Chapter 7 will fill you in on various types of meters. The extent that you can go to in building a system is nearly unlimited. With When you choose a particular brand of camera to build a component system around, you must be judicious. Once you start with a brand, you should stick with it. There are many brands of cameras available that will give you professional-quality photos.
Some brands offer more lenses and accessories than others do.
This is important to a person who is building an extensive system. When I think of professional 35mm equipment, two brand names come to mind, Nikon and Canon. Other manufacturers of 35mm equipment get some professional attention, but there are clearly two, or maybe three, leaders. In medium-format equipment, one name is king, while others are also respected. You don't have to buy into the best-known brands to get good service and quality, but it doesn't hurt.