Help me make my final selection/Rebel XT ?'s

[geetey]

Finally ready to get a *real* digital camera. I have been fighting with a Minolta S414 for the last couple of years and it is time to upgrade.

I have narrowed my selections to Canon A620, Canon S2 IS or the Canon Rebel XT (the 20D is out of my price range).

I really would love the Rebel because I own a Rebel SLR, and have lenses already. However, sometimes it is a pain to lug the 'big' camera around. (that's what led us to purchase the Minolta.) I have carried my big camera into the parks on several occasions but ended up damaging it so badly, I had to replace the body. Fluke accident, but a 12 inch fall, hitting just the right spot...

I use my camera for vacations obviously.
I also take all of the pictures of my family. (SIL decided I was better than a photo studio - not sure about that. )
Lastly, I take lots of pics at sporting events - indoor and outdoors.

So... I am asking the experts here on the DIS.... would you go for the big camera since you have lenses, carrying case, tripod, etc? Would you go with a smaller, more "convenient" camera, planning on getting a digital SLR in the future?

I have the okay to jump at the Canon Rebel from dh, so any of these 3 will fit my budget. I know the dSLR is my dream camera, just not sure if it is impractical for my uses, if that makes sense.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Rest assured that especially because you've been using and SLR, you'll be pulling your hair out using point and shoot diigital cameras due to power-on lag and shutter-lag. I thought I'll be using my P/S on ocassions but in the end I've literally used about 5,000 shots on my dSLR and only about 200 on my P/S (I bought both of them at the exact same time).

Okay, I'm rambling... I should shut up now.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Late last year I was torn between an entry level DSLR and the Canon 2S IS, upgrading from a several years old Nikon. I elected to go with the 2S IS due to its size and weight and the fact of the swivel LCD, a feature I learned to truly appreciate in the years I used my Nikon. So far I am happy, after one 11 day trip to the World, the holiday season and a few other shooting sessions. I am not a professional photographer, but rather an amateur enthusiast. Enjoy whatever choice you make.

 

[CherCrazy]

There is a guy who posted FABULOUS pictures on this site. Somewhere. He put the type of camera that he used in his off-disboards web site too.

Maybe if you do a search for "picture of the day" or something like that, you will find his pictures. They will be very obvious, since his pictures are INCREDIBLY better than any others on here.

Sorry, don't remember his name...maybe someone else does here....

 

[handicap18]

Go with the dSLR. You already have the lenses. Its really not that big to take around the parks if you have a good zoom. I use a fanny pack camera case for mine which I can hold 2 lenses, body and external flash.

How many days a year do you walk around the parks compared to how many days a year your taking pics of family, sporting events and other interesting subjects? The dSLR will give you better control over your indoor and outdoor sporting event pics especially with the right lenses.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Sorry, don't remember his name...maybe someone else does here....

We-Luv-Disney ?

 

[geetey]

Kelly - I know what you mean, and I think that's what I am afraid of. That I am I used to the flexibility I had with my film Rebel and that's what stops me from enjoying the point & shoot cameras. Shutter lag is a HUGE issue for me with this Minolta.

Dan - Thanks for your input. That S2-IS looks like a great camera. The Sony H1 looks pretty darn good too. The swivel screen isn't a big deal to me because I have never used one and because I rarely use the LCD (trying to save batteries).

CherCrazy - if you do mean We Luv Disney, his camera is out of my price range (the Canon 20D) but I agree - his pictures are outstanding!!

handicap18 - could you tell me more about your fanny pack? Or provide a link?

For those that have/know about the Canon Rebel XT, do your old lenses work okay with the digital body? Would you recommend the kit lense or just body only? I currently own two lenses - both Sigma - 28-88mm, and 70-300mm.

Also - how does the battery hold up? Do you own a spare or will it get me through a long day?

 

[NJDad18]

I own the Digital Rebel XT. I used to use a very old EOS Rebel that I bought in 1993. We had a little accident with it and the camera does not work anymore. If you ask me the accident was not entirely my fault, but if ask my wife it was ALL my doing. Anyway, the lenses that I had with my film rebel do indeed work on my XT. I got the body only. I always used the kit lens that came with my original Rebel which is a 35-85mm lens. That lens is fine, but I'm looking to update it with a little more range since the Rebel XT has a 1.6x factor, which means that my 35-85mm lens is really a 56-136 on the Rebel XT. I still researching which lens to buy, I'm leaning toward a 18-200 lens either from Tamron or Sigma. The one plus from Tamron is te 6 year warranty. I have not used the kit lens that comes with the Rebel XT. There are a lot of people who don't like that lens, but I think that they are pros.

