New Camera

[Shep]

The wife and I are looking at getting a new camera. We are looking for a semi-pro camera to take great pictures. We're also not looking to spend too much $. Has anyone have any experience with this one?

Thanks
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNDRXSK1855

[Hoover]

Canon EOS Rebel. Canon is a good brand, they are sold also at BestBuy, and Costco. There are other places that handle Canon as well. SLR camera, so you can change lenses.

[RayintheUK]

I noticed that when I clicked on the "What's In The Box" tab, it said that the camera body color was silver - that's odd. Not a deal-breaker, but definitely odd.

Otherwise, it's a good, middle-of-the-range camera that comes with an 18-55 lens - wide-angle to close-up. Think about getting a 55-300 to complete the range you're likely to want to use.

Regarding SD cards, I prefer to shoot on, for example, four 2MB cards, rather than one 8MB card. That way, if the card goes pear-shaped, you've got less of a potential image loss.

Invest in a spare battery right away. Shoot in the highest quality available and prepare to be impressed.

Ray.

[LarryG]

I noticed that when I clicked on the "What's In The Box" tab, it said that the camera body color was silver - that's odd. Not a deal-breaker, but definitely odd.

The "View Alternatives" drop-down box shows a black body for $513, and a silver for $529.95. So they probably just happened to cut-and-paste the specs from the silver version. Still, a question worth asking.

[radhak]

Just a year ago I knew nothing about DSLRs. Then I bought a Nikon D40, and now all my friends and family have nicknamed me 'the photographer' . So I can tell you that you are on the right track - an entry level DSLR will be a great pleasure to handle.

The Canon Rebel and the Nikon D40 are on par in value for money and ease of handling. You cannot go wrong with either. I recommend you pick up and handle both before deciding - only you can tell which you'd like.

If you have only used a regular Point-and-shoot, these might seem slightly bulky. And also, while the freedom of different lenses is great, there is an initial cost to it. the 18-55 lens is effectively a zoom of just 3x, much less than most P-n-S cameras provide, so you might want to factor in a zoom lens cost too.

And yes, you might want to check out your local Craigslist too. Great deals, good products, so long as you stick to local sellers! I bought mine on CL.

[Rich P]

I got the Digital Rebel back in 2005 and have been happy with it. I highly recommend you look at this lens. It is a great "walking around" lens and is always on my camera. The packaged lens leaves a bit to be desired. The newer Rebels are faster (from camera to memory card), can shoot full motion, and have much higher res than mine so I don't think you will be disappointed.

If you want to get all the latest, check out this site.

[Toolhound]

A lot of people like the Nikon D40, and there should be good deals available. Start with the 18-55mm kit lens and see what kind of photos you want to take. If and when you find that you need a longer lens, Nikon has a 55-200mm VR lens that is pretty reasonably priced. (Keep in mind that there is a 1.5x conversion factor when comparing lenses to the equivalent on a 35mm film camera due to the difference in the dimensions of the sensor. ie 200mm on a D40 gives approximately the same view as 300mm on a 35mm film camera.) There also may be 2 lens bundles available with both of these lenses in 1 package. I think that I saw them at Costco a while ago.

There are also some useful recommendations on cameras available here
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm

[BobSch]

Unless you're sure of Buydig.com's reputation, try looking at B&H Photo. They've got the same camera for about the same price: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...XS_a_k_a_.html

The only reason for the warning is that a lot of on-line camera sellers are either frauds or will pull a bait-and-switch. I don't know anything about Buydig, just a general warning. I KNOW B&H is a reputable shop.

[Shep]

Unless you're sure of Buydig.com's reputation, try looking at B&H Photo. They've got the same camera for about the same price: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...XS_a_k_a_.html

The only reason for the warning is that a lot of on-line camera sellers are either frauds or will push you to buy something more expensive. I don't know anything about buydig, just a general warning. I KNOW B&H is a reputable shop.

I don't think we'll be buying from this shop exactly. This was a link of the product I had on hand. Thanks for recommending B&H.

[sscherin]

It's hard to go wrong with the Cannon you picked or a Nikon D60

Both are 10mp cameras with a huge line of lenses to chose from.

Amazon has that Camera you picked with Free Shipping for $515
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-XS-Digit...8724274&sr=8-2

Or the Nikon D60 for $545
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-10-2MP-D...8724476&sr=8-1

Whatever you get I'd also order a UV filter for the lens..
Not so much for UV protection but scratch protection for the lens. It's cheep insurance.

[Rich P]

Typical scratch protection is not the UV but the Skylight 1A.

[Toolhound]

While there are many ripoff online camera stores, Buydig is a reliable source, they're a division of Beach Camera and authorized dealer. I received a Nikon lens that I didn't need as a gift that had been purchased through them, and had no trouble returning it for a refund (to the person who had given it to me). B&H Photo, Adorama, as well as Amazon.com are also good online dealers.
In general, it's a good idea to avoid Brooklyn based dealers offering prices that are too good to be true when purchasing cameras online as these tend to be the scammers. HTH

[Rich P]

I've used Buydig for cameras too with no problem. Key thing is to be sure the dealer is authorized which is sometimes hard. As I recall, when I bought my Canon, Buydig did not show up but Beach did. You also need to watch out for "grey market" stuff (official sales overseas only). Also check for rebates at the mfgr's web site.

[stocktr8er]

I made the leap to a SLR with this very camera a couple years ago. Best thing I ever did. Well worth the money invested as it does just about anything you need it to.

I picked it up from wolfcamera.com (which is a clone of Ritzcamera.com). Great customer service and at the time I was able to pick up the camera with an extra zoom lens for about $100 less than Best Buy was selling the camera alone for.

Only reason to look at a xT or xTi is if you can find a great deal on price otherwise not worth it to look at anything more than the xS.

[sscherin]

Typical scratch protection is not the UV but the Skylight 1A.

UV or Skylight is more of a personal choice.. Both block UV that the CCD can pick up (seen as bluing of the image).. The UV is otherwise clear where the Skylight adds a slight pink hue for a warmer tone..