Canon Rebel XT ?

[AdventureGuru]

I am continuing my search for the right digital slr camera. I've decided I'll shop at dell. They seem to have great prices. AND I got enough $ for the holidays to get the xti (both my BF and I work on 12/25 so we have been celebrating early)
HOWEVER! we found this http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A1335346

The deal is almost too good to pass up...but it's the xti. Can someone PLS (in simple terms) tell me the difference in the 2??? I love the package...I get that it only has 8mps and that the review screen in smaller...but it sounds on some of the reviews that some people think the shutter speed is too slow.

Please help this newbie...I just finished a photography class and really liked digital (that whole produce your negatives, scan your negatives, play with your negatives in photoshop-in short-SUCKED!) LOVED the immediate gradification of digital...I just want the right camera. I plan on going to the camera shop here, maybe today if the weather isnt too bad to go and take a look.

Thanks!
Guru

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I suggest you do a search here as there have been threads on both from time to time and you can probably learn some information there. Also look at other boards and review sites.

You're wise to go look at the cameras and hold them, fiddle with the controls, etc, before you buy. We also looked at the XT but my DH had trouble seeing the information on the smaller LCD screen so we had to rule it out. And while there are many happy users here of the XT, technology is moving very fast so you should probably ask yourself how you'll feel if in a few months they come out with an even newer model than the XTi? Will you feel you're "missing out" on something, or want to upgrade sooner than later? If so, it might be worth the few extra bucks to spring for the XTi.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[gokenin]

cant help with the diffrence between the two cameras but looking at the package i would guess that the savings you have with this package will almost immediately disappear when you buy the second lens. the lens you get starts at 75mm so you will more than likely get another lens that covers the 10-75mm range or something in between and would guess say that will eat up the "savings" of the package

 

[DueyDooDah]

Here's the design differences according to Canons spec sheets. Some of this has to be interpreted as they don't write the sheets the same from model to model.

XT: 8.2Mpixels
XTi: 10.5Mpixels

This spec has its pros and cons, of which has been discussed many times on this board. More Mpixels may mean more noise at faster ISO speeds.

I believe the RAW file output is in a different format (.CRW vs. CR2). I cannot find any references that explain the differences but I assume there are some. There may be quality factors in play here, but I do not know.

The XTi seems to have white balance exposure where the XT does not.

XT: 7 auto focus points
XTi: 9 auto focus points

The self timer can be set to 2 seconds on the XTi by using C.Fn-7-1

The XTi has Flash Exposure compensation

The XTi can shoot 27 frames in burst mode while the XT can shoot only 14

The LCD screen on the XTi is 2.5 inches while the XT is only 1.8 inches

The XTi has direct printing to a compatible printer

The XTi has Auto Sensor cleaning, Dust delete data, Manual sensor cleaning

The XTi has six preset Picture Style settings plus 3 user-defined custom settings

The XT is lighter by .9 ounces

 

[Groucho]

Dell isn't exactly known for great customer service.

I would recommend checking out Beach Camera, good service, fast & free shipping, no tax for most people, and you're unlikely to beat the prices. They sell Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Olympus DSLRs (no Sony). They have the XT with kit lens for $458 currently and the 75-300mm lens for $140 - so approximately $600 total, versus $680 at Dell (and probably plus tax and plus shipping.) You also have the flexibility of not getting the 75-300mm if there's another lens you'd prefer, or to just get the base lens for now and decide later what second lens you'll want.

Other cameras to consider are the Nikon D40 (current best deal at Beach is the kit lens plus 55-200mm lens, a couple training DVDs, and a 1gb card) for $557, the Pentax K100D Super (w/kit lens, $480 after rebate, offers image stabilization with every lens - currently the kit is overpriced, the body alone is $368, better to buy body alone and lens separately), and the Olympus E410 ($480 with kit lens or $550 with two lenses), and also the Sony A100, but you'll have to shop elsewhere. All are newer designs than the XT, too, if that makes a difference.

 

[jann1033]

Here's the design differences according to Canons spec sheets. Some of this has to be interpreted as they don't write the sheets the same from model to model.

XT: 8.2Mpixels
XTi: 10.5Mpixels

This spec has its pros and cons, of which has been discussed many times on this board. More Mpixels may mean more noise at faster ISO speeds.

I believe the RAW file output is in a different format (.CRW vs. CR2). I cannot find any references that explain the differences but I assume there are some. There may be quality factors in play here, but I do not know.