I still have time to make my decision, I'm a DVC member and we are going in August and December. For now the old kit lens is fine.

 

[NJDad18]

One more thing, I do have a spare battery. I have not gone to Disney since I got the camera so I really can't comment on how long the battery lasts. One thing that I will recommend is to buy your memory card online. I bought a very high speed Lexar CF 512mb card online for $52. Best Buy sells 256mb card for about $80. I think that I bought the card at ecost or amazon.

 

[ndelaware]

Canon says the battery is good for 600 shots without the flash and 400 with 50% flash usage. It will definately get you through a long day. The kit lens is a good lens and a very inexpensive wide angle lens. Any Canon EF or EF-S lens will work fine on an XT but your older Sigmas may have to redone by Sigma to work with it. I'm pretty sure Sigma does this for free. It is the downside of buying non-Canon lenses.

 

[handicap18]

My fanny pack is a Lowepro Off Trail. I got it at Ritz Camera about 8 years ago. I know that amazon.com sells a version of it (slightly bigger than mine). Here is the link at the Lowepro website. LowePro Off Trail 1

If you choose alternate view 3 it gives the best picture of how the pack is set up. I usually keep my 2 lenses in the side cases and put my flash in the bottom part of the main case with the body face down on top of the flash. Or you can keep a small zoom (18-70 or so) on the body and put both in the main part. It works well for me.

 

[geetey]

Any Canon EF or EF-S lens will work fine on an XT but your older Sigmas may have to redone by Sigma to work with it. I'm pretty sure Sigma does this for free. It is the downside of buying non-Canon lenses.

Thanks for the comments ndelaware. Can you explain more about getting lenses redone? I haven't heard of that before!

handicap18, thanks for the link!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Sigma will just change the chip inside the lens so the lens will be compatible with your XT. Try it out first, if it doesn't have any problem (focusing, exposure), then just use shoot away.

 

[ndelaware]

Many of the Sigma lenses that were made before the Rebel XT came out will not work properly or will not work at all with the XT. It is not just the XT but every new camera Canon produces which incorporate a new lens/camera communications protocol. Canon doesn't share it's camera/lens communication protocol so Sigma has to perform reverse-engineering with the Canon lenses to produce a compatible lens for this new protocol. When Canon introduces new cameras, older Canon lenses will workfine but not all Sigma lenses will, so Sigma then has to "rechip" the lenses to adapt to the new parts of the camera/lens protocol the lens doesn't understand. If the lens is not too old they usually do this for free. If it is older there will a fee for this service. But if the lens is too old they won't even offer the re-chipping service.

 

[WillCAD]

Sigma will just change the chip inside the lens so the lens will be compatible with your XT. Try it out first, if it doesn't have any problem (focusing, exposure), then just use shoot away.

This works with most Sigma lenses, but not all.

My 28-200 Hyperzoom Marco can not be upgraded. Sigma did offer me a "trade-up" discount if I wanted to buy a new lens, but the discount for sending them my venerable old 28-200 was only about $30. I can get more than that if I sell the lens outright!

My 28-80, however, can be upgraded, and Sigma will do it for free.

 

[geetey]

This is something I need to contact Sigma directly for, correct? Do you do this via email (to see if it is upgradeable) or are there local photoshops which would be able to tell me?

I just assumed my lenses would work! I *really* appreciate you letting me know this upfront! Also, if I get my Sigma lenses 'rechipped', does that mean they will no longer work with my film Rebel?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

It will still work with you older 35mm Rebel. The firmware imbedded within the chip is backwards compatible.

 

[ndelaware]

You would need to contact Sigma ( http://www.sigma-photo.com/ ) to have the rechipping done. As to wether or not specific lenses work or not I would call them.


Sigma Customer Service Department call toll free (800) 896-6858

 

[geetey]

Thank you all for your help and the phone number!