Canon 400D (Rebel Xti, Kiss X)

[Villainess]

Ignore the title please - typing on 2 different screens at once! LOL!

Is it just the speed that makes the IV better than the others? I have an XTI too

 

[tyedye]

Other than the nikon lack of autofocus in body is there anything else that is very different among these 2? I was looking at 2 kits at my warehouse club. The Nikon D60 w/18-55 VR + 55-200 VR and the Canon xti w/18-55 IS + 55-250 IS. Both come with a 1G memory card and camera bag, price is $50 more for Canon. I currently have a panasonic ultra zoom that uses SD card. Primary uses would be for youth soccer and swim meets and family vacations, WDW, and other family gatherings.

 

[Bojo]

Don't know enough about either one to give advice; just wan to say that I have a Nikon D50 and am very happy with it. You may want to look at some sites for their reviews (www.dpreview.com) and/or hold each one to see how they feel in your hand; good luck with your decision.

 

[Gdad]

DPR has a nice Side by Side comparrison of them HERE- they are really very similar on paper. One thing that jumps out at me is the XTi is nearly a 2 year old camera (August 06) whereas the Nikon was released this year (January 08). With the advances in technology if I really wanted to go with a Canon I think I would wait for their next entry level offering. Plus the street price of the XTi is listed as much less on DPR- not sure why your club price is higher.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

The Canon doesn't have autofocus in the body either. The difference is that Canon has autofocus motors in all of it's lenses. Nikon is working on that, but isn't quite there yet.

 

[tyedye]

I wrote my reply it got lost.

Anyways I too wondered if going with a newer model like the D60 would be the way to go versus the older XTi. Looking at their side by side review they are very similar.

The XTi lens is up to 250 and the D60 is 200 so that may be why it cost a bit more. They both had 1G cards, bag, and some software and dvd. I didn't really read everything as I was mostly concerned with the camera and lenses included.

I do not have other lenses so staying with one brand over another isn't an issue.

 

[Gdad]

You might also want to consider making your own 'kit'- the 18-55VR and 70-300VR would make an awesome combo- especially for sports which you mentioned the extra reach would be nice. Probably looking at around $1200 for the package at B&H.

 

[tyedye]

When pricing out the camera and lenses, B&H was less $$ than the club price, and the only other item I remember is there was a bag that was included. Usually when you get a package at the club it's a decent price.

 

[Groucho]

You can probably easily beat any club deal on a DSLR online. Check Beach Camera, Amazon, etc also. Beach has XTis for pretty darn cheap lately.

The D60 is going to be more new-DSLR-user friendly, with help screens all over the place and such. It will also have a better kit lens, both in terms of optics and build quality, but also it has image stabilization (or "VR" as Nikon calls it) - Canon's upcoming XSi kit lens has stabilization and supposedly much improved optics, but still crummy build quality, and XTi kit lens... well, it's never been well loved! And it is not stabilized, unless someone is putting together a special kit with the brand-new 18-55 lens with the old camera. I suppose that's possible, as the 55-250mm IS is a pretty new lens, too.

A 1 gig card is virtually free nowadays, so don't let that swing you one way or another. You can probably easily find a 4 gig card for under $20.

Probably one thing to do is go hold both cameras (if you they're hidden away in a case at the warehouse club, go somewhere else to check them out) - the Nikon and Canon have a different feel, and some prefer one over the other. Certainly either camera, like any DSLR, is capable of producing great photos. You may also want to consider other brands (Olympus, Pentax, Sony) if you haven't yet, those each have unique strengths also and may be even a better fit for you.

 

[tyedye]

And it is not stabilized, unless someone is putting together a special kit with the brand-new 18-55 lens with the old camera. I suppose that's possible, as the 55-250mm IS is a pretty new lens, too.

That must be what they are doing as I have seen it several places with the 18-55 IS lens.

I have gone and held both the Canon XTi and Nikon D40 and have friends who one has an older dSLR Rebel and another with the D80 and I have looked at theirs.

I am also considering the Pentax K200 but haven't held this one.

The other thing that I'd like to try to do is buy an everyday lens and then a telephoto lens (for taking the sports pics) and hopefully that will be enough to hold me for quite some time.

For those familiar will 200 be enough reach or will I want 250 or even 300?

 

[Master Mason]

That must be what they are doing as I have seen it several places with the 18-55 IS lens.

I have gone and held both the Canon XTi and Nikon D40 and have friends who one has an older dSLR Rebel and another with the D80 and I have looked at theirs.

I am also considering the Pentax K200 but haven't held this one.

The other thing that I'd like to try to do is buy an everyday lens and then a telephoto lens (for taking the sports pics) and hopefully that will be enough to hold me for quite some time.

For those familiar will 200 be enough reach or will I want 250 or even 300?

What sports, and what conditions? If your taking shots of a little league baseball game on a bright sunny day, almost any lens will be fine. If your taking Football pictures under the lights from the stands, your going to want something long and FAST. If your taking basketball Pics in a typical K-12 gym, your going to need something FAST again.

