Canon Rebel 300D

[lambchops511]

After several weeks of searching and ebaying...I still haven't picked up a body at the right price

How bad is the 300D for a beginner? compared to XT and XTi? I think it should be good enough for my needs? I don't really care about resolution as 6 megapixels should be enough for my needs for now, I'm just not sure about the DIGIC vs DIGIC II and metering modes.

If I can pickup a 300D for $200, that leaves me around $600 for lenses. I plan on getting a 18-55 IS and a 60mm Macro lens and maybe a 50mm 1.8 prime or 100mm Macro lens if I have the $$$......and maybe a year from now, pickup a better body

 

[tracerbullet]

It's not a bad plan. bodies will come and go, but good lenses will last.

The 300D was a landmark camera, but I'd evaluate the XT vs. the original. I think that you'll find a few differences (little bit of everything) that'll make it worth the $300 or so you'd find one used for. It's not worth getting into here, but if you search some reviews online from when it came out, you'll see that the original was compared to all the time. Something to consider.

 

[ElFenix]

http://www.bobatkins.com/photo...bel_firmware_hack.html



obligatory dug disparaging remark about the pentamirror, despite dpreview saying: "That said we couldn't see a huge difference between the EOS 300D and the EOS 10D in this respect (the biggest difference will be from the maximum aperture of the lens used on the camera)." the 300D also happens to have a higher magnification of .88 vs. .80 on the 350D.

 

[randomlinh]

I had to revert back to the stock firmware. My 300D had started acting weird when I had it loaded 🙁

 

[soydios]

I would not recommend the 300D. It was Canon's first attempt at a cheap DSLR, and they crippled it way too much. My Nikon D50, on the other hand, is surprisingly un-crippled for an entry-level DSLR, unlike the Nikon D40/D60 and Canon 300D.

If you're on a really tight budget, then get a used D50 with 18-55mm lens, a 50mm f/1.8, and a 55-200mm VR.
Image stabilization is most important at longer focal lengths, so if your budget is tight then forgo the IS/VR in the 18-55mm lens and get it for your telephoto. All that should be within your budget.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: soydios
I would not recommend the 300D. It was Canon's first attempt at a cheap DSLR, and they crippled it way too much. My Nikon D50, on the other hand, is surprisingly un-crippled for an entry-level DSLR, unlike the Nikon D40/D60 and Canon 300D.

If you're on a really tight budget, then get a used D50 with 18-55mm lens, a 50mm f/1.8, and a 55-200mm VR.
Image stabilization is most important at longer focal lengths, so if you're budget is tight then forgo the IS/VR in the 18-55mm lens and get it for your telephoto. All that should be within your budget.

the 18-55 IS would be a pretty decent lens for the price even without IS. it's definitely a step up from the regular lens. and i'd say the IS makes up a bit for the fact that it's 2 stops slower on the tele end than the f/2.8 standard zooms.

 

[soydios]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: soydios
I would not recommend the 300D. It was Canon's first attempt at a cheap DSLR, and they crippled it way too much. My Nikon D50, on the other hand, is surprisingly un-crippled for an entry-level DSLR, unlike the Nikon D40/D60 and Canon 300D.

If you're on a really tight budget, then get a used D50 with 18-55mm lens, a 50mm f/1.8, and a 55-200mm VR.
Image stabilization is most important at longer focal lengths, so if you're budget is tight then forgo the IS/VR in the 18-55mm lens and get it for your telephoto. All that should be within your budget.

the 18-55 IS would be a pretty decent lens for the price even without IS. it's definitely a step up from the regular lens. and i'd say the IS makes up a bit for the fact that it's 2 stops slower on the tele end than the f/2.8 standard zooms.

all very true, but it comes down to the $$$

 

[ElFenix]

yes, $$$ is always an issue. i don't remember whether the OP has mentioned what he will be doing macro of. if it's something that isn't moving, a 50 mm lens with extension tubes might work well. or an old nikon or pentax mount macro lens. if the OP needs AF, save $100 from canon's 60 mm macro and get sigma's 50 mm macro. it'd also make a halfway decent substitute for the 1.8 prime, thereby saving another $80. (frankly, 50 mm primes aren't what they were on 135 bodies. even though they're still good lenses due to speed, relative sharpness, and cheapness, they're mostly suitable as short portrait lenses.)

