Newbie to DSLR: Canon Rebel XT or XTi

I am graduating from my SD600 to a DSLR for a 4.5 month trip.

since I am a newbie and there is a risk of my camera getting stolen or broken on the long trip would you just opt for the Canon EOS Rebel XT or is the XTi (160$ difference).

I am planning on buying the body only.

thanks

Go for the xti. I have the Xt it is a fine camera, but from what I have read the xti is an improvement.

Purchase the best you can comfortably afford and add decent lenses one at a time.

nirajpatel13 wrote in post #4164700
I am graduating from my SD600 to a DSLR for a 4.5 month trip.
...
I am planning on buying the body only.

I won't comment much on XTi vs XT. Yes, the XTi has a better autofocus, anti-dust mechanism, etc. But I don't know how much value you put on those differences compared to the $160 price difference...

It was some other things about your post that bothered me, though.

First, I can't tell from your brief post whether you understand these things, and apologies if you do, but if you buy the body only then you won't be taking any pictures. You need to think carefully about buying a lens or lenses. The lens on your SD600 is roughly equivalent to 22-66mm on an XT or XTi. A popular lens in that range that delivers a lot of quality for the money is the Sigma 17-70mm, but there are loads of others. People here on POTN can help you choose if you need help.

Second, you need to know that a DSLR like the XT or XTi has a long learning curve. You can't expect to just pick one up and take good photos with it. If you don't have time before your trip to get really familiar with a new camera, it might be a better idea not to go down the DSLR route just yet.

Third, an XT or XTi won't take the same memory cards as your SD600. They both take CF cards.

Fourth, if you're going away for 4.5 months then you'll presumably take a *lot* of pictures. You'll need to think through your strategy here. How many gigabytes of CF cards? Will you be visiting places where you can upload your pictures to the web, and if so how regularly? Will you be carrying a laptop for downloading? And so on. I have 5x 2GB cards which means I'm good for up to about 1200 photos on one trip with my 350D (XT).

Fifth, you need to think about batteries. The XT and XTi use a chunky lithium battery called an NB-2LH which is not compatible with your SD600. The cameras come with one battery and an AC charger, but if you're going to be going places where the electricity might not be reliable and/or if you might be taking *lots* of photos and/or if you're going somewhere really cold, then it would be a good idea to get a couple of spares. Canon batteries are pricey but a company called Sterlingtek makes very good ones much more cheaply. I carry two spares with me.

Hope that helps. Apologies if it was all stuff you already knew. If you have any more questions, you've come to the right place.

I'll vote for the XTi but only after you hold one in your hands. If you have big hands you might not like it.

If you take the time to do a search on this and other Canon forums you'll find PAGES answering your question.

I'm planning on making my first dslr purchase when I get back to the states as well and I was in the same situation. I ended up deciding that I was going to purchase the xti with the lens just because it seems worth it for the price. I was also planning to get myself a sigma 70-300 macro lens as well =]

Definitely get the XTi. While the XT is a great camera, and I loved mine, the XTi improves on it in most of the areas I had problems with the XT. It's definitely worth the price difference.

Another vote for the XTi. I traded my XT in for the better focusing abilities of the XTi. The XTi also has a bigger LCD screen.

JackProton wrote in post #4177914
Another vote for the XTi. I traded my XT in for the better focusing abilities of the XTi. The XTi also has a bigger LCD screen.

and more mega pixels (XT=8MP and XTi=10), comes handy when cropping pictures, 20% more "real state".

My vote also goes for the XTI, why bother with a camera that is discontinued, unless it's a lot cheaper.

kitacanon wrote in post #4177230
If you take the time to do a search on this and other Canon forums you'll find PAGES answering your question.

Methinks somebody needs to refresh their acquaintance with Rule 4.9.

If you don't want to be helpful, just don't say anything.

My own personal experience tells me that the updates in the XTi may be nice, but they are limited and certainly not necessary in order to take good, high quality pictures. After having an XT for a long time and upgrading to the XTi, I think the upgrade was a mistake for the additional cost.

We own both

If I had to choose one only it would be the XTI.

It is easier to "chimp" your shots when tripod mounted or in bright light. And as a guy with thick glasses that's important.

But the XT handles high ISO noise better--and is around $150 less that you could spend on glass.

Best of luck with your decision.

form wrote in post #4178405
My own personal experience tells me that the updates in the XTi may be nice, but they are limited and certainly not necessary in order to take good, high quality pictures. After having an XT for a long time and upgrading to the XTi, I think the upgrade was a mistake for the additional cost.

Think that's a waste? I wanna exchange my silver XTi for a black one

I currently own the XT and its a camera that I highly recommend for people just starting out in the SLR world. One reason I chose the XT over the XTI is the secondary LCD display. For me, that's a must have. Overall, the XT is a great camera and for the price its amazing. The XTI does have better technologies built-in. My vote goes to the XT for the one reason above. It's all up to personal preference though. Hope this helps!