The XTi seems to have white balance exposure where the XT does not.
not sure what you mean by this but if you mean custom white balance or bracketing,both do

XT: 7 auto focus points
XTi: 9 auto focus points

The self timer can be set to 2 seconds on the XTi by using C.Fn-7-1xt you can use the self timer and mirror lock up for 2 second, same way, i just always forget about it

The XTi has Flash Exposure compensation
according to the manual, so does the xt(never used a speedlight so don't know if the controls are the same or not)

The XTi can shoot 27 frames in burst mode while the XT can shoot only 14 guessing that is 27 in large? it depends on the card speed and size, personally i've gotten up to 95 in large jpg with my fastest card/xt, raw is only 4, sometimes i can get up to 6 before it says busy

The LCD screen on the XTi is 2.5 inches while the XT is only 1.8 inches

The XTi has direct printing to a compatible printerboth do

The XTi has Auto Sensor cleaning, Dust delete data, Manual sensor cleaning

The XTi has six preset Picture Style settings plus 3 user-defined custom settings the xt has 3 custom parameters, raw converter has the picture styles( so you can use them for pp if you want to)

The XT is lighter by .9 ounces

the stuff i added is from my manual, ( xt) trying to find it on a site is pretty hard . to me the biggest difference would be the lcd screen...i don't think the focus appears any better and i did not notice a difference in speed when i played around with the xti( xt is 3fps, not sure about the xti but i think it's the same) heard the dust system isn't that great ..if the difference was over 100 i would get the cheaper and add the 100 to a nicer lens

 

[pjacobi]

Please note that the Rebel class camera line is due for a new model early next year. At that time, the XT will be end of life. That's why there are lots of sales on the XT at this time.


-Paul

 

[AdventureGuru]

Pjacobi Thanks for the tip! Do you have any idea as to when this might happen???

I went to play with the cameras today. I had a great sales guy at bestbuy that took the time to explain it all to me. There were a couple of things that I was worried about. The first was lenses. The XT will only be able to use the lenses I have now in manual focus, but not auto focus. The XTI will. So, that took care of that question.
I was someday hoping to upgrade to Nikon Lenses...but Canon and Nikon don't play well together. Oh well. I'll just have to look at some other nice lenses...but don't have to worry about that until we have kids...which is a long time off!
I just didn't like the XT when I got my hands on it. It felt wrong.
The XTI sat in my hands and felt nice.
Then, my BF told me to touch the Canon 40D Yup I loved the dang thing ...but it was just way too much $$$ to spend and too much camera for me to handle. But it is something that I could grow into...I loved the continuous shooting. Again, something I might use when we have kids...but nothing that I need to knock off some umpteen shots in seconds.

Thank you to everyone for your help. It really helped.
Guru

 

[boBQuincy]

Pjacobi Thanks for the tip! Do you have any idea as to when this might happen???

I went to play with the cameras today. I had a great sales guy at bestbuy that took the time to explain it all to me. There were a couple of things that I was worried about. The first was lenses. The XT will only be able to use the lenses I have now in manual focus, but not auto focus. The XTI will. So, that took care of that question.

The XT and XTi use the same lenses in the same way, if they work on one they will work on the other. All Canon EF and EF-S lenses will work in auto focus.

I was someday hoping to upgrade to Nikon Lenses...but Canon and Nikon don't play well together. Oh well. I'll just have to look at some other nice lenses...

In general, Canon lenses are the equivalent of Nikon lenses, some better, some not as good, but overall every bit as sharp.

Then, my BF told me to touch the Canon 40D Yup I loved the dang thing ...but it was just way too much $$$ to spend and too much camera for me to handle. But it is something that I could grow into...I loved the continuous shooting.

The XT and XTi will do continuous shooting but not as many shots (or as fast) as the 40D. 30D models may still be available for a good price. They are no more difficult to operate than the XT or XTi (and may be easier in some ways).

 

[ukcatfan]

Please note that the Rebel class camera line is due for a new model early next year. At that time, the XT will be end of life. That's why there are lots of sales on the XT at this time.


-Paul

Pjacobi Thanks for the tip! Do you have any idea as to when this might happen???

I went to play with the cameras today. I had a great sales guy at bestbuy that took the time to explain it all to me. There were a couple of things that I was worried about. The first was lenses. The XT will only be able to use the lenses I have now in manual focus, but not auto focus. The XTI will. So, that took care of that question.
I was someday hoping to upgrade to Nikon Lenses...but Canon and Nikon don't play well together. Oh well. I'll just have to look at some other nice lenses...but don't have to worry about that until we have kids...which is a long time off!
I just didn't like the XT when I got my hands on it. It felt wrong.
The XTI sat in my hands and felt nice.
Then, my BF told me to touch the Canon 40D Yup I loved the dang thing ...but it was just way too much $$$ to spend and too much camera for me to handle. But it is something that I could grow into...I loved the continuous shooting. Again, something I might use when we have kids...but nothing that I need to knock off some umpteen shots in seconds.

Thank you to everyone for your help. It really helped.
Guru

I am not a Canon expert, but as far as I know, if they would not AF on the XT then they also would not on the XTi. Also, if they are old lenses then it might not be worth it to get a Canon just for that. You will likely need the kit lens anyway due to the film lenses usually not being wide enough on a DSLR. There is a 1.6x crop factor on the Canons. That makes a 28mm turn into a 45mm, which is not exactly wide. Also, Canon makes some very good lenses and a large selection of them, so Nikon lens envy is not necessary. In fact, you can find very good lenses for any brand DSLR. There are some variations by brand, but often it comes down to price.

