Photographers - need help buying Rebel XT stuff

[Kaido]

My sister-in-law is looking for a camera upgrade. Budget is about $1,000. She's coming from a point-and-shoot digital HP camera. It's okay but she wants to be able to take pictures a lot faster (in rapid succession). I'm an under-$500 camera kind of guy right now, so I didn't have much help to offer as far as accessorizing it. Here's what I have so far:

Canon Digital Rebel XT (body only)

Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 autofocus lens

Sandisk 2gb Extreme III CompactFlash card

The Rebel XT body kit includes a battery pack and charger; would a second battery be good, or perhaps an extended battery or battery grip? How about a nice bag or carrying case? The card reader, tripod, etc., are all taken care of.

How does this compare to the Nikon D70, Canon 10D, Canon 20D, etc.? I get to play with my friend's 20D occasionally and love it; where does the Rebel stand compared to it?

Thanks 🙂

 

[NutBucket]

a real flash

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

That's not going to help rapid shooting.

And to answer your question OP, the Rebel XT is an excellent camera if you can deal with it's small size. I couldn't, so I looked elsewhere. The Tamron is also an excellent walkaround lens. Not very wide on a crop body, but very sharp and fast.

 

[dowxp]

I would suggest the 28-135 IS ; http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Revi...35mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

Also the rebel doesn't take advantage of WA cards, so extreme II or even regular CF cards write at the same speeds (there was a review over this)

a nice tripod (bogen, gitzo) + ball head release grip? depends what she wants to do. maybe a lowepro case ... A second battery is recommended.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

That's not going to help rapid shooting.

And to answer your question OP, the Rebel XT is an excellent camera if you can deal with it's small size. I couldn't, so I looked elsewhere. The Tamron is also an excellent walkaround lens. Not very wide on a crop body, but very sharp and fast.

You mean small size physically? She's using a pas HP, so any dSLR will be bigger 😀

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

Agreed. And it will help with fast shooting just make sure you get some rechargeable batteries for it. The on camera flash is useless if you stick a big honking lens on the camera.

I would add that the 50mm f/1.4 lens is a great portrait lens.

Unless she's shooting for hours at a time she won't need an extra battery or the battery grip. I've carried my 300D all day on one battery many times and for hundreds of shots. Just don't use the LCD to view the pictures a lot and it will last a long long time. The battery grip is nice if you have large hands but otherwise it's just extra weight.

I would get a nice padded strap though. The one the camera comes with is not very comfortable after about an hour with the camera hanging around your neck.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

Agreed. And it will help with fast shooting just make sure you get some rechargeable batteries for it. The on camera flash is useless if you stick a big honking lens on the camera.

I would add that the 50mm f/1.4 lens is a great portrait lens.

Unless she's shooting for hours at a time she won't need an extra battery or the battery grip. I've carried my 300D all day on one battery many times and for hundreds of shots. Just don't use the LCD to view the pictures a lot and it will last a long long time. The battery grip is nice if you have large hands but otherwise it's just extra weight.

I would get a nice padded strap though. The one the camera comes with is not very comfortable after about an hour with the camera hanging around your neck.

Excellent, thanks! What flash stuff would you recommend? I'm used to my little Canon A75, which doesn't really take any fun accessories aside from small lens improvements 😉

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

That's not going to help rapid shooting.

And to answer your question OP, the Rebel XT is an excellent camera if you can deal with it's small size. I couldn't, so I looked elsewhere. The Tamron is also an excellent walkaround lens. Not very wide on a crop body, but very sharp and fast.

You mean small size physically? She's using a pas HP, so any dSLR will be bigger 😀

One of the things I look at when getting a dSLR is to get one that feels good in your hand. The Rebel XT is very small, and my hand felt cramped. I did not like the ergonomics of it.

 

[Kaido]

Also, is there a good lens tutorial? I have no idea what the XXmm and fX.X stuff means :Q

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

That's not going to help rapid shooting.

And to answer your question OP, the Rebel XT is an excellent camera if you can deal with it's small size. I couldn't, so I looked elsewhere. The Tamron is also an excellent walkaround lens. Not very wide on a crop body, but very sharp and fast.

You mean small size physically? She's using a pas HP, so any dSLR will be bigger 😀

One of the things I look at when getting a dSLR is to get one that feels good in your hand. The Rebel XT is very small, and my hand felt cramped. I did not like the ergonomics of it.

Is the XT something they'd have at CC or BB? We could check it out there for ergonomics...

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Also, is there a good lens tutorial? I have no idea what the XXmm and fX.X stuff means :Q

XXmm is the zoom, and the f/X.X is the aperture (how much light is let in)

For example, a 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 lens can zoom from 50 to 200mm, and it's aperture at the wide end is f/2.8 and at the long end it's f/3.5.

 

[dowxp]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

Agreed. And it will help with fast shooting just make sure you get some rechargeable batteries for it. The on camera flash is useless if you stick a big honking lens on the camera.

I would add that the 50mm f/1.4 lens is a great portrait lens.

Unless she's shooting for hours at a time she won't need an extra battery or the battery grip. I've carried my 300D all day on one battery many times and for hundreds of shots. Just don't use the LCD to view the pictures a lot and it will last a long long time. The battery grip is nice if you have large hands but otherwise it's just extra weight.

I would get a nice padded strap though. The one the camera comes with is not very comfortable after about an hour with the camera hanging around your neck.

Excellent, thanks! What flash stuff would you recommend? I'm used to my little Canon A75, which doesn't really take any fun accessories aside from small lens improvements 😉

420EX ?

