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Ken Fitzgerald
07-08-2007, 9:02 PM
I"m looking for another digital camera as my wife has left me and took all 4 cameras with her............I've wanted a digital SLR and am considering a Canon Digital Rebel XTi. Anybody have one? Is it a reliable camera? Any idocyncrosies?

Thanks!


(PS.....she went to visit her Mom for a month and then she's returning.....But she took all 4 cameras with her.....)

Chris Barton
07-08-2007, 9:21 PM
Hi Ken,

While I don't have that camera, one of my neighbors does and loves it. It takes very nice pictures but, I don't know anything about ease of operation. I'm interested in camera suggestions as well since my Fuji Finepix 3mp has seen better days and I would like image stabilization...

paul ashman
07-08-2007, 10:33 PM
I have a Nikon D70s (get the newer D80 or D40x) and the near perfect lens, the Nikon 18-200mm VR (vibration reduction). The really nice thing about Nikon is that with a few exceptions, I can use any Nikon F mount lens, either manual or AF.

Jim Mitchell
07-08-2007, 11:23 PM
Hey Gang


I can back up the Nikon recommendation I have the D80 and really like it.
I think you can pick one up for around 1099.00 with a 18-55 mm lens.

If you are looking for something that requires a lot less dedication take a look at the panasonic 10meg for around 300.00. Good luck


Jim

Tim Wagner
07-09-2007, 12:16 AM
I have it and love it. you can use the canon 35mm lenses on it also. as far as operation, i would say it's as easy as any other i suppose.

Jim Bell
07-09-2007, 12:59 AM
I have 2 Canon Rebel xti digital cameras. They perform perfectly. My advice....... get one.

Glenn Clabo
07-09-2007, 6:02 AM
Ken,
Cameras are like most tools...everyone has an opinion. I'm a Canon guy...don't ask how many bodies and lens I have please. One of them...which DrLOML uses...is the Rebel. She loves it...easy to use...lots of lens (which imho is when canon is best) to work with...and most importantly it's tough. We use our equipment hard. You won't be disappointed if you go with it.

Rob Russell
07-09-2007, 7:38 AM
My brother-in-law has been a photobug for many years. He's also the super-anal retentive type who researches things to death before buying. He bought the Digital Rebel a year or 2 ago for a trip out to Utah. He took some fantastic pictures with it and has been happy with the camera.

Before I bought a digital SLR, I would look closely at which ones have automatic dust reduction for the sensor. That's an issue with the SLR unless you never plan to change lenses.

Justin McCurdy
07-09-2007, 10:05 AM
Why not save some cash and buy a Rebel XT. You could use the extra savings to buy some add-on lenses. I have had an XT since they first came out and I cannot imagine needing anything more.

Glenn Clabo
07-09-2007, 10:28 AM
Good point! Lenses are more important than bodies...

Jim Becker
07-09-2007, 11:56 AM
I'm a Nikon kinda guy, so there is no harm is suggesting you also check them out if you don't have an investment in Cannon (digital compatible) lenese already. And the kit lense(s) that come with the Nikons are darn nice, IMHO. D40 is very price competitive with other DSLRs as well as with the higher end non-SLR, but capable cameras.

Bill Huber
07-09-2007, 3:09 PM
It depends a lot on what you want to shoot.

If you want a sports camera with good high ISO then I would go with the Canon. If you don't need the high ISO the the Nikon would be a good pick.

Now if you are not a lens junky and want a very good all around camera take a look at the Olympus 510, it has built in image stabilization, built in dust shaker and also live view on the LCD. Great colors and smaller foot print them some.

With both Canon and Nikon you have to pay for the image stabilization in the lens, with the Olympus it is in the body.

Per Swenson
07-09-2007, 5:18 PM
Hi Ken,


Every picture I have posted here has been shot with the

cannon digital rebel. I almost upgraded last week.

But I am going to wait and get a cannon hd video cam.

Knowing what I know now although a wonderful camera and 100 %

pleased,,,it would be a added bonus to have the viewable lcd screen also.

Hope this helps.

Per

Greg Cuetara
07-09-2007, 6:35 PM
I picked up the original digital rebel 6.3mp about 3 years ago now. Great camera. If I had the choice I would buy another one right now. I am more of a canon guy but most importantly take a look at both the canon and the nikon and see what you like best and what fits your hands best...what you can hold best and how easy the features are to use..your fingers may be big or small and some of the buttons may be hard to get to or hard to move etc...I think you will be happy with either the canon or nikon. IMHO the two best companies when it comes to photography.

