Canon Xsi

[collcass]

DH just sent me an email telling me he pre ordered the new Canon for me for my birthday (which actually isn't until May) He wasn't sure what lense I wanted so he got the body only.

Let me tell you, I'd just about given up hope on a DSLR. I still fiddle with them on a weekly basis at the camera shop (fell in love with the Nikon D80) even though I thought I'd have to settle for a super zoom for now.

Now, my questions.

I have no idea of the lense I need. I do know I need one with IS. At this point, low light photography probably isn't what I would focus on. My 9 yr old is playing little league and Lacrosse so action is a must. I also take a lot of close ups,landscapes and candids.

Is this new camera more than a beginner can handle? I really liked the D80 but besides the price, I felt it might be a little too much camera for a beginner. That being said, i am far more than excited!!!!!!

 

[DVCRon]

Congrats on your upcoming purchase. The XSI is at the lower end of the dslr category so it is geared towards a beginner. That said, there will still be a learning curve as there is with any new camera.

I'm not sure if you currently own a dslr or how experienced a photographer you are but if you are a beginner I would start reading up on the basics of photography with a few good books from the bookstore or library. Learn about exposure, aperture, shutter speeds, ISO and how they relate to each other.

The most important part of the camera purchase is not the camera but the lens. Most camera are capable or good photos but the glass (lens) can take the photos from good to gerat in the right hands.

I don't understand why you say IS is a must? Image stabilized lens are great but they are for stopping photographer motion not subject motion. They allow you to shoot at a slower shutter speed then you would normally without IS, usually by 2-3 stops. They are also useful for panning shots (like tracking a race car).

To freeze subject motion you need fast shutter speeds that are possible with large aperture (2.8) lenses. If you are going to take photos of your son playing sports outdoors, in sun light then a large aperture isn't as necessary, but if he plays any night games or it's cloudy or overcast or indoors you will need a large aperture lens to allow you to shoot at fast enough shutter speeds to freeze the action.


Landscapes call for a totally different focal length. It is hard to find one lens that does it all well and IMO you shouldn't try.

For landscapes you probably want something wide like a 16-35 lens. The canon version is very expensive. the 17-40 is more reasonably priced. A general walk around lens is a canon 24-70 2.8 but it also is very expensive. A more reasonably priced lens in the Tamron 28-75 2.8.

For sports my bread and butter lens is the Canon 70-200 2.8. Sigma makes the same lens for less $$$. The Canon IS version is even more.

Good luck with your decisions. Enjoy the new camera.

 

[Master Mason]

Here is an outside the box thought.

Call up and cancel the Xsi and get the d80 They are right at the same price and if your really in love with the Nikon you should get that.

I realize your hubby was trying to be nice, but if he is that nice, I would probably understand that you have been looking and fell in love with something different.

The reason I say this, is there is always a certain brand that will feel better to someone and be more intuitive than another, so if Nikon fits that bill for you, your never really going to be happy with canon.

I have a friend that loved canon, and then she went and bought a Nikon D2 it is a fantastic camera, but she still wishes it were a canon.

 

[ukcatfan]

I don't understand why you say IS is a must? Image stabilized lens are great but they are for stopping photographer motion not subject motion. They allow you to shoot at a slower shutter speed then you would normally without IS, usually by 2-3 stops. They are also useful for panning shots (like tracking a race car).

I have to partially disagree with the panning statement. It will help with that, but only if the lens has a panning IS mode. The less expensive models usually do not have it, so the IS actually degrades your shot with those models.

Kevin

 

[DVCRon]

I have to partially disagree with the panning statement. It will help with that, but only if the lens has a panning IS mode. The less expensive models usually do not have it, so the IS actually degrades your shot with those models.

Kevin

Sorry Kevin, I was speaking from my experience with the Canon IS which does allow for panning.

 

[ukcatfan]

Sorry Kevin, I was speaking from my experience with the Canon IS which does allow for panning.

As far as I know, that is not always true. The newer ones likely do, but not all Canon's have a panning mode. The new kit has an auto detect panning feature, but I believe otherwise the lens has to have a switch with IS mode 2 to do panning. I was thinking that the 28-135mm does not have a panning mode, but could be incorrect. It has been a year and a half since I researched Canon stuff.

Kevin

Edit:

I knew I was not crazy (well at least not this time ) I found this on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EF_lens_mount

Image stabilizer mode switch: This switch is found on most EF lenses that feature an image stabilizer. The switch has two settings Mode 1, and Mode 2. Mode 1 is normal mode, used for typical photography, where the subject does not move. Mode 2 is used for panning, this is useful for sports or wildlife photography, where the subject moves constantly and one will need to pan. One should not use Mode 1 for panning as this will typically cause blurred photographs. Lenses that have an image stabilizer, but do not feature this switch, are permanently in Mode 1, therefore when using the image stabilizer, they should not be used for panning.

 

[Groucho]

Here is an outside the box thought.

Call up and cancel the Xsi and get the d80 They are right at the same price and if your really in love with the Nikon you should get that.

