Re: Newbie seeks advice on digital camera kit going from novice to pro

Well, advice on equipment depends on your budget first and foremost, so you should start by pinning down how much you can spend.

I'd invest in nice lenses above anything else, since lenses are usable long-term unlike digital camera bodies which become obsolete incredibly quickly. Remember that instead of exotic zoom lenses you can always get several primes that will do a much better job for the same or less money as long as you aren't too lazy to change lenses like so many photographers.

To me, the range of "pro" cameras begins with full-frame sensor cameras (the cheapest and most popular being the Canon 5D mkII and Nikon D700). A full frame camera (as opposed to a crop-frame sensor like most cheaper SLRs) will give much better low-light performance, more controllable depth of field, and also allow for more variety in quality lenses, especially wide angles.

After saying all that, pro results can come out of cheap cameras if you know what you're doing... a Nikon D40 and a Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX lens and nothing else would be a very cheap multipurpose kit that would do anything I'd ever need, but your needs may vary.

Also, I'd skip the tripod and lights until you know you need them and know what you'd use them for; also, it's so cheap to have great prints made at so many different places that I wouldn't buy your own printer.