James Carmichael
07-09-2007, 7:08 PM
Ironically, I bought a DR Xti for LOML last Christmas.

I can't really comment as I don't get to use it much, but it sure takes some awesome pictures.

Chris Rosenberger
07-09-2007, 7:56 PM
I have a Canon XT. I have been very happy with it.

Lars Thomas
07-09-2007, 8:25 PM
Camera are just like tools; for some, they are tools, you could always go up or down in the market. For me, I'm looking at the Canon D30 which is a few hundred more than the XTi. But to me the added features justify the cost. It has a higher SS and ISO, but interestingly lower pixals. The dealer also said the shutter was certifited for more cycles then many.

In either event, I don't think you can go wrong. Lars

David G Baker
07-09-2007, 11:40 PM
I have a question about the newer digital SLR Nikon, will my old Nikon F lenses fit on them? I have 4 or 5 Nikkor lenses for my Nikon F and would like to use them on a digital SLR if possible. I also have a few Canon lenses for my Canon FTB but would prefer to go the Nikon route if possible.

Jim Becker
07-10-2007, 3:19 AM
David, they need to be AF lenses; if so, most will work with the DSLRs. Nikon does document what will work or not, so if you can't get a look at the paper documentation, check their web site for a downloadable version or email them for support. My two older lenses will work fine on my D70, although they are not as good a match for the camera's CCD system as those designed for the digitals. (DX)

David G Baker
07-10-2007, 9:10 AM
Thanks Jim. I had my hopes up. I never purchased the AF system and lenses, by the time they came out I was to heavily invested in the manual lenses and cameras. Looks like I need to do some Fleabaying to get the funds to invest in the new SLR technology.
I have a few large format cameras and have been looking at the digital backs for them but the cost is still beyond what I consider worth investing in.

Ken Fitzgerald
07-10-2007, 9:30 AM
David....check out the Nikon website and their information on the new D40X camera. IIRC...Your old Nikon lens will fit the new cameras but you can only use Manual focus. It seems to me Nikon shows photos of the camera bodies of the old and the new style cameras. The "focus post" on the old bodies are not present on the new style bodies and they state that the focus motor is in the lens on the new style cameras............IIRC.

Dennis Peacock
07-10-2007, 9:57 AM
I have the Digital Rebel and LOVE it. I do need to get a lense or two for it, but I've had mine for well over a year now and really like it. I'd recommend it. :D

David G Baker
07-10-2007, 5:18 PM
David....check out the Nikon website and their information on the new D40X camera. IIRC...Your old Nikon lens will fit the new cameras but you can only use Manual focus. It seems to me Nikon shows photos of the camera bodies of the old and the new style cameras. The "focus post" on the old bodies are not present on the new style bodies and they state that the focus motor is in the lens on the new style cameras............IIRC.
Ken,
I went to the Nikon site and found the information that verified what you wrote about my old lenses fitting on the D40X. Thanks, I was hoping that Nikon would take care of its old customers. I will post when I get the $$ together to make the plunge.

Jim Becker
07-10-2007, 8:34 PM
My appologies for not providing completely accurate information, David. I'm glad that you can still use your existing manual lenses.

David G Baker
07-10-2007, 10:28 PM
My appologies for not providing completely accurate information, David. I'm glad that you can still use your existing manual lenses.
Jim,
Thanks for your input, your information was close enough to get me looking at the Nikon site and start me researching.

Peter Stahl
07-10-2007, 10:59 PM
I have a XTi and really like it too but haven't used it a lot yet. I was talking to a photography at a wedding Saturday and said He wanted to get one for a backup camera. Didn't get to asking him what he was using though.

Ken Fitzgerald
07-10-2007, 11:10 PM
Guys.....Early this evening I bought a Nikon D40X package that included an 18-55mm lens, a 55-200mm lens, 1 Gb SD memory, strap, battery, charger and case and software. I purchased an additional 4 Gb memory. That means Sharon can shoot 3,000 photos before she has to download. I wonder how long it will take and how often she'll do it!

