Canon® EOS Digital Photography Photo Workshop

1.3. PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY SYSTEMS

Whether you started with an entry-level camera such as the Digital Rebel XTi, shown in 1-4, or went with a professional dSLR, from a photographer's point of view, a photography "system" includes the camera gear that you currently own. And in a larger sense, a digital photography system also includes the components of your studio and digital darkroom, such as computers, stand-alone hard drives for storage, printers, and image-editing programs. From this perspective, a system includes everything that's necessary to capture, process, and print/fulfill images.

For hobbyists and advanced amateurs, photography systems run the gamut from minimal to extensive. In addition to a computer and an image-editing program, a basic photography system might include the following, as shown in 1-5:

• A digital camera body

• One or more zoom lenses

• One or two memory cards

Figure 1-4. The Canon Digital Rebel XTi is an entry-level dSLR that offers both professional shooting modes as well as programmed point-and-shoot modes. It is capable of working with all Canon EF lenses. ©Amy A. Timacheff

Figure 1-5. A very basic system can consist of a camera, a lens, and a memory card. ©Amy A. Timacheff

For professional photographers, it's critical to not only have the primary camera ...