New Canon Digital Rebel

[bobtrips]

rsun -

Again, not trying to talk you into one camera or another, but I do get hung up on 'facts'. I like to have the best set available when I make a decision. (I sometimes let my get feelings swing the decision if the facts don't make the choice clear....)

Your profile says US. Check http://www.pricegrabber.com and you should find the A1 for around $700. And get some realistic lens prices before you finish totaling the Rebel costs.

Remember that good glass should be usable on future cameras and that bodies will almost certainly get better. But, yes, you will need something around 17 mm on a 35 mm camera to get you to 28 mm on the Rebel.

And you're probably going to want something a bit more in terms of a longer zoom. I've heard many, many good things about the Canon (I think it's 35), 35-135 Image Stabilized lens.

I'm going to guess that it's going to cost you closer to $2k to get the Rebel and lenses to match the A1. But that might be a better way to go in the long run. The Rebel and lenses just wasn't a camera that I wanted to carry while traveling.

And I really doubt that you can tell anything from the images posted here on this site in terms of camera quality. Unless someone uploads full sized images, you download and print them you just can't see the difference on the screen. What you're most likely seeing is better photographers, not a better camera.

Check the reviews at http://www.dpreview.com. Download some sample files and have them printed. (Costco prints 8"x12" for $1.99. Heck, they'll print a 12"x18" for $2.99.)

[rsun]

Thanks again Bobtrips!!!

I did get to hold the A1 today... nice a little getting used to the EVF, I thought it was hard to focus manually. I take it is something you get used to.

Yes, I do have to pin point my needs!!

1) If I traveled alot and wanted more compact the A1 would be it... but I don't travel that often.

2) I am an amature photog with some knwoledge... my area of expertease lie's in broadcast video production.

3) I am the type that likes to up grade!! the Rebel alows me to that with len's choices but I can always by tele converters and wide angle adaptors for the A1

4) My train of thoughtis getting me NO-Where!!!! i have a headache from all this thinking... but I am fotunate that I can consider one of these camears so I am not complaining.....

If it comes down to... Ijust want to buy a digital and not worry about other lenses and have an all for one bundel...I would be leaning towards the A1 unless I decide that the 18-55mm canon lens is sufice-again my brain waunders off making this more difficult i think I am the only person that goes through this when buying things!!!

[bobtrips]

EVFs are off-putting when you first start using them. I really didn't like the one on my C2100z the first day I used it. By the second day the EVF seemed 'natural'. Several months later when I was asked to take a picture using someone else's SLR (a monk standing on the top of a temple in Myanmar) I was surprised at the clarity of the viewfinder. It was so much crisper and clearer than the EVF. But I missed the EVF information....

I seldom manually focus. I spent a year scanning in my thousands of slides and was disappointed at my failure to get good focus when shooting rapidly which is something that one does when traveling. You can't pose a yak train. Auto focus is much better than I am.

The A1 has a couple of very nice focus features. One of them is a small 'focus point' - a little area marked by arrows that one centers on the point in the scene that you want maximally focused. You can then move the camera to change the framing and the focus stays locked on the chosen spot. You can also magnify the image 2x to let you choose your point more precisely.

All that said...

It sounds to me that the Canon better suits your needs. Size/weight isn't as much as issue. You aren't put off with the idea that you will most likely end up spending more money for lenses in the future. (Add-on lenses for cameras are a bit like kissing your sister.)

[shecodes]

You aren't the only one that goes through this. Be sure to handle the camera you want to purchase. Take some pictures and have the sales clerk show you how your test shots turned out.

The Digital Rebel is larger than some other cameras, but it feels so right in my hands. Your milage may vary.

[rsun]

Thanks all... sorry I took up this link that was some one elses qustions!!! I should have started a seperate.

My mind is made up for now I am going with the Rebel... waiting till the Holidays are over to buy, maybe I'll find a bargain!!!

I do not want to buy from the net I want a face to go along with the product in case I have any problems... plus the mom and pop shop I went to was pretty cool!!!

Thanks all for putting up with me!!!! know if I could only figure out how to put the film in ?

[jseah]

If it comes down to... Ijust want to buy a digital and not worry about other lenses and have an all for one bundel...I would be leaning towards the A1 unless I decide that the 18-55mm canon lens is sufice-again my brain waunders off making this more difficult i think I am the only person that goes through this when buying things!!!

In my opinion, the 18-55mm lens "designed" for the Rebel is too short. But just because the lens is "designed" for the camera doesn't mean that you need to buy the lens with the camera. They do sell the Rebel body only for $100 less. Also, given the incremental cost for the 18-55 lens, general perception would be that it is a cheap, lower quality lens. My opinion would be that you would be better served to purchase the body only and then add the 28-135 IS lens. This would greatly increase your reach, and the lens would be a better lens to boot. Personally, I have a 28-200 lens on my 10D, and although it is not wide enough in certain situations (taking group pictures, full length portraits), I rarely have a need to switch lens.

[shecodes]

The only problem with not getting the kit lense when you purchase the camera is that the lens is not available as a stand alone lens.

It's a good all purpose lense. I take about 70% of my photos with it.

There's plenty of discussion on the dpreview Canon 300d forum about the lense.

[richards1052]

I understand that the new Canon Rebel Digital allows interchange with the Canon Rebel SLR lenses (I own a Rebel EOS SLR). Is there anything further I need to know or be watchful of concerning this issue?

ALso, a camera store clerk told me that the SLR lens will function differently in the digital camera. Something about a smaller amount of area will be included in the shot...didn't quite understand technically what she was talking about. Can anyway both understand what I said & read it back to me in English I can understand?

thanks,

[jseah]

I understand that the new Canon Rebel Digital allows interchange with the Canon Rebel SLR lenses (I own a Rebel EOS SLR). Is there anything further I need to know or be watchful of concerning this issue?

ALso, a camera store clerk told me that the SLR lens will function differently in the digital camera. Something about a smaller amount of area will be included in the shot...didn't quite understand technically what she was talking about. Can anyway both understand what I said & read it back to me in English I can understand?

thanks,

The Rebel digital can use any lens (Canon or another manufacturer) that has the EOS mount (this is what you want to look for when purchasing a lens). The EOS lens will function on the Rebel digital EXACTLY as it would function on any EOS camera.

What the clerk said was correct. Because the size of the sensor is smaller than the size of the 35 mm film frame, the "edges" of the typical SLR lens is essentially unused. While the lens is designed to project an entire image onto a frame of 35mm film, the digital sensor will only pick up the center 62.5% of this image (the inverse of the 1.6X magnification factor).

The disadvantage of this has been addressed earlier, but the advantage of this is that generally, "cheaper" non-pro lenses tend to be sharp in the center, but less sharp at the edges of the lens. With a film SLR, this lesser quality would show up, but potentially with a digital SLR, because this part of the lens may not show up on the sensor, you may be able to get away with getting higher quality shots from a cheaper lens.

As shecodes pointed out, the 18-55 lens that comes in the EOS 300D package is made specifically for this lens, so that it is made with the smaller sensor size in mind, so the lens itself is much smaller and lighter than a comparable film SLR lens, since there is no "wasted" lens area.

John