Newbie here! I have three big questions, please help!

[AnitaPeterson]

Hello,

First-time user/poster here, I have three straightforward questions - I've been directed here from another forum, and was told this is one of the best places to ask.

I just bought a Canon Digital Rebel, from a local BestBuy (Ottawa, Canada). This is my first "real" digital camera - but I've been a 35 mm semi-pro user since 1985 (I currently own three SLRs, including the original 35mm Canon Rebel)

So I have three questions that need your input. I have not opened the packages yet, although my fingers are itching. But I need some good advice here.

1) Since I bought the camera from BestBuy, they pushed they PSP plan on me. I took it, with the understanding that I can cancel it within 14 days. They say the plan offers excellent guarantees for 4 years, above and beyond what Canon has to offer. For instance, they said that if I take the camera outside of Canada, on a trip, and it gets defective, Canon will refuse to repair it. Stuff like that. Now, I know that BestBuy is very aggressive about PSPs (and yes, I read what's posted at www.bestbuysux.org), but I need some real, non-biased input. What are the chances I will need the extended service plan. Is there a part or mecahnism inside the Digital Rebel that is likely to crap out on me within three years of regular use?

I hasten to say that I take good care of my cameras, even if I take them to various strange locations (I used to be a photo-jounalist, some time ago). I clean them, protect them from shocks, dust and moisture.

So, do I really need a PSP, or can I just go back to BestBuy and tell them to cancel it, since I got better things to do with my money?

2) I wanted to buy a 512MB regular CompactFlash card, but the salesperson told me that regular cards wll not be fast enough for taking pictures in "burst" mode or one after another, really fast. Of course, they said I need a high-speed (40x) card (more expensive, too). So I got that, as well.

Was I suckered? If you'll say yes, I 'm going back to the store (the package is unopened) and I'll return this fast CF card for a regular one.

3) Last question... the Digital Rebel uses a Li-Ion battery. Do these have good life expectancy? How many charge/discharge cycles can i expect from it, before having to replace it (and are these batteries expensive?)

I need you help here, please feel free to post your advice and opinions regarding my three questions.

Thanks!

[dtrayers]

Welcome to the board!

I can't address your first question, but I do have an opinion on the second.

The camera doesn't really support fast cards. You can check out the card speed database here:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-6425

However, you should invest in a high speed (USB2.0 or Firewire) card reader, and that's where you will notice a difference in the fast cards. My own testing parallels Galbraith's testing. So a fast card doesn't help in the camera, but will help in downloads from a reader. The burst mode speed has nothing to do with the card speed. The camera has an internal memory buffer that limits how fast and how many pictures can be taken in a burst (4 at 2.5 fps). How fast the buffer clears is somewhat card dependent, but only a little. You can see that in Galbraith's database.

As for the third question, I've had good life with the Li-Ion battery. Several hundred frames on a charge, and I've not noticed any decrease in battery life. I have a Canon brand BP-511 from a couple of years ago when I had a G3 and it seems the same as the newer BP-511 that came with my 10D.

[FlipsidE]

"This Plan provides coverage for product failures due to dust, heat, humidity and normal wear and tear."

- This is the part of the best buy warranty that I find VERY attractive (bought the same camera and warranty from BB). If I'm not mistaken (and I might be), this line from the warranty means that when my shutter fails, they will either replace it for me for free or give me a new camera. I *think* these shutters are only rated for about 30,000 clicks. That being the case, with as fast as I snap off pictures, the shutter will fail LONG LONG before my four year warranty is up. From what I understand, a new shutter is a $200 repair. That alone would cover the $100 PSP.

FlipsidE

[ralee]

Welcome!


1) extended warranties are really just paying for piece of mind, they are usually financed by insurance companies that play the numbers game and are atleast 50% profit for the retailer. Unless it covers impact damage for the duration and it costs less than $100 (for your camera) I probably would of spent the money on something else. I have not heard Canon refusing to repair anywhere atleast in the U.S., and it would probably take more than 2 weeks to get back so you would best bring back and get it fixed up in Ottawa anyways.

2) I agree with dtrayers, the faster cards are really noticeable with fast card readers especially if the 512MB is full. I have noticed a difference even between regular Sandisk cards, Ultra and Extreme Cards in the D60(had it), and 10D cameras ( I cant comment on my 20D, not enough time to test it yet and now I only use Extreme Cards) Definately get yourself a card reader for your camera, it is only USB1.

3) the batteries do last a long time but it is recommended to try to drain as much as possible occassionally.


