Bob Buchanan
Well-known member
While at QZ '06 earlier this year, I was fortunate that Al Wax and Ron Maribito allowed me to test drive their DSLR cameras. Al has a Nikon D70s, and Ron has Canon Digital Rebel. The good news was that those were the two SLR's that I had narrowed my decision to prior to QZ. The bad news was that it became a really tough decision. Moving to a replaceable lens DSLR involves then the purchase of detachable lens. So if one updates the body in the future, they should not/do not want to have to update lens.
"Six months later" -- this decisive soul finally made a decision. Am now the owner of a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. The initial lens I chose was a Tamron AF 18-200mm F3.5-6.3. That lens is the equivalent of a 35mm 28-300mm, so it gives me a nice range of wide angle to telephoto. Would have loved to have a 1.4 or 2.8 -- but now we're talking big bucks that I don't have. Also, had to delay IS for some time in the future. Not really needed in most of the stuff I do anyway.
I don't think I have ever vacillated so much on a decision. They are very close in features, with just a few items that would make one lean back and forth from one to the other - so this meant there would be trade-offs. If I got the feature I wanted on one, I would give up that feature on the other. For example, the Nikon is a 6 mega pixel whereas the Canon is 8 -- however, the Nikon has a 1/8000 shutter speed whereas the Canon's fastest is 1/4000.
My final decision was based on input from a number of pro's that I quizzed. Unless a pro has a kit full of Nikon lens already, most seem to be going to Canon. Canon has moved ahead in this technology and Nikon is in a catch up mode. The Rebel XT now has the same technology that their top of the line pro cameras have. There is talk of the soon to be released Nikon D80 -- but I'm sure I couldn't afford it.
Here's the dpreview of one of the 1st XT's. It has the standard lens sold with the camera -- plus since then a number of small things have changed. E.g., the 350D logo is now a red and white XT Rebel logo. Also, the firmware has experienced upgrades since this evaluation.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/
Thank you Al and Ron.
"