Moved from the Budget Board: Canon Digital SLRs

[Tnkrbelle565]

Okay, let me start off by saying that I don't NEED a new camera. I have a perfectly good point and shoot Canon Powershot...7 megapixels...only a year old (after a tragic accident with my old camera...same thing...taking pictures at the Walk of Fame in Hollywood...oops!). Well, I am a scrapbooker and enjoy picture-taking in general. Before DD, I used a Canon SLR for years. But when DD came along, I realized that I had to switch to digital. However, I didn't want to invest in a Digital SLR, because, hey, after a new baby, who has $$$ for that?!?!

Sooo, now that I've given you that extremely long explanation, I'm looking for thoughts on Canon Digital SLRs. I want to choke at the thought of spending the money. DH tells me to just be quiet and buy it but I'm not 100% sold since it's a want...not a need. If I do get it, I definately want to buy it before our Disney trip. So I'm looking for thoughts. Does anyone have it? How's the battery length? Is it a pain to carry around all day? Is the quality worth the price tag? HELP

 

[shelly3girls]

I am a complete amateur with photography but I love my Canon Rebel. I am able to get amazing pictures using the zoom lens. From what I have read the Canons are amazing cameras. I chose not to get the more expensive one b/c I do not use the more advanced features. I do find it a little cumbersome so I do not take it on vacation especially with the bigger lens. When I do go to WDW I take my Sony Cybershot with 10x optical zoom. I am pretty much able to zoom anything I want.

I have no problem with the battery life. I bought the 2G memory card (the high speed kind, not the regular).

 

[sunnyday123]

I'm looking for a new camera too, I want something that takes decent night and fireworks pictures, as well as sports shots.

 

[simonkodousek]

I looked at a few D-SLR's when I was shopping for cameras a year ago, but I found them to be too large to carry around and store when on-the-go. If I were you, definitely consider the Canon S5 IS.

 

[Blessed99]

I have the Canon Rebel XT. They are at a very good price right now. I absolutely love mine. I have gotten 250 plus pictures on one battery charge. I have a spare battery and I keep both charged all the time. I did a wedding last weekend and took 297 pictures with the battery still showing charge. Not too bad to carry around, its pretty light weight. I did not have it the one time I have been to WDW, But did carry it to a day trip to a zoo, and did not consider it a burden at all.

Hope this helps.

Kelly

Me Kelly and DD 8 Kamryn

 

[Muushka]

I bought my D-slr 2 1/2 years ago, a Nikon. Just a few comments about the type of camera, not the brand

Camera $1100
Accessories $300
No lag time when you take a picture PRICELESS

 

[kctwinmommy]

Yeah, I bought my SLR last year, from a friend on a mom's board. It was about 2 1/2 years old then, and she was upgrading. So this was my first. It's the Rebel, and I love it! I take it with me all the time now, especially since joining Flickr! And I often have a 75-300mm lens on it, which does make it heavy. But I love taking close ups of things.

It takes some time to get used to the size difference, but the quality is great!

 

[LisaInNc]

I have the Cannon Rebel and I love it. It is heavy and I have a battery pack and run it with 2 batteries which makes the shutter speed as fast as a regular SLR but it is heavier. It was a great purchase that I have never regretted.

If you aqre choking at the cost why not look on ebay a lot of times you can get a slightly used camera a lot cheaper.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I'm going to move this thread over to the photography board. I think it could benefit from the expertise that you'll find there.

 

[boBQuincy]

I get hundreds of images from one battery (Canon 30D) but always carry a spare.
Yes, it gets heavy by the end of the day but the quality of the images are worth the size, weight, and price to me.

 

[bnorm27]

I purchased a Digital Rebel XTi 10.1 mega pixel last October, just in time for Halloween. All I can say about it is WOW! What a great camera. Part of the reason I went with the Canon, was that I already had some Canon EF lenses, that are compatible with the Digital Rebel. The Rebel XTi kits comes with a pretty nice 17-85 mm lens. I also got a "Nifty Fifty" lens for Christmas, which is a 50mm f1.8 fixed lens that is great for portraits, and costs about $75.

As other posters have stated, you enter a whole new (or whole old) world of carrying around other lenses, and a bigger, heavier camera. But I also agree that the quality of the images is superior to the point and shoot models.

If you can handle it, it is a great camera. I have only scratched the surface of what the camera and the included software can do. If you do your homework on line, you can get it for around $700 or less.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Master Mason]

OP

Only you can decide if it is worth it. Yes, if you have a dSLR, your camera would be capable of taking better shots than if you had a P&S. But the camera doesn't take the pictures, you do. If you think it is too heavy or bulky, or not worth changing the lenses, then you won't use it and therefore your pictures will not exist.

I have a couple of them now, and use very heavy lenses, so yes it is worth it to me, I have also spent a lot of time learning how to use it, and how to work with the Post Processing software to get the most out of it that I can.

Go to a store, play with them, see how they feel, and decide if you would actually carry it around.

You don't say what film SLR you had, but if it was an EOS based canon, your lenses will work on the new digital models, if it older than that, then you'll be starting fresh anyway.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Not so much for the OP, who may have old Canon lenses to use (?), but for others who are considering venturing into the dSLR world, but are concerned about weight and bulk (as I was myself). Check out Olympus dSLRs - they are smaller and lighter than most.

All of the manufacturers make good cameras, but they're all a little different, with pros and cons to each. Two tips: research all of them, and take your time. Not every camera is right for every person. Figure out which one has the features that are right for you and buy that one.

Good luck.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

OMG! I didn't even think of that. My EOS lenses with work with say the Rebel???? That we save me a ton of $$$ with lenses and filters...I already have all those Has anyone tried it...please let me know!

Oh and I don't mind the bulkiness if it's going to take great pictures...I just like to have a little more creativity than my P&S is giving me. Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[Master Mason]

OMG! I didn't even think of that. My EOS lenses with work with say the Rebel???? That we save me a ton of $$$ with lenses and filters...I already have all those Has anyone tried it...please let me know!

Oh and I don't mind the bulkiness if it's going to take great pictures...I just like to have a little more creativity than my P&S is giving me. Thanks for the advice everyone

Yes any of the lenses that carry the EF designation will work with a rebel, rebel XT, rebel XTi or rebel XSi. And any lens that works on a film EOS is an EF lens.

 

[shelly3girls]

OMG! I didn't even think of that. My EOS lenses with work with say the Rebel???? That we save me a ton of $$$ with lenses and filters...I already have all those Has anyone tried it...please let me know!

Oh and I don't mind the bulkiness if it's going to take great pictures...I just like to have a little more creativity than my P&S is giving me. Thanks for the advice everyone

Just be aware that there is a difference. I do not know the technical reason but the digital camera always appears closer. You will not get as wide an angle a shot as you would with the same lens made for a digital camera. I find that it was not a big deal, no way was I buying all news lenses when mine worked just fine.

 

[Master Mason]

Just be aware that there is a difference. I do not know the technical reason but the digital camera always appears closer. You will not get as wide an angle a shot as you would with the same lens made for a digital camera. I find that it was not a big deal, no way was I buying all news lenses when mine worked just fine.

The technical reason is the sensor is smaller than the piece of film, so your only capturing a smaller portion of the light that comes though the lens. In canons the factor 1.6 so to get the equivialant in mm to a 35 you mutlipy it by 1.6. It isn't a problem your just not as wide as you would get with a 35mm camera.