Enjoy your new camera

[Ogrt48]

1. Return the policy, the policy would be great if you got it elsewhere. But bestbuy RARELY honors them. And I mean RARELY... Even if its cleary defective they WILL say you broke it on your own and not honor it.

2. The reg 512 will work the same in the rebel. The Rebel is a slow camera.. It will be faster in the card reader though.. It's upto you if its worth the extra money to transfer to the pc a little faster..

3. I have no actuall numbers but the batteries last a freaking long time. The cheapo $19 version as walmart lasts a lot longer than canons own expensive one.

[FlipsidE]

I have never once had a problem with Best Buy's return policy. As a matter of fact, they have, in some instances, gone over and above to help me get what I had (even if it means eating $25 or $50 at times).

Maybe I just got lucky, but they've always been great about letting me return things.

For example:

- Back three or four years ago, my Nintendo 64's power supply just died on me about 9 months after buying it. I had bought the extended warranty, so I took it back to Best Buy. They were more than willing to give me the full store credit value for the system. Unfortunately, they didn't sell that particular bundle anymore, so I had to get one with only one controller versus two controllers. The couldn't help me with that at the store, but I called customer service, and they sent me a $25 voucher to cover the cost of a new controller.

- I had a few problems with my iPod when I bought. Granted, it was w/in the 15 day return period, but no questions asked, and I had a new one.

- Been through a few Rebels so far too...first one had a scratch on it that I didn't put there. The second one had something caught in the grooves on the lens that made it rather loud. Both of the aforementioned times, I had no problem walking in and getting it replaced...no questions asked.

- One other time, they sold me an open box item that they promised had everything in it. When I got home, I realized that something was missing, so back to the store it went. Not only did they give me something different and brand new, but they knocked $50 off the price to make it comparable to the open box item I had just bought.

Sometimes you just have to be a little stern with them...don't be rude, but just don't take no for an answer. Never had a problem with them...not once.

FlipsidE

[ron chappel]

Hi Anita! welcome to the forum.

1.I have *heard* that canon are one of the best in that they will usually honour a warrantee even if you are overseas on holiday.There is alot of slightly different info on this subject so it would best to simply call canon canada to clear it up.
The shutter is the only possible 'problem' area of the rebel,but note that the 30000 actuations mentioned is pretty much a MINIMUM life you should expect and most last far longer.

2.As the fast card is not needed for anything but download speed-and even then only when using a card reader-i would be hesitant in spending much for the priveledge.
I don't even have a card reader for mine,i download with the standard USB 1 cord and start editing/sorting the pics while they are downloading so download speed doesn't have to be an issue.It can be very usefull if you are in a hurry of course
Can anyone give an idea how much faster the fast cards download?

3.Most users are getting 6 months to 1&1/2 years out of the battery.Mine definitely faded after only seven months so i bought a cheap replacement and use the orriginal for reserve.
By the way-The cheap brand batteries are very nearly as good as the genuine canon batteries and are *MUCH* cheaper.Even the cheapies from ebay work very well :D

[Reminisce]

Welcome, you've definitely come to the right place. This is by far one of the best communities I've ever been apart of. Onto the questions.

1) Best Buy has a very good warranty program, it all depends on if the Best Buy you go to is full of helping people or jerks really. I had a subwoofer that I got a 3 year plan for a couple years ago for my car, and it got damaged over time. I brought in the subwoofer and the warranty + receipt and was given store credit for the same subwoofer with no hassle. However, a friend of mine had problems with her cell phone last year at another BB and took it back and they wouldn't credit her or replace it. it all depends

2) The Digital Rebel is not a SLOW camera, but it does not write as fast as other DSLRs. So the write speed of the card wont matter much, however it will make a HUGE difference in a card reader as mentioned. If you take 200 photos at 4MP and Fine quality, it can take a couple seconds to download each image at USB 1.1 speed with a slow card. If you use a USB 2.0 (400+ MB/s), your only speed limit is your card, and it can take much much less.
Its 150KB/s = 1X. So a Sandisk Ultra II card with a 60X speed rate will transfer at 9MB/s.

3) The battery that comes with the DR lasts a LOOONG time. Canon cameras are actually known for getting the most life out of their batteries. I dont know the full life expectancy of these kinds of batteries nowadays, but in a similar camcorder, I had one last 3 years before I noticed decreased battery mileage. That probably doesnt apply here, so your mileage may very.

[Morden]

Your questions have already been well answered, but welcome to the boards! :D

[HKFEVER]

1. Don't pay for the extra warranty. It's waste time and money. Canon's quality is OK to last as long as you treat it like your new girl friend.

