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UncSki1218

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OK.. i've just aobut got all of the money i need to buy my slr. I'm looking at the Canon 350D (digital rebel xt), the Canon 20D, and the Canon 30D. I know that the 30D is an updated 20D. Also, i know the Digital Rebel Xt is pretty much the cheapest slr you can get. My problem is which one? I'm having trouble liking the rebel. It seems kind of small in my hands. I would prefer something a little sturdier or bulkier. So i guess its between the 20d and 30d...
 
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The 20D is a brilliant camera but the 30D includes improved metering and a bigger lcd screen. Both can use an extended battery grip which makes the camera more comfortable for bigger hands and also has a vertical shutter release.

I've been using the 20D for a year now and I'm extremely impressed with the results. The 30D can only be an small improvement but it all depends on how much having the newest piece of kit means to you.
 
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if you can swing it go for the 30d, updated all over....Have you seen the 5D? is that too much money? what lenses are you looking at?
 
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have you considered nikon? or do you insist on canon? tHE nIKON D50 is an excellent camera that's price doesn't represent the level it's at. I have one, and it takes just as good pictures as my dad's d70s, which is pretty much the equivilent of the 20d(some would match it with the rebel xt, but i think it is better) If you lan on doing high ISO shooting, then go with canon, but the nikons you will see feel much better in you hand for more still shooting or just not super high ISO
 
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I have the rebelXT and it's a great camera especially because if freed up enough $$$ to pick up a couple good lenses. I actually like the smaller feel... But it didn't take me long to outgrow it's feature set.

I would probably go with the 30D ... especially if you do any kind of fast action stuff. That faster capture rate & buffer size mean the difference between getting the shot and blowing it.
 
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I dont think the D50 could be put into the same category as the 30D or 5D, most likely not even the 20D.

Any camera can take good photographs, it depends on what functions you need and which functions are important on the type of photography you wish to get into.

I am not saying its a bad camera...
 
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got the 350D and love it but if i had the cash for a 30D then it would be mine in a heartbeat :D
 
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It all depends on what you plan on doing with it. I would be tempted to get the 30D, however don't forget to leave some serious money for the lenses. They are just as important.
 
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Say_Cheese said:
It all depends on what you plan on doing with it. I would be tempted to get the 30D, however don't forget to leave some serious money for the lenses. They are just as important.

I can't agree more.... I actually thought that the 350D wasn't up to snuff and had started looking into ebaying it and bumping up... But fortunately I decided to buy my first L lens (the 70-200 IS) before switching. It was like night and day... I went from poor color, soft focus, and full of CA to crisp, fully contrasted images instantly. The glass makes all the difference in the world.

You could have a 25 megapixel image... but for every pixel's worth your lens causes to blur you have cut your effective viewing resolution into 1/4ths... It's all about the glass... Especially when you go to or beyond the 8 megapixel mark.
 
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I think I'm in the same boat.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a rebel xt, body only. What lenses do you recommend for a good multi-functional lens? My fiancee and I are getting married in May and want an all around good lens. What I mean by all around is can do distant shots, portrait, etc. well. Does anyone have recommendations?
 
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depends on how much cash you have really.
I got the 350d (Rebel XT to you lot ;)) with the 18-55 kit and then got the 100-300USM lens and does me for all occasions so far
 
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Yeah... It really depends on what you can spend. After buying the 70-200mm F/2.8L IS I personally have stopped buying lenses that aren't L series... Just because I want plenty of room to grow. The difference in quality is just stunning... But of course the difference in price is too. :eek:neye: There are a couple of good EF-S lenses that aren't L series... but they won't work with the higher end full 35mm sensor cameras if you ever plan to bump up beyond the 30D.

If you like shooting portrait type stuff than I would highly recommend the 50mm f/1.4 USM. It runs a little over $300... And although it doesn't become really sharp until you stop it down to f/2.8 or so... if you are in a low light situation having that f/1.4 aperture is awesome. Plus the short DOF is stunning: http://www.jeremiahstrauss.com/gallery2/v/us/IMG_5874.jpg.html Keep in mind though this is a prime lens (no zoom)... so it will push you a little more creatively.

