Just caught wind of some great deals on Amazon. I normally pimp the ‘zon on Fridays, but this deal is too good to wait another day. Your tax refund is on its way, maybe it’s already here.

Amazon is giving $100 instant rebates if you buy any of the following cameras:

• Nikon D40 with the 18-55mm kit lens
• Nikon D40x with the 18-55mm kit lens
• Nikon D80 with the 18-135mm kit lens

The savings are deducted separately during checkout so take a short hop of faith and add the items to your cart. You will need to do that to see the discount applied. Select Amazon as the seller (if the option is available) otherwise, you’ll miss out.

The instant rebate on the D40 will bring its price down to point and shoot territory. If you’ve been thinking about getting a DSLR, now is the time. After showing off the photos you take with your new Nikon DSLR, people will tell you “What kind of camera do you have? Your camera takes great pictures!” You can smile and say, “My children love Harry Potter, Ms. Rowling! What version of Microsoft Word do you use?”

But wait. There’s more! Amazon is also offering rebates on select lenses too! Extend your reach with some of these telephoto zooms:

• 55-200mm
• 55-200mm VR
• 70-300mm VR

The 55-200 paired with the kit lens will give you just about every focal length you’ll need for general shooting. I’d spring for the VR version. VR (”Vibration Reduction”) is Nikonese for image stabilization. You need faster shutter speeds at longer focal lengths. VR is like having a virtual tripod. My point-and-shoot has image stabilization and it’s addicting.

They’re not pro-grade lenses, but they are a HUGE step up from the mega-zoom point-and-shoot you were duped into buying. Those silly 10x zoom cameras are totally worthless for sports photography. As long as your kid’s soccer game is during daylight hours, these lenses will be fine.

21st Century Dad has always been about being a dad and doing it the best you can. I’m a daddy blogger who happens to care about photography a little bit more than the average dad (I’m not saying every dad doesn’t want great pictures of his children). It would be unfair to keep my mouth shut about it. A blog’s value is in the writer’s personal stamp.

A few months ago, I made a pathetic plug for the Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card. That was hardly a worthwhile introduction to photography 21st Century Dad style.

I didn’t want my photography related writing to go over the heads of the point-and-shoot crowd. My original plan was to share more general photography tips that everyone can benefit from. DSLR users are notorious for spending more time online than shooting. There are plenty of camera aficionado sites out there for the technical information you crave (notice I didn’t call them photography sites). I’m here to talk about photographing your family. I know a better way, and I’m here to share.

What’s a DSLR and Why Do I Want One?

Oh wait a minute. I just got done saying I didn’t want to alienate the point-and-shoot crowd. What’s a DSLR? DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. If you’re still scratching your head, it’s the camera that uses interchangeable lenses. You probably think of it as a “professional” camera.

DSLRs are now within reach of mere mortals’ credit limits. You can get an entire kit with a body, a great lens, and plenty of great features for under $500. So why would you want a DSLR?

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