2. Waste money to have fast card. I have it with a IBM micro drive, Scandisk, Scandisk Ultra II and Exterme II and can't see the difference. Unless you will upgarde to a faster camera soon (I mean soon). Otherwise don't.

3. No idea, because I traded it long time's ago.

[phili1]

I bought my Camera from a photo store B&H and I got the three year warrenty. Why, because it is electronics and they can go bad. So yes it is a good thing. And I also beleive that Canon makes a great product and there is a slim chance I will need it. So far every warramtee I have gotten the unit oulasted teh warantee.

High speed card. I do not know why the other person told you it wont take it, it will the only thing they wont take is the over 1 gig size. The faster the card teh fastrer the Camera can process it.

The Rebel is a good entry level SLR for Digital, there are other good ones but I prefer Canon, I have had them for twenty years.


As far as the battery is concerned, it will years befroe you have to replace it unless you plan to shoot 100 pics a day. You should buy a back up battery, in case it runs out of juice.

Hey good luck and have fun with it.

[Vinny454]

Welcome Anita,

It's good to see someone else from Ottawa on the boards.

Generally extended warranties are only as good as the compnay that offers them. I wouldn't touch the warranties from best buy, future shop etc.

I have ext warranty on my camera, but it is a Henry's warranty.

Definately get a second battery. May I also suggest either Henty's or Ginn's for your camera gear as opposed to Best Buy. You will get the service you expect there.

[Cordell]

Don't waste your money on an extended warranty! PERIOD!! The chance of something going wrong is slim. Yes it can happen, but as mentioned it is only a peace of mind. it's more insurance than a warranty or assurance.

As for the faster CF cards, again, don't waste your money. It has to do more with how you shoot even in burst mode. How often will you use burst mode is the question. People are also talking about the download speed from your reader. Why would you want to sit and watch files transfer anyway? I simply go do something else will my regular non-high speed cards download to my PC on my 1.1b USB reader/writer. I don't want to sit and look at the darn thing.

Have fun with your new toy.

[Deckyon]

Q1 - When I got my G3 from BB, I also got the $100 warrentee that covered 4 years. In August, I traded in my dead G3 (reason unknown) for a new Pro 1. No questions asked, no hassel. Do I recommend it? Not necessarily. Mine happened to pay off, that time. Your own judgement here.

Q2 - If you plan on upgrading cameras, the 40x will help. Whether it does anything with the 300D (DRebel) I can't say, as I do not have it. I bought the high-end cards when I got my new cameras (1D MarkII and 20D) and when I try one of my older cards in them, there is a noticeable difference in write times.

Q3 - The batteries (BP-511b) are great and seem to last forever. Especially if you do not use the on-camera flash. A few hundred for me on a single charge.

[Mogwyth]

Can't say about the warranty.

I have standard sandisk cards and Ultra IIs and the difference in camera write speeds is not noticible in normal use, I'll probably buy standard cards next time.

Battery up to 400 shots a charge only had the cam 3 months so can't comment on longevity.

[DocFrankenstein]

Hello,

First-time user/poster here, I have three straightforward questions - I've been directed here from another forum, and was told this is one of the best places to ask.
Wecome. Hi... I'm in canada too and bought stuff from best buy. Horrible store. My experiences with it are similar to www.bestbuysux.com

I recommend you return the whole package and buy a 10D second hand. Much better camera and cheaper.

So I have three questions that need your input. I have not opened the packages yet, although my fingers are itching. But I need some good advice here.
No problem.

1) Since I bought the camera from BestBuy, they pushed they PSP plan on me. I took it, with the understanding that I can cancel it within 14 days.
I think it's 1 year that you can cancel it. I'd suggest returning it anyways. Best buy sucks.

They say the plan offers excellent guarantees for 4 years, above and beyond what Canon has to offer. For instance, they said that if I take the camera outside of Canada, on a trip, and it gets defective, Canon will refuse to repair it. Stuff like that.
Sounds like salesman bs pushing the PSP. :? With canon it usually takes a few weeks to repair the camera. So if you're abroad and the camera dies, you're left without one... no matter what service plan you have. Total bs.

Now, I know that BestBuy is very aggressive about PSPs (and yes, I read what's posted at www.bestbuysux.org), but I need some real, non-biased input. What are the chances I will need the extended service plan.
Canon quality is fine. Usually their camera don't just crap out on you... in all possibilities, you'll sell the rebel and get a better camera before it fails.
Is there a part or mecahnism inside the Digital Rebel that is likely to crap out on me within three years of regular use?
Shutter mechanism. Rumor has it, that it fails after 40-50 thousand shots. Costs about 150 bucks to replace.

