Getting started

Okay so I am delving into the world of D-SLR. I have owned and used a Nikon N60 for about 10 years. As the digital era came upon me I fought it for a while and then my amazing wife purchased me a canon Powershot digital ELPH SD630. I was aprehensive at first but, I bought right into it and took over 1000 pictures (much to all of travel companions dismay) with it on our first trip to Disney. I have been waiting for the prices of the D-SLR's to drop to a "reasonable" cost. I am not sure they are there fully, yet but, I am not so sure they ever will be as cheap as I am :) So we bit the bullet and purchased some equipment. Here is what we have to get started with.



I am using the following equipment:

Body :

Canon EOS REBEL XS 10.1 MP


Lenses:

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (purchased with the body above as a kit)

Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD macro zoom lens

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto zoom lens

Filters:

Tiffen UV Protector

Tiffen 812 Warming

Tiffen Circular Polarizer

Tripod:

Vista Explorer 60" lightweight with 4x leveling capability.

Monopod:

Dolica WT-1003 67" lightweight ( I need to purchase a ballhead quick release but have no idea where to start on this and am open to budget minded suggestions)

Flash:

I have not made a flash purchase yet. I am leaning towards the 430EX II for cost purposes however, I am out of dinero at this point and may be looking at a birthday gift to expand on this portion of my toolbox :)

Other gadgets:

At this time I only have a Tamrac bag to carry the body with one lens (even at that the zooms are locked at 70mm)

I am open to suggestion and recomendation for alternative equipment or additions to the arsenal. I will be pretty satisfied with the 18mm setting for the time being but next year may want to explore the possibilies of dabbling in the fisheye realm.