Another DSR question/comparision

[cKy]

Hello CPer's

I'm getting my gf a Canon Rebel for xmas. I have shat credit, but Dell seems to like me so I'm getting the camera from them.

What is the difference between these 2 models:

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/prod...1&sku=A3126350

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/prod...1&sku=A2419947


I understand 1 is 10.1 MP and the other is 12.2. What is the difference between XS and XSi.

I honestly have no idea if she/we would ever use the extra lens it comes with. Does it make that much of a difference?

So considering both are the same price, which one would you take and why?

Thanks!

[Jayems]

Depends what your girl will be shooting with it. It does make a major difference to have a telephoto lens, especially in the mountains for wildlife etc.

The 18-55 is a very versatile lens that will be good in many situations and I would say that that lens would be most used.

The XSI has video and more mp. It depends if she'd used more video than zoom, I suppose.

My bro just got an xsi as his first dslr, and the image quality is quite good.

I find the rebel bodies to be too small and light in my hands. But that's all personal preference, I suppose.

[Flaming Choy]

Originally Posted by Jayems

Depends what your girl will be shooting with it. It does make a major difference to have a telephoto lens, especially in the mountains for wildlife etc.

The 18-55 is a very versatile lens that will be good in many situations and I would say that that lens would be most used.

The XSI has video and more mp. It depends if she'd used more video than zoom, I suppose.

My bro just got an xsi as his first dslr, and the image quality is quite good.

I find the rebel bodies to be too small and light in my hands. But that's all personal preference, I suppose.

Just a quick correction, XSi does not have video. If you want an SLR with video you need to move up to the T1i. I believe the XSi has a larger LCD then the XS.

[cKy]

Hmm... I'm not sure she would use video, but I know I probably would.

[HotHotHeat]

To be honest, if you can afford it, go for the Canon T1i. It's just an unbelievable camera.

Then your comparison is between that and the D5000 form Nikon.

Let's go over the basics. The cameras, with 18-55mm image stabilizer lenses, have MSRPs within $50 of each other, the Nikon at $850 and the Canon at $900. Spec-wise, that extra $50 goes a long way:

• Nikon has a 12.3-megapixel CMOS, while the Canon has a 15.1 megapixel CMOS.

• The Canon's 3" LCD screen has 920,000 dots; Nikon's 2.7" LCD only has 230,000 dots, but it gets bonus points for the "vari-angle" adjustable mount.

• HD video shooting is the selling point for both, but while the Nikon can handle 720p, the Canon can shoot up to 12 minutes per burst of full 1080p high-def video (though at a minimal 20 frames per second). Both have HDMI outputs, to prove how dedicated they are to high-def video.

• ISO wise, they're pretty evenly matched, from 100 to 3200, with a Hi ISO bump at 6400. (The Canon has an additional ISO 12800 high setting.) The key here is which one is noisier at the higher levels; I have my guesses, but we'll just have to see.

• Getting deeper into camera-nerd territory, the Nikon has an 11-point autofocus, compared to Canon's 9-point AF. They both boast the usual proprietary engines, for Canon the DIGIC 4 imaging processor, and for Nikon, the "exclusive" EXPEED image processing system. And obviously, both can be fitted with a huge number of lenses from their specific manufacturer, lens compatibility usually being the deciding factor for people who already have huge glass investment.

What does it all mean? I have no doubt that both cameras are worthy sons of bitches, and like their predecessors, many of their idiosyncratic ticks—visual menus vs lists, etc.—are well known and documents. Some conclusions are already in sight, given the fact that the D5000 is a direct descendant of the D90, whereas the T1i comes straight from the 5D Mk II's loins, both heavily reviewed already.

Still, over the next day, I'll be shooting hundreds of photos in different lighting conditions, in order to make sense of this two-headed temptation.

The Nikon is $799 with a great all around lens, while the Canon is $849, also with a great lens. That's ~$250 more than the XSi, but you're getting all your money's worth in the features.

Also, I'd strongly consider buying from a place like Black's Photography (or similar, camera first store). With the complexity of cameras these days, going somewhere with a staff that actually knows a thing or two about photography matters.

[cKy]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

To be honest, if you can afford it, go for the Canon T1i. It's just an unbelievable camera.

Then your comparison is between that and the D5000 form Nikon.



The Nikon is $799 with a great all around lens, while the Canon is $849, also with a great lens. That's ~$250 more than the XSi, but you're getting all your money's worth in the features.

Also, I'd strongly consider buying from a place like Black's Photography (or similar, camera first store). With the complexity of cameras these days, going somewhere with a staff that actually knows a thing or two about photography matters.

Thanks for that info. I'll be buying it in Victoria, so i'll see if they have a Black's or something equivalent out here. Off the top of your heads, does Blacks do financing?

[SebC]

For XS vs. XSi, if you don't want to move up... the key features for me would be: compatible with remote (useful for tripod, night shot type stuff), spot metering (for tricky exposures), and highlight tone priority (to retain highlight detail).

Edit: so I actually clicked through your links, and now have a bit more to offer.

IMO the difference between, XS and XSi is not that much. Generally I'd go for the one with the extra lens. Now having said that the extra lens is not that good. Generally, if your gf likes landscapes and such, the 18-55 is much more useful. 35mm equivalent is 29-88... 28 is what you'll find on a "wide-angle" point and shoot, 35 is typical for wide on a point and shoot, 50 gives a natural perspective, 75 is portrait, 88 at the telephoto end it's a 3x zoom. 75-300 will give you 120-480 equivalent which is pretty much more zoom than you'll ever need unless you're doing highly specialized wildlife or sports stuff. Thing is, the more you zoom in the more you want a lens that has image stabilization, and this lens doesn't have it. It's also f/4-5.6, which is a relatively slow lens. Basically, this lens needs a lot of light and will be difficult to use without a tripod. So really it depends on what your GF will shoot. If she's technical enough that she'll work around the limitations of the 75-300 go for it, otherwise, get the XSi. Or get the XS without the extra lens, and save 100 bucks for a good IS zoom later.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by cKy

Thanks for that info. I'll be buying it in Victoria, so i'll see if they have a Black's or something equivalent out here. Off the top of your heads, does Blacks do financing?

When I worked there they had no officially advertised financing, but I heard cases where it was done.