Digital Camera question

[disnygrl30]

Am in the market for a new digital. I have a cheap fuji digital that DH, bless his heart, bought me for Christmas. I just can't stand it.

Anyway.............I know I should go Canon. I have been doing some research. I want an opinion on camera that I have found and am considering purchasing. It is a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT w/EF-S 18-55MM, I found it on buydig.com. They are asking $776.00.

Is this a good camera, seems to be imho. But is this also a good price. Anyone have this camera??? What do you think????

 

[ndelaware]

The Rebel XT is an excellent camera and $776 is an outstanding price.

 

[handicap18]

That is an excellent camera, but why do you know that you should go canon? you can get a Nikon D50 with an 18-55 lens for less than $700 (with both the 18-55 and 55-200 you can get it for less then $1000). It does have better noise reduction than the Canon. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with the Canon, but take a look at the Nikon. I have a bias opinion as I've been a Nikon user for almost 20 years. To me the D50 feels more like my other SLR's than the Digital Rebel. The Rebel is smaller and feels more like a larger point & shoot. The D50 is more like an SLR IMHO and is just the slightest bit smaller than my Nikon N70 film SLR.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Both are good cams and that is a great price based on my research. You may want to go to www.dpreview.com or www.steves-digicams and look at the reviews and what other folks think. Many posts with pics.

Jack

 

[blackjackdelta]

Both are good cams and that is a great price based on my research. You may want to go to www.dpreview.com or www.steves-digicams.com and look at the reviews and what other folks think. Many posts with pics.

Jack

 

[Anewman]

That is an excellent, but why do you know that you should go canon? you can get a Nikon D50 with an 18-55 lens for less than $700 (with both the 18-55 and 55-200 you can get it for less then $1000). It does have better noise reduction than the Canon. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with the Canon, but take a look at the Nikon. I have a bias opinion as I've been a Nikon user for almost 20 years. To me the D50 feels more like my other SLR's than the Digital Rebel. The Rebel is smaller and feels more like a larger point & shoot. The D50 is more like an SLR IMHO and is just the slightest bit smaller than my Nikon N70 film SLR.

I agree for the most part both are great cameras, but when one posts an opinion as if it were fact it will be questioned.
IMO yes the D50 appears to have lower high ISO noise than the 350D(barely noticable), but the 350D is 8mp compared to 6mp of the D50. And reducing image size also greatly reduces visible noise levels. So IMO(not a fact) if you take a 1600 ISO image from the 350d and downsize it to 6mp, it will blow away the 6mp image straight out of the d50. Also noise at 100 ISO can not be compared, since only the canon shoots at 100 ISO.

And the size issue, IMO it really is not that big a diff. Neither is the best built camera in their respective brands lineup.
350d = 127 x 94 x 64 mm and 19 oz
d50 = 133 x 102 x 76 mm and 21.9 oz

And now some not so obvious Opinions.

Speed wise the edge goes to canon not only does the buffer capture more images(and larger ones at that) it also clears the buffer faster(in my limited testing).

Spot Meter only available in the d50, you would have to buy a $1400 Canon to get that feature. Otherwise us canon folk settle for Partial metering. If you dont know what I am talking about then you will probably not use either and it is a mute point.

Compact flash(canon) vs Sd cards(D50), for me the edge goes to Canon because the price and capacity is better on CF(and microdrives) than on SD cards. But if you have a few gigs of SD cards it may be different for you.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Canon 300D (not even XT, which is cleaner than Rebel/300D) at ISO 1600:

 

[Kelly Grannell]

BTW, both images were taken using a "lowly" Sigma 18-125, no flash, no tripod, just handheld. Oh, and no noise-cancelling either at ISO1600

 

[mabas9395]

Whether you go Nikon or Canon is really up to personal preference, like choosing between Ford and Dodge (and I can be shot in some states for saying that). Both of them can get you MUCH better photos than any point and shoot you have.

However, when you are ready to make the leap from p&s to SLR, you have to be committed to learning how to use your new tool. A P&S is just that, you Point and you Shoot. The P&S camera has an aperture, shutter speed and ISO value like an SLR but you don't have to touch, fiddle with, or know anything about it. If you want to get the most out of your SLR, it is assumed you know which aperture, shutter speed or ISO you want and it gives you the flexibility to choose that setting.

A lot of people with the funds and desire to get better photos go for a dSLR without an appreciation for the effort required. If you decide that you just want great photos without turning it into a full time hobby, there are great P&S cameras that will give you a lot of the features you are looking for (though without the flexibility). For example the new Canon S3 IS takes 6.0MP photos, has a 12x zoom with image stabilization, 800 ISO, and shoots 2.3 frames per second. In addition, it has a few things a dSLR doesn't, such as a movie mode and the ability to take shots by looking through the LCD (a dSLR requires you to look through the optical view finder).

But if you do decide to make the plunge, I highly recommend the Canon Rebel XT as a great camera to jump into dSLR photography with.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

You can find a digital SLR tutorial on DVD on eBay for cheap. The title is something like " Digital Photography Guide DVD"

 

[blackjackdelta]

Try this link http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/index.html this gives you some education on the Rebel. Have fun.

Jack the double poster

 

[disnygrl30]

Thank You everyone for your comments. I know it is a lot of camera, but I am ready and willing to learn. I figure I have from now until December to practice using it, so I am ready for our December trip. I think I am going to go for the Rebel.