Canon Rebel XT- For a beginner?

Hello,

Uptil now, I have mostly been using several point and shoot cameras to take

pictures. Now, I am seriously considering purchasing an entry level DSLR

system. I read the tutorial posted on photo.net about building an SLR system,

but the equipment listed there is out of my budget.

 

I came across the Canon Rebel XT camera. This camera is well within my budget,

and it seems as if people like it. I am planning to purchase the XT with the

bundled lens.

 

I am not very much experienced in photography, but I am really interested in

learning a lot more. I like to take a lot of pictures, and I feel this camera

might be a good starting point in the DSLR systems.

 

What do you all think? Will this camera be right for me? Will it be easy to

use for a beginner, and yet be powerful than point and shoot cameras?

 

What do you think about the bundled lens?

 

Thanks a lot for your help!

>> Will this camera be right for me?

 

Yes, provided the ergonomics is right for you. Try it and the 20D in the store.

 

>> What do you think about the bundled lens?

 

Not more than sufficient. You could do a lot better, albeit at a higher cost. What is your lens budget? What do you generally shoot?

 

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

It would be a great start. I suggest that you add a Canon EF 50/1.8 II prime lens to the kit. The kit zoom lens covers wide angle to short telephoto, so you can get experience with the basics, but as Yakim says, you can do a lot better for optical quality (for a price). The 50/1.8 will give you excellent image quality, plus it works well in "low light", and there's nothing like using a prime lens to help learn about image composition.

"

>> What do you think about the bundled lens?

 

>>Not more than sufficient. You could do a lot better, albeit at a higher cost. What is your lens budget? What do you generally shoot?"

 

 

 

 

Generally I shoot outdoor landscapes, and nature. But pretty often, I also like to take portrait pictures of people.

 

What kind of lens would you recommend?

 

My budget for the camera is around $600. For lens, I can spend an extra $100.

Anirban,

 

As James has mentioned, the Canon 50mm 1.8 offers good optical quality for about $70 US. Good luck.

Just get the kit lens and use it until you figure out better what you really want based on your own experience. MAYBE the 50mm f/1.8 would be interesting to begin with based solely on price, but I don't really buy into the whole "use prime lenses to learn about photography" doctrine that is preached on this site.

Thanks a lot guys- Canon 50mm 1.8 seems to be a good "first" lens indeed. I am not knowledgeable about lenses, and thats why I turned to people like you!

 

So would you recommend me ditching the packaged lens, and just buy the body... along with the Canon 50mm 1.8 lens? Or should I stick with the packaged lens, and buy this one along with it?

 

Thanks for the replies again!

>> For lens, I can spend an extra $100.

 

That leaves only the kit lens OR the 50/1.8. Take note that this is next to nothing. I suggest you re-think the whole thing.

 

http://photonotes.org/articles/beginner-faq/lenses.html#kitlenses

 

http://photonotes.org/articles/beginner-faq/lenses.html#expensive

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

Anirban

 

Do yourself a favor and get the Canon Digital Rebel (preferably the new one). While the kit lens is not the best lens in the world, it will do most of what you need. I would suggest the following upgrades later: Sigma 10-20; Canon 100 F2.8 Macro, Canon EF 50 1.4 and a 70-300 lens.

Believe me, the Canon with its kit lens is more than adequate. Check out my portfolio for proof. At least 75% of my photos were taken with that lens

 

http://www.photo.net/photos/Yinkamd

 

Best wishes

 

Yinka

"Re-think the whole thing", good grief! Get the XT and the kit lens, I assume the Canon EF 18-55, and fire away. You will really enjoy it. Then you still have the challenge of photoshop and printing to look forward to. While the 50/1.8 is a great second lens do not limit yourself so much to begin with it. Good luck.

Yes! The XT is a great place to start if you're on a budget. Or even if you aren't. Especially if you can get it for a low price.

 

If you already have the kit lens, the 50mm F/1.8 does just one thing for you. It makes it possible to do available light photography indoors and at night. For me, that's worth several times the (very low) price of the lens. Available light indoors (no flash) makes for much more beautiful pictures of people than you get with on-camera flash.

