Looking for a personal camera and need help!!!

[evidence tech]

I am a Evidence technician for a police department near Chicago. We have been using the EOS1-V. It is a very nice camera however I am interested in purchasing a digital camera for my personal use. I have kinda narrowed it down to a digital rebel or the 10d but I would like some feedback before purchasing because they are rather expensive. Please I need some help!! Thanks in advance :D

[blinking8s]

do you have a specific budget in mind? what exactly is it you shoot as a evidence technician?

[Spargo]

do you have a specific budget in mind? what exactly is it you shoot as a evidence technician?
Note that he says he wants this camera for personal use. :wink:

[blinking8s]

yeah, does he have a specific budget in mind?

and what the hell does a evidence technician shoot? personal curiosity...i know its evidence, but i want a little more detail about it...could be some crazy job, i donno ;)

[evidence tech]

I would like to keep it at about $1,000 give or take.

As far as the ET work, I shoot photos of crime scenes which range from something as simple a house or vehicle that was broken into to dead bodies. Nothing too exciting :D I was just concerned mainly that the body on the rebel is plastic vs. the magnesium on the 10d. although I take very good care of things(I am actually kinda anal that way) I dont want to spend the money on something that isnt going to be durable.

[Olegis]

The 300D is durable enough for most uses, and the hacked firmware makes it even "closer" to the big brother, the 10D.
Do you have any lenses ?

[robertwgross]

If you can identify what it is that you shoot, then advice about the camera can be clearer. For example, wildlife, race cars, sunsets, portraits, etc.

---Bob Gross---

[Spargo]

Personally I say save your money and go with the Rebel. The real question is what lenses to buy! :)

[DocFrankenstein]

Expect to spend twice as much on the lenses :wink:

[evidence tech]

I dont have any lenses and I plan to shoot everything from birds, the Chicago skyline, and Cubs games (GO CUBBIES!!!) I am more interested in gaining some information about the pros and cons of the rebel vs the 10d.

[evidence tech]

OH yes....I was also told that alot of dust gets in the rebel due to a lack of quality o-rings. Any thoughts????

[Andy_T]

I dont have any lenses and I plan to shoot everything from birds, the Chicago skyline, and Cubs games (GO CUBBIES!!!) I am more interested in gaining some information about the pros and cons of the rebel vs the 10d.

... being a professional photographer, you realize that you will maybe need more than one lens to fulfil all these requirements :lol:

... so what is most important for you? Maybe start with that.

Pro of the DRebel ... cheaper than 10D ... but there should be a lot of mint 10D's available now with the advent of the 20D, so the price difference might not be that big. However, you will only get the DRebel with a lens for below $1000.

Con of DRebel ... maybe not as stable, you need to change the firmware to the hacked version (warranty?) in order to have it as flexible as the 10D.

Go to a photo shop and try them both out!
In my opinion, the feel is as much important as the features ... especially if you professionally use a 1 series camera. You might not want your own camera to be too much of a stepback compared to your work tool.

I personally tried both cameras out in the shop and I like the feel of the 10D so much more than that of the DRebel, that the difference in price is well worth the investment - for me. However, your preferences might be different, you might even not like any of those if you compare it to the 1V. Then there would be the used 1D, but it'll be at lease twice as expensive.

As to the dust sealing ... both the DRebel and the 10D have about the same sealing. It is not the same as the 1 series (no o-ring weather sealing), but it should be ok if you don't plan to use it in *very* dusty conditions. However, you can always clean the sensor if you have dust on it.

Best regards,
Andy

[CoolToolGuy]

Realizing that you said you wanted this as a personal camera, the 20D has an optional feature that you may find helpful in your job. It can use the Canon data verification software that verifies that the image presented has not been altered. From what I've heard, this is important in the law enforcement community.

Just thought I would pass that on. Good luck in your search.

Have Fun,

[who me?]

evidence tech,
Since you statated that you would like to keep your budget around $1000 or so, you have already limited your choices to a new Rebel or a used 10D. Keep in mind that whe you buy the Rebel new, you can get a lens with that in the kit. Most that will be selling their 10Ds will only be selling the body. Although, a used 10D and a new lens may not stretch your budget too much. This would be a worthy consideration.

For your varied desires of shooting, your budget will limit what lenses you can purchase/use initially. For what a camera body costs, you can spend 2-3+ times that on lenses and accessories without much trouble and still want/need more. The nice part is that you can upgrade bodies later and still have all your lenses.

I noticed that yor work camera was a 1V. Since you are used to that level of camera, you may not be happy with the Rebel and it's limited functionality (as compared to the 1V) not to mention the general feel and ruggedness differences.
As someone else mentioned, go to your local camera store and see if you can play with both. That may help you decision.

Just my thoughs. Hope they help.

[evidence tech]

I thank you all for your comments so far. They have been very helpful.

While checking e-bay and other sites, I noticed that alot of people are talking about grey market cameras???? I am not quite sure what it means but I gather that it is not good. I would like to know more and no about any hints on how to tell if a camera is a grey market camera.

[Andy_T]

Grey market items normally are just normal Japanese-made Canon cameras, that were just not intended for sale in the US (if you're looking at 'gray market' from a US perspective, that is :lol:) and you will have a hard time when you have problems and want to turn them in to Canon for warranty repair (they won't accept it).

Best regards,
Andy

[neil_r]

Have a look at a used EOS1D mark I. It will feel just like the EOS 1V you are used too.

N

[evidence tech]

Yeah that would be terrific but the 1d is way to rich for my blood. HAHAHA :lol: