Don't know how you got started however, I started in March of 2007 because I wanted to go to Alaska and never had a real camera with a lens that could be changed.  Didn't know much and had a few weeks to learn something.  Picked a Nikon d200 because it was in budget and middle of the road with good reviews. It came with a 18 to 200 MM lens that I soon found  wouldn't be long enough.  Back to the research of what to get.  One thing that I always believed when buying anything,  if you buy the best available you'll never get caught up in envy.  Envy can get expensive buying and selling til you finally get what you should have bought in the first place.  I bought the Nikon 200 to 400 MM and went every day to a place called Wildwood Park near Harrisburg Pa. The Egret photo with the shadow on its wing was one of the first photos I took and the defining moment that put the passion in me.