 

If you don't have the kit lens, the 50mm might still be a good choice (off stage we hear a chorus of boos, cat-calls and hisses). When I bought my 10D, I only got the 50mm F/1.4 to go with it. I used it that way for more than 6 months before adding other lenses. I loved it. Still do. It worked great for pictures of people (particularly my grandchildren). But I also found that it helped me learn to see the things in landscapes, architecture, etc. that were compatible with a mild telephoto angle of view. It made me a better photographer. And although it doesn't work for everything, (no lens works for everything), you can do a lot of zooming with your feet! Even though I now have a 70-200, a 16-35, and an 85 F/1.8, the 50 is still my favorite lens. I use it in about half of my shots.

 

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you much success and pleasure with a great hobby.

 

Joe

 

Regards, Joe

The XT with the bundled lens is a great starting point. It's not any harder to use than a point-and-shoot. You'll find that the default settings on the XT tend to not get "everything in focus" the way point-and-shoots do.

 

Do not skip the bundled lens. If you only get the 50/1.8 you'll be disappointed by its lack of flexibility on the XT. The bundled lens will give you cheap access to wide angles (necessary for landscapes) and closeups.

 

If you're serious enough about photography to buy a DSLR, you need to consider your printing options. The first printer I used for photographic purposes was Epson's C82 (equivalent to the current C88), which uses individual inks and prints great on the (cheap) Epson Matte Paper Heavyweight.

 

Once you get the camera and get used to it, you'll be able to consider growing your system:

 

-If you're taking lots of flash pictures, you'll definitely want to consider an external flash, I'd recommend the 430EX with a pocket bouncer.

 

-As you learn to use the bundled lens, you'll get a better idea of the way you can grow your lens collection:

 

*An ultra-wide zoom like the Sigma 10-20 if you find that 18mm isn't wide enough (coming from a point-and-shoot background you'll already probably find 18mm quite wider than what you're used to).

 

*A "normal" prime lens like the 28/2.8, or a "portrait" prime lens like the 50/1.8, which will give you better low-light abilities, good sharpness, and more control over the background blur (quite important for portraits).

 

*A telephoto zoom like Canon's 75-300 will give you a lot more "reach".

I wouldn't make the assumption you need to start with a Rebel, say as opposed to the 30D, or even the 5D. You don't have to start with one and work your way up. All are good cameras, and while the rebel actual has advantages in some areas, I believe it has more compromises in design, and some functions are more 'buried'. On the other hand, it's currently the resolution leader over the 30D. Here's a comparison of the rebel and 20D, both previous generation, but it lists the differences:

 

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/eos_digital_rebel_xt_vs_20d.html

 

The feel is as important as features. Both the 30D and 5D are more substantial, maybe easier to hold, maybe too heavy. Try them both out in a store.

The Rebel XT is a fine entry level DSLR. That was my first DSLR. I don't have any experience with the kit lens. But since your budget for lenses is just about zero right now, use the kit lens and learn the camera and photo techniques. You can add lenses later as your budget allows and as you define for yourself what you need in a lens.

The XT is a great entry level camera. In fact quite a few people who value its small size and

weight (and low cost!) use it for serious photography. Once you get to know this camera

there is little that it cannot do.

 

If you have sufficient funds, I'd consider the slightly newere Rebel XTi. The cost is only a

bit higher and it has some improved featuers that are worth the difference: better AF,

larger monitor, very slightly faster burst mode that can take more successive shots,

slightly higher megapixel count, dust reduction system.

 

That said, if you cannot afford the extra cost I think you will be very happy with the XT.

 

Your idea of starting with the kit lens is a very good one I think. The kit lens is OK - for

the extremely low cost it is better than OK. Jumping in and purchasing more expensive

lenses before you gain a bit of experience with the camera is not always a good idea.

There are no "right" lenses to get, and your own lens preferences will develop as you use

the camera. If you purchased a more expensive lens right off the bat, there is a good

chance that it might turn out to be a less than perfect choice before too long.