 

[40Hands]

I have that exact setup with a 1gb card! I also have the 50mm 1.8 prime lens.

 

[Kaido]

Is the stock lens that comes with the XT any good?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: Kaido
Also, is there a good lens tutorial? I have no idea what the XXmm and fX.X stuff means :Q

XXmm is the zoom, and the f/X.X is the aperture (how much light is let in)

For example, a 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 lens can zoom from 50 to 200mm, and it's aperture at the wide end is f/2.8 and at the long end it's f/3.5.

Zoom as in how far away it can zoom in on stuff?

 

[FoxyProxy]

The kit lens is practically junk. Good glass makes the rebel nameworthy! The flash is weak and too close to being on axis so everyone has satanic eyes. I have the original rebel and the body has stress cracks. I guess that's why the pro slr's are metal but the camera has held up through three hurricanes' worth of shooting.

 

[torpid]

Some people seem to be suggesting lenses that are well outside of his price range.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: FoxyProxy
The kit lens is practically junk. Good glass makes the rebel nameworthy! The flash is weak and too close to being on axis so everyone has satanic eyes. I have the original rebel and the body has stress cracks. I guess that's why the pro slr's are metal but the camera has held up through three hurricanes' worth of shooting.

Haha, I don't think it will have super heavy use. She takes good care of her equipment. Nice to know tho 🙂

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: torpid
Some people seem to be suggesting lenses that are well outside of his price range.

I'm leaning towards the Tamron right now. Body kit + Tamron + memory card total about $1,000 if I shop around...

 

[thirdeye]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Is the stock lens that comes with the XT any good?

I thought it would work well for me just starting out, but it really does lack the sharpness of a good lens. Don't get the kit. Just do the body and buy a good walk around lens. The 50mm 1.8 lens is a steal at ~$70 and is super sharp.

I also just purchased teh 17-85 IS USM lens. It was a little pricey but I'm quite happy with it. The Image Stabilizer helps a good bit for lower light settings.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: dowxp

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

Agreed. And it will help with fast shooting just make sure you get some rechargeable batteries for it. The on camera flash is useless if you stick a big honking lens on the camera.

I would add that the 50mm f/1.4 lens is a great portrait lens.

Unless she's shooting for hours at a time she won't need an extra battery or the battery grip. I've carried my 300D all day on one battery many times and for hundreds of shots. Just don't use the LCD to view the pictures a lot and it will last a long long time. The battery grip is nice if you have large hands but otherwise it's just extra weight.

I would get a nice padded strap though. The one the camera comes with is not very comfortable after about an hour with the camera hanging around your neck.

Excellent, thanks! What flash stuff would you recommend? I'm used to my little Canon A75, which doesn't really take any fun accessories aside from small lens improvements 😉

420EX ?

That's what I have but I bought that flash for my Elan 7E which supports the E-TTL. I don't think the Rebel XT has this feature though. Still, it is better than the on camera flash. I can fire off 3 shots with the flash in about 2 seconds on my 300D with rechargeable batteries in the flash and it recovers much quicker than the on camera flash too.

It's kind of a moot point though if all her shooting will be outside in broad daylight. What kind of shooting will she be doing with the camera?

 

[DBL]

get at least 24mm for the wide end and preferably 17mm. 28mm is not wide enough on a 1.6x DSLR.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: thirdeye

Originally posted by: Kaido
Is the stock lens that comes with the XT any good?

I thought it would work well for me just starting out, but it really does lack the sharpness of a good lens. Don't get the kit. Just do the body and buy a good walk around lens. The 50mm 1.8 lens is a steal at ~$70 and is super sharp.

I also just purchased teh 17-85 IS USM lens. It was a little pricey but I'm quite happy with it. The Image Stabilizer helps a good bit for lower light settings.

Got a link to that lens? (Canon, Tamron...?) If there's just a single all-around lens I can show her that'd be great. What does having the additional lens do, zoom more?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: DBL
get at least 24mm for the wide end and preferably 17mm. 28mm is not wide enough on a 1.6x DSLR.

Again I'm a total noob here. Wide end, does that equate to a widescreen picture or something?

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: dowxp

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: NutBucket
a real flash

Agreed. And it will help with fast shooting just make sure you get some rechargeable batteries for it. The on camera flash is useless if you stick a big honking lens on the camera.

I would add that the 50mm f/1.4 lens is a great portrait lens.

Unless she's shooting for hours at a time she won't need an extra battery or the battery grip. I've carried my 300D all day on one battery many times and for hundreds of shots. Just don't use the LCD to view the pictures a lot and it will last a long long time. The battery grip is nice if you have large hands but otherwise it's just extra weight.

I would get a nice padded strap though. The one the camera comes with is not very comfortable after about an hour with the camera hanging around your neck.

Excellent, thanks! What flash stuff would you recommend? I'm used to my little Canon A75, which doesn't really take any fun accessories aside from small lens improvements 😉

420EX ?

That's what I have but I bought that flash for my Elan 7E which supports the E-TTL. I don't think the Rebel XT has this feature though. Still, it is better than the on camera flash. I can fire off 3 shots with the flash in about 2 seconds on my 300D with rechargeable batteries in the flash and it recovers much quicker than the on camera flash too.

It's kind of a moot point though if all her shooting will be outside in broad daylight. What kind of shooting will she be doing with the camera?

Of course the rebel supports E-TTL. I'm pretty sure it also supports E-TTL2 also.