Get this...

I went to a different camera shop than I usually go to, It was closer at that time.. Needed a UV for my 17-55, Well I asked the salesman about the 5D and how much they get for it.. He told me not to wast my $$ and just get the 40D. on one note he had a point.. .5 of the price, but not full frame.. I told him that I shoot weddings and parties a lot. WOW I would have fired him on the spot if I were the manager.. ( He knew what was in my bag at the time.. I opened it and showed him the UV that came off my 24-105, and the Big white lens was in there as well)

I then mentioned to him " Why buy the 40D when i can get the XTi for half of that? Aren't they the same guts inside?" He agreed with me about that as well.. The XTi was $600 for Body only.

i am very confused right now. he gave you a recommendation that probably was meant to save you money and even though he should have just answered your original question, i don't see what was the point of your second question (regarding the Xti) which is completely wrong.

Got me.. But I only stated the comment about the XTI and 40D just on a whim.. But.. I was thinking.. What is the big difference other than the Exterior Body? Both have the New Digic processor, 10MP, Dust removal etc.. I am going to pick up an XTi for a back up anyways..

btw, i don't see the relation between what is in your bag to the camera that he recommended for you. for most people (unless you really do need the FF) the 40D is the better value camera.

I don't get it either. Instead of pushing a higher priced camera onto you, he suggested a cheaper, but very capable alternative. I don't see a problem with this.

blonde wrote in post #4077980
i am very confused right now. he gave you a recommendation that probably was meant to save you money and even though he should have just answered your original question, i don't see what was the point of your second question (regarding the Xti) which is completely wrong.

Ok I see about saving money, But Like I said, He saw my bag, with some $$ equipment in it.. That was a bad assumption IMO... I would totally buy a 5D and keep my 30D as a back up... That was my original plan.. But instead I chose to save the Extra $$ and Get an XTi and Possibly a few more L's to add to the stable..

ItsMike wrote in post #4077985
Got me.. But I only stated the comment about the XTI and 40D just on a whim.. But.. I was thinking.. What is the big difference other than the Exterior Body? Both have the New Digic processor, 10MP, Dust removal etc.. I am going to pick up an XTi for a back up anyways..

no they don't. the 40D has the DIGIC III processor while the Xti has the DIGIC II. the Xti lacks a lot of the features that the 40D has including HTP, way faster buffer, faster FPS, better menu system, 14 bit images and the list goes on and on..

ItsMike wrote in post #4078005
Ok I see about saving money, But Like I said, He saw my bag, with some $$ equipment in it.. That was a bad assumption IMO... I would totally buy a 5D and keep my 30D as a back up... That was my original plan.. But instead I chose to save the Extra $$ and Get an XTi and Possibly a few more L's to add to the stable..

maybe it is just me but i see him as a good guy that is more concerned about you than making more money by shoving something that you might not need. btw, most cameras store that i know are so used to seeing lenses and cameras that they couldn't care less what i have in my bag. when i went to try some bags out in my local store, i had the 500 mm with me so i can try to fit it in the bag and non of the guys that work there even looked twice. the reason for that is because the guy that was standing next to me just came to order a few items for his Hassblad HD-39 (look up the price for that one and you will see my point)

Hogloff wrote in post #4077999
I don't get it either. Instead of pushing a higher priced camera onto you, he suggested a cheaper, but very capable alternative. I don't see a problem with this.

I did mention that I do Weddings, Parties, etc.... A full frame would be nice.. The problem with it is that a sales man should be alway out to make $$ If I were the manager and someone came into my store and asked about a $2500
camera and my salesman pushed a $1100 one instead, then went to a $600 one I would be a little heated..