This site has some great reviews that I have found to be pretty accurate:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/index.php?cat=45
 
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Sarasboy, I agree the 50mm lenses are great however think that if someone were thinking portraits they may want to consider the 85mm. Canon has a few versions and all are supposed to be outstanding glass. I think that focal length works better for me than the 50, you can be a bit further away from your subject and it shrinks the background a bit (amount of background you have to concern yourself with.)
 
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What do you all think about 3rd party lenses, like Sigma?
 
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Odin_aa said:
Sarasboy, I agree the 50mm lenses are great however think that if someone were thinking portraits they may want to consider the 85mm. Canon has a few versions and all are supposed to be outstanding glass. I think that focal length works better for me than the 50, you can be a bit further away from your subject and it shrinks the background a bit (amount of background you have to concern yourself with.)

Good point... That being said, on a 1.6x crop like the Rebel or 20/30D the 50mm technically is right around the equivelant of 85mm on a full frame camera... Which is considered pretty standard for portrait photography. And the f/1.4 makes up for any DOF gains from the shorter focal length compared to the 85mm f/1.8. Now the real gem is the 85mm 1.2L... I rented it for a gig awhile back and it was amazing... But canon is really proud of that one ($$$).

As far as Sigma lenses... I don't personally buy them... but I am kind of a Canon snob... that's just me. I know other guys that do and love them.

Bottom line munch, and I'm sure Odin_aa will agree, it is really a matter of personal taste. You just have to hit the local shop and try a few out and see what works for you.
 
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Sigma stuff is good so dont discount it. The thing is though that some people van get snotty about lens and will only buy one brand, people like sarahsboy have a good reason for being a snob though ;) as they use the L series stuff.

Me personally i use what ever i can afford mixed with what ever the general opinion of people i trust is. I was going to get something like a Sigma/Tamron 70-200 lens but a canon 100-300 came up at the same price and the guys in the shop said the canon lens so i took that purely on price and i would have still been really happy to buy another branded lens.
 
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I always had my Canon 28-105mm lens that came bundled with my Canon EOS 5. A year ago in February I brought the 70-200 f2.8 IS USM L Series. I won't buy anything other than L series now. I can justify the cost to myself easily just by looking at the difference in results.
 
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sarahsboy18 said:
Good point... That being said, on a 1.6x crop like the Rebel or 20/30D the 50mm technically is right around the equivelant of 85mm on a full frame camera...
Yes, thats true...and I love the 50mm and you cannot beat the f/1.4 price on those lenses. I guess I will have to wait to actually have both the 50mm and 85mm (should have soon ordered it ages ago) to see which gets used more.

sarahsboy18 said:
As far as Sigma lenses... I don't personally buy them... but I am kind of a Canon snob... that's just me. I know other guys that do and love them.
Bottom line munch, and I'm sure Odin_aa will agree, it is really a matter of personal taste. You just have to hit the local shop and try a few out and see what works for you.

I have owned one sigma lens, the 105mm macro. It hunted for focus and was too slow and noisy for me. Photo quality was decent and I agree with Sarasboy on everything and will repeat some of it ...

I currently only own Nikon lenses, I do have a 12-24mm Tokina on order which is supposed to be a superb lens. B&H will ship it today, so I would guess it will be in my hands NLT Sat/Monday and will let you know my thoughts on it.

Tokina as a third party is supposed to be "tops" then I think Tamron then Sigma. However they all have lenses that are considered better than others, for instance the Tokina 12-24 is 1/3 the price of either Nikon or Canon's equal and supposed to have the same Color/Contrast/Sharpness as these. Any time it is possible to go to a camera shop and throw one on your camera take a few shots then go home and look at them, when using the lens focus on something that has vertical changes and something that has horizontal changes to see if it opertates in what you find to be acceptable standards. Ideally if you have a large camera shop, you could even try more than one brand under the exact same lighting and settings to compare at home.

If its just a hobby, why go into debt...although show me a cheap hobby I have never had one.
 
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Hmmmm mac's and DSLR's not really cheap are they :D
 
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UncSki1218

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thanks so much for all of the help. im leaning towards the 30d. its only a couple hundred more than the 20d and i love the larger screen. and i plan on this being my camera for a long time so i want something really good. its not that the rebel xt isnt good its jsut that if im going to have this for a loong time i think i might as well spend a lot. it comes with the stock lens and then ill probably get one more...
 

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