 

[jpeyton]

From DPReview, the list of improvements in the 350D from the 300D:

* Eight megapixel CMOS sensor (not same as EOS 20D)
* Second generation CMOS (same generation as rest of current range)
* DIGIC II image processor (better image quality, faster processing, less power consumption)
* Instant power-on time, faster shutter release, shorter blackout time
* Continuous shooting speed increased (3.0 fps vs. 2.5 fps)
* Buffer increased (14 JPEG frames vs. 4 JPEG frames)
* Image processing time decreased (thanks to DIGIC II)
* Compact Flash write speed increased
* Smaller body (15 x 5 x 8 mm smaller)
* Lighter weight (17% lighter including battery)
* Matte plastic finish, standard body color to be black, sliver will also be available
* Re-designed control layout (drive mode button, new metering mode & AF buttons)
* Metal mode dial
* Harder rubber finish on hand grip (doesn't feel much like rubber)
* Smaller and lighter NB-2LH battery (same as PowerShot S60 / S70) which is 48% lighter
* Rear LCD panel changed
* Flash pop-up slightly higher (just 5 mm)
* E-TTL II flash
* Nine custom functions
o Customizable SET button
o Control noise reduction
o Flash sync speed in Av mode
o Shutter button / AE button
o AF-assist beam control
o Selectable 0.3 or 0.5 EV exposure steps
o Mirror lock-up
o E-TTL II mode
o Flash shutter curtain sync (1st or 2nd)
* Selectable Metering mode
* Selectable AF mode
* Flash exposure compensation
* Independently selectable color space
* Two preset and three custom image parameter sets, B&W mode (same as EOS 20D)
* White balance fine tuning and bracketing (improved)
* Proper RAW+JPEG (one RAW, one JPEG; although only Large/Fine)
* Record review histogram via Info button
* Play Jump mode by shot date, 10 or 100 images
* USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connection
* New BG-E3 battery grip (portrait controls), takes two NB-2LH or six AA batteries
* Two additional menu languages added; Korean and Russian
* Subtly re-designed kit lens now named the EF-S 18 - 55 mm II (still no USM)
* Software now includes ZoomBrowser, DPP and EOS Capture
* Lower initial list price

The Rebel XT or the Nikon D50 should really be the two used DSLRs you should look for.

 

[soydios]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
yes, $$$ is always an issue. i don't remember whether the OP has mentioned what he will be doing macro of. if it's something that isn't moving, a 50 mm lens with extension tubes might work well. or an old nikon or pentax mount macro lens. if the OP needs AF, save $100 from canon's 60 mm macro and get sigma's 50 mm macro. it'd also make a halfway decent substitute for the 1.8 prime, thereby saving another $80. (frankly, 50 mm primes aren't what they were on 135 bodies. even though they're still good lenses due to speed, relative sharpness, and cheapness, they're mostly suitable as short portrait lenses.)

Canon also makes a 50mm f/2.5 macro. No idea how well it works, though.

Sad but true on the 50mm focal length on a cropped-frame body. It's great for short-telephoto portraits and candids, but you need a 35mm or slightly wider for a normal lens. And my AF Nikkor 35mm f/2.0D has greasy aperture blades. :frown: Eh, it's manageable. I got it for 1/3 off retail, it's sharp as a tack wide open (at least in the center), and I'm always shooting wide-open with it anyway. I've got my AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX or AF 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D for bright sunny days.

 

[Deadtrees]

You'd be far better off getting 350d or the later version.
Though 300D takes pretty good images, it's way outdated when it comes down to the mechanical abilities.

 

[lambchops511]

Thanks for replies guys . my budget is around $800 after tax +100ish for accessories (bag/compactflash/lens filters)

yeah, the macro shots are going to be still objects

i think, if I'm going for the XT, i might as well go for the XTi? The XTi has the dust cleaning system. I heard its very useful. What do you guys think?

I can get the XT around $315 used (not sure how good the condition is)

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: aznium
Thanks for replies guys . my budget is around $800 after tax +100ish for accessories (bag/compactflash/lens filters)

yeah, the macro shots are going to be still objects

i think, if I'm going for the XT, i might as well go for the XTi? The XTi has the dust cleaning system. I heard its very useful. What do you guys think?

I can get the XT around $315 used (not sure how good the condition is)

the xti will be slightly better for macro with its somewhat better finder, but you'll want to focus bracket either way.

the canon anti-dust system is not as effective as olympus's, but it is slightly better than pentax and sony's.