Well... There is a $1000 Body with grip, $500 flash, 2 $900+ lenses 1 $550 Lens. Obviously there is some money that has been spent... One would assume that If I was asking about a 5D, I probably would not be scared to layout some $$ for one.. Therefore the salsman should have atleast tried to push the 5D on me instead of Cutting his sale by more than half talking about the XTi in the end.. That would be a bad sales move.. $2500 or $600 you tell me..

let me tell you a little story to show you exactly why you are wrong:

a little after the 1DmkIIn was released, i decided to stop by my local pro store to go play with it and even buy it if i liked it. at the time, i had the 1DmkII but i did not take it with me to the store. i walked into the store and talked to the sales guy and he was more than happy to hand me the mkIIn and even explained some if the "new" features to me. when he asked me what camera i was currently using, i answered 1DmkII and the guy took the mkIIn from me and said "i really want you to spend money here but in all honesty, there is no reason for you to buy this camera because the "new" features are only the bigger lcd and bigger buffer". i thanked the guy for his honesty and now i try to buy all my stuff from that store.

the reason why i go there even though they are more expensive is that i know that i can count on them to give me honest advice instead of taking the "Ritz route" and tell me that the 5D is going to make me a celebrity photographer over night.

blonde wrote in post #4078065
let me tell you a little story to show you exactly why you are wrong:

a little after the 1DmkIIn was released, i decided to stop by my local pro store to go play with it and even buy it if i liked it. at the time, i had the 1DmkII but i did not take it with me to the store. i walked into the store and talked to the sales guy and he was more than happy to hand me the mkIIn and even explained some if the "new" features to me. when he asked me what camera i was currently using, i answered 1DmkII and the guy took the mkIIn from me and said "i really want you to spend money here but in all honesty, there is no reason for you to buy this camera because the "new" features are only the bigger lcd and bigger buffer". i thanked the guy for his honesty and now i try to buy all my stuff from that store.

the reason why i go there even though they are more expensive is that i know that i can count on them to give me honest advice instead of taking the "Ritz route" and tell me that the 5D is going to make me a celebrity photographer over night.

Agree, I generaly always shop where I get honest answers and opinions instead of some one just trying to sell me something.

ItsMike wrote in post #4077945
I then mentioned to him " Why buy the 40D when i can get the XTi for half of that? Aren't they the same guts inside?"

Well that's about as wrong as it gets, Mike.

Lucky you've got a half-knowledgeable salesman to fall back on...

blonde wrote in post #4078025
maybe it is just me but i see him as a good guy that is more concerned about you than making more money by shoving something that you might not need. btw, most cameras store that i know are so used to seeing lenses and cameras that they couldn't care less what i have in my bag. when i went to try some bags out in my local store, i had the 500 mm with me so i can try to fit it in the bag and non of the guys that work there even looked twice. the reason for that is because the guy that was standing next to me just came to order a few items for his Hassblad HD-39 (look up the price for that one and you will see my point)

I have looked that one up blonde.. Ouch!

Interesting story. My take on it is that maybe the salesperson was making the point that when buying a body, one reaches the point of diminishing returns very quickly as you go up the price scale. The Xti is half the price of the 40D and the 40D is half the price of the 5D but in both cases, twice the money doesn't buy you a camera that is twice as good.

This is far less true when you talk glass. I would be interested to hear this guy answer lens comparison questions. I suspect his tone would be different.

I find it difficult to trust any salesman at any brick and morter store any longer. I've been to Calumet Photo and heard a salesperson tell a customer that he should buy the Tamron 17-50 because Tamron made all Canon's glass anyway. He didn't mention they were out of the Canon 17-55 which a salesman had told me moments before that.

I've been in shops where salesmen are saying the Canon's and Nikon's are both junk compared to the Sony, only to learn that the salesman was getting a serious incentive to sell the Sony.

Just today I was in a store and when I asked if they had the BG-E2 for the 40D (its being discontinued so I thought they would have it discounted) 3 different sales people ask me what that is. When I said a battery grip each said whats a batter grip?

I have resolved myself to research my products here and other trusted places on the net, check them out in a store and then buy online. In my experience these folks are incented to sell certain items, or are just trying to sell what is in stock. I can't trust them any longer.

In my opinion your sales person recommended a 40D for one of the following reasons.

1. He does not know his equipment and really thinks the 40D and 5D are the same.
2. The 5D is was out of stock and they had 40Ds.
3. He was getting and incentive for selling the 40D.

Based on his acceptance that the 400D is the same as a 40D I would think that #1 is the real reason.

Call me a pessimist, but I've been let down far too often.