Need Thoughts from Experts

[Mousin' Around]

Originally Posted by photo_chick

If two of the lenses are Quantaray a photographer may be better off purchasing new glass. Most Quantaray lenses are truly horrid lenses and we all know how much lenses impact overall image quality. The higher resolution DSLR you get the more glaring the flaws in bad glass will become so what might have been relatively benign on the 6MP D50 may very well glow like a neon sign on a current model DSLR. A good example of this is the Canon 75-300... great cheap tele zoom for film, passable on my old Rebel XT but on a current model DSLR it looks like you shot through a sheet of saran wrap while someone outlined everything with a purple crayon.

My thoughts exactly on the Quantary lenses. I really dont intend to carry these to the new camera as I am under-impressed with them. Somebody gave them to me; that is the only reason I have them.

[Mousin' Around]

Originally Posted by AndrewWG

I would say check on Amazon.com for those cameras. Wolf (Ritz) is at this point a fly by night operation as far as I am concerned. I can almost be certain that you would find the same cameras cheaper on Amazon. They deal with much much more reputable dealers like B&H, Adorama, etc.

Usually a lens package deal means you get a good camera and some junk lenses. Just saying. Check it all out before hitting the "buy" button.

I did think about doing that because I can get it at Best Buy with their service plan and they will price match whatever I find online.

[mom2rtk]

Originally Posted by Mousin' Around

The T4i comes with the standard Canon 18-55 and a Canon 70 - 300.

I did think about that in regards to Wolf and not being able to get service a year from now.

I'm sure someone will chime in soon with particulars. But my understanding is that that 70-300 lens is not a good one. Pretty slow and not very sharp. The lens you want in that package is Canon's 55-250. It gets great reviews.

[Mousin' Around]

Originally Posted by mom2rtk

I'm sure someone will chime in soon with particulars. But my understanding is that that 70-300 lens is not a good one. Pretty slow and not very sharp. The lens you want in that package is Canon's 55-250. It gets great reviews.

You are correct and that is the one it comes with.

[photo_chick]

Originally Posted by Mousin' Around

The T4i comes with the standard Canon 18-55 and a Canon 55 - 250.

I did think about that in regards to Wolf and not being able to get service a year from now.

You can get that setup cheaper. The T4i with the 18-55 is like $650 at B&H (add it to your cart to see the lowest price there). And I've seen the 55-250 as low as $150 if you catch it on sale.

You also mentioned Best Buy and their service plan in a post. As a company they tend to try to weasel out of the service plan. They do a really good job of selling it in the store but a horrible job of supporting it as a company.

[Mousin' Around]

Originally Posted by photo_chick

You can get that setup cheaper. The T4i with the 18-55 is like $650 at B&H (add it to your cart to see the lowest price there). And I've seen the 55-250 as low as $150 if you catch it on sale.

You also mentioned Best Buy and their service plan in a post. As a company they tend to try to weasel out of the service plan. They do a really good job of selling it in the store but a horrible job of supporting it as a company.

Really? I have never had that issue. We have purchased every electronic and most large home appliance we have from them and have never had an issue. We have had to take a Bluray player, 2 TVs, a washing machine, my old D50 and a DVD player to them and have never had an issue. They have even replaced one of my laptops and currently have another one that they are putting a new processor, fan and hard drive in.

[AndrewWG]

Originally Posted by Mousin' Around

Really? I have never had that issue. We have purchased every electronic and most large home appliance we have from them and have never had an issue. We have had to take a Bluray player, 2 TVs, a washing machine, my old D50 and a DVD player to them and have never had an issue. They have even replaced one of my laptops and currently have another one that they are putting a new processor, fan and hard drive in.

I have never heard good things about Best Buy plans either. Good to know that someone has had luck with them. All Best Buy has done around here is leave another big empty store in our town.

[photo_chick]

Originally Posted by Mousin' Around

Really? I have never had that issue. We have purchased every electronic and most large home appliance we have from them and have never had an issue. We have had to take a Bluray player, 2 TVs, a washing machine, my old D50 and a DVD player to them and have never had an issue. They have even replaced one of my laptops and currently have another one that they are putting a new processor, fan and hard drive in.

I've heard horror stories and the few things I've tried to take in for service I was jerked around. The ones in my area are also notorious for repacking returned items and selling them as new.

I also have to add here... I never buy the service plan on cameras anymore anyway. New cameras already have a good warranty from the factory to cover manufacturers defects and for other things... like if I drop it, theft, loss... I have a policy on my homeowners insurance that covers it with a $100 deductible. A service plan isn't going to cover if my camera is stolen while I'm on vacation or if I accidentally drop it off a boat while I'm scuba diving. My insurance policy does.

[Shutterbug]

Originally Posted by photo_chick

You also mentioned Best Buy and their service plan in a post. As a company they tend to try to weasel out of the service plan. They do a really good job of selling it in the store but a horrible job of supporting it as a company.

This.

I bought the BB warranty for my 40D kit I bought. After doing several tests with it, I was getting blurry photos. I knew it wasnt me and it was either camera and or lens. I was still within new purchase zone, let alone the warranty.
Their "experts" "looked" at the photos and "loooked" at the camera and decided nothing was wrong with it and declined giving me a replacement. In the end I had to send it to canon with my own money. Canon fixed it for free but I did have to pay for the shipping.