Canon XS or Sony A300?

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I am finally buying a nice camera and wanted to get some input from you folks. I have pretty much no experience in photography and I am just getting started. Prices are the same.

I have it narrowed down to the following two cameras:

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS outfit (18-55mm EF-S IS and 75-300mm EF III)

Sony DSLR-A300a (SAL 1870 Zoom Lens and SAL 55200 Telephoto Zoom)

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice?
 
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If it comes down to those two companies, here is what I would advise: Sony is an electronics company. Canon is a Camera company. For a camera, I would always pick the Canon. You'll have a nice selection of lenses as well.

I'm a Nikon guy myself, but Canon has great gear. Sony guts are great for video, but for still photography you'll want to go with Canon.
 
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That's a very good point. I think the Canon wins the more I think about it. I was also looking at the Nikon D60 two lens kit (AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm VR and 55-200mm VR) as well, but it is more.
 
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The Nikon is of course a fantastic outfit with the kit lenses. No argument there. Really what you are looking for is the best deal in phtotograhphic equipment that you can possibly get. A Canon with 18-55mm lens works out quite nicely, the Nikon with the same options for the same price works out as well. I suggests you do those as opposed to the Sony. With a Canon system you have lens options and a Nikon you have the same.

Either way you'll be better off. Oh, and you'll have flash options if you choose. The things you'll want to work photo-wise are aperture and shutter speed. Everything else is how it's done.
 
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Thanks for all the thoughts walkerj. My wife is trying to push me to get the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS, but I am really pushing for the dSLR. We are taking a trip to California here shortly and I really want to get some time with it before we go. I think I will be buying something this week either way. Thanks again for the help.
 
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One of the best deals right now is the Canon 40D. You can get them nearly brand new for about $700. It was such a short cycle between the 30D and the 50D that a lot of 40D owners are getting rid of their cameras for the latest and greatest. The 40D is an amazing camera for the price and is better than anything mentioned in this thread so far.

The down side to the Nikon D40's and D60 is that not all Nikon lenses have AF motors in them and Nikon removed the AF drive from the body, so not all lenses will AF with their entry level cameras. This is a big negative for some. But then again, if you were looking at Nikon I'd say skip the "entry level" and go for a D80.

Used is your best bet because camera bodies are like cars, they depreciate in value so fast. I have an original Canon Digital Rebel that my father paid about $1000 for. It's probably worth no more than $250. My not even two year old 30D is worth about half of what I paid for it and the 5D MKII that I ordered will probably drop $300 in price by the time it actually hits my door step.
 
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If it comes down to those two companies, here is what I would advise: Sony is an electronics company. Canon is a Camera company. For a camera, I would always pick the Canon. You'll have a nice selection of lenses as well.

I'm a Nikon guy myself, but Canon has great gear. Sony guts are great for video, but for still photography you'll want to go with Canon.

Actually, Canon makes copiers, printers, fax machines, and many other products. Sony's camera department absorbed Minolta. They were a camera company. Sony is also going to be a serious player given some time. I mean, they do have a 24mp full frame DSLR on the market. That is the most MP's crammed onto a sensor at this point in time.
 
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Just got home from driving through a blizzard to get my new Canon XS two lens kit (18-55mm IS & 75-300mm III). I got it charging right now. I have always liked Canon's (have had 4 PowerShot's).

I liked the Sony as well, but it did not feel as good. The Live View implementation seemed nicer, but I am not sure how much I would have used it.

I am thinking about trading the 75-300 for the same one with IS (99 bucks more I think). Does that sound like a good idea? I am a total newbie to the whole dSLR scene and I cannot wait to get started. I bought a cool book and DVD on the camera as well. Seems very cool.

Thanks for the pointers folks. In the end I have always wanted a Canon dSLR so I think it was the best decision for me.
 
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with a zoom lens IS (image stability) is all was better... i'd say 50mm and under it is not as big of a deal.
 
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I am guessing "is all was better" means you think IS in a zoom lens is better ;)
 
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Better watch Canon, in the smaller S2 IS they knowingly installed image sensors that were build by Sony that failed. Because they weren't Canon built, they weren't responsible for the thousands of them that failed, and refused to repair any of them except at the owner's expense. They failed just after the 1 year warrany expired and the cost to repair the Sony sensor was almost $200.00
 
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mdfuller
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Better watch Canon, in the smaller S2 IS they knowingly installed image sensors that were build by Sony that failed. Because they weren't Canon built, they weren't responsible for the thousands of them that failed, and refused to repair any of them except at the owner's expense. They failed just after the 1 year warrany expired and the cost to repair the Sony sensor was almost $200.00

Where did you see this?
 
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It was in a response from a Canon support person working on my problem, plus in many support groups of people that had the same problem with them. I Googled the problem but forget exactly which site I went to. I didn't make it up!
 
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I vote sony, I have had an a100 and now I have an a700 and they both have been fantastic camera's.

Lots of peope will say canon because sony are the new guys on the block when it comes to DSLR's but that is something that is slowly changing. There are more lens's and accessories for canon but there is not a shortage for sony either.

Go to a shop and pick both the camera's up and choose from that not from asking people on the internet who will just go with what ever make camera they have.
 
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I already bought the Canon per my previous post, but thanks for the pointers.
 
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I vote sony, I have had an a100 and now I have an a700 and they both have been fantastic camera's.

Lots of peope will say canon because sony are the new guys on the block when it comes to DSLR's but that is something that is slowly changing. There are more lens's and accessories for canon but there is not a shortage for sony either.

Go to a shop and pick both the camera's up and choose from that not from asking people on the internet who will just go with what ever make camera they have.

Well right now Canon and Nikon have the best options for upgrade paths to pro bodies. Eventually Sony will catch up if they keep working on their full frame camera.
 
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OK. This thread has officially spun out of control.
 

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