 

For the most part, please ignore the people who reflexively answer posts like yours buy

writing, "Go right out and buy the 50mm f/1.8 lens." While this is a fine lens optically and

a very good deal, it is not usually a very good focal length to start out with on a crop-

sensor camera such as the XT or the XTi. On these cameras it is a slight telephoto,

sometimes referred to as a "portrait" lens. While it could be excellent for that purpose,

most photographers are going to find that it is not wide enough for their use. The kit lens,

while not as sharp, is a better choice for now.

 

Even with the kit lens, you will have the ability to create photographs of much higher

quality than what you can get from typical P&S cameras.

 

There are a few other things to keep in mind:

 

You will need to get a few additional things along with the camera. You'll need at least one

compact flash memory card. Virtually any decent card will work - there is nothing unique

about the cards used in cameras, so look for a good price, even from a regular memory

vendor. You'll probably want some sort of case - I recommend getting a fairly decent one

instead of going cheap: take a look at models from vendors like Lowepro and Tamrac.

Eventually you will likely want other things - tripod, filters, lens hood - but, frankly, you

can hold off a bit on these.

 

If your interest in photography continues to grow after you get this camera, you will

probably start to consider adding lenses. A few bits of advice... First, think about how each

lens will fit into an overall lens system rather than thinking about each lens as a single

thing. Beware of Lens Lust - the most expensive lens is not necessaril the best lens for

your purpose. Don't buy lenses impulsively - if you cannot articulate what you need the

lens for, don't buy it. Once you decide you need a particular lens, sit tight for a few

months and see if you still think you need it.

 

Enjoy your new camera!

 

Dan

<i>The 50/1.8 will give you excellent image quality, plus it works well in "low light", and there's nothing like using a prime lens to help learn about image composition.</i>

 

<p>This is common advice, but it's not entirely correct in this case. 50mm is a "normal" lens for a <i>full-frame</i> 35mm camera. That means its magnification is similar to what the eye sees, which indeed makes it a good (and inexpensive) choice for a beginner to learn about composition with a <i>full-frame</i> 35mm camera.

 

<p>Unfortunately, the Rebel XT (or XTi, or any "affordable" DSLR) has a sensor smaller than a 35mm frame. That means it effectively crops what the lens "sees." The cropping factor here is 1.6, which makes that 50mm lens equivalent to 80mm on a full-frame camera. That would be a good choice for portraits, since the moderate telephoto provides a nice perspective and the wide aperture provides limited depth of field that emphasizes the face and blurs the background. But it's <i>not</i> a suitable general-purpose lens. Unless your main photographic interest in portraits, buying a 50mm lens because it's cheap and sharp is not good value for money.

 

<p>The equivalent of a "normal" lens for a cropped sensor is around 30mm. Sigma makes a 35mm prime, but its price is considerably more than you're looking for. Given your budgetary constraints, I think your best bet would be to get the kit lens (18-55mm) with the Rebel XT/XTi, as you're planning to do anyway. Despite what snobs will tell you, it's a decent lens. It's not a great lens, but for the money you really can't beat it. Once you've learned enough to run into its limitations (and also have saved up enough money) you can get something better. But for now, you'll do just fine with the Rebel XT and the kit lens.

I forgot to mention that I have a Rebel XT and I'm very happy with it. I got it not quite two years ago, and decided that its small size and light weight made it a better choice for me than the 20D (irrespective of cost, as I could have bought either one). I do have a few quibbles with it, particularly the inability to see the ISO setting at a single glance and the awkwardness of setting exposure compensation. But nothing's perfect (and I think they fixed the ISO problem on the XTi).

<i>What do you all think? Will this camera be right for me? Will it be easy to use for a beginner, and yet be powerful than point and shoot cameras?</i>

<p>

Yes. That will be everything you need right now.

<p>

<i>

I am not very much experienced in photography, but I am really interested in learning a lot more.</i>

<p>

Buy this book too:

<p>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FUnderstanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated%2Fdp%2F0817463003%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1167696511%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=cyclingshots-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Understanding Exposure</a>

<p>

It'll be the best $15 you spend on photography.

<p>

Don't buy anything else until you know what you need. When you know, you'll know.