As far as I have known, the XT has been out of production for around a year. There was just a large inventory of them.

Kevin

 

[pjacobi]

Pjacobi Thanks for the tip! Do you have any idea as to when this might happen???

The current speculation for XTi+ product is announcement in January, shipment in March. However this is only a rumor. Whenever it is announced, the XT will go end-of-life and stores will stock only XTI and XTI+.

Like any high tech equipment, don't buy it until you absolutely need it! The worst thing that you can do is to buy it now, and not use it.

If you want to take Christmas photos, you can do that with either the XT or XTI, but not with the XTI+ which may or may not be released sometime next year. There may be different options if you want to photograph spring flowers.


-Paul

 

[AdventureGuru]

What about price? What do the prices usually go up? % wise?

 

[firsttimemom]

Amazon has had some amazing prices for the xt and xti. Currently the xti w/ the kit lens (18-55mm) is $589.

I'm crossing my fingers that there might be one under the tree for me this year.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Black is not always best....

Heat is not good for electronics. I was shooting this summer and my black lenses were almost 50 degrees hotter than the silver body of my XT.

Sure it does not look as cool or as "Pro" but it may last longer.

I have printed large prints from my old sony 5mp camera, the difference between 8-10mp may not be that drastic to a regular user.

I would suggest (like jann) get the more value priced body and a better lens. My two cost about $450 and $600! And those are not expensive! Check out the reviews of the 75-300 and compare prices for just that lens. Does it add value to the package?

this is one review I found

The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens is a relatively small, very light and very cheap lens for this focal length range.

The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens is really cheap. Usually you get what you pay for - unfortunately this is the case with the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens.

Build quality of the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens is mediocre (and this may be a generous rating). Lightness is the benefit, but you won't find smooth zoom and focus rings. I wouldn't want to subject the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens to a lot of abuse as I doubt it would survive.

Image quality from the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens is also mediocre.

The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens is soft wide open at all focal lengths. Sharpness decreases as it zooms from 70mm to 300mm. However, the corners are softest at 70 and getting better by 300.

this is assuming I found the review for the correct lens.
Mikeeee

 

[boBQuincy]

Black is not always best....

Heat is not good for electronics. I was shooting this summer and my black lenses were almost 50 degrees hotter than the silver body of my XT.

Sure it does not look as cool or as "Pro" but it may last longer.

I agree, keep the heat down! A black camera on a sunny day at WDW gets really hot.
Funny, Canon paints (some of) their L series lenses off-white but not their pro bodies.

 

[vettechick99]

I have had the XT for a few years. Ever since I got my new 28-135 IS lens, I've been having trouble with the auto focus. I think I have messed up a setting somewhere.

So you know when you look through the viewfinder and you see a red dot flash on the screen? It can be placed at several places on the screen (in an t formation) and I believe that wherever it is, that is what it's focusing on. True? I don't know names for things, sorry!

Well I know how to change it from spot to spot, but I'm still having trouble staying focused. If I'm taking a picture of DD, I will align that dot with her face to focus, but if I move the camera a millimeter, it refocuses on something else. I am missing so many shots because of this.

What am I doing wrong? How can I set it so that it uses several dots to focus?

 

[JR6ooo4]

Hmmmmm, I have not changed mine from center focus for so long...

I know you hold down one of the buttons and scroll the wheel to change focus points.

When focusing on one object, like a face, then moving the cam to compose the shot just half press while focusing then continue to hold while shifting the cam to recompsoe the shot.

Make sure you have the cam set to a single focus point. If you have it on servo focus it will keep (re)evaluating the focus as you move the camera. Which is great for following something like a sports player or parade.

Mikeeee

as you are scrolling to set which single focus point you might want, after you have scrolled all the way through the points it should light them all as the last option (or first) for multi-point focus. But then the camera is choosing what to focus on and not you.

 

[AdventureGuru]

hmmm...lots to think about.

Anyone know about the % that canon sells their new line stuff at?

 

[Anewman]

If you do not want the lens to keep RE-Focusing the mode should be SINGLE SHOT, so it focuses on one spot and uses that setting until you release the shutter button... it then refocuses when you press the shutter button again.

In AI servo, half pressing locks focus but assumes you are shooting a moving subject and then tries to track that moving subject. Great for sports but not for stationary subjects.

 

[jann1033]

does it by any chance happen more when you have the lens pointed down or up? mine wouldn't focus to the point it wouldn't take a photo at all and the first i noticed it was when i pointed the lens down..., it would be fine, then i'd try to take a photo and the shutter wouldn't even depress because it wouldn't focus. eventually i couldn't use the lens at all.it ended up being a problem with the is element in the lens and i had to get the camera and lens replaced. they never told me if there was a problem with the camera, just the lens. ( long story) the one i have now is fine

you can check the is by taking 2 low light photos at the same settings, one with is on, one with is off and you should see a big difference in the two as far as sharpness.