Digital Camera Purchase

Amy McCray

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Dec 3, 2002
Posts
2,780
Loc
North Prairie, WI
I'm looking at the Canon EOS Rebel XT digital camera. When doing a search on PC World, there are prices ranging from $819-999.

Anyone familiar with the camera?

Are the low-end vendors on the up-and-up or is it asking for trouble?

I'm familiar w/ 42nd. St. Photo, J&R Photo and PCConnection. Most of the others are unknown entities.

Thanks for any input.
 
Amy, I have had experience with Canon 35mms, but not with their digitals. (I have an Olympus digital) Canon's reputation precedes them, as does Nikon's and several others. In country-talk, their stuff 'works good and lasts a long time'

I checked B&H, a reputable outfit, and their price was $1399! By the description of the camera, you'll be ready to do some SERIOUS photography!!
 
You picked a great camera. I own the 6mp Canon Digital Rebel (Predecessor to the XT model) and I am very happy. This is as close as you can get to a professional digital camera for under a thousand bucks.

I am not a big fan of mail order or on-line photo equipment dealers. Watch out for bait & switch and hidden shipping costs. I am much more comfortable but a brick and mortar camera store.

Doug
 
Amy -
When we were camera resellers, we were a Canon direct dealer and many, many times we had "customers" coming into our store crying the blues because they got burned buying thru mail-order camera stores. So, my best advice to you is "buyer beware" Check 'em out before you buy.
Lately, when I need something for myself or for a customer, we use: http://www.uniquephoto.com
They are reputable, reasonably priced & no "bait & switch" that you might get otherwise.
Check out:
http://www.uniquephoto.com/index.php?expand=5627&detail=CND3013
It has the new Canon Rebel XT 8 meg w/ 18-55mm lens for $889.95
Hope this helps.
 
Baer -
I believe Canon refers to it as a "carbon-fiber"
polymer body - - - translation: Plastic
But, all the major manufacturers have been using plastic for over twenty-five years (including in some top-of-the-line lenses) and it is rare to find a reasonably priced camera that doesn't.

In my own experience, I've accidently dropped my digital Rebel a couple times (including getting tackled out-of-bounds at a local H.S. football game) w/ no problems.
 
That $1399 B&H price included an 17 - 85 image stabilizing lens as well as the body. The same camera with a non IS lens is around $900. The same range as Newegg. Always check to make sure you are pricing apples to apples. The other prices of $800 to $900 either don't include a lens or might have a lens that isn't image stabilizing. A big difference.

Personally, B&H has always been the best place to buy for getting what you want and fair dealing with them. If you can, go for the extra money and get the one with the image stabilizing lens.

I have two big lenses and both are IS and I wouldn't have it any other way. IS lenses will give you at least 2-3 more stops to shoot with. It is all I use on my Canon 1Ds. The second generation IS lenses will also stabilize the camera when you are panning such as following a bird in flight. It keeps the up/down movement to a minimum. Pretty cool!!

Also, go for at least a 1g CF card for the camera. Anything smaller and you will fill it way too fast with 8mp images. 2G would be better yet. They aren't very expensive compared to film and processing.
 
When not framing I play a camera store sales manager - the XT is a great choice. Easy to use and lightweight.

For about the same money you can probably still pick up a Nikon D70 kit - SUPERIOR lens, and a terrific camera. With the new (not many real differences) D70s the D70 represents a great bargain. The lens packaged in the kit sells for nearly $400 alone.

But either would be a good choice.
NOW about mail order/internet purchases: Just as in the framing biz we have BB evildoers, in the camera world the equivalent would be the web sellers. This is a major purchase - and service through an internet dealer will probably be spotty at best. For a purchase of this magnitude I would only consider a local brick and mortar store. Those low-ball $700-$800 prices will not be legit. The best recognized and respected web seller would probably be B&H - and their price can be had locally just about anywhere. We all try to support the local independent when we can, right???

Buy US, manufacturer's warranty (worldwide is good anywhere BUT US) product only since US importers won't honor non-US warranty AND out-of-warranty repairs (and about 1/3 of warranty requests are denied, in my experience) on most digital SLRs run $300-$400.

Don't forget to budget about 1/3 for accy's - memory, card reader, etc. The MicroDrive is a great invention for the large Meg cameras - a 3G will run about the same price as a 1G CF card
Tony
 
I agree completely, Framah. I've done business with B&H for years with no complaints whatsoever. Adorama is another reputable company, IMHO. The back pages of Pop. Photography and about all the other big-time photography mags are full of ads from the Super-Duper-Too-Good-To-Be-True bait and switch outfits to the good ones like B&H.

You're right, too, in that I didn't read the small prints. I can't afford $1399 for a camera, or can't justify it. I already have an adequate digital and 2 old, faithful Nikon FE's. And the FE's DO have metal bodies, as well as a variety of Nikkor lenses. Sad thing is, I don't use any of them much any more.
 
Mike, that's funny 'carbon fiber'... but can you wrap that on a mat?

The reason I went with the Nikon D70 was the workhorse metal body and the superior lens. I also bought from a local proshop and got the 3 year USA warrenty...
while I was in doing my research a lady brought in her Rebel....smashed to **** and she had her "Worldwide" warrenty....

