Hi all,

Has anyone got any experience with the Canon Digital Rebels XS?

I've seen some photo's taken on a website and what really drew me in was the quality and the length of exposure its capable of.

I do like to dabble with night/low light photograhy so exposure lengths are going to be beneficial. Maybe some nightlife photography if i get a opportunity of shadowing a pro photographer i know.

Im also after something with a good frames per second rate at high quality, as i do like to photograph some sports.

I've been trying to do some research into a suitable camera, but im a little unsure on what camera to select based on my choice of photography style.

Could anyone suggest me a camera based on what i've spoken about above, around the £300-£450 region?

Many Thanks

Dan.

Dan, TBH your budget does seem to be rather low for what you want to achieve....

Hi len, maybe i am.

When i meant a fast frame rate, i was thinking around the 3.5 frames per second rate.

As the camera i have now will only do burst shots at 4MP and it looks worse than the first Kodak 1MP camera my dad ever had.

I was talking to the photographer last night, he advised me to look at a D50 if i could stretch that far.

Or to look at the EOS 450 or 500, but buy a body and then go after a lense. I cant remember everything, but i was quite merry at the time

I have a 400D that i may be selling (look in 'for sale' section) as i have just purchased a 40D.

I have just upgraded all of my kit from

400D +Grip + 18-55mm IS kit lens + Tamron 55-200mm

to

40D +17-85mm IS + Sigma 70-200mm F2.8

If you want to buy new i think you need to decide what you want to photograph and then set your budget accordingly.

I want general all rounder, i dont know if im answering your messages accordingly here.

As im generally new to all this photography lark, and im not entirely sure what i need for my needs.

A good zoom is a nice feature for me, i've 18x optical on the fuji and its quite good and i've achieved some decent shots of animals at zoo's.

Every now and then i tag along with a lad i know and do some pics for Banger racing club around my end.

Hence the frame rate at decent quality.

I hope i dont sound too noobish and that i dont know what im talking about.

As i dont

TBH mate, if you are new to photography I think going straight for an SLR is a bit too much.

There are some excellent point and shoot cameras around, which also give you ample opportunity to use manual override as and when you feel like it.

They'd also be within your budget.

Try to get a look at the Panasonic FZ28 or FZ38 at your local camera dealer

I've currently got a point and shoot with manual override, i understand how to use the aperture and exposure using the bar etc etc. Making HDR pics etc etc.

A Fujifilm S8000FD, nice little camera....but im after something with more than a 4" exposure and a slightly faster frame rate. As im struggling in some low level light conditions.

I'd like to get myself established with something thats going to last me as apart from getting better lenses then i dont think id swap for a long time. Also the main reason i'm looking as i've got someone willing to teach me how to use the camera, providing i get something decent. Admittedly they've got top notch kit, which i wont be able to contend with.

If you want a good entry SLR, I have a Sony A350 which I really like, and pretty good in low light! I would go to a shop and try them. The price equivalent Canons and Nikons are good to, but if shooting in low light, I would try and learn to focus manually, as the autofocus can sometimes struggle in low light. I guess you won't be using using flash if you want to do quick bursts in low light, as that is what can really slow the camera down!

Im after the longer exposure's for low light shots, fast rate shots would be in the daytime.

But i was thinking of buying a decent flash for the camera eventually.

Hi all,

Has anyone got any experience with the Canon Digital Rebels XS?

I've seen some photo's taken on a website and what really drew me in was the quality and the length of exposure its capable of.

I do like to dabble with night/low light photograhy so exposure lengths are going to be beneficial. Maybe some nightlife photography if i get a opportunity of shadowing a pro photographer i know.

Im also after something with a good frames per second rate at high quality, as i do like to photograph some sports.

I've been trying to do some research into a suitable camera, but im a little unsure on what camera to select based on my choice of photography style.

Could anyone suggest me a camera based on what i've spoken about above, around the £300-£450 region?

Many Thanks

Dan.

The first DSLR I owned was the Canon 350 (Rebel) and can thoroughly recommend the smaller Canons. The only caveat I would say is check that you are happy with the smaller size body. The smaller size isn’t quite the big deal many people say imho, but best check it out anyway. Mine was 100% reliable and is still going strong.

One of the nice things is the lenses and flash I bought for it are doing great service with my current DSLR (40D) which shows the advantages of buying decent lenses and their adaptability. Naturally I am stuck with Canon now (no hardship for me though) and this is the only tricky downside to DSLRs. What ever you first buy will probably be the manufacturer that you are stuck with for many years.

Personally I like Canon best, as not only are their cameras great, but they have possibly the largest collection of lenses available, But I would say there isn’t much in it between Nikon and Canon on this front. Currently Nikon have a very slight edge in many of their camera models when tested by ‘experts’, but it is a close call and the odds will swing back in favour of Canon or perhaps Sony, again.

Fwiw, I think you would be happy with any mainstream manufacturer’s product as they all seem pretty good. But if you bought Canon I would entirely support your decision.

Happy hunting.

Hi, I had the same problem as you, wanted an DSLR but didn't really have the budget. I bought a sony alpha 330 with an extra 70-300 zoom. It's pretty good, 10mp shoots at 3fps. One of the main reasons I bought it is because it is about the only camera in this price range that has a live viewer screen on it, what's more it has adjustable angles for low or high shots & 2.7".