I have a 75-300 f/something to f/5.6 It is completely useless for sports in anything but the very best lighting.

Also, IS will not really help you at all for most sports photography, by the time you have enough shutter speed to freeze the action, you have also eliminated any camera shake from the equation as well. The only exception I can really think of would be a panning type shot, if you have a newer type IS that assists with panning.

 

[tyedye]

Master Mason - Because of the limitations you mentioned with taking sport pics I have been limited to taking pictures of outdoor soccer and outdoor swimming and because I do have a limited budget, I will continue to do so. Because lighted fields and indoor shots of sports will need more pricier lenses then I'll have to pass on those pics.

I keep reading and reading about all the entry level dSLR's and then I read something that turns me away from one, so I go read another and the same thing. At this rate I'll never decide.

 

[Master Mason]

Master Mason - Because of the limitations you mentioned with taking sport pics I have been limited to taking pictures of outdoor soccer and outdoor swimming and because I do have a limited budget, I will continue to do so. Because lighted fields and indoor shots of sports will need more pricier lenses then I'll have to pass on those pics.

I keep reading and reading about all the entry level dSLR's and then I read something that turns me away from one, so I go read another and the same thing. At this rate I'll never decide.

Well, there are ways you can go that are not that bad.

Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 $429
Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 $749
Canon Rebel XT body only $409

total $1587 This is pricing from B&H. So for $1600 you have a camera and lenses that will shoot at f/2.8 from 24 to 200. This is about the same price as the canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens alone. And would be a damn nice set up, that would allow you to get those indoor shots your not getting now.

I imagine you can do with a similar set up in any of the other brands as well.

Yes the XT is a little older, but it is still a very nice camera, so it is all about the choices you want to make.

 

[tyedye]

You have given me more to think about now...

Be a newbie to this, there is a big difference between an f2.8 and 3.5 lens?

 

[Master Mason]

You have given me more to think about now...

Be a newbie to this, there is a big difference between an f2.8 and 3.5 lens?

There is only a stop between the 2, but with most lenses, they start at 3.5 on the wide end and as you zoom in they get smaller usually to 5.6.

So on my 75-300 at the 75 end it is 3.5, but as I zoom in it gets to 5.6 in a hurry, and there are several stops different then. And each stop of apeture you lose, you lose a corresponding stop of shutter speed.

With the lenses I suggested, you retain the f/2.8 though the range. Which to me was incredibly important for the type of shooting I do, mostly sports (other than disney of course)

 

[Groucho]

It's also likely that an F2.8 is a higher-quality lens and will have better optical quality across the board. Hence the higher cost of the lens.

As for the "feel" of the Pentax, it's quite similar to the Nikon, from my experience. The Canon has a different feel.

 

[Master Mason]

It's also likely that an F2.8 is a higher-quality lens and will have better optical quality across the board. Hence the higher cost of the lens.

As for the "feel" of the Pentax, it's quite similar to the Nikon, from my experience. The Canon has a different feel.

That is true in the the second tier Nikons, but the d40 and d60 are much closer to the XT than the pentaxes

 

[tyedye]

Trying to figure out all the different camera definitions, would this be an equiv lens if I were to get a Pentax K200?

Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro Lens http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539403-REG/Tamron_AF001P_700_70_200mm_f_2_8_Di_LD.html

And for Nikon:
Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro Lens
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539401-REG/Tamron_AF001N_700_70_200mm_f_2_8_Di_LD.html

or Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX APO Macro HSM
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/533556-REG/Sigma_579_306_70_200mm_f_2_8_II_EX.html

Would these work on the D60? I would want to be able to use AF.

Thanks for the info.

 

[tyedye]

And is this the one for either the XT or XTi?
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX APO Macro HSM http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/533555-REG/Sigma_579_101_70_200mm_f_2_8_II_EX.html

 

[Master Mason]

Trying to figure out all the different camera definitions, would this be an equiv lens if I were to get a Pentax K200?

Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro Lens http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539403-REG/Tamron_AF001P_700_70_200mm_f_2_8_Di_LD.html

And for Nikon:
Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro Lens
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539401-REG/Tamron_AF001N_700_70_200mm_f_2_8_Di_LD.html

or Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX APO Macro HSM
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/533556-REG/Sigma_579_306_70_200mm_f_2_8_II_EX.html

Would these work on the D60? I would want to be able to use AF.

Thanks for the info.

Yes both lenes you listed have focus moters in the lens, so you would be able to use them with the nikon d40 etc.

The tameron is the same focal lenth and apetuere as the sigmas I had spoken about. However, I know nothing about their build or quality, so I can't speak to if it would be worse, the same, or better than the sigmas. I did note that they are not available till Aug time frame though.

And is this the one for either the XT or XTi?
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX APO Macro HSM http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/533555-REG/Sigma_579_101_70_200mm_f_2_8_II_EX.html

All eos cameras have the same mount. The only thing you ever need to worry about in canon eos lenses, are there are a few that are designed for the 1.6 crop frame size, and therefore don't work on the 1 series cameras or the 5D. If your not buying one of those very high end cameras, then you don't have to worry about it.