After they calmed her down about her smashed 2 week old toy.... they established that her Platinum card would cover the accident.... not her smashed bicycle, but the camera.

She walked out with the Nikon....and USA warrenty.

So the next week I followed suit as well as the 70-200 lens.
 
I have two Rebel 35mm bodies and six Canon lenses, so I bought the Rebel. So far, I'm pretty pleased with my "toy," and I was a photographer long before I became a framer.

Amy, if you can find the 6 mega-pixel Rebel, you may save a couple hundred bucks. I doubt you'd miss the extra 2 mega-pixels.

If you aren't already invested in either system, I'll bet you'd be equally happy with the Canon or the Nikon.
 
Hey, Charles... wanna buy my old Nikon F3?? You could add it to your collection. I used to have the Nikkormat EL with a motor drive and a couple of extra bodies for spare parts. Finally, I couldn't even find an old spare body for a part I needed so I eventually moved up to the F3. It is/was a work horse just like the EL and I could bang it on the mountains and it kept working. It always gave me good readings and clean shots.

The only reason I switched to Canon when I went digital was that Nikons digital at the time was only 5 mp and Canons D60 was 6.3 and half the price. THe other half of the money went for new Canon lenses. Haven't looked back since. Canons noise reduction program still has everyone beat.

Check out http://www.luminous-landscape.com/ for great camera reviews and a really helpful chat room.
 
Make sure you're getting good glass on the front, it is common for lower prices oferrers to change out the lens.

My favourite camera in this range at the moment would have to be the Olympus E-300, the manual/auto focus just rocks for sports photography.
 
QUestion! Do the lenes from the conon AEI which is the 35mm I have fit the Canon rebel digital?

I have quite a few lenses and that would make the switch to digital easier. Plus I just don't like the little tiny fit in your pocket digitals. My eyes can't see all of those little tiny icons that tell you your settings. I want a digital that I can manipulate like my 35mm. Thanks for those in the know.
 
No, the Rebel uses only the newer autofocus lenses.

I have a full set of the older lenses and a T-90 body (I think an EF somewhere, too) but I bought the Rebels when I realized I couldn't focus without my glasses any more and couldn't use the viewfinder WITH glasses.

I looked into contacts but discovered they were not a good option for me.

It's a ***** getting old.
 
Thanks so much everyone. I was undecided between the Nikon D70 and the Canon ES Rebel XT. I do like the idea of the metal body of the Nikon.

I didn't know about the IS lenses. Does the Nikon D70 have that type of lens?

My current SLR has lasted me almost 30 years. I would have stuck with that but just when I had only one day left to get good pictures (sunny day and blue sky)of my horse before he was put down, the back door to the camera started popping open all on its own! Duct tape solved that one but what a panic before I figured out it was the camera and not something stupid I was doing in my rush. Guess after 30 years it deserves to be retired.

I don't buy frequently, but when I do I'm willing to invest in above average versatility and quality that will last a long time. Of course the technology curve these days makes that a challenge. It sounds like I'll certainly have room to Grow with either of these.

As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. I am rethinking going local. Good point.

Thanks again. It will make a nice birthday present to myself. Of course, I'd always rather go skinny-dipping (my usual birthday tradition).
 
Another point about going local.

I some how switched on a read-out that was covering the display... I couldn't see if I got a good picture or not. Had all the info though....

No mater what I did, I couldn't make it go away...

So this morning I was driving past the pro shop where I bought it....
I walked in and grabbed the guy who sold it to me....before I could try to explain, he said "just show me." and laughed...

I took his picture and showed him the display with all the info....

He pointed to a little button...."see this button? Don't push it again."
We just laughed and enjoyed the moment. He also showed me a few other things.. and said when I'm comfortable with doing those, come on back. He had many more neat things about the Nikon to do.

I thought I bought a camera.

Turns out I bought a school full of turned on photo freak teachers who really love turning other people on to doing fun things. Wow! 27 new best friends. And they don't know squat about framing... :D
 
Amy

I hope I am not too late to give you some advice

I used to do a lot of photography - went to school for it too.

What I would strongly recomend is gettin a memory card & taking it to a local photo store & try abunch of pics on several cameras - use a tripod & use diff settings but try the same thing on each camera - you will be amazed at the differences. Take pics of what you will be taking pics of. If you need it for copy work of framing jobs - MAKE SURE THAT THE PICTURE COMES OUT SQUARE!!! test some pics on there walls.

I used to have a fuji digital - a pretty good one - awesome camera, but the lens could not reproduce a square exactly. I sold it & bought a Nikon 8800 VR Cool pix - awesome lens - nice correct reproduction - maybe a bit pricier but you wouldn't beleive the difference in quality.

Make sure you take that disk home, check all the pics on your computer - Zoom in close. Also check the edges- are the lines straight or bowed. You should be able to get pretty straight lines.

Oh, and please buy from the same local guy that you tried out the cameras.

Hope that helps.
 
Thanks HB. What a great idea! Also good point about making sure the pic is square. I plan on using it for framing plus everything else that comes up.

Going to Colo. in Sept. Would like to get some panoramic but I believe I'll have to get an additional lens for that. The standard lens that comes w/ the Canon is 18-55. I don't know about the Nikon.
 
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