For all those "What Camera Should I Buy" people

rasheemo · Jul 30, 2008

pine for something or someone
1. long, ache, crave, yearn, sigh, carry a torch, eat your heart out over, suspire (archaic), (poetic)
2. hanker after, crave, covet, wish for, yearn for, thirst for, hunger for, lust after

lol, i cant even begin to wish for something that expensive =[

g0bl0k · Jul 30, 2008

hello all,
1st post here, been lurking for several months and have learned a lot from this forum. 1st of all, apologize to the OP if i changed the topic. i thought there's no use to start a new thread. im currently in the market for new beginner dslr, really considering canon rebel xsi. im no pro or savvy in this photography field as this will be my 1st dslr and for me it will be a big step up from regular point&shoot pocket camera. found this deal online, what do you guys think? pretty good deal? is this website reliable/trustworthy? thanks in advance for your feedback.

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007882&prodlist=dealnews

Mullen · Jul 30, 2008

g0bl0k said:
found this deal online, what do you guys think? pretty good deal? is this website reliable/trustworthy? thanks in advance for your feedback.

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007882&prodlist=dealnews

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/ZipZoomFly

I probably wouldn't trust them.

"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Try one of these:
B&H Photo = $794.95
Adorama = $809.95

cling · Jul 30, 2008

I think these guys are fairly reputable actually. THey are well known for computer parts. I mean dang 10000 reviews and lifetime rating of 8+ is a no brainer.

rasheemo · Jul 30, 2008

i'm with mullen on this one, zipzoomfly is a hit or miss, their customer service sucks. i would go with one of the links he provided.

their rating on resellerratings is 5.6 or something. not good!

Village Idiot · Jul 30, 2008

Back on topic. The 30D is a great deal.

g0bl0k · Jul 30, 2008

thanks for your replies...i agree with you Mullen, for the past 6 months, they have several bad reviews. i guess i have to pass on the xsi even though i think it's a pretty good deal...

should i jump on the 30d deal @ ritzcamera instead of the links that Mullen provided? would 30d be too much (in other word - advance-) for a beginner like me w/ potential 1st purchase of dslr?

freelunch · Jul 30, 2008

I was attracted to this thread by the title, but disappointed by the content. Especially for a beginner's forum.

I don't think it matters what camera you buy. You have to be able to see first. (Yeah, vague, I know...)

There used to be a fad for a certain Russian camera with a cheap plastic lens. The cult following had it that you never looked through the viewfinder, but shot from the hip. The resulting black and white images were fuzzy on the edges and the composition was a matter of luck. But some of the results were fascinating! It came down to the subject matter, not the tool that was used to get the shot.

For posting on the web, you don't need an expensive camera! What's more important is an idea and a sense of composition. Why did you take the photograph? What is important in it for you? How could you retake that same photo, only better?

Digital is wonderful for the instant gratification and lack of expense (film and processing). Software like Photoshop makes the post-processing possibilities endless. But, none this will compensate for an idea.

I read the reviews. I bought a camera that was highly rated. I'd hate to think what my proportion of web postings to actual print outs was.

To beginning photographers I'd say, buy the best camera you can afford. More important is to learn to see the shot before you even raise the camera to your eye.

[/soapbox]

Cheers!

ksmattfish · Jul 30, 2008

rasheemo said:
can you at least explain WHY they're better than the XT series?

The 30D has a slightly bigger viewfinder and better organized menus, buttons, and dials. That's the main differences I see, and they are worth an extra $200 to me, but I think image quality differences between the XT and 30D, or even 40D, are insignificant if you know what you are doing.

Here's some good advice to beginners about purchasing cameras and lenses from H.P Robinson, a famous English photographer. Moderators this is public domain material, and not copyrighted.

"The lens is always considered the most important of all the tools the photographer employs. So it is, but I should like to say boldly that, within limits, I do not care what make of lens I use. It is as well to have the best your means will allow, but there has always been too much made of particular variations in the make of lenses. It has been the fashion to think too much of the tools and too little of the use made of them. I have one friend who did nothing last year because he had made up his mind to buy a new lens, and could not determine whose make it should be, and he was tired of his old apparatus. His was of the order of particular and minute minds that try to whittle nothing to a point. I have another friend who takes delight in preparing for photography, and spends a small fortune in doing so, but never takes a picture." from H.P. Robinson's "Letters On Landscape Photography" published in 1888.

I think it's funny that as much as things seem to change, they really stay the same. I don't know what brands they were arguing about back then, but I'm sure old H.P. would recognize the Canon vs. Nikon debate.

Here's a link to the entire book online. It's the best photography book I've read all year.

http://www.archive.org/details/lettersonlandsca00robirich

Village Idiot · Jul 30, 2008

The lens is the most important, but when you can get a 30D for the price of an XTI, new, then I'd say go for it. It's got more intuitive controls and when some one ask me what camera should I buy, I usually suggest a used mid level camera like the d80 or the 30D. I've used enough rebel series cameras to say that unless you have to have a small camera, go with the 30D.

You get spot metering, faster AF, 1/3 stop increments in ISO, up to 3200 ISO, metal chassis, a scroll wheel that lets you change the aperture without having to press an additional button to alter the shutter speed dial function, top mount lcd, the ability to change ISO without going into the camera's menu, 5 FPS vs. 3-3.5FPS, and several other useful functions.