<p>

Cheers!

Thats a whole lot of great feedback!

 

Based on the feedback, I think the best bet for me would be to get the kit lens, along with the body. Then, as I gradually learn, I can justify myself to spend more on the lenses that I need. Sounds good!

 

Again, I wanted to say that I am very new to the DSLR scene, and I am reluctant to spend more than $600 on a camera, without knowing knowing that I will be able to fully use it. Higher end models are definitely better, but I think that a camera is only as good as the photographer. In other words, if I dont know how to take good pictures, the high-end camera wont help me out.

 

Thats why, I want to start small, and work my way up as I catch up to the level of expertise needed to warrant a more advanced camera.

 

Yes, I will definitely need a sturdy case (which can accomodate the lens as well), a couple of CF cards, and probably a book on taking pictures.

 

And pardon if it seems obvious, but do you know why there is a price difference between the Black XT, and the Silver XT? The black one sells for $588 w/lens, and silver sells for $599 w/lens. The $10 difference isnt much, but still.. just wondering.

 

Thanks a lot for the answers!

"I am reluctant to spend more than $600 on a camera, without knowing knowing that I will be able to fully use it."

 

A good attitude to start with!

 

As for the silver vs. black, I know of no difference between them other than the color. Black=Pro in some peoples' eyes (and it's probably a bit less conspicuous), but silver may be cooler on a sunny day. FWIW, I'm planning on buying a black XTi as a backup body for my 20D, and I'll get black just to make it look like the rest of my stuff.

 

Cheers,

 

Geoff S.

In addition to the XT, kit lens, and a good photography book: get a tripod. You don't have to spend more than $50 on this. You'll grow into something better, later; for now, anything is (much) better than nothing at all.

The black XT costs more because many people think it looks cooler and are willing to pay

more for that. (I confess, I got the black one. :-)

 

Dan

As a beginner who got his XTi late November, with a 17-55 and a 75-300 kit lens, I am extremely happy with what I got for my money. I am a big person with big hands, and many people warned me off the XTi because it is smaller than many - no problem for me.

 

I also got a high-speed 120x 2 Gig CF card, which gives me the freedom to shoot between 300 and 480 pics without having to empty it. I have taken over 6,000 pics since I got the camera and can see definite improvement.

 

For flash, I spent a massive $160 on a used Canon 420EX, which came with an 18 month warranty (Henry's on Queen in toronto).

 

HOWEVER, the 2 most important things I did so far were 1 - to join photo.net and spend mucho hours reading the threads and following the links suggested. Man, there are some smart people here, and they have saved me much time and frustration. If you have a couple of hours one evening, instead of watching TV, check out Bob Atkins site - exceptional information there. The second important thing I did was to go take a class on the camera and it's basic functions - very cheap and well worth the time.

 

As to a lens, I am finding that the 17-55 is just a bit too short a lot of the time, yet the 75-300 is too much, so I'm thinking of something like an 18-100.

 

Cheers, and enjoy your camera!

 

Chris

The majority of pics on the lower part of my port are from the XT. I'm getting ready to purge some of them now that I have learned enough to see weaknesses in them, but those come from a novice photographer,not the camera.

 

If you can, my suggestion is buy it as a body only, and the money you save will buy a 50mm 1.8.

After reading all of your feedback, I decided to place the following order in Amazon:

Rebel XT (black) with kit lens- $588 (in stock on 6th Jan),

SanDisk 1GB Ultra II CF Card- $37,

Wireless RC-1 remote- $26,

TOTAL- $650.

 

And from B&H Photo&Video, I ordered a Canon GB2400 camera bag for $33.

I wanted a small bag that can carry the body, maybe 2-3 lenses, accessories, and my point and shoot as well.

 

Total cost- $683.

 

I earlier researched for a good online retailer, and B&H was the most trusted one among Photo.net users. But since I am from New York (Buffalo), they were charging me $60 in tax! Amazon is not charging me any tax, and they are shipping for free as well.

 

So what do you all think? Am I missing something? After I get the camera and get to know it, I am planning on getting the EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens.