Canon XTi Users

[Lalakai]

From people who own or use the XTi, what are your experiences, feedback, and opinions? Would you recommend this platform, or suggest another?

I'm getting ready to make a major switch. up to now i've been using digitals for simple or fast shots, and staying with film for my serious work. I have been taking photos for a long long time, using 35mm, 2 1/4, 4X5 (remember the old Speed and Crown Graphics? i still use each:laugh, and 8X10's. I do studio work and we have the equipment to develop and print all our own shots whether they are slides, film, B&W or color. Up to now my main 35's were an old OM1, and the Canon Elan IIe (so i have a good lense "base" for Canon's, and several have been purchased with digital in mind). Yes, an old OM1; it's nearly solid metal, almost indestructible, functions perfectly without a battery, and dis-assembles into 2 small packages that can easily be put in pockets. Alot of my work is outside and i have to take a camera with me. The end use of my photos goes into power points, wedding albums, ect.; rarely will i expect to be going past an 11X14 blow-up.

With that in mind, (for you that have the XTi), share your experiences; give me your pros and cons, what do you like or dislike. Don't filter or try to justify your evaluations, i want honest input.

and pls don't turn this into a flame war between platforms. I've gone to the camera stores and played with the different cameras and know how they each feel. now i want actual user info. Thanks and i hope to hear from alot of you.

 

[Aharami]

i dont own a XTi/400D, but a good friend of mine does. If you dont mind waiting a bit, Canon just announced it's successor - the XSi or 450D. It is supposed to be a decent step above the XTi.

My friend's major gripes about the XTi - small viewfinder, lack of spot metering, and small size (although he claims 400D feels perfect with a battery grip). the 450D is supposed to fix all these.

what about the 40D? Supposed to be a much better camera than either of those two. It costs more than the 400D/450D but it might be better suited if you want to do professional work with the cameras. But more experienced users can chime in...

just my .02

 

[ElFenix]

if you're used to using a camera without a grip like the OM you'll probably be fine with the XTi. i have been. when comparing the D40 side by side with the XTi in stores i honestly don't get the whole 'D40 has an awesome grip XTi sucks!' thing that people go on about.

the viewfinder is small. battery life, though supposedly lower than competing compact slrs, hasn't been an issue for me (even the lower capacity battery that came with my S40 p&s in 2002 lasts a long time). it's quick to switch on, the buffer lasts a good long while, the continuous will be a big step up over what you've got now.

i'm selling mine because i got a 40D.

edit: meant horizontal grip or just grip, which runs vertically. vertical grip runs horizontally. i think they do this just to be confusing.

 

[Jawo]

I have used mine for 10 months and have taken over 10k pictures. I have the vertical grip with stays on the whole time. I agree with ElFenix...I find the XTi with the grip makes it very easy to hold the camera either way. Plus the button layout makes sense if you have used other Canon digital cameras. It does have the above limitations, but get sterlingtek batteries...the set I have will last for over 1,000 pictures. The 40D and XSi could be better....although I have not seen the latter. PM if you have specific questions.

 

[Lalakai]

thanks for the input. Working with the OM1 and the Elan, i'm used to both types of grips though the vertical is nicer. at the same time it's a bit more bulky to try and slide in a pocket. The screen size may or may not be an issue as i'm more accustomed to using the viewfinder in the camera. The lack of the spot meter is a main drawback, pushing me toward waiting for the XSi.

i had heard of a possible successor (XSi) but hadn't seen anything concrete. a quick search showed several recent reviews, and planned launch date of April 08. It does have the spot meter along with a larger vertical grip, larger screen and several other improvements. Might have been a good thing that i didn't splurge before xmas.

for any others, please continue the input. thanks