BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Digital Cameras and Accessories

eos digital rebel

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0 July 08, 2004

Hmm... well, everyone will eventually outgrow their camera. It is just a matter of time. :

The 300D/DigitalRebel/Digital KISS is a fine camera for getting into Digital SLR work if you are coming from a SLR background. Many of the controls will be familiar, especially if your last camera was a Canon.

The camera itself is fine in terms of taking pictures. There are some minor issues with the camera like mirror slap vibration and software limited features compared to the 10D. Personally, when I held the camera in my hands, it felt fragile and small, prompting me to go with a different camera. (The camera I eventually chose was cheaper and less powerful/versatile than the 300D. I too was on a budget. ^_^;)

So for a starter DSLR, the 300D is fine.

Now, for the lens. A fast lens is a lense which can allow for more light to be brought in and thus allow for faster exposures via faster shutter speeds. This allows you to take pictures of fast moving objects or to take steady pictures of far away objects when using a long lens.

If you buy the Body+Lens kit, you will get a decent lens with the camera. Bear in mind the lens is of plastic construction for the tube.

The camera can take on any EF/EOS mount lens from Canon, Sigma, Tamron, etc. So you have a wide selection of lenses to choose from.

Which lens is useful to you depends on what you intend to shoot. If you want a one lens does all, then you might want to go with a Sigma 50mm-500mm zoom telephoto lens. The f-stop is, I think, f/4-f/6.3.

Suggestion:

1) Go to a local camera store with a memory card(Compact Flash), and ask to use the camera in the store to take some test shots with your memory card. This lets you evaulate how well pictures come out at home, later. Get the camera in your hand and feel it. Is it comfortable? Too big? Too small? etc.

2) Once you have decided the 300D is good for you, buy the body+lens kit. Use that for a while to see what limitations you run up against. That will help in giving you an idea of how much reach and how fast a lens you need for your style of shooting. If you have other photography friends who own a Canon with EF lens mounts, ask to borrow their lenses with your camera to see if that is a good fit for your photography needs.

The body and lens kit should be in the ballpark of $800-$1000, depending on where you buy the camera.

I would recommend getting the following for your camera:

- At least one spare battery module for the camera. ($40-$80/battery)

- CF cards 512MB in size and at least 12X in speed. Have 2 since you will find that a 6MP camera fills up the card rather fast.($100/512MB CF card, depending on brand/speed.)

All told, you're looking at about $1300 after taxes, but before shipping. I wouldn't recommend buying your CF cards from the same place you buy your camera. Shop around. Inevitably, they will cost more at the camera store and less at a computer store.

Oh. There is no difference between "photo" and "computer" CF cards. The brand of the card doesn't affect the quality of the image taken. And the battery that comes with the camera IS rechargable.

Good luck!

Wing

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0 July 08, 2004

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0 July 09, 2004

The camera felt nice. But the controls were alien to me since I've been shooting with the Minolta A1 recently. Shot some pictures and looked at how they came out. Some were blurry and others were fine. Focusing was heck of a lot faster on it than on my A1. :) In the end, I left the store with the feeling that the camera is only as good as the person using it. That is, in terms of experience and familiarity with the specific camera/lens combo.

When it comes to price these days... sometimes, part of the cost is the name of the maker. :( But having said that, EF L-series lenses are nice. :)

With your existing collection of EF mount lenses, you basically have a nice upgrade path should you outgrow your 300D. There's the 1d(s)(ii) series cameras with faster response and higher resolution. There's also the Kodak SL/n? 13.5 MP EF mount camera body. Nice options with the EF mount system.

Most camera salesmen who work in department stores and such are well... not really camera people. They just happen to sell cameras. At the other end of the spectrum, camera folk who sell cameras are so versed in camera speak that there are alot of assumptions about what the buyer does and does not know. :( Happens with any field. Computers, especially. ^_-

Expensive isn't necessarily better. The photos here on this site prove that. Having good information on the camera and how best to make use of it's ability will help.I've seen really beautiful and well made photographs from a $20 Holga. :) The most important piece of equipment you will ever need is yourself.

If you want, feel free to email me with questions. :) I enjoy answering questions and don't mind fielding questions with long emails. ^_-

Good luck!

Wing.

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0 July 09, 2004