Advice wanted from owners of D60/10D and 1D from prospective buyer

[kinglyam]

I currently have an Elan II, and want to make the switch to digital

soon. I have no experience with digital SLRs, but from my research I

believe I've narrowed my choices down to the 10D or the 1D, if I can

get lucky on pricing. I want to keep my cost under $1k, preferrably

under $700, so I'm having to still consider the D60, though I haven't

been impressed with the reviews on it and I prefer a metal body.

 

I'd like some input from those who have used these cameras. I consider

myself an "advanced beginner", but don't get to do much photography

these days. I want to change that, and since the cost of buying and

developing film was one of the things stopping me, I want a digital I

can grow with. I do have some specific questions, though:

 

1) A lot of my photographs are in dark-ish clubs. Several of my

friends are bellydancers, and I do publicity photos for them while

they are dancing. My Elan II has a hard time with AF in dim light, but

I have heard good things about the 10D. Do the three referenced

cameras have enough oomph to give me sharp photos of a (slowly) moving

object in dim conditions, without a lot of thinking by the AF that

causes me to miss my shot?

 

2) Did you find it difficult to adjust to the 1.6x focal length

multiplier if you went from film to digital? I know I can't afford a

1DS for the 1.1x. I tend to use the standard Canon 28-105 package

lens, since my dancing subject may move around tables in a club while

I'm relatively immobile.

 

3) I hear that Canon is likely to release a replacement for the 20D

in February. That's about the time frame I want to pick up a new

camera. Is it reasonable to expect 10D/20D costs to drop significantly

in February, or will there be a few month lag? Any idea, from previous

experience, by how much?

 

4) If anyone has experience with the Elan II as well, can you give me

a general comparison? I know, it's probably apples to oranges, but at

least you can still say if one is sweeter than the other! :)

 

TIA!

 

Chris C.

[digitmstr]

I had a 10D until I upgraded to the new 5D.

 

Honestly, I have never had problems doing night time or low-ligh shoots with my 10D. But, before you buy a 10D OR D60 I'd strongly suggest you think about noise.

 

The newest Canon DSRL benefit from (among other things) the best noise performance to date. This includes the 20D and 350XT within or close to your price range. Since you plan on doing lots of low light shoots this is of paramount importance to you. Therefore, buy a NEW 350XT instead of a used D60.

 

Better yet, try and get a used 20D.

 

I do NOT think the 20D replacement will be significantly cheaper if at all. After all Canon wants to make money and it's not going to be sub $1,000.00 - not for a while.

[david_eppstein]

I'm still very happy with my D60, but auto focus in low light is one of its weakest points. The

newer models are much better for that.

[danny_lee2]

350 xt . good for the noise.

[danny_rose]

I have a 10d and i'm sure it will suit you fine. You should be able to pick one up for well under a grand. The 1d is a lot of camera to carry around if you are not a pro.

[beerbrain_ronny_perry]

I use a 10D and mostly a 20D,I shoot alot in low light, the 20D is cleaner at ISO 1600, and the camera is quicker to respond than the 10D and especially the 60D.Find a good 20D and use a fast prime lens.

[steve_dunn2]

<p>I haven't used the models you're considering; I jumped in with a 20D, which replaced my Elan 7E, which replaced my Elan II. So any comments I make about the 10D, D60, and 1D are hearsay.</p>

 

<ol>

<li>You do not want a D60 for this; complaints about its poor low-light AF performance are a dime a dozen. The 10D is much better in this regard. I'd expect the 1D to be even better. As others have pointed out, the latest bodies have much better high-ISO noise performance, and it would be worth considering any possible way to get a newer body, even if that means stepping down to the DRebel XT/350D.

<li>I had to buy a new lens when I went digital. My widest lens was the 28-135, and I know from years of using that (and the 28-105 before it) that I need a lens that gives me that 28mm FOV. So I bought the 17-40. I'm also going to have to replace my longest lens, the 300/4, as it's now too long, but that doesn't get used as much as the wide end does so it's a future purchase. If you typically use primes, you may have more of a problem adjusting, as you may have more than just one new lens to buy. I find my 50/1.4 is much less use to me on the 20D than it was on film; normal is a more useful fast prime for me than medium telephoto is, but the opposite would be true for (say) a portrait photographer.

<li>I doubt 10D prices will drop much. 20D? Well, maybe, particularly on the used market, as a number of 20Ds will all come on the market in short order as their owners trade up. But I wouldn't bet on a dramatic drop.

<li>There are some things I miss about the Elan 7E; mostly, that's ECF (which you don't have so it won't concern you), but also the very quiet operation of the 7E compared to the 20D. I know the 1D will be louder than your Elan; I don't know about the D60 or 10D. But I don't miss anything about film. I don't miss having a fixed number of shots per roll. I don't miss having to wait and pay for developing. I don't miss being tied to the same ISO for a whole roll. I don't miss not knowing how a shot turned out until after I get the pictures back from the lab, by which time it's too late to take a better shot if I messed up. And I certainly don't miss all the time I spent with the dust and scratches tool after scanning a frame of film.

</ol>

[john_stark]

If you find a 1D for under $1000 I'd steer clear of it. Most are going for $1400-$1600 and units under that probably have problems or close to 200,000 actuations (or both).

 

JS