What's the cheapest Canon D-SLR thats still worth buying?

[Senor Hound]

Of course the cheapest will probably be the D-30, but That's she's kind of extinct now.

I have two Canon kit lenses, and I'm trying to get into the SLR market for CHEAP. I'm looking to spend about $300, which I know is NOTHING but its all I feel comfortable spending at this point. My plan is to use the dirt cheap Canon SLR with my kit lenses, to learn, and then when I get out of college in the next year or two, buying something with more features.

I was looking at the 10D. It looks really cool, but for the same price I can get a 350D. I wanna stay away from the 300D, only because it doesn't have rear-curtain flash (and that's important to me, cause I love the look of a rear-curtain car shot). I would, however be okay with a EOS-D60, if it still has a quality image, and I don't feel limited by it. I know I can't afford a Canon 20D, so its out of the question. It will have to be a 10D, D-60 or a 350D, as those are the three cameras that fit my budget and still have rear-curtain flash.

Anyone with experience on both of these, which would you recommend? I want to have a lot of control over my photos, so a lot of settings I can tinker with while learning would be awesome.

Any help would be appreciated!

P.S. I'd love to try these cameras out first, but I'm afraid that won't be possible. I mean I could, but its hard to find stuff to compare and contrast when dealing with used equipment.

 

[asfixiate]

What are the lenses you have? Rebel and 30d are fine cameras but I don't think you'll find either are achievable with 300 bucks. Since rebels only have 50,000 cycles I wouldn't really recommend getting one without warranty.

 

[Village Idiot]

20D. They're like $400ish though. The 10D would be nice, but it's only an EF mount and doesn't take EF-S lenses. You can get a 10D for like 200, but EF lenses are generally more expensive so it wouldn't make much sens if you're buying based on price. 300D.

 

[Village Idiot]

What are the lenses you have? Rebel and 30d are fine cameras but I don't think you'll find either are achievable with 300 bucks. Since rebels only have 50,000 cycles I wouldn't really recommend getting one without warranty.

300D's go for less than $300. And 50,000 shutter actuations is a lot. How many do you have? I have like 7000 after a year.

 

[RyanLilly]

You can still get a brand new 350D(XT) on B&H for about $400. I paid $450 recently for a 20D. I wouldn't go any older than those two cameras. But keep you eyes open on craigslist and good deals usually come up if you give it a bit of time.

I think the problem is that many 350D owners selling used don't realize how much the value has diminished. I just checked craigslist St.Louis and there is a 350D kit 2 years old for $425. The same thing Is $450 NEW at B&H! They may have paid $1000, to years ago but, a camera with 2 successors makes the value drop like a rock. That is what makes the 20D the best camera for the money IMO. It is a fast and easy to use semi-pro, body that has every thing most people will ever need, still out shoots the XSi in many cases, and with the 30D, and 40D after it, along with many people switching to the full frame 5D, all comes to low price and high availability of the 20D.

 

[maddermaxx]

20D. They're like $400ish though. The 10D would be nice, but it's only an EF mount and doesn't take EF-S lenses. You can get a 10D for like 200, but EF lenses are generally more expensive so it wouldn't make much sens if you're buying based on price. 300D.

Uh, what?

Canon only makes a handful of EF-S lenses, and all that's different between EF and EF-S is EF-S is made for crop sensors. All of Canon's L-glass is EF

According to there website there's only 6 EF-S lenses.

EF-S 10-22 F/3.5-4.5 USM
EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS USM
EF-S 17-85 F/4-5.6 IS USM
EF-S 18-55 F/3.5-5.6 IS
EF-S 55-250 F/4-5.6 IS
EF-S 60mm F/2.8 Macro USM

None of which I'd get a camera with EF-S mount just to use. There's better lenses for the same price as most of those.

Get a 10D, you'll be happy.

 

[RyanLilly]

Are you in the US? Could you stretch you budget a bit with the "Save the economy $600 at a time stimulus package?"

 

[RyanLilly]

Uh, what?

Canon only makes a handful of EF-S lenses, and all that's different between EF and EF-S is EF-S is made for crop sensors. All of Canon's L-glass is EF

According to there website there's only 6 EF-S lenses.

EF-S 10-22 F/3.5-4.5 USM
EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS USM
EF-S 17-85 F/4-5.6 IS USM
EF-S 18-55 F/3.5-5.6 IS
EF-S 55-250 F/4-5.6 IS
EF-S 60mm F/2.8 Macro USM

None of which I'd get a camera with EF-S mount just to use. There's better lenses for the same price as most of those.

Get a 10D, you'll be happy.

If the price is good, get the 10D, but it will be harder to find a good wide lens. Many of the fast 3rd party zooms are EF-S equivalent, like the 17/18-50 2.8. So that would be the one limitation. I really feel that the 20D is the way to go if you can swing the price.

 

[maddermaxx]

If you're that worried about crop factor to get a camera so you can use EF-S lenses Sigma/Tamron make lenses that are for "digital" cameras there made for the crop factor of CMOS sensors.

But still, why get a canon and settle for 3rd party lenses when there's a good amount of L glass eh? :mrgreen: (probably not in your current budget though)

 

[randerson07]

If the price is good, get the 10D, but it will be harder to find a good wide lens. Many of the fast 3rd party zooms are EF-S equivalent, like the 17/18-50 2.8. So that would be the one limitation. I really feel that the 20D is the way to go if you can swing the price.

I have a 10D and two Tamron DX lens, a 17-50 2.8 and a 28-75 2.8. Both work fine on my 10D.

Get a 20D is you can afford it, get a 10D if you can get one in good shape for a good price. Having used both an XT and 10D side by side(I bought my woman an XT for xmas a couple years ago) the only way I would tell you to get an XT is if you have small hands. My hands are not all that big, but they just dont fit nicely on an XT.

One of these days if I come across a d30 for cheap im going to pick it up. I imagine the file sizes are small, and have heard that the images from it have a feel all their own. Kind of the same reason im shooting alot of film right now, it just has a different feel too it.

 

[BoblyBill]

Honestly, I have a D30 that I got last Christmas for $325 and have gotten some great results, IMHO. Most of my storms from last year where shot with that camera. In fact the picture that I have in my Sig is from that camera.

 

[Rogan]

where ive been looking, used D10's are more wexpensive than used XT's

=\

 

[usayit]

My vote is for either a 10D or a D60.

 

[RyanLilly]

My vote is for either a 10D or a D60.

Canon D60, Not to be confused with the new Nikon D60. :scratch:

 

[usayit]

Yes.. that's correct. The D60 is essentially the same as my first Digital SLR, the D30, but with an updated sensor. I went to the 10D afterwards. IMO, the D60 and the 10D both still bring value to the table when used properly.

I really wish Canon and Nikon would do something about their digital camera naming conventions. I think it is safe to say that Digital SLRs are more common than Film... can we leave the "D" off now?