hey guys. ive decided to move up to a DSLR camera.

im not shooting with an SLR camera (not digital) Minolta x-700. yes, old, but competes with alot of cameras out now.

kinda wanting the digital hook up to the pc right now.

i was looking at the:

cannon EOS Digital Rebel XTi

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT

the Xti just only means its a 10.1MP right?

im not looking for size right now, just crisp quality.

would u guys just consider me buying the EOS XT and switch the lense? would that be better than the XTi?

open to any other cameras as well

 

IMO, the XT is better than the XTi, they just stuffed more megapixels in the XTi and said it was better. Save the money and go with the XT and some nice glass.
-GP-

 

A used 20D or used 30D > new Rebel series

since you're coming from film, you probably won't like the small viewfinder on the Rebel bodies. The ergonomics on the 20D/30D bodies is also better; magnesium vs plastic... 2nd wheel for quicker adjustments... better high iso image quality.

 

^ either that or find a Nikon D70s. I was just in the market for some of those and I stumble acrross a D70S NEW IN THE BOX with a decent lens for $450 at a local store here. I notice that Xt or XTi were to small for my hands.

 

^^ thats a good idea, there is no reason to buy new. Try to find a 20d or 30d.

Can you check click counts in the service menu with these?, I know its becoming more common. My Olympus after you enter a button combo will show up # of clicks, flash count and number of times it has been turned on

 

Shutter actuations, on Canon, can only be done on the 1D series bodies.

 

^^ thanks I was trying to find out, but found no clear info on the internet

 

so youre saying the image quality on the Xti isnt any better than the Xt?

just for larger images it can have an advantage to better quality, correct?

 

would u think about this pic?



its not that bad for a 20 year old SLR camera. but i want to move onto something easier as far as getting the images on the pc. i get the pics from the film put on a CD, then gotta do some editing.

 

it's 10 mp but it's still the same size sensor. image quality won't be much different between the two camera bodies. the lenses you purchase will make more of an impact. imo, the XTi isn't worth the money over an XT. You can buy a used XT for about $380-400. The money you save in buying a new XTi can be put towards a good wide angle zoom lens. About the only worthwhile upgrade on the XTi is the larger LCD, but is that worth an extra $200-300? Not for me.

If you're on a budget, the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 ($400-430 new) or Canon 17-40 f/4.0L ($600 new) would be the two I'd recommend for a wide angle zoom. If you're not on a budget, the Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS or Canon 24-70 f/2.8L are worth looking at.

 

to be honest, there's too much going on in the picture background (fence, poles, trees).

what's the main focal point? My eyes wander to both the blue and grey BMW. Nothing really stands out in the image. When framing a shot like that, you want to make sure the focal point is the main subject in the image and that the eyes go right to it. I do mostly motorsports photography, but here's an example of separating the focal point from the foreground and background:


I'm shooting at a large enough aperture that my niece's face is blurred out and my hand isn't a distraction. The eyes should move to where her fingers wrap around mine.

 

joe645733, gr? gave some very good advice, you would improve greatly if you used it.

As for me, I would say learn your rules of thirds, since all your subjects are way outside. For example the best real estate in the picture is consumed by the spacing between the BMWs. really makes that a uninteresting picture, just like gr? said-- am scanning the entire picture looking for something to focus on, but cant.

However on gr?'s baby pic, am force to focus on whats the most important aspect and not really giving the ability to scan--which is a good thing

 

If you have decent lenses for your old Minolta you should check out the Sony A100 & brand new A700. They will function with your existing autofocus Minolta lenses and also have built in IS.

 

i know, its a little different than a 20 year old SLR camera i have now than the new ones out today.

i have to develop the film, then get the pics put on a CD, it loses quality through those processes.

i was just taking a practice picture, i was at work at the time.

but with the minolta, every little detail is adjusted manually.
its not like i have a screen in the back of the camera, to where i can be like, no...that didnt look that great. i have to take notes and remember what number picture i took, with what setting it had.
then i have to develop it, wait an hour, then go to my computer and load them.

but im done with the camera, im picking a black rebel Xti up tonight. thanks for the info guys.

 

enjoy your new camera

a view screen is helpful, but it doenst make miracles, about the only thing I use mine for is to view the histogram which gives a great advantage over film cameras but only regarding exposure. Setting up to photo is the same for a film and digital, and all the rules apply.
At least you'll get to view your photos quickly with a digital

 

I did a lot of searching and went with a Nikon D40 and wow... I love it!

 

Here is one of my 1st pics with the Nikon D40...

 

i definitely would have gone with a NEW 20D over a XTi.

 

you can still find a new 20D on the shelf?