Bill Huber
07-10-2007, 11:20 PM
Guys.....Early this evening I bought a Nikon D40X package that included an 18-55mm lens, a 55-200mm lens, 1 Gb SD memory, strap, battery, charger and case and software. I purchased an additional 4 Gb memory. That means Sharon can shoot 3,000 photos before she has to download. I wonder how long it will take and how often she'll do it!

If I remember right the crop factor is 1.5 on the DX40 so that will give you a 27mm to 300 in 2 lenses so that is a coverage. I am sure you will enjoy it I know a few people that have the 70 and really like it.

Well that 3000 image all depend on what mode she uses, I shoot nothing but RAW and each file is 10MB. I use 2gb cards and can only get about 200 shots on a card.

Jim Becker
07-11-2007, 1:46 AM
Well, Ken....I have my D70 with me at the moment "in an interesting place" and even with "restraint", I'm up to about 450 shots :eek: on a new 2gb card...the camera is saying that I have room for, well...about 725 more. :) So your 4gb card will have plenty of space to snap away!

But seriously, I can't recommend waiting a long time to download...remember our "friend" Murphy??

And congrats on your new camera setup. The D40 is an incredibly well priced camera with a nice feature set. I have similar lenses and they do me well...I generally use my 18-70mm the majority of the time, but having the longer lense is great for wildlife and other shots that need the extra distance, etc.

Glenn Clabo
07-11-2007, 7:41 AM
But seriously, I can't recommend waiting a long time to download...remember our "friend" Murphy??

That's exactly why I limit our cameras to 1 gig cards...:mad:

Jim Becker
07-11-2007, 9:24 AM
That's exactly why I limit our cameras to 1 gig cards...

Yea, I know, but sometimes there are extenuating circumstances...I normally only take about 20-50 shots max before uploading.

David G Baker
07-30-2007, 5:50 PM
Guys.....Early this evening I bought a Nikon D40X package that included an 18-55mm lens, a 55-200mm lens, 1 Gb SD memory, strap, battery, charger and case and software. I purchased an additional 4 Gb memory. That means Sharon can shoot 3,000 photos before she has to download. I wonder how long it will take and how often she'll do it!
Ok Ken, you have had the Nikon D40X for a while now, how do you like it?
I have been looking at the D80 with the 18mm-200mm vr lens but the price is up there. I had a D40 in my hands at Wally world and it didn't feel comfortable, could be the security cable that was fastened to the bottom of it.

Ted Shrader
07-30-2007, 7:31 PM
Ok Ken, you have had the Nikon D40X for a while now, how do you like it?
I have been looking at the D80 with the 18mm-200mm vr lens but the price is up there. I had a D40 in my hands at Wally world and it didn't feel comfortable, could be the security cable that was fastened to the bottom of it.

David -

I have the D80. It came with the 18-135mm lens. Also picked up a 12-24mm from that big auction site. Both lenses get used, though the 18-135 is on the camera the most.

I chose the D80 over the Canon XTi due to the size of the body. The D80 just felt better. That may be part of the reason the D40X doesn't feel quite right to you.

The D40 has a little smaller body. All are very capable cameras. Go for the one that feels right to you.

Regards,
Ted

David G Baker
07-30-2007, 11:35 PM
Ted,
Walmart didn't have the D40X they only had the D40. I don't know if the feel is any different between the two but the D40X has a few more bells and whistles over the D40 according to what I have been told by a sales person. I am trying to find a local store that has a D80 so I can get my hands on one to see if it is comfortable. The D80 has nothing but glowing reviews in every report I have read about it. I am thinking that the VR lenses may help with my old age shakes (I actually use a Gitzo tripod for any serious shooting)
I am also looking at the Epson 1280 for a printer. It is a little out dated but is still a good printer according to friends that have used them.

Ken Fitzgerald
08-01-2007, 11:03 AM
David.....I bought the D40x for my wife while she was visiting her mother in Illinois. I took it with me when I went there. My wife has an Olympus digitial, a good 35mm film, a good APS film and a Canon camcorder. She had all 4 with her in Illinois. She shoots a LOT of photos but she wants point and shoot operation. After kind of ignoring it when I first got there, she took it one evening in the dark and shot photos of granddaughter and great granddaughter in the dark at a local town park. She didn't use any other camera for the next 9 days. Her only complaint is that it weighs more than her point-and-shoot Olympus but she really liked the photos and unlike her Olympus she could shoot multiple photos in rapid succession without the inherent delay the Olympus has. It did everything she wanted and more. It was a good buy! BTW I bought this one at Costco....it was a kit with 18-55mm lens and 55-200mm lens, charger, battery, 1 GB SD memory and case...