So, do I really need a PSP, or can I just go back to BestBuy and tell them to cancel it, since I got better things to do with my money?
I wouldn't buy the PSP plan. Ever.

2) I wanted to buy a 512MB regular CompactFlash card, but the salesperson told me that regular cards wll not be fast enough for taking pictures in "burst" mode or one after another, really fast. Of course, they said I need a high-speed (40x) card (more expensive, too). So I got that, as well.
How much was the fast 512 card? I'm guessing way more than 80 bucks from best buy. You can get one from the net for about 60 USD.

Plus... the salesman is full of crap again. The rebel is neutered, and can only write at around 1 mB/s. The difference between the 12x card and 80x card, when used with the rebel is around 200 kb/s writing speed.
Was I suckered? If you'll say yes, I 'm going back to the store (the package is unopened) and I'll return this fast CF card for a regular one.
And buy the regular one from a decent online store. Much cheaper.

3) Last question... the Digital Rebel uses a Li-Ion battery. Do these have good life expectancy? How many charge/discharge cycles can i expect from it, before having to replace it (and are these batteries expensive?)
It will last you about 2 years of regular/heavy use. Most of the people buy third party equivalents which work just as well. The batteries cost around 10-15 bucks each and work just as well as canon ones. I got 2 from www.after5pm.net for 25 bucks and they work fine.

I need you help here, please feel free to post your advice and opinions regarding my three questions.

Thanks!
I know your mind is set on the rebel. But, I have it... and had BAD experiences with best buy service plans.

Return the camera, the card, PSP and whatever else you bought from them.

Get a used 10D at a cheaper price. Be happy.

Cheers

[aznkid.com]

hello and welcome fellow ottawan!

[tpinchback]

Keep the plan if you plan on upgrading in the future

I bought the plan from best buy and about to upgrade my 300d to a 20d for only $500 extra, only because I have the service plan from best buy.

[Vita Rara]

Keep the plan if you plan on upgrading in the future

I bought the plan from best buy and about to upgrade my 300d to a 20d for only $500 extra, only because I have the service plan from best buy.

Hmm... how does that work? I have a 300D from Best Buy and I bought the service plan. I'm real curious now.

Mark

[tpinchback]

Keep the plan if you plan on upgrading in the future

I bought the plan from best buy and about to upgrade my 300d to a 20d for only $500 extra, only because I have the service plan from best buy.

Hmm... how does that work? I have a 300D from Best Buy and I bought the service plan. I'm real curious now.

Mark

walk in, tell customer service that your camera does not focus properly, the techs look it over and say ok to replace, when they grab another 300d, just say, I was thinking of upgrading to the new 20d, would you mind if I payed the difference? there is no way that they would turn down the extra 500 in revune.

[DocFrankenstein]

Keep the plan if you plan on upgrading in the future

I bought the plan from best buy and about to upgrade my 300d to a 20d for only $500 extra, only because I have the service plan from best buy.

Hmm... how does that work? I have a 300D from Best Buy and I bought the service plan. I'm real curious now.

Mark

walk in, tell customer service that your camera does not focus properly, the techs look it over and say ok to replace, when they grab another 300d, just say, I was thinking of upgrading to the new 20d, would you mind if I payed the difference? there is no way that they would turn down the extra 500 in revune.
Really?

How come I wasn't able to do that with my S1 IS after just 2 months of me having it. (when I realized that I need a fast aperture and large sensor) ????

[tpinchback]

Keep the plan if you plan on upgrading in the future

I bought the plan from best buy and about to upgrade my 300d to a 20d for only $500 extra, only because I have the service plan from best buy.

Hmm... how does that work? I have a 300D from Best Buy and I bought the service plan. I'm real curious now.

Mark

walk in, tell customer service that your camera does not focus properly, the techs look it over and say ok to replace, when they grab another 300d, just say, I was thinking of upgrading to the new 20d, would you mind if I payed the difference? there is no way that they would turn down the extra 500 in revune.
Really?

How come I wasn't able to do that with my S1 IS after just 2 months of me having it. (when I realized that I need a fast aperture and large sensor) ????

The 300d is what you call DEVO, which means they replace instead of sending for service, and the S1IS is not DEVO so they have to send in for service. I donot know what makes them DEVO or not

Once the camera goes out of production, the camera is no longer DEVO, and turns into a service item.

[DocFrankenstein]

Either way I'm a moron and lost 800 bucks with them :evil: