looking for a dslr

i'm thinking of getting a dslr and was hoping to get some help since i know really nothing about them lol

i found two people selling a dslr on facebook of all places .... both cost $450

1st: Silver Canon Rebel XT body, with the OEM battery+ 2 spare batteries, 1gb canon cf card, and a wireless shutter release. Comes with original box, manuals, strap and charger. The camera probably has around 10k clicks on the shutter.

2nd: Canon 350D body (aka rebel XT)

- Body description: The sensor is clean and it has no dead pixel. Very minor scratches on the body due to regular use. All original accessories: strap, caps, box, wires, CDs, userguide, charger, battery... Arround 7k actuations.

- Additional accessories: one extra battery + a 1GB high speed card + 1 dry air cleaning kit

any thoughts would be great

Pete

The XT would be a great first camera. Note that these are only the camera body and you will a lens to be able to take pictures, then you will read these forums and need another lens, and then another......
By the way Adorama has 2 Canon refurbished XT bodies for US $369 and $399. Just type "refurbished by canon" into their search box...

Potisdad wrote in post #4250950
Pete

The XT would be a great first camera. Note that these are only the camera body and you will a lens to be able to take pictures, then you will read these forums and need another lens, and then another......
By the way Adorama has 2 Canon refurbished XT bodies for US $369 and $399. Just type "refurbished by canon" into their search box...

I agree the the XT would be a great entry level camera, but unless you are dead set on Canon, I wouldn't rule out cameras made by other manufacturers, particularly Nikon...

JWright wrote in post #4251051
I agree the the XT would be a great entry level camera, but unless you are dead set on Canon, I wouldn't rule out cameras made by other manufacturers, particularly Nikon...

I just sold my silver XT with over 10K exposures for $300.00 cash including all the stuff that came in the box including kit lens the Canon battery grip and the IR remote.

I got a lot of use and learned a lot with the XT. A good starting camera.

I have it and it will take fine photos...you will have to learn how to use the parameter settings...I recommend starting with "Parameters 2" where all the settings are 0, and then learning how to adjust from there...I like Contrast set for -2 and all the others at 0, but you may prefer another setting. When you understand more about these settings you may want to shoot "RAW" which is the type of image that makes NO adjustments to the scene, and is the largest file with the most detail.

As for lenses...my recommendation for a starter lens is the 24-85mm F:3.5-4.5 EF. It is about $100 more than the 18-55mm KIT (called KIT because it was sold with the XT and XTI as a bundled "KIT"...the 24-85 costs about $175 on fleabay)
...The 24-85 is MUCH sharper than the 18-55...you will someday want a wide angle lens (wider than 24mm) and then you can decide if you want the $75 KIT lens or want to spend $300 more on a sharper model...but for starters you will be happy with the 24-85...
...Good luck and enjoy...

May be consider a used 30D? The larger LCD screens on the newer models makes a difference in my opinion for checking focus, depth of field etc. New 30d s here in UK are about£500-600, so in Canada a used one may be within your budget. If not a 20D would be a good buy, better build than XT/XTi .rebel etc. Try as many SLRs out in a shop(or see if you can meet with a member on here who is close by and try out their cams) and see which suits your needs.

regards Scott

crappers...... i hate to say it, but i'm leaning towards a nikon for one very big reason, it uses sd memory cards this sucks... i feel like a traitor even thinking of giving up canons

impete82 wrote in post #4260636
crappers...... i hate to say it, but i'm leaning towards a nikon for one very big reason, it uses sd memory cards this sucks... i feel like a traitor even thinking of giving up canons

Why in the world would the type of memory influence you? Memory is dirt cheap these days.

liza wrote in post #4260674
Why in the world would the type of memory influence you? Memory is dirt cheap these days.

bpp syndrome...broken pin possibility

impete82 wrote in post #4260636
crappers...... i hate to say it, but i'm leaning towards a nikon for one very big reason, it uses sd memory cards this sucks... i feel like a traitor even thinking of giving up canons

Get a 1D. Uses CF and SD.

you can get better deals if you watch the buy and sell forums here. may not have what you want today but i've seen probably around 10 bodies sell for under $500 usd in the past 2 weeks.

ok i really need help lol i'm looking at the rebel xti as well, but other than 7 vs 9 af points, larger lcd screen, 8mp vs 10mp, are there any significant differences and advantages to the xti over the xt? or is the xt good enough for a noob like me?

I don't have any firsthand experience with the XT, but from what I understand the autofocus on the XTi is significantly better than it is on the XT, particularly in lower light conditions.

That said, the XTi has the same focusing system as the 30D (which is, I believe the same as on the 20D, actually), but the 30D is much better built. If you're not terribly concerned about how the camera feels in your hand then the XTi should do rather nicely for most things but I found the XTi was far too small for my hands to be comfortable.

You really should go to the local store and handle the XTi and compare it, if possible, with the 30D to see which body size suits you better. Then work from there. The 20D is the same size and build as the 30D so if you like the 30D then you'll probably like the 20D as well -- the only things the 30D really has on the 20D are spot metering, an RGB histogram, and a somewhat larger screen.

While you're likely to keep your glass quite a bit longer than any camera body, you may find that the comfort, build quality, etc. make a big difference in the amount of pleasure you get from taking pictures. I know that's how it works for me, enough so that I went with a 40D because for me the 30D was just ever so slightly too small in my hands.

EDIT: there's not much of a difference between 8 megapixels and 10, really. In linear terms, 10 megapixels is about 12% bigger than 8. And the smaller pixel size of the 10 megapixel sensor places heavier demands on the accuracy of the autofocus system and the sharpness of the lens. Bottom line: I wouldn't bother factoring in the resolution when evaluating these cameras.

From one newbie to another, i went with the XTi for my first SLR. I based that choice mainly on getting the best i could afford without buying beyond my skill level. I would rather have money to spend on lenses to widen my photo possibilities, rather than drop more money into just the body. I'm learning, and the XTi is more than suitable for someone of my skill level.

sadly .... i think i may be mind cheating on canon a friend of mine showed me photos of what she took with her friends pentax k100d and i was blown away (considering she's not a photographer or even knew what she was doing) and then someone in class recommending the same camera...... so i check it out, reviews, details and whatnot, and it looks like one killer camera for a noob .... it actually pains me to even say that lol i hope i don't get banned from this forum if i buy it :P