Rebel XTi 9pt AF sensor vs. D70s 5pt AF sensor

[eric v]

Hello all,

A friend is looking to purchase a DSLR mainly for shooting pics of her young

children. She is sick of waiting for her P&S to power up, and then missing the

shot since the shutter has the typical 1 second delay. It has come down

between the Canon Rebel XTi and the Nikon D70s. I kind of lean toward Nikon

(because I am a biased Nikon shooter, and I think the kit 18-70 lens is

better), but her main concern is taking pics of fast moving, action-packed kid

stuff.

 

Does the XTi's 9pt autofocus sensor makes a noticeable difference over the

D70's 5pt sensor?

 

Any other thoughts, recommendations regarding which camera suits her better are

appreciated. She currently doesn't own any lenses, but she has used SLR's in

the past (college photo courses, etc.)

 

Thanks,

Eric

[phule]

She should go to the camera store and hold and use both with their kit lenses. The size difference may be an important factor in her decision. If the camera doesn't feel comfortable, she's less likely to use it.

 

Either camera would meet and exceed her needs. I would argue the XTi would be the better choice because of the anti-dust functions built in. She wouldn't have to worry about cleaning the sensor.

[frans_waterlander]

The anti-dust function is not going to eliminate dust problems. It will help, but how much still remains to be seen.

[phule]

Any anti-dust feature is going to do more than no-anti-dust feature. In Olympus cameras they have a pretty well proven track record. For a new to (D)SLR user, a camera with this functionality would be of great benefit.

[athinkle]

I'd agree that spending time handling both cameras is the most important step. I've used the canon 9 point AF array setup and I've also logged time with the D70, and I can't say that there's a night and day difference under normal conditions. Maybe if you really tried to push them to their limits you'd see a difference, but probably not in most settings. BTW, if the XTi's viewfinder is anything like the other Rebels', she might prefer the D70 on that basis. Oh, and you're right about the kit lens. The 18-70 Nikon absolutely buries the canon 18-55, absolutely no contest. I love that lens, and wish they made it in Canon mount somehow :)

[linker]

Isn't anti-dust feature only apply if you switch lenses a lot?

For most dSLR first timers including myself, the kit lens is probably goint to last longer than the dSLR learning curve.

 

Am I incorrect? I'm also looking to buy my first dSLR soon so the anti-dust feature got my attention.

 

Thanks,

Linker...

[mark u]

Focus speed isn't just about the focus system in the camera body: it's also strongly influenced (probably dominated, in fact) by the type of focus motor in the lens and how much glass has to be moved how far to achieve focus. Focus will be much faster with lenses that use ring type ultrasonic motors - USM for Canon or SWM for Nikon. Beware that Canon (and maybe Nikon, though I don't know enough about their lens range) offer some USM lenses that aren't ring type which focus little faster than a lens with an ordinary focus motor. Focus speed is also affected by the lens' widest aperture, since wide apertures allow easier detection of the degree of misfocus. Since focus speed is an issue, it is essential to consider the complete camera/lens combination.

 

One word of warning - continuous focus modes really struggle (and often fail) to keep up when the focus distance is fairly short, even on a top of line professional body with a very rapid focus ring ultrasonic motor in the lens. It's worth reading this set of tips (they pretty much apply to Nikon too), and bearing in mind that it can sometimes be better to prefocus manally when you know where the action you want to capture will be (e.g. child jumping an obstacle). Following action is best done at a distance with a longer focal length lens.

 

http://www.shutterfreaks.com/Tips/CanonAIServo.html

 

I also think she should consider the new Nikon D80 which has a much, much better viewfinder than the Rebel (or the D70s), and also better AF than the D70s.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond80/

[joshua_dollins]

Nikon will probably be larger/heavier but probably also built better. I like the size of canon's though since I have smallish hands. Still built pretty well. The dust feature should be great help. As for nikons I would start off with the D80 which is more comparable to the xti and is essentially a much cheaper D200! :)

 

I need to quit hording my money and buy myself an SLR instead of using everyone elses hehe

[eric v]

Thanks everyone for the input,

Yeah, my original advice was that she would be happy with either camera, so she needed to go play with them both in a store (which she has done).

Thanks again!

Eric