Taking the 10D plunge

[RbnDave]

I am considering buying a 10D. But I still have some questions.

1) Who should I buy it from? With the focus problems I have read about, I am afraid to buy it off the net. I want to go with a local dealer in case I run into problems. We have a Ritz photo at the mall. How are they with product support?

2) What lense should I start with? I'm looking to spend around $300 on a lense. Most of my photos are landscapes, but I also like take portrait type shots and I'd like to get into wildlife photography.

3) What is the wait for a 10D? I am leaving on vacation in two weeks. Could I have the camera by then?

4) Can you recommend any books on DSLR phototography? I've been to the library and Borders Books and can't find anything specific on DSLR.


That's a lot of questions. Thanks in advance for any information.

Dave

www.pbase.com/rbndave/galleries

[Brian Mackey]

Got both of mine from berger brothers camera in NY. no issues what so ever! :) 28-135 IS lens and a 75-300 IS (NO ISSUES) Im loving it :))

Brad Berger 800-262-4160

[Longwatcher]

In my opinion, Best on-line source for any camera equipment is B+H
www.bhphotovideo.com

Highly recommend for overall. There are other sources equally as reliable, but B+H has largest available selection and tend to be very reliable as far as in stock or not issues. Items will ship UPS and should take about 3-4 working days at the outside.

The best lens combo for your money will be in this order.
28-135 IS
50/1.8
75-300 IS
17-40L

After that you are stuck with either primes and/or "L" glass the rest of the way. Cheaper lenses tend to be just that cheaper.

The 28-135IS is THE lens outside of "L" glass, although it is a bit above your $300 budget.

The 50/1.8 is the lens to get for low light and can substitute for the 28-135 IS if you can't afford the bit extra. If you can afford both, that is the way to go.

Then pick up the 75-300 IS when you can next afford a lens and then although pricey compared to the others the 17-40L is your least costly choice to get the wider angles.

I have the 28-135 IS and 75-300 IS lens, but have the 50/1.4, versus the f1.8 version. Also I have the 16-35/2.8 which serves even better then the 17-40/4.0, but obviously cost me more.

Just my opinion.

[RbnDave]

Thanks for the info guys. A friend of mine used to work on Canal Street NYC. He told me told me about the Berger Bros. I might order from them.

It looks like the 28-135 IS lense is the way to go. I might be taking some photos of bands playing in low light at clubs. Will this lense work in that situation?

[Brian Mackey]

rbndave wrote:
Thanks for the info guys. A friend of mine used to work on Canal Street NYC. He told me told me about the Berger Bros. I might order from them.

It looks like the 28-135 IS lense is the way to go. I might be taking some photos of bands playing in low light at clubs. Will this lense work in that situation?

Talk to Brad tell him I sent you maybe he will cut you a better deal ;)

[harpoon]

Hi, I am new to the forum and cannot make a decision between Nikon's D100 and EOS 10D.

One important thing for me is the speed of autofocus and shutter lag. I would really appreciate any opinion on the autofocus speed of 10D when compared with Nikon's D100. Also, how about shutter lag?

Another question, there are 7 focus zones in the view finder, how does the camera decide which zone(s) to select? Closer object priority? I know it doesn't have that eye-ball detection as some of the Canon film cameras have.

Thank you!

[msvirick]

rbndave wrote:
I am considering buying a 10D. But I still have some questions.

1) Who should I buy it from? With the focus problems I have read about, I am afraid to buy it off the net. I want to go with a local dealer in case I run into problems. We have a Ritz photo at the mall. How are they with product support?


Answer

This is a valid concern. I paid $400 more to buy from a local camera shop, as I was worried I may have focus problem. Fortunately this did not materalize and I had a good camera

2) What lense should I start with? I'm looking to spend around $300 on a lense. Most of my photos are landscapes, but I also like take portrait type shots and I'd like to get into wildlife photography.

Answer

This is a tuff one. Buy a 24-135 USM IS. It is in this price range


www.pbase.com/rbndave/galleries

[RbnDave]

Thanks again for the input.

Now about the focus problem.... How many 10Ds actually have this problem? Does anyone have a guess?
Is it 1 in 10 or 1 in 1000? It seems from posts around the net that there are a significant number of 10Ds with auto focus problems. On the other hand, there are also a bunch of people that seem to love the camera. If the camera I purchase has problems, how difficult will it be for me to get a replacement?

Dave

[CyberDyneSystems]

Considering that Canon is closing in on the Million sold mark (if I read the serial #s correctly) It can't be more than 1 in 1,000

Unfortunately,. the Ritz stores in the Malls are neither as well stocked (very unlikely to even order a 10D) nor as custmer freindly as the larger Ritz stores. I have very good luck with a "full sized" Ritz in my neiborhood. They have let me trade in lenses that I had owned for some time (3 to 4 weeks) so long as I kkep them in "as new" condition,. and I am trading UP lol :D

[harpoon]

I suspect that the low numbers reported doesn't necessarily mean that the number of cameras with problem is small. Most of the users may have been used it with a slow lens which hides the problem, or simply don't have enough confidence on their ability to operate the camera and dismiss the blur picture as user error.

I just called the Canon tech support. The guy doesn't even recognize that there is at all an issue. He said he gets 2 to 3 calls a week regarding focusing problems and most of them are user error. I mentioned the test results from the shooting the test target, he still thinks that people don't know how to use this camera, even shooting static target on the wall.

If the camera is so difficult to use correctly, perpahs Canon should improve the user interface.

[lightandlife]

Actually, I addressed this question earlier, what the probability of 10D's autofocusing failure is in another post. Few ventured a guess. I think it is closer to 1 in 100 than 1 in 1000 or 1 in 10. I got one from Adorama, and it seems to work OK.

It is being sold out in America, autofocus problem or not. The early batches may have a higher incidence of autofocus failure. Even if there is AF problem, Canon can fix it. So either you buy 10D now or wait one or two years until it is replaced by a new generation. If you are going to get 10D, sooner is better than later, because regardless of what you pay, its lifetime is shortened the longer you wait, because you will eventually buy a better one later.

[RbnDave]

I just talked to Berger Brothers. They said out of the 100 or so 10Ds they've sold, only one had an AF problem and that was with a noncanon lense.

[RbnDave]

More questions....

I'm thinking of getting the Canon 28-135 IS lense. I'm used to specs for point and shoot digicams.

1) How wide will this lense shoot compared to my Powershot S30? I'm finding the lack of wide angles to be one of my main gripes with my S30. i don't want to spend $400 dollars on a lense and be more limited than I am with my $300 powershot. On the other hand, I don't expect miracles from one lense. Fairly wide angles and a decent zoom are all I want.

2) What kind of zoom will this lense produce? I mean in terms of multipliers like 3x, 10x. I realize this question might make me sound like a complete newbie.

Thanks again. I'm trying to place the order before 5:00 pm eastern time. You guys answer quick!

[lightandlife]

From (28, 56, 84, 112, 140), it is an almost 5X zoom. The multiplication factor is the ratio of two ends. This is not universal, but common. In general, any 5X zoom will not be sharp at 1X and 5X. It will be acceptably sharp in the mid range.

What is acceptable, of course, depends on the user.

[RbnDave]

Thanks, that explains a lot. I read a review that says this lense is soft in the 28 range, but that is kind operating on the edge of it's design. Makes sense that it won't perform as well there.

Will I be able to do any landscape photography with this lense or is it's field of view going to be to narrow?

[CyberDyneSystems]

The 28mm end of the 28-135mm iS will be the equivelent of a 45mm lens on a 35mm SLR.

The S30 has an "equivelent" focal range of 35mm - 105mm

So the 28mm will NOT be as wide as the s30.

To get a wider lens than the the S30s 35mm equivelent you will also need a lens at least 20mm or shorter ( 20mm = 32mm on 10D )

the 28-135mm IS and a 17-40mm f/4 would be a nice pair. There are less expensive options of course than the 17-40mm f/4

[lightandlife]

Human eyes have one zoom, and it works fine until the user is about 40 or 50 years old.

If you want a zoom for its flexibility, by all means plan to get at least two. Mechanical zooms cannot be as good as human eyes. Otherwise, you will buy two more later, and you would end up with one mediocre redundant zoom. With this I may invite the wrath of one zoomers. Well, that is life.

[RbnDave]

So my powershot S30 goes wider than 28 on on the 10D..hmm... and 135 gives 5X zoom versus my S30's 3X zoom. I guess I have to decide what is more important for my first lense, wide angles or zoom. The problem I see with the 28-135 IS is it's a compromise. It's niether a great wide angle nor a powerfull zoom. Maybe I'd be better off buying both a wide angle and a more zoomy zoom lense. The problem is, I don't want to shell out that much money right now.

Let's say I buy the 28-135 IS, and a year from now I also own something for wide angles and also the 75-300 IS for better zoom. Am I going to use the 28-135 IS for anything anymore? Or will these other lenses do a better job covering the range of the 28-135 IS? I guess this is what you were getting at lightandlife.

You guys are giving me great help. I'm having a hard time being patient. I want to order this thing real bad. Thanks.

[RbnDave]

Also, any recomendations for a good cheap wide angle? The reason I am so interested in wide angles is there have been a few times I could have got a great photo had I had a wider angle, but this has only occurred about three times in one year. I don't want to spend $400 for a few photo ops per year.

[johneo]

rbndave wrote:

Let's say I buy the 28-135 IS, and a year from now I also own something for wide angles and also the 75-300 IS for better zoom. Am I going to use the 28-135 IS for anything anymore? Or will these other lenses do a better job covering the range of the 28-135 IS? I guess this is what you were getting at lightandlife.

I bought my 10d in mid July and my "must have" lens was the 75-300 IS USM because I'm always out and around the bay shooting boats or shooting my dogs off in a field somewhere. Coudn't make up my mind on a 2nd lens and after reading a couple of great reviews on the 28-135 IS USM decided that would do the trick. I thought it would give me the best range for my needs.

I seldom use the 75-300 (I'm sure it won't get rusty :-) and the 28-135 is always with the camera. The 28-135 is a excellent all around quality lens. As others have pointed out, it does not go wide enough even for some of the things I wanted. When I decided to add a 3rd lens I went for the 17-40 L ... Now we're talking quailty! I see nothing but "L" glass in my future (I wish!), well, maybe the distant future.

You guys are giving me great help. I'm having a hard time being patient. I want to order this thing real bad. Thanks.

Know what you mean. I ordered mine from Adorama.com and made up my mind not to think about it until my UPS tracking said it was being delivered. I never had time ... it was delivered before I even found out it was shipped which was a bummer, I had to go to work before the battery was charged.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Canons only "affordable" Wide angle zoom si the 17-40mm f/4 @ $800.00

Sigma has both the 15-30mm (Better of the two) @ $500.00 and the 17-35mm for about $350.00

Canon does have a low priced 20mm prime. As does Sigma.

The cheapest wide Zooms are the 19-35mm that most manufacturers make. These camn be had for about $200.00 or so. (but they aren't that good.)


As for your thought on a powerfull long zoom and a wide and forget about the middle,. I sort of did that too.

Most of my shooting is at the long telephoto end (wildlife / birds) so I needed the big lens.

I got a suer cheap Sigma 28-200mm (about $150.00) for my standard lens and the 50-500mm for my telephoto.

then I went back and got the 17-40mm for the wide end. At some point I may get a "decent" standard zoom like a 28-70 or there abouts,. but it is not a priority for my type of shooting.

[RbnDave]

Thanks again everyone. I bought the camera this afternoon from a dealer in town. I paid $1500 dollars and got piece of mind. The store owner said he's sold about 100 10Ds and only had one with an AF problem. Canon replaced the problem camera.

The dealer told me I would eventually need three lenses: wide angle, standard, and telephoto. That seems to mesh with what you folks have been saying on this board. For now,I also purchased a Sigma 24-70 for $200. I have the option to trade it in within 30 days if I don't like it. This looked like a good lense to start out with. Once my account builds up a little, I'll get something with some zoom.

Too bad my Visa check card only allows $1000/day deductions. I can't take the camera home till tomorrow.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Congrats and welcome to the 10D Club ! :D

[Brian Mackey]

rbndave wrote:
I just talked to Berger Brothers. They said out of the 100 or so 10Ds they've sold, only one had an AF problem and that was with a noncanon lense.



So true.. I thought I had the focus issue on my 10D but Brad (berger brothers) swapped out my 28-135 IS and no more focus issues! turned out to be the lens..

[Brian Mackey]

rbndave wrote:
Thanks again everyone. I bought the camera this afternoon from a dealer in town. I paid $1500 dollars and got piece of mind. The store owner said he's sold about 100 10Ds and only had one with an AF problem. Canon replaced the problem camera.

The dealer told me I would eventually need three lenses: wide angle, standard, and telephoto. That seems to mesh with what you folks have been saying on this board. For now,I also purchased a Sigma 24-70 for $200. I have the option to trade it in within 30 days if I don't like it. This looked like a good lense to start out with. Once my account builds up a little, I'll get something with some zoom.

Too bad my Visa check card only allows $1000/day deductions. I can't take the camera home till tomorrow.




Glad to hear it.. who did you end up buy it from? and welcome to the fun ;)

[Belmondo]

rbndave wrote:

4) Can you recommend any books on DSLR phototography? I've been to the library and Borders Books and can't find anything specific on DSLR.

Dave:
The best book you can read by far is the instruction manual that came with your camera. If you alrady have a general knowledge of photography, you'll need to know how to apply it specifically to the 10D. Presumably any book on digital SLR photography would of necessity be somewhat general in nature since it would have to cover all brands.

The beauty of digital SLRs (and the reason so many of us have chosen this particular camera as an excuse to jump onboard) is that they most closely approximate the experience of traditional high-end film photography. Consequently, any book that provides a good general discussion on photoagraphy will largely suit your purposes.

Beyond that, and where DSLR's really shine, is post-processing. Since your camera probably came bundled with Photoshop Elements, you have an extremely powerful tool for making bad pictures good, good pictures very good, and very good picture prize winners. Therefore my recommendation is to find a good book on Photoshop Elements (or whichever image processing software you choose).

Enjoy your new camera, and have a wonderful vacation.

[mwinog2777]

Tamron 28-200
canon 1.8/50

I have those 2 lenses with my 10D. Both are superb, sharp, and light-weight. If you need low light zoom, however, you'll lose a couple of stops with the Tamron. You get what you pay for. If your budget is really $300, you'll do well with the above lenses. I use my 50/1.8 90% of the time. Absolutely spectacular lens.