Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: xrtoronto on July 21, 2006, 04:10:14 PM
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follow this link (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&MSCSProfile=3C79F0C7EA3162B26C5CAD785174A5AA9ECB9EFE4064AA07CEBFDF802336CD0AB83F1BCFD5C29819A38A4404592D79544712D841890518742D60AA435F7C72BCDEF4A282AC68ED2ADC1C42C4796AEA8032BF276A3B12F2042F62F86D2BE5BFFF08625752296CD7BB97BAB34EB55B452FEA8AE2154E588447&sku_id=0665000FS10070885&catid=22553&test%5Fcookie=1)
Above is the camera I am inching towards buying...do you have any thoughts on this purchase? Any reason I should consider something else in its place? I can purchase this for $1,138. (tax included) comes with 1gig card . Not to be used for professional application; just everyday out-and-about.
Comments please.
thx
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Pretty pricey for the intended uses you listed. You sure you couldn't get by with a 4 or 5 meg camera? You intend to add additional lenses at some point?
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I have one...very nice camera, I think $999 is little on the high side. I think I recently saw for $799 after $100 rebate. Of course that didn't include with 1gig card, which I would recommend getting. From recollection, pretty sure 1gig card is less than $100. Make sure and get the card that writes fast, worth the extra few dollars.
quickly found this...
camera (http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/541161212.htm?bct=t1134)
and another one...sale price $849 at best buy... other one (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?type=category&id=cat04008)
even cheaper (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Digital-Cameras/sem/rpsm/catOid/-13062/N/20013061+20013062+682/link/ref/rpem/ccd/categorylist.do)
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I will be adding at least 2 lenses...I want a macro lens and a 100-200 zoom (approx)
Would also like to get a trigger release and several filters and tripod.
I felt this Rebel XT was a good choice...by comparison the Canon D30 and D20 are $1700. and $3700. respectively for just camera and standard lens. (D20 is a 12.1 meg camera for pro use, way beyond my needs)
Did have a canon f1 years ago...but one day on my way out to do some shooting up north, I had my arms full of stuff, and when I went to put it all in my car, I put the camera on the roof of my car to free my hands to open the door and yes...I drove away with the camera on the roof. That's how long I've been out of the photo game.
Recently seeing some of the shots you guys have posted here has rekindled my interest. Plus my best friends wife just returned from Paris with some beautiful shots and that was the final straw, LOL.
Here is a shot from Paris this spring:
Palace of Versailles
(http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/6162/palacevr5.jpg)
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Buy a used 20D or D70, spend the difference on a nice lens. CF cards are cheap. Don't get sucked into any "Free CF card with purchase" ripoffs.
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dSLR's most certainly aren't for cheap photographing. Be sure you're prepared to spend another thousand bucks, and yet another after that, if you're going to buy one. That's what the SLR's on a long run does to you.
20D really isn't a pro camera, that's quite cheap for that. It's the high end consumer dSLR, while the Rebel XT, or 350D if you will, is the value line.
Canon is to release a new 30D, which replaces 20D, so you might be able to find it cheap nowadays, with everyone emptying their warehouses of those before everyone wants the 30D.
Since you're not experienced with dSLR's, it could be useful to you to get some practice and feeling of the SLR world with the D350. Sooner or later the body will be replaced, while the lens accessory remains. If it's just for walking around, then you should be fine with D350, but if you even suspect you're going to need the extra quality and features that comes with 30D and 20D, then I suggest you to buy either of those two instead.
What comes to the lenses, if you wan't to get better pictures with your dSLR than with a high end consumer camera, or a pseudo SLR, then you'd better be prepared to spend some money in good lenses. It's not the body that costs, it's the lens accessory that costs.
Don't even bother with any lens under $400 USD, because only few of the "cheaper" lenses are actually good enough (better than a high end consumer camera). Especially the big lenses are expensive and the quality can be very easily told. Also the very wide lenses are expensive.
Fred Miranda's site is very useful site with user opinions and ratings of wide variety of accessories: http://www.fredmiranda.com (or straight to the reviews: http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews )
If you don't want to spend much money on the lenses, then be sure to spend a good time to find out every review of a lens you'd like to buy. Google 'em out.
Since you said 100-200mm range, then I'd suggest you to look at the 70-200mm F4 lens. It's supposedly a good lens, for about $600 USD.
You'll then have to find a lens for the range below 70mm. I'm not familiar with the canon lenses, especially under 70mm, so I can't recommend anything for a low budget. However, if you wan't a cheap lens that does well, then I'd suggest Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 lens - I've bought it for my Nikon D50, paid a bit over 300 euros for the lens and goes for about same price in USD (damn imports to europe costs more, doesn't even have to translate the currency, because the actual price in N. America wouldn't be 1.25 times higher in USD).
This set should take care of your needs pretty well - just be warned: once you get an SLR, you're screwed, at least your bank account will be. You won't ever be totally happy with what you have, you'll always strive for more. :cry :furious
Oh, and for shooting indoors in limited space you'll need a wider lens than 28mm, preferably in the range of 12-20mm.
If you'd like to have an ultimate walk-around lens, then get a Nikon body with Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED DX VR - Canon users are envying it. Unlike the Sigma's or Tamron's 18-200mm, Nikon's version has a good optical stabilizer and better quality. Of course the image quality isn't better than 70-200mm F4's, which goes for about the same price, but you won't need to worry about changing the lens and you'll have a stabilizer, which should help you out in many situations.
11.1x zoom ratio forces to make some compromises in the design, which is the reason why people are wary of lenses with a high zoom ratio (11.1x = 200mm divided by 18mm). Prime lenses will offer superior quality over zoom lenses in same price range, because those can be optimized for a certain range alone. Although the prime lenses are difficult to master!
Oh.. if you're going to buy a tripod some day, make sure you'll buy a good one. You'll find many tripods for cheap, but I suggest to stay away from those and save the money for a good one. You'll need it, if you're going to need one.
Another lovely aspect of dSLR's are the flashes and wide variety of accessories for those. The built-in flashes aren't anywhere near as good, the range is something like 5 meters, while a real flash will reach out to 20 meters and those will create softer light on a subject - No sharp return lights.
Although theres a price that comes with all the stuff added to a dSLR - in some places, crowded with people, they can look at you differently than if you'd simply wield a pocket camera. The difference is usually negative.
I had an excellent comparison of this situation in latest may day, 24th of june. I spent the day in a same place I had spent it for the last 3 or 4 years and every year I've had a camera with me, but before this time I've only had two different kinds of pocket cameras. People didn't pay much attention to me in the previous years, but when I appeared there with my D50, Tamron 28-75mm and a flash, some people were giving bad looks at me and one even came to ***** about the photographing (I hadn't even photographed them). After short discussion I told her that if shes not happy with my honesty, then I'll call the cops to tell her whos right. One person also put his hand over the lens when I was preparing to take photograph of a friend dancing - fortunately his hand didn't touch the lens itself. Also heard talk of a professional photographer, magazine photographer.. Some people will not take you as a typical john doe photographer, but they do think that a big camera is most certainly the sign of a magazine photographer or something else that might publish the photos somewhere.
Fortunately this tendency is different between cultures - unluckily for me, I live in the middle of one of the most negative cultures towards public photographing.
Originally posted by BigGun I have one...very nice camera, I think $999 is little on the high side. I think I recently saw for $799 after $100 rebate.
Guys, make sure that you're comparing the correct currencies ;)
That's a Canadian site, which most likely uses the Canadian cheapo dollar.
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Xtoronto, I have that camera too. I have been very pleased with mine but I would echo what the other guys say about lenses. I have ended up buying L Series Canon lenses for the whole range as the quality difference was HUGE. I have freinds with the D10, D20 and 5D and I have had a 300D. For the money I think the 350D is the best bang for the buck. My Next purchase is going to be the 5D because the quality step is noticeable again IMHO - but it is also a huge price point increase.
The only thing I would say is the 350D is a bit prone to getting dust on the sensor - I have had to have mine cleaned twice now.
For a good general range lens I have a 28-135 IS which has worked well but I have just replaced it with a 24-105 IS L :D
As far as cards go I got a 4Gig CF 100X no-name from Frys Electronics for under 200 bucks US - I would be careful with a bundle.
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Also, when getting other lenses if you go that route...by fastest one can afford and get the IS ones..
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I owned the Canon EOS 350D (Rebel XT) for about a year. I decided to upgrade to EOS 30D since it has plenty of "nice to have" features that make taking good photographs a lot easier, such as RGB histogram, spot metering etc. For learning the craft, 350D is good enough. If you are enthusiastic about getting good shots you will find yourself upgrading within the year... However, you can fetch pretty good prices on used XT's so it's not a big loss of money.
Fishu did a good job of explaining lots of stuff, and I agree with him on those points, so I'm not going to repeat that stuff here.
I suggest getting the "good" equipment without trying out the low-priced crap first. For example, I now have a good tripod (Feisol CT-3301), but I used quite a bit of money on cheap plasticy things before that. Same goes for the lenses, especially long ones. Don't buy the cheap ones, you'll just end up with a pile of junk.
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Consider a Nikon D50. Leans towards the "consumer" end but is priced to match (under $600 with lense) so you can buy more lenses. Straight from the camera the pics look pretty good and after a little post processing, look about as good as what you'd get from a $2000 camera.
Uses SD cards instead of CF so you're limited to 2 GB cards, but that's plenty of room for me, over 200 RAW pics on a 2 GB card.
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Xtoronto,
The Digital Rebel is an outstanding choice for a mid level amatur photographer... I bought an early model in 2004 and have been thrilled ever since. If you are fairly serious about your photography you wont go wrong here.
If you're just looking to do point and shoot vacation and family stuff, this is too much camera for you, but if you're really looking for flexibility it can not be beat. I love my 6mega pixel D300.
here is a sample of shots from mine doing casual airshow stuff with my 300mm lens (in flight stuff) and my cheapo kit lens (16/55)(for static display)
http://www.planetstupid.com/graphics/edwards
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Minor sidetrack.... Fishu, who are you over on FM? I'm over there a lot.
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I have a D50 and can recomend it. For me even the lens that came with the camera is good, but i have not dared to test any better lenses cause i expect i would then find the standard lens lesser and would shell out on a better one. In time i will prolly get a better lens.
I have tried a nikon lens that my dad owns that is designed for the pre-digital age and it works too but is not optimal. For some shots its better than the standard but for most its abit worse. Someone here explained the diff between lenses for analogue cams vs digital but i cant remember the details.
The D50 is cheap these days and so is the D350. i would follow the advice and get one of those becuase as mentioned before you can always take the lenses with you if you upgrade to a better camera later.
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I would like to thank everyone for their input on cameras and I will be considering all that you have said to me. It's not a purchase that I have to go out and buy today, so I have time to digest what has been suggested here.
Once again, Thanks all.
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Originally posted by jigsaw
Minor sidetrack.... Fishu, who are you over on FM? I'm over there a lot.
I'm not signed up on the site, so far I've frequented there to read the lens user reviews.