Maggie's Farm

Nice. You have a good eye. I still say (as I have for a couple of years now) you should get a better camera. Try the new Nikon d90 (hard to get still). Consumer version of the d300, and 1000 instead of 1650. With a tamron 17 50, a nikon 50mm f1.8, and the nikon 70 300 image stabilised to try for the birds, you would have a great starter system for close to 2000. The Nikon lenses are better, and I swear by my Nikon 70 200 but your cheapskate soul er frugal nature would go into cardiac arrest at the cost of an ideal Nikon starter system. Or you could just get the Canon xsi discounted from New Egg at around 699 including an 18-55 image stabilized lens (may have a stat or two slightly off). The colors will be a little washed out and always slightly off, but a lot cheaper. Personally, I believe Nikon colors run truer (when photographing New England landscapes myself) but that 's just my biased view...