As the description says, post up everything camera related - questions - or just showing off!
I'm not sure if there allready is a thread like this ever made - If so, can admin please delete this and refer me to the old thread?

Anyways...
I have the 550D. Been shooting since december and have never ever held a DSLR before in my life! I get good feedback on my pictures, and have recently started filming with it aswell! Actually, me and my friend are booked to both shoot pictures and film for a wedding next saturday!

My collection so far consists of:
Housing
- 550D Camera house

Lenses
- Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISs
- Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG Macro
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

Misc
- Canon Speedlite 420EX E-TTL Flash
- A pair of trancievers. (Bought on Ebay for $40 - works like a charm!
- A tripod
- A shoulder bracket for filming

And I'm saving up to buy the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM.

But, as I said - I'm pretty new in the game. So some of the specs doesn't really mean anything to me, but I'm eager to learn! I do know what the F-Stop and focal length means - but what is USM for example?

Anyhow, I would be honored if you would check my website out - and take a look at my pictures! Was also in Germany this easter and shot some nice cars! You can find them under 'cars' in my portfolio on the website!

www.takinkroop.com

So - what kind of gear do YOU have? And to a newbie photographer - what do you recomend?

HI! You got some nice pictures
I use this cam. http://www.trustedreviews.com/Casio-Exilim-EX-Z19_Digital-Camera_review
And here are my photoshttp://indafoto.hu/Many
Probably this summer i will go to work and if i'll have enough money I want to buy a used dslr or a superzoom

Wow! Loved the sunset pics bro!

But be carefull. One thing someone once told me is to never-EVER shoot pictures with the sun directly in your lens, which it obviously is in this case - as you can see from the lensflare.

I know that rule appeals to DSLR users, but not sure on the handheld cameras...
But as I said - you seem talented! Go buy a DSLR now

gimme money

Also, I have a question!

How come some of my pics turn out yellow-ish in low-light surroundings?
The ISO is set to 400-800, I have the shuttertime as low as I can have it handheld, the whitebalance is set to tungsten, the picturestyle is one I made myself.

Whats up?

I use a 450D. In addition to the 18-55 lens it came with I also got the same 70-300 Sigma lens you listed. I love taking photos with it!

What's the story behind that direct sunlight thing? I've never heard of that before. Seems kinda strange since people have been photographing sunsets for about a century and pointing it at the sun is the only way to do it.

And as for the beginner advice,.. Although my camera's got almost 6000 frames taken with it I can't say I'm nothing more than beginner myself but as an advice I'd say just keep at it, experimenting and playing around with your camera. The only way to learn and to develop your creative eye. And another thing, although I don't do it as much as I know I should, carry your camera around with you everywhere! I've had many times when I come across with something interesting that I had to curse for not having mine with me!

-That rule applies to every camera, as sun hits the front glass/ elements, it creates lens flare. Hence Lens flare, or PS tool which most choppers Love to hate , thats why you buy lens hoods.
-Usm just means Ultra sonic motor, it's a faster silent motor found in the L- lens, comparing to the standard stuff found in the EF - Ef-s lens, Google it.
-Under artificial light, no matter what white balance you have, it's going to look a bit off imo, but usually with tungsten my photos are blue not yellow.

My Gear... I've spent way too much on these and they are still amature/ enthusiast spec

Bodies
Canon 1000D, (Brothers) 550D + grip and 60D coming in the mail soon...
Lens
(Brothers) Ef-S 18-135mm, Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 Vc, Canon 100mm Macro, EF-S 55-250mm, EF 50mm F1.8
Misc
2 tripod, 2 off camera flash, 3 memory card, Car rig, triggers and remotes.

To buy list, 24-70mm F2.8 or 24-105mm, 10-XXmm ultra-wide lens, maybe 70-200mm Lens

I've taken 60K shots and I'm still consider myself an amature, when my mates pick up my camera, there shots sometimes amaze me as they have a creative eye as Ollite said.

Edit- @Ollite

You do? I find to get mine somehow blurrier than with the kit lens...

Yeah, its said to never point and shoot pics with sunlight directly to your lens - it may hurt the censor inside the camera - unless you have a filter!

Hahaha, I know EXACTLY what you mean! Even when I was in germany, I didn't bring the camera with me at all times. Saw amazing cars in perfect settings I could shoot! But the downside was that I actually took the camera with me a day - and went to stroll the downtown streets looking for something awesome... NO COOL CARS. I allmost cried when I got back home.

I was trying to compensate the yellow look by adding some blue to it with the tungsten setting - but STILL yellow

And by the way - What the hell do you need three bodies for?!