Hi!
My name is Diana. I love to take pictures of my pets:

Laika
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/castiquin/laika1-1.jpg

& Onyx and Splash
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/castiquin/splash-onyxmini-1.jpg


I am new to photography and need some advice on buying a camera. I would like to take professional pics of them so I can print them and decorate my house. What digital camera do you recommend? My budget is flexible but I was told I need to spend around $800. I am really happy I found this forum and look forward to learning from you!

Diana,
welcome to the forum. You'll get a lot of good, sound advice from these guys and gals. Love your pics of Laika, Onyx & splash but as a Rottie owner, I really like Laika and can't wait to see more pics of her.

For anyone looking to take digital photos seriously, I'd recommend a good, entry-level digital Single Lens Reflex camera and a good, medium-length zoom lens. It's a great place to start and, as you get more experience, you can always add lenses for specific needs -- portraits, wildlife, landscapes, etc.

Each of the major camera manufacturers make a great entry-level kit which matches your budget. As for which one is right for you, I suggest you go to your local camera store and actually handle the different models from Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony, etc. and see which one feels best to you. They all produce excellent images. What is important is the ergonomics -- how it feels in your hands.

That's my suggestion. Keep those images coming and good luck.

Jim

Welcome to the forum, Jim has given good advice; all the camera models will do a good job-it is most important that the camera feels at home in your hands.

Welcome! Your dogs and cats are very cute! You will find people here using all the brands. I use Olympus, Jim uses Canon, Roman uses Nikon.

Most of us don't really discuss the gear side of things, because we are focusing more on technicals, which can be achieved with any of the dslr's out there