Suggestions for new Canon DSLR
- Thread starter Tucson T4R
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7wt
Expedition Leader
I wasn't getting the pics I thought I should be getting in low light situations with my D40 either until I found that my camera was set on the incandesant light setting. All of my pictures were tinted blue and it was embarassing when I showed the shots to my Canon friend. Once I went through all the seetings and took the time to learn what they all did, I couldn't be happier. I love they way the menus cycle through, very user intuitive. I was actually thinking about upgrading the body but decided to keep it due to it's small size and just spend the cash on some glass instead. Each day that goes by, the happier I am with my D40.Tucson T4R said:
goodtimes
Expedition Poseur
Ursidae69 said:
Oh, not saying anything bad about the XTi...just pointing out that there is a place where Brad can go handle (fondle?) each of them, see how they fit his hands, etc. After working on the GPS review with Chris, I was really kind of surprized at how big of an effect handling each of the pieces under review helped solidify my opinions about them.
Plus, as PWC pointed out, it (5D) doesn't fit the budget in question.
As for hiking....I have given up taking my dSLR due to the size and weight. I have a new option on its way.
:box:
Photog
Explorer
Even a used 5D won't fit in the budget. 
The 30D & 40D have metal body structures. The Rebels have plastic bodies.
The 30D & 40D are about 1/2 pound heavier, and 1/2" larger, in all three dimensions, than the D-Rebels.
The 40D allows you to change the focusing screen, to a grid, or a screen designed for manual focus.
They will all take decent pictures. The 30D & 40D have better noise reduction at higher ISO; but the Nikon D200 is even better (also weather sealed).
A used Nikon D200 would be my 1st choice, then a Canon 40D, then a Nikon D80, and last a Canon 30D.
Pentax is also building some good cameras again. The K200D has "shake reduction" built into the body, which also shakes dust off the CCD. It is weather sealed, and larger CCD than Canon. The K20D is even better, but costs more too.
So many options at this price point.
The 30D & 40D have metal body structures. The Rebels have plastic bodies.
The 30D & 40D are about 1/2 pound heavier, and 1/2" larger, in all three dimensions, than the D-Rebels.
The 40D allows you to change the focusing screen, to a grid, or a screen designed for manual focus.
They will all take decent pictures. The 30D & 40D have better noise reduction at higher ISO; but the Nikon D200 is even better (also weather sealed).
A used Nikon D200 would be my 1st choice, then a Canon 40D, then a Nikon D80, and last a Canon 30D.
Pentax is also building some good cameras again. The K200D has "shake reduction" built into the body, which also shakes dust off the CCD. It is weather sealed, and larger CCD than Canon. The K20D is even better, but costs more too.
So many options at this price point.
Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
Thanks for all the great input. I'll dig a little deeper into some of these options and see where I end up.
nwoods
Expedition Leader
the dude said:
The 40D is a camera, the Xsi is a toy. The difference is in the build quality. If you take your camera out into the great outdoors, dustproofing and weather-tightness and body strength is imporant. I have a 20D, precursor to the 40D. I once sliped when decending a large rock formation (the "staircase" on the Broken Arrow trail in Sedona) and SLAMMED my 20D and brand new 16-35 Mk II F2.8 L lens into the rock at the end of my extremely long arms as I swung them wildly in an a high speed arc. The camera hit so hard I just turned it off and tossed it into the back of the truck. I was almost in tears.
Later, after some wine and time, I pulled it out, dissassembled it, cleaned it, put it back together and it takes images sharper than ever. Hardly a scratch on it. Thank goodness for a good lens hood/flare shield which must have absorbed some of impact, but otherwise everything is fine. Since then, I have had the camera in for it's yearly service at Canon, and I can't tell anything different other than it's a bit cleaner.
The 20D/40D and higher range of cameras are like good tools from SnapOn or Matco.
The dRebels take great images, but don't stress test them! This is true for the Nikon range as well - D40, fun, good images, toy. D80 and up, excellent.
Another extreme example. My friend went to Antartica on a National Geographic boat tour (how cool is that!). He had two Canon 1D's and a DRebel. The DRebel literally froze solid, the 1D's kept on shooting.
Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
the dude said:
My funds got redirected on this one so I had to put this on the back burner.
I hope to revist this next year.:birthday.sml:
gearbox
Adventurer
At that time you should be able to get the XSi for a little cheaper. Add in an EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM II and you've got a good all-around set-up for around $1100. Considering that the 40D with 28-135 is about $1390 you might want to go that route. Of course, there's nothing wrong with the XTi either.Tucson T4R said:My funds got redirected on this one so I had to put this on the back burner.
I hope to revist this next year.:birthday.sml:
Don't forget you'll need/want a decent bag, at least two lenses total (wide zoom and tele zoom), a flash, extra cards, extra battery, a card reader, post-processing software, etc..
A couple of years ago you could stack Dell coupons to get about $200 off. Keep hunting those down from "hot deal" websites since you're going to wait a year anyway.
the dude
Adventurer
We pulled the trigger on the toy model. Picked up an XSI with 18-55 EFS IS for just over $800 with two 8gb cards. I wish the EFS lens would work on the older EOS cameras but they don't. I have the EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM II and appears to be a good lens for the XSi. For ourselves it came down to camera use and money. We figure that we will invest in the lens, flash ect and if we become proficient with the drebel then we will move up to one of the big boys.
I already have my wife looking at the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens but would like your opinions on a new lens to fit into our collection.
I already have my wife looking at the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens but would like your opinions on a new lens to fit into our collection.
the dude said:
The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is simply a stellar lens. It is heavy (3.2 lbs I think) and not subtle. Sometimes that it good. Whenever I had that lens on the camera, people would always assume I was a pro and get our of my way. It didn't hurt that it was on a 1 series body
. Lens and camera are long gone (stolen). I have a 40D coming with a 70-300 DO. I'll take the slight image quality loss to save a whole lot of weight. I had a 28-135 but decided that it would give me too much overlap this time. I'm getting a 17-55 instead and I'll try to live with the 55-70 gap that I'll have.
Photog
Explorer
The 70-200mm f2.8L is a bread-and-butter lens for many pro photographers. They usually pair it up with the 24-70mm f2.8L. With these two lenses, a teleconverter (1.5X or 2.0X), and a favorite super-wide angle zoom (like your 18-55mm), your lens selection is complete. There are other options, depending on the weight you want to carry, and the speed of the lens.the dude said:
A lighter version of the 70-200mm is the f4L lens. It does not let in as much light, being an f4, but it is much smaller and lighter also. The "L" in the lens description, is how Canon designates their Professional lenses.
The body of the Rebel XSi is not strong enough to hold up the 70-200mm f2.8L lens. The lens will distort the mirror box. This is not a big problem, you just have to support the lens, and let the body hang on the back. The lens comes with its own tripod mount. Use it! When shooting without a tripod, support the lens with your hand, don't grasp the body, and let the lens hang from it.
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