300d hacked vs. 350d?

[Grentai]

Hey all, im a newb concerning canon digitals. Ive been using my plain ol rebel x and ae-1 for a while now though.

I was just curious as to which is better, a 300d (hacked) or a 350d?
Im getting a digital soon and my budget is about a grand so any help would be great.

p.s. sorry if this is a repost of some sort

[dandan]

if you only have 1k, then i would go for the hacked rebel and better lenses.

a hacked rebel has some features that the XT doesnt, but overall the XT wins.

[MattL]

The XT, IMHO, is too small to get my hands on. If you have large hands, I'd go for the 300D. Infact, Id go for the 300d even if I had smaller hands, and spend the leftover on accessories.

[MattL]

and Welcome to the forum!

[Grentai]

Haha thanks. I have friends in Auckland BTW.

[MattL]

Good to hear. Our little country is becoming rather popular around here.

where abouts are you from?

[foxbat]

I'd go for 300D body only, hacked and with a better lens. Beware when buying a better lens that the physical size often means the built-in flash won't reach over it and you'll get a lens shaped shadow in the picture! The 17-40L is an example.

[Saudidave]

I can see absolutely no point in buying an out of date 300D and hacking it. Bye bye warranty! The 300D was a groundbreaker but it is history. 350D's are faster and better, with greater and less noisy resolution. The cost is so low now, that to buy a supersceded piece of history is madness. All this tripe about 350D's being too small to hold is codswallop. I'm a 5' 10" / 15 stone bloke with hands to match and I think the size and handling is excellent. Who wants to carry a brick?

[gcogger]

I'd say it depends on your priorities.
Do you need the lowest high-ISO noise possible? Get the 350D.
Is continuous shooting speed a priority? Get the 350D.
Do you need proper AI focus (i.e. focus tracking of moving objects)? Get the 350D (the hacked 300D doesn't do this properly, even with the workarounds).
Do you need control ever metering/focussing modes (rather than letting the camera decide)? Get the 350D.
Do you want a fast connection (USB 2) from camera to PC? Get the 350D (or use a card reader!).
The small size/weight of the 350D could be an advantage or disadvantage! I use mine whilst hiking, so the 350D was better. I have large hands and, while it felt awkward to start with, I soon got used to the handling.
If none of the above are priorities, then by all means get the 300D - it takes fantastic pictures

[condyk]

I'd agree 100% with Mr gcogger: it's horses for courses.

I've had both and the 350D with battery grip is a lovely little camera. The 300D served me very well too and I would have kept it had I not wanted a smaller one for travelling. At the end of the day I would have one again if the price difference compared to a 350D made it worth my while, otherwise I'd have the 350D. A good lens is of more value than a better body for most people. IQ differences across the two is just not worth worrying about, same moving to the 20D. It's about speed and gizmo's and whether you need them.

As to the 'size' issue, well it'll always be subjective. Balance in hand is important to me and without the grip the 350D just doesn't feel right. It may to some. If you have a fully manual set up, Ok most don't I know, and/or you use manual focus, then I think most would notice there isn't enough depth on the body for comfort and stability. If you use mainly point and shoot style no real problem.

[MattL]

Originally Posted by Saudidave

Who wants to carry a brick?

err. Me.

[Grentai]

Haha, so were riding at about half and half now arent we? Matt I'm from Oklahoma BTW.
I can find a 350d on ebay with a flash, and filters, and 2 lenses and some other stuff for a little over 1k I believe it is some special thing that Canon has going. Ive heard alot of people saying how they dont like the size, but a battery grip is in my list of things to get anyways, so does it really seem to make the difference in grip Condyk?

[condyk]

Originally Posted by Grentai

I can find a 350d on ebay with a flash, and filters, and 2 lenses and some other stuff for a little over 1k I believe it is some special thing that Canon has going. Ive heard alot of people saying how they dont like the size, but a battery grip is in my list of things to get anyways, so does it really seem to make the difference in grip Condyk?

Be careful of 'special offers' as they are used to dump junk gear on eBay in my experience. Post a link and people can offer opinion on the value.

Yes, the grip makes a huge difference to handling. For how I shoot I would struggle without one, tho' I would manage.

[Grentai]

alright then.... here's what I was talking about

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Digita...QQcmdZViewItem

[condyk]

You can take good shots, in terms of memories, composition, creativity and so on, with that kit as with any camera, but neither lens is really that well regarded so it depends where your priorities lie. The wide lenses and filters and tripod look like junk, but they will be perfectly usable. Buying a body only and a decent quality lens will give you a basis for growth technically, creatively and in terms of actual image quality. I think that kit will limit you quite quickly. But if you just want nice snapshots then it'll be fine. I'd go for a P&S myself and save some money. Panasonic FZ20 and 30 are top class.

BTW, you can get the 350D with 17-85 IS for pretty much the same price and that will be a better bet for most people. Add a 1Gb CF card and you're sorted.