Torn between Canon G6 and Rebel XT...

Hey, a fellow New Yorker! The prices at Dell are great from time to time but they now charge tax here. Still, they have great deals every now and then, and they recently ended a rather nice deal on the XT and 20d.

As Maureen said, it is great to have a choice. But if you should have only one camera, much as I am a G6 fan, I believe that you should go for the XT, based on your musings. The kit lens is ok, though much maligned by others, and I have seen some great photos taken by it. But if you were to ask me, I would get just the XT body and the 50mm 1.8 for starters, and when you have some extra money you can get some more lenses.

It's only $200 difference if you don't want any lens on your new DSLR. Add a hundred more if you would like a good lens to go with it. Then add hundreds more for the other lenses you will want. Currently shooting with a G6 myself. It will take pictures that rival the Rebel in the right conditions. As long as you can shoot low ISO the G6 takes great pictures. Once you have to bump up the ISO the differences will show. The biggest problem I have with it is low light focusing and shutter lag. Dell has the G6 for $509 right now. Beach Camera has the Pro1 for $573 right now which is another camera you might look at. B&H has the 350XT for $879 with the 18-55 lens which is actually about a 28-80 in actual use with the crop from the sensor. Also remember that the kit lens that come with these aren't the greatest or sharpest out there so there's a good chance you will want a different lens. I'd buy the body seperate and get the lens you want starting out instead of paying for the cheap kit lens if you go the DSLR route. I'm currently thinking about moving up to an SLR but to be honest am not impressed with Canons consumer SLRs 350/20D and am looking at the Nikon D200 right now. Their build is usually superior to Canons unless you move up to pro equipment. Other opinions will vary, low light is hard to beat the Canons but there is more to shooting then that. Like others have said, go out and hold these and play with them and try out the features on them.

Are you a G6 fan Bottom???

Yes, I love the G6 and use it often. I also have a dSLR and use it quite a lot too. I am lucky to have both - they do fit certain roles. When I cover an event, I bring both, and use both.

Not a problem for me.
Normally, people move aside humbly when I take out my DSLR and let me get a good shot

2 more things to bear in mind ...

1) ... there is quite some loss in the value of compact digicams. As far as DSLRs are concerned, they hold up their value pretty well ... and they will allow you to use them for a longer time because of the upgrade possibilities.

2) DO NOT BUY ANY LENS BASED ONLY ON WHAT THE SALESMAN TELLS YOU!!!

... we get this so often ... the salesman tells people 'get this lens, it's great' (because he gets a larger commission on that one) ... and when the people later proudly tell their forum members what they got, chances are that the others will chime in and it is found out that the lens really was not so great at all...

Did the camera take better pictures with the kit lens than the G6 or not? If so, how can the lens 'be worse'
Don't let the salesmen fool you ... the 18-55 kit lens is a decent beginners lens, and the good thing about the dslr concept is that you can get another lens later for whichever range you feel limited in (and keep the kit lens for wide angle shots, because it's the cheapest alternative for that).
Get the 75$ 50/1.8 lens with it to have a fast, sharp and inexpensive lens to go with the kit lens. Those two lenses are really the 'best bang for the buck' in the Canon EOS world.

A final thought ... you might also do a forum search for 'g6 upgrade' to see how many people bought the G6 and decided to upgrade soon after doing that. It might also provide insights into the reasons.
like this very recent thread ... G6 upgrade

Best regards,
Andy

I just purchased a G6 last week even though I have A Rebel. I found that there were times I didn't want to carry all of the extra gear and worry about theft. The G6 is small enough for me to carry in a belt case and still get good results. The fact that I can use my flash, batteries and CF card was just a bonus.

James

Lefturn, I missed this post of yours. That is one heck of a monopod! I'll stick to mine though, as I can carry it in the subway

...erm, does the G4 exist? I thought within the range it jumped from a G3 to the G5, and for some reason ommited a G4...

I'm with Bottombracket. If you're used to an SLR and film photograhy, and can afford it, you're gonna love the XT and you'll likely be frustrated with the G6. The G6 has those few advantages to the XT, but you'll never know what you're missing if you just go ahead and get the XT. For the money, unless you can get a really good deal on the G6, the XT is a better deal. I've seen a lot of film photographers complain about the shutter lag and low-light uslessness of the G6 and P&S cameras, so I think you'll be happier with the XT, and with the kit lens, it's not really any less convenient to carry around.

If you're in NYC, try B&H Photo, I've had great experience with them online, hopefully in person it's even better.

Indeed, there is no G4. In some Chinese dialect, mandarin I believe, the pronounciation of the number "4" is similar to that of "death". Rather than see the demise of the series, Canon opted to jump straight to the G5 model.

Cantonese as well.

Ah, So THAT'S why they jumped past the 4. This makes sense now. Thanks BB.
-Bruce

Thanks , lostdoggy! I didn't know that. Where in Queens are you at. I venture Elmhurst or Flushing?

Bruce, you're welcome. It is interesting to note that Apple came out with a G4 designation, but it was still extremely popular. Oh well

College PT Overlooking Malba Bay & Whitestone Bridge.

http://i23.photobucket​.com …hitestoneBridge​Sunset.jpg

Lostdoggy,

nice picture
But it would be even better if you rotated it some degrees counter-clockwise to correct the leaning.
I don't know, but for some reason or other most of my images are leaning, too ...

Best regards,
Andy