If I had the extra cash I'd have gone for the nikon D5000. There is an excellent site for comparing cameras Sony Alpha A330 Review - Digital Camera Reviews - TrustedReviews let us know what you go for in the end. Also if you are choosing a lens, have a go at this, it's very handy, click the lens on the right and use the slider to simulate the zoom. http://www.tamroneurope.com/flc.htm

Edited 10 November, 200916 yr by ki_user

Hi,

You could always try a used body? A colleague picked up a used 30D on eBay for under £300 - it might be a little old, but it was in the bottom end of the "pro" range, so it has a good fps & autofocus module.

I would avoid Sony SLRs - the bodies are good, but Sony lenses aren't great performers unless you use the Zeiss lenses, which are over-priced compared to Canon/Nikon ones.

2nd hand is a good option if the camera has been treated well, a good place to keep an eye out is Talk Photography™ not as many for sale on there but the guys tend to look after them well. Also they give good advice on what to get. Only thing to watch out for is you tend to find is if someone had always used a certain camera, they may recommend it as it is all they have used, that's why I suggested reading the reviews and working out what is right for you.

The Live View of my Sony I really like! Also, for low light have a look at the various reviews of the cameras you do like, especially the quality of photos using the higher ISO settings.

Also, just seen this too! The new Cyber-shot WX1 : Sony

The Rebel XS is known as the 1000D over here - it's an excellent camera and an excellent entry point to SLR photography. You can generally buy it as a body-only (no lens) at ~£320 (here) or with one of two versions of the 18-55 lens; one image-stabilised at ~£440 , and the other non-image-stabilised at ~£380.

As you want a big zoom range I'd recommend buying the body-only and then putting the rest of the money towards a cheap, wide-range lens such as the Tamron 18-200mm (here) for about £165. A lens with such a wide zoom range at such a low price is never going to be perfect, but the Tamron is a particularly good one, and will give you a useful range from wide to telephoto in one package and is a good starting point while you decide what kind of photography you want to get into, and what lenses you may need in future.

Hope that helps.

Just an addition to that which I think is worth mentioning, the canon had no on-board image stabilisation, so if you are going for a cheaper lens, depending on what you are shooting, you are going to need to use a tripod.

Just an addition to that which I think is worth mentioning, the canon had no on-board image stabilisation, so if you are going for a cheaper lens, depending on what you are shooting, you are going to need to use a tripod.

You'd want a tripod anyway for the night-time shots. For the sports shots, you'll probably be after a high shutter-speed to freeze the action, so the only real use for IS/VR/OS/VC at that shutter-speed would be to help with panning, and to steady the viewfinder image. Having said that, tripods and monopods are really useful tools - I always have at least one of them with me.

Tripods are probably the best and at least to start off with, cheapest improvement you can make to your photography. I might be getting a free monopod from a mate who has one but doesn't use it - reeeesuult!

Let us know which camera you go for! And don't for get to put some of your handywork on here too!

Many Thanks for the links guys, im going to have a read through tonight if i get time.

I've already a tripod i use for my current night shots

As i've already posted some on the forum i will re use the thread

These are taken with the Fuji Finepix S8000FD on a tripod with a 2 second counter to ensure i didn't disturb the camera.

http://briskoda.net/styling-car-care/few-night-shots-after-day-detailing-my-mk2-octavia/147785/

Nice job on the first one - I'm sure you'll get on well with an SLR

Looks as though i may have to hold off for a while as the insurance is due next month (i'd forgotten about it :(). But at least it gives me some more time to read reviews etc etc. I'm looking forward to getting a good camera though.

Looks as though i may have to hold off for a while as the insurance is due next month (i'd forgotten about it :(). But at least it gives me some more time to read reviews etc etc. I'm looking forward to getting a good camera though.

Sorry to hear that, but you never know .. might be some better deals around once the festive period is over!

Couple more links that might be handy:

www.dpreview.com - amazingly in-depth camera reviews & tests.

www.camerapricebuster.co.uk - best place for finding the cheapest camera deals.

That kinda sucks, but as Andrew said, you might be able to get a deal in the January sales.

As you said, it'll give you a chance to do some more research. The one thing I always say to people is that you're not buying a camera, you're buying a camera system - that means you need to work out what lenses, flashes, etc, you want, as well as what you need the body to do, and pick a short-list of manufacturers based upon that - then find a shop, and try the bodies out for handling (e.g. I cannot stand Canon ergonomics - the only bodies I would use are Nikon or Olympus).

I'd also have a look at Photozone.de for lens reviews and full-sized samples - some of the results can be quite surprising (e.g. how poorly some of Sony's "G" series lenses perform, and how well some of the Tamron lenses do).

Hope that helps

Personally i think there is very little seperating any of the currently available entry level cameras from the most popular manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon, Sony etc.

For what you are looking for, long shutter speed, quick fps etc they all cover. Its probably only personal preference which would sway you in a single direction. Things like screen size, live view, movie function, mega pixels and inbuilt image stabilisation will vary.

I have a reconditioned 350D and sometimes i would look at the newer models, but then i catch myself on, because as far as i am concerned for someone with my limited ability, it doesn't matter if i have a £1000 camera or a £300 camera, i am the limiting factor.

I would say though, if you have the choice of a £350 reconditioned 450D from the Canon outlet centre (ebay) or a £500 new 500D, i would advise going for the 450D and spending the extra money on some quality lenses. A cheap camera (my 350D) with an expensive lens will take a much better quality photo than an expensive camera with a crappy lens. And even i can tell the difference.

I have never been disatisfied with my camera, but i have been with the lens.