David G Baker
08-01-2007, 11:20 AM
Ken,
Thanks for the update.
I have been spending quite a bit of time researching the Nikon products on the Internet. I am one of those types that research every major purchase to death before I plunk down the $. It was different prior to retiring.
I don't have a Costco near me, probably better not to have. When I lived
in California and was still working, Costco got a lot of my $.
I purchased a Sony digital point and shoot for the LOML. She likes it but I like having a view finder.
B&H Photo is probably going to be the company that gets my money.

Chris Tiedt
08-01-2007, 1:15 PM
I too am looking at getting the D40X. I saw a kit for $200 more that includes the 55-200 lense as well as a few other things. My question is this. The 55-200mm lense in the kit is not the VR type lense and some things I read said do not get anything other than the VR type lense for the 55-200mm lense. Any suggestions or thoughts on this? Can anyone really tell a difference between the 2?

Ken Fitzgerald
08-01-2007, 1:27 PM
Chris......There is a difference between the two lens but I think you'll only notice the diffence when using long exposure times. The one that came with the kit I bought was AF-S 55-200 1.4-5.6G ED. It doesn't have Vibration Reduction (VR). As I've gotten older, I've developed a little "shakiness" and it only effects the photos I take in low light situations. I've shot a few photos using the zoom lens without any noticeable problems. There is a significant price difference between the two lens. My main reason for buying the kit ....it came with both lens. On really longer shots my wife and I normally use a tripod anyway...

I just loaded onto our home computer the 300 plus photos my wife and I shot while in Illinois at family gatherings on both sides of our family. I can't wait for here to get home and see them. Even with a good Olympus (non SLR), a good APS and a good 35mm Minolta....she's never seen images of this quality IMO. She'll be in heaven!

Burt Alcantara
08-06-2007, 12:38 PM
I'm still using the original D30. Still takes great pictures.

Something to keep in mind. Whatever DSLR you end up buying, you're not just buying a camera. You're buying into a product line. Due to mounts, IS attachments and other features unique to the camera, you may find that you'll stick to that manufacturer's line of lens. Canon, Nikon and a few others make excellent lens.

Don't get caught up buying a lot of lens. If you go with the Canon, buy the 28-135 IS lens. Don't buy any other lens until you understand everything about f-stops, depth-of-field, shudder speeds, flattening, perspective, boka, and more. More importantly, learn to see. Learn to see EVERYTHING in the view finder. You will be surprised at how many pictures you ruin because there is a junky garbage can in the picture you didn't see, you didn't concentrate on focus, you got the wrong depth-of-field, wrong shudder speed, wrong exposure (you can't count on auto-exposure all the time) and a whole lot more.

Changing to a lot of different lenses will only complicate this because each lens has very unique characteristics.

This is probably more then you want to know about so I'll stop.
Burt

Bob Moyer
08-06-2007, 1:34 PM
I have an Olympus, I paid $1,200 for camera 2 lenses and flash. I love this setup.

Ed Falis
08-06-2007, 4:49 PM
I too am looking at getting the D40X. I saw a kit for $200 more that includes the 55-200 lense as well as a few other things. My question is this. The 55-200mm lense in the kit is not the VR type lense and some things I read said do not get anything other than the VR type lense for the 55-200mm lense. Any suggestions or thoughts on this? Can anyone really tell a difference between the 2?

Chris,

I know someone mentioned the Olympus with the shake reduction built into the body. I bought my wife a Pentax K10D that has the same feature (and I think the K100D, which is less expensive has it as well). Big advantage if you plan to do several lenses. Shake reduction makes a big difference in my estimation, but I have shaky hands due to a nervous condition. Pentax has excellent backward compatibility to old lenses with both of these bodies.

Great advice from Burt.

- Ed

David DeCristoforo
08-06-2007, 6:57 PM
Ken,
I went to the Nikon site and found the information that verified what you wrote about my old lenses fitting on the D40X. Thanks, I was hoping that Nikon would take care of its old customers. I will post when I get the $$ together to make the plunge.

And, guess what? Manual focus is no big deal. In fact I use it most of the time even with my AF lenses. The optics in some of the older Nikon lenses can't be beat.