danny lee

Well, Given your budget, you should go for a brand new 20D and a grip. I grabbed and handeled them both 1d2 and 20D, I think you can get used to the 20D pretty quickly the feel is more similar than it is different such as 1d2 and Rebel xt !

Buying a used 1D imho just isnt cutting the cake in the right place. especially you yourself know that digital cameras are about the technology !

The current canon Dslr lineup makes the 1D look decades old !

I would like to think of myself as a User if Photoshops. I had an old one, then the 6, then the CS which I currently use.

Photoshop is weird, no matter how much you use it, or how many classes or books, there is always something new every darn time you use it.

I used photoshop brand software for years, and I think I know about 7-8 percent of it's capabilites !

even easier, if you do have extra money to spare, get the 16.35 and you will be EXTREMELY HAPPY.

if you dont have that much money to spare, get the 17-40 and you will be EXTREMELY HAPPY.

Yes, the grip is very small.

the rebel xt is in fact only half a camera. you must pruchase the other half called the battery grip.

Canon made the rebel xt for hobbits.

DO get the 18-55 kit lens, becuase you a beeginner. Use it and learn from it, and it only cost you 90 dollars.

When you outgrow the lens, then you can sell it on ebay for 90 dollars.

If you dont mind the cheap zooms of 18 or 19 to...

the kit lens efs 18-55 isnt too bad,

but they arent really that wide either.

sounds like you use thicker glasses.

The adjuster in the rebel xt is very mild, you should see an eye doctor and get your vision checked, what is the prescription for your eye ? mine used to be -5.25 diopters. ( had lasik ) and no on camera diopters adjustments can help me.

Try add on diopter adjusters after your doc tells you what your eyes are.

you answered your own question !

an art student on a very limited budget cant afford to buy anything in the 12-22mm range.

The cheapest primes will run you 400 bucks

The Cheapest zooms will run you 500 bucks.

Figure you go do more stitching. :)

AT these prices,

about " On one hand, I'm reminded of the saying that "a camera body is simply a light-tight box, spend money on lenses" yet I'm wondering if that saying still applies to the whole DSLR scene "

I believe that this saying now holds true. The Rebel XT is capable of making photos as great as the 1DSII. if you were to print them in the same size as former 35mm prints.

I still remember when I used film, FPS wasnt important, as I have to change a roll with every 36 shots. ISO 800 Film was grainy, and without a poloarid back, no one knows whats going on !

Digital fixed all that, and I am glad !

the price you pay for digital camera bodies nowadays isnt for the image quality anymore.. considering printing at traditional 35mm sizes.

Rebel XT, Fast enough to shoot 36 burst at 3fps, Large Jpegs 8mp sensor rivals film, need wide ? 10-22 efs

20D - Fast enough to shoot more than 36 a burst, 8mp sensor rivals film, need wide ? 10-22 efs

1D MkII - as good as the 20D, wider but no efs so Sigma 12-24 ! sensor rivals film. Weather proof

5D - Sensor rivals film, fully wide as possible with any film lens,

1DsII -- sensor rivals film, weather resist, fully wide with any film lens.

Well anyway, So with the current lineup from canon, the old saying holds true. ( if you are printing in traditional 35mm film sizes ) in terms of image quality.

I dont think the final results of using the same lens on any of the canon's dslr will result in any better image quality. ( as was with the film cameras rebel to the 1's )

I love the 70-200 L lenses, I really feel that it takes the place of the 85, 100, 135, and 200 primes !

I guess the real question is.. 2.8 vs 1.8 .

do you need the 1.8 ?

although you might not be able to check anything, but I think the serial numbers are there for a reason,

I think that when the canon factory makes cameras, they record the serial numbers somewhere and then record where they are headed ?

I think they must make them in batches, like #654657654 - 654985644 goes to the wholesaler in china ?

in case there is a recall or something ? so they know where to post up the notice ?

"I can stop sports action in the day, but cannot at night."

You are absolutely right.

There is nothing you can do. Everyone above told you, Low light = long shutter speeds.

but there is one thing you can try.

Get the biggest opening lens you can, say 50 1.4

Use the highest ISO 3200

set the camera on manual, 1/125 sec , F 1.4

And shoot away.

When you get home, load up all the dark images, and using levels to bring up the light.

Stop action you will have. Quality you wont, it will be grainy, noisy, ugly, but stop action you will have.

I was at B&H about a month ago, I sampled the rebel xt with the 2.8 70-200. The leverage itself was stress to my hands...

I think that even if the tripod socket and lens mount will holdup, the quick release plate might not. especially on the more affordable tripods.

I think you must use a great quality tripod, or you will experience a sagging bending due to the leverage.. best use the collar on a tripod.. I am 100% confident that hand holding this setup with both hands is perfectly fine though.

"My plan is to start a small business taking pics of kids and selling"

Sounds rather strange. well, anyway, digital business is not just the camera, I do actor's digital headshots, I guess subsitiute kids for actors and that's what you'll be doing ?

Anyway, my work involves a couple of monolights, a backdrop, a digital camera with 50mm + 70-200 lens ( bokeh not important as I have the backdrop and shoot at F8 )

Also needed is imaging software, I use adobe CS,

I also have a canon printer,

Computer with CD burner, card reader,

I shoot my clients, and then post a jpg gallery on my site, so you the customer can easily share and choose a final image. So maybe even an investment in a domain name and have web building skills. see a sample at http://www.dannyleephoto.com/SampleGallery/

it's a whole lotta different than when I used film, Film was simple, shoot a few rolls, send them out for contact sheets and be done with it.

best of luck to you.

graduate to a DSLR... what on earth does that mean ? are you going to buy the TRUE KIT version of the 20D? buy it piece bu piece over time and then finally assembling it over a slow weekend ?

you dont "graduate" to a DSLR, you simply BUY one !

"should I wait till all the Focal length multipliers become 1, if u know what I mean?"

I know what you mean, if you got a few grand free, buy the 5D today.

If you aint got the 4 large, then buy the rebel XT, the transision from 1x to 1.6x is easy to get used to. I did it myself EOS 55 to Dreb. Just you can get the sigma 12-24 for your wides, and when you do graduate to the 5D FF, you still got a lens !

Cheers

I find that the one thing to do EVER, is to ALWAYS BUY with B&H, and if they are out of stock, I'd go to adorama.

I just like B&H, I have been their customer for many years. I understand Adorama is also very good. Its really an either or, but personally I do all my business with B&H.

idea... I am in the same boat, I dont mind ebay batteries , but some are listed with different voltages with a sentence that says " Same as 7.4 because of lithium )

BH got the prices of battery OEM at 40 bucks and more, I have came to this conclusion. I am in the market for a camcorder anyway, the cheapest one is the ZR100, and it comes with battery and charger. $289 - 30 dollar mail in rebate, thats 260, and since battery and charger is like 90 bucks total, it;s like getting a mini DV camcorder for 170 bucks. ( dirrrttt cheap ) :)