Buying a T3i

[folkloricjungle]

Hey all! I'm looking to buy my first DSLR, the T3i, and I've been looking around. One package I found comes with 18-55mm lens for $662.50, and I saw one at Costco that comes with 18-55mm lens, as well as 55-250mm lens and an 8GB SD card for $850~ (forgot the exact price).

Which one would you guys recommend getting? Or neither? Thanks!

 

[ryank382]

where did u find one that came with a kit lens for $662? is it new? i saw some deals on ebay but after looking up the companies i found out they were scams. im interested because i am buying a t3i within the next couple of days. i am going to try pc richard because i heard u can bargain there. will be getting a d5100 with my friend at the same time so maybe we can get a discount for buying 2 cameras

 

[GreggS]

i picked up my first DSLR in september of last year...it was a t2i. it's done me very well as a learning tool and it's helped me realize how much i love this hobby. yesterday though, i just upgraded to the 5d Mk II because i'd like to get into doing events for hire, maybe as a side business in the not too distant future. the one thing i've learned along the way though...and hopefully some more experienced people will agree with me...is that it's best to invest in good lenses. Given your current options though, I'd say go with the kit with just the 18-55. Then, take a look at the cheapo 75-300 as a learning tool. But I'd be prepared to come to the fact that you'll 'outgrow' those lenses soon enough, and you may want to start looking at upgrades, as typically 'kit lenses' are bottom of the line (then again...I've seen some amazing examples of that NOT being the case.)

PS- I'm currently selling my 75-300mm for less than you'll find it anywhere else. Private message me if you're interested

 

[SoCalTiger]

There are/was a glut of people selling T3i's on eBay and Craigslist due to some really cheap package deals on Amazon about a month ago. I ended up selling a brand new T3i kit for $650 locally and a T3 kit to a coworker for $400. If you do your research it may pay off to try to find one of those. If you get a good seller, they will give you a copy of their receipt so you'll still get the full warranty.

Aside from that, you can wait until the next time Amazon is having one of those sales and has all the lenses that are part of the bundle in stock.

 

[billross77]

If anyone is interested, I have a t3i that I was just about to put on craigslist for $525. It has 3742 shutter actuations, a battery grip 16gb class 10 sd card and two batteries. I still have all the original packaging and parts. No lens at this price.

Sorry for the ad don't want to hijack the thread.