I realize your hubby was trying to be nice, but if he is that nice, I would probably understand that you have been looking and fell in love with something different.

The reason I say this, is there is always a certain brand that will feel better to someone and be more intuitive than another, so if Nikon fits that bill for you, your never really going to be happy with canon.

I have a friend that loved canon, and then she went and bought a Nikon D2 it is a fantastic camera, but she still wishes it were a canon.

I would certainly not disagree with this. The D80 is going to have a very different feel than the XSi. The D80 is a mid-grade with more advanced functionality and better build quality and is larger. The Canon entry-levels are relatively small and their ergonomics and build quality have always been a topic of debate (which doesn't affect image quality, of course). (They did put a different grip on the XSi to try to improve ergonomics but I suspect it will still have the same cheaper feel - they made some serious image quality improvements to their kit lens but apparently it still feels very cheap and plasticky, so I'd think the same will be true of the body.) The XSi will be relatively expensive because it's brand new, and the D80 will be relatively cheap because it's been out a while.

Just some things to consider.

Also, if the camera won't be out for a couple months, you may have some time to look at some D80 reviews and compare them to the specs of the XSi (which will probably not get many "true" reviews until shortly before it's released.) In that time, other new DSLRs will be released - the Pentax K200D (probably any day now, since it was supposed to come before the K20D that's been out a few weeks already), the Nikon D60, the Sony A200/A300/A350, and the ultrasmall Olympus E420 (which I think would be much more interesting if it had IS like the E510). Lots of choices, you want to make sure that you're picking the one that will be the best for you.

 

[collcass]

I would certainly not disagree with this. The D80 is going to have a very different feel than the XSi. The D80 is a mid-grade with more advanced functionality and better build quality and is larger. The Canon entry-levels are relatively small and their ergonomics and build quality have always been a topic of debate (which doesn't affect image quality, of course). (They did put a different grip on the XSi to try to improve ergonomics but I suspect it will still have the same cheaper feel - they made some serious image quality improvements to their kit lens but apparently it still feels very cheap and plasticky, so I'd think the same will be true of the body.) The XSi will be relatively expensive because it's brand new, and the D80 will be relatively cheap because it's been out a while.

Just some things to consider.

Also, if the camera won't be out for a couple months, you may have some time to look at some D80 reviews and compare them to the specs of the XSi (which will probably not get many "true" reviews until shortly before it's released.) In that time, other new DSLRs will be released - the Pentax K200D (probably any day now, since it was supposed to come before the K20D that's been out a few weeks already), the Nikon D60, the Sony A200/A300/A350, and the ultrasmall Olympus E420 (which I think would be much more interesting if it had IS like the E510). Lots of choices, you want to make sure that you're picking the one that will be the best for you.

Thanks everyone. I did cancel the preorder, but really because Ido want to see and feel the camera before I purchase it. Dh was a tad confused but my "dear, my birthday isn't for two more months. who knows what the price will be then" seemed to amke him feel better. Since I'd just sprung on him upgrading to the Contemporary, holding onto the $$$ for an extra month or so didn't bother him :>)


I love the D80 and it calls my name every week when I'm in the store. My one apprehension with it is that it seems a heavier than all the others, but that is minor and couldn't be the most important factor seeing as I haven't even bothered to check the actual weight in comparison.

 

[Master Mason]

Thanks everyone. I did cancel the preorder, but really because Ido want to see and feel the camera before I purchase it. Dh was a tad confused but my "dear, my birthday isn't for two more months. who knows what the price will be then" seemed to amke him feel better. Since I'd just sprung on him upgrading to the Contemporary, holding onto the $$$ for an extra month or so didn't bother him :>)


I love the D80 and it calls my name every week when I'm in the store. My one apprehension with it is that it seems a heavier than all the others, but that is minor and couldn't be the most important factor seeing as I haven't even bothered to check the actual weight in comparison.

It does weigh more than the xt line. Which was part of my point, if you like the way it feels in your hands, the XT will feel like a toy. I didn't really realize how much that is true until I picked my XT up after using my 40D for a while.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Maybe rent the D80 for a while. See how it feels.

Mikeeee

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I love the D80 and it calls my name every week when I'm in the store. My one apprehension with it is that it seems a heavier than all the others, but that is minor and couldn't be the most important factor seeing as I haven't even bothered to check the actual weight in comparison.

I have a D80. I'm a smallish 5'2 lady. I carried my D80 w/me everywhere on vacation and all day/night at DL. FWIW, it's not too heavy to me. And if you like it and it's calling to you, then that's all that matters. Good luck!

 

[Groucho]

I love the D80 and it calls my name every week when I'm in the store. My one apprehension with it is that it seems a heavier than all the others, but that is minor and couldn't be the most important factor seeing as I haven't even bothered to check the actual weight in comparison.

True, it's heavier, but it's a different class of camera. Nikon has the D40 if you want a light DSLR. Of course, you give up the top LCD, front dial, focus motor, etc, etc, etc...