Rebel vs. other canon cameras on market

Thinking about getting my wife a camera. She had taken some photo classes in the past. She wants something high end that she can use both for personal and semi proffesional use. Long term goals maybe a small side business from home. What do you suggest... I heard the rebel isn't considered proffesional.
Basically I would be able to purchase the rebel w/10.1 mp with a higher end lesnse; or would you suggest a better camera with a lower end lense. thanks for the advice.

The novice

The Rebel is considered an entry level consumer DSLR...ones like the 40D, 5D are considered prosumer(where the line blurs between amateur and professional) and then full fledged professional cameras like the 1D series and such.

With that said though, there is no reason why a professional couldnt use a Rebel. Personally, for the uses youve described, id look for a XTi or 40D if you can swing a few hundred more. Both are good cameras that are capable of great pictures and will give you plenty of room to grow and learn. In all honesty, ive sold more images with my old Rebel XT than i have with any of my current gear...

Spend the money on glass! You will go through bodies faster than you will lenses. That being said I would probably look at a used 30D over a Rebel series camera if trying to save money. You can get them for around $550.

how much you want to spend? my suggestion would be a 40D its a semi professional camera loved by many there are many reviews on it have a search and read about it, if you cant afford the 40D take a look at the 30D hope this helps

any way you slice it though. don't get an slr unless you place a starting budget of $2000 for the first year. yes, it may seem like it's a lot, but between a body, 3 lenses, flash, extra battery, and memory cards, it'll easily get to 2000 if you include shipping and tax. if you don't really need to get her an SLR, try starting out with something like a G9 or S3, which have manual modes but no hassle with lenses (and they accept standard flashes too)

I would go instead with the Rebel and a better lens. The lens will make much more of a difference in the shots than which of the cameras in that class is taking the picture. I started my professional business with a Rebel XT and a second rate sigma lens three years ago. No one ever complained about which camera I was using or what lens. As long as I knew how to get the needed photo, and knew what my equipment limitations were, I did just fine. Once I was able to start selling some photos, I reinvested in better gear...5D, L glass, etc. After three years I have rounded out my collection well enough that I feel I can handle just about anything thrown my way.

And still, in three years, no one has ever asked before I got hired what kind of equipment I use. I have had questions when people see the equipment out of their curiosity.

The xxD are heads and shoulders above the xxxD cameras

IMO (and I have shot with both and decided to go the xxD route) the xxD (30D and 40D) cameras are heads and shoulders above the xxxD (350D, 400D and 450D Rebel XT, XTi and XTsi) cameras.

Although the image quality is not greatly different between any of these cameras (they all provide very good to excellent imagery), IMO, the xxD cameras handle a lot better than the smaller Rebel types and they have some features which are very nice to have and unavailable in the xxxD Rebels.

I like the two wheel control system on the xxD models and I absolutely have problems working without the topside LCD for controls which is only available on the xxD models.

The xxD cameras, while not overly large, are larger than the Rebel types. The smaller size of the Rebel may advantage when carrying/packing/stori​ng the camera and possibly for persons with extremely small hands. However, I much prefer the larger grip on the 30D or 40D when actually using the camera. The 40D is more sure-handling, in my opinion. In all other features, the 40D is minimally equivalent and often the feature leader. This is especially true when using a larger or heavier lens. many photographers feel the need to add a battery grip to the xxD series cameras in order to bulk them up but, that is just an extra expense and something else which can go wrong. The 30D and especially the 40D cameras have such good battery life that the extra battery in the grip is not needed for general shooting.

The much shorter shutter lag and mirror blackout along with a far faster frame rate and deeper buffer makes it much easier to capture the perfect moments with the 40D - especially action sports. The 40D's fastest shutter speed is 2x that of the XTi/400D (1/8000 vs. 1/4000 sec) and has a shutter life rating 2x that of the XTi. The 40D has a pentaprism viewfinder while the XTi utilizes a pentamirror - The 30D and 40D's viewfinders are larger.

The 40D has a more-rugged stainless steel and magnesium alloy chassis - and feels more solid. It more solidly mounts to a tripod. The 40D has 1/3 stop ISO setting increments and has ISO 3200. The 40D has Kelvin white balance. The 40D has spot metering. The 40D has an easier/faster to use Quick Control Dial and Multi-Controller while the XTi uses cross key buttons. The 40D has an LCD panel on top, it also has a PC Synch port. 40D includes a heavier-duty neck strap (with red edges). Some of these feature differences are more or less important to you personally - and I doubt you will care about the neck strap difference.

The 40D has a more advanced autofocus system than the XTi AND 30D which share the same AF technology.

It seems as if the 40D is a far superior camera to both the xxxD models and the 30D. IMO, it far surpasses the xxxD Rebels but, the 30D is in itself an excellent camera which is fully capable to providing professional performance.

I have been using a refurbished 30D for over a year now with absolutely no problems. Adorama has these for $640 with free shipping http://www.adorama.com …furbished%2030D​&item_no=1

Canon has a $200 rebate along with a reeduced base price for the 40D which brings the bottom line down to $940 after the initial rebate.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_EOS_40D_SLR_Di​gital.html

I would not purchase either camera with a kit lens, instead I would purchase a 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens if money is no object or a 17-50mm f/2.8 Tamron lens if you want a very good lens (without IS however) at a much lower price. Either of these lenses would be just fine for advanced amateur or professional use.

In fact, for a wedding photographer, two refurbished 30D cameras and two 17-50mm f/2.8 Tamron lenses would be just about the same price (approximately $2,000 total) as a single 40D and 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens and would be a better purchase... Redundancy is the name in wedding (and many other types) photography.

Love the 40D and the price is RIGHT

Get a refurbished 30D. http://www.adorama.com …n&comparison=wa​&Startat=1
Much better feel and control than the rebel series. They also have the 85 f1.8 lens, which is a great lens.

Long term the 40D is a better bet and its priced right.. 1125 with the 28 to 135 kits lens ..A nice deal
You could also go the route of XTi. She may even like it better than the 40D. It a small size and the image quality is great. The extra you save can be sepnt on glass..
Best thing to do is get close and personal with both and do your research

The best thing to do is let her pick one out.

Thanks for all the information, it is greatly appreciated. Once I or she figures it all out I'll let you guys know which way we went.

hi pp48n! welcome to the forum!

my vote also goes to the XTi (or XSi) with better lens/es.

goodluck & happy shopping!

Take her to a Best Buy and have her hold one. I was a previous owner of a Digital Rebel and XTi but after holding a 40D at Best Buy, that's the only way for me to go. Even just holding it in my right hand, I could feel how the body of the 40D just feels complete in my hand, whereas with the xxxD lines it felt a little small. I don't have huge hands to begin with (I wear a Medium size golf glove) but it just felt right. And I could see where the slightly heavier feel would offset heavier lenses where as the lighter Rebel might suffer from some uneven weight issues.

I've recently seen been a major event where the photographer had an XT with a kit lens and a nice flash!