more basic info on SLR cameras.

[Michael U]

The best and the cheapest are mutually exclusive. Furthermore it's a personal choice, based on the subjects you want to shoot and your budget!

Try this - free - for detailed advice on camera selection issues. It will explain the need to get a camera with Manual override and other features to look for:
http://www.image-nut.com/spip.php?rubrique5

[Ilana S]

I don't think you should buy the cheapest camera just yet. Ask yourself how interested you are in photography. If you know that you are quite interested, then don't buy the cheapest camera.

Because when you become extremely interested, it will only cost you more money to buy both cameras.

[Rilan]

Thats....an awfully vague question.

"Best" and "Cheap" don't go together. What you should NOT do is run out and by a DSLR (+$600) and a bunch of fancy equipment. You're interested by not as a profession...yet. Start off with a basic camera.. A Canon Powershot (or the like) will be fine for starting off in photography.

Before you invest you need to ask yourself, what do I want to do with my photography? Are you more interested in portraits? Architecture? Nature? Sports? A little bit of everything? When you do decide that you want a camera with a specific lens, I would start with a 18-70mm lens. It was my first lens and did everything I wanted it to. The 18mm, lets you get fairly close to your subject while the 70 will cover most of what you'll do.

The best way to learn about photography is to get a camera and just experiment! Learn what you like and what you don't, buy some books on the technical aspects (aperture, ISO, shutter speed, ect) and just have fun!