Looking to go digital - need advice

bballmanmf13 · Mar 31, 2006

Yeah thanks. I have been looking on dpreview, definately a good place to compare.

I am going to go to a camera store next weekend when I go home (I live about an hour away from school).

How large of prints are we talking about? I would definately like to make some bigger prints.

Big Mike · Mar 31, 2006

I don't recall exactly...but I think I've read that people have made great 16x24 prints from 6MP D70 files.

Obviously, you can make a print as big as you can...however, it's up to the viewer to decide if the quality is good enough. Don't forget that viewing distance plays a part in this as well.

steve817 · Apr 1, 2006

Big Mike said:
I don't recall exactly...but I think I've read that people have made great 16x24 prints from 6MP D70 files.

Obviously, you can make a print as big as you can...however, it's up to the viewer to decide if the quality is good enough. Don't forget that viewing distance plays a part in this as well.

I have done a 20X30 off of a Canon D60 file . I'm quite sure the Nikon D70 can pull it off with no problem at all.

bluesguy · Apr 1, 2006

bluesguy said:
Plan on doing some more window shopping this week at a local camera store.

So I went to a local store and checked out the Canon XT w/ EFS 17-85mm and the Canon 20D with the same lense. Both cameras had a good feel to them and more features that I would probably use. If I go with the Canon XT, I could afford to also get the Canon EFS 70-300mm.

On the downside, the CanonXT only supports ISO 1600 while the Canon 20D supports higher ISO. Kind of stuck. Almost wish I could test drive each camera for a weekend at a shoot and see which I like better.

Any more advice? Right now I am leaning towards the XT and getting two lenses.

steve817 · Apr 2, 2006

Yeah, the 20D will do ISO 3200, but it doesn't do that great of a job IMO. Usable 8X10's at the most and you need to nail the exposure for that.
The bigger problem for me would be that the flash exposure compensation is accessed through the menu (I think) on the XT. One workaround would be to put a 580 on it but then again you are talking more money.

ksmattfish · Apr 2, 2006

bluesguy said:
On the downside, the CanonXT only supports ISO 1600 while the Canon 20D supports higher ISO.

You might want to research this more. I know I've seen articles claiming that going from ISO 1600 to H (3200) with the 20D is really an in-camera software push, and not an actual increase in the sensor's light sensitivity as it is with the 100 - 1600 ISO settings. I've been experimenting with my 20D shooting on 3200, and shooting on 1600, but underexposing a stop, and doing the fix in PS. I think I am getting less noise in the undexposed, but corrected 1600 shots, but I still need to work with it.

bluesguy · Apr 2, 2006

steve817 said:
Usable 8X10's at the most and you need to nail the exposure for that.

That was the best I could do w/ B&W film (no flash). I have this one

as a 8x10.

steve817 said:
The bigger problem for me would be that the flash exposure compensation is accessed through the menu (I think) on the XT. One workaround would be to put a 580 on it but then again you are talking more money.

Well I figure a good flash unit goes with the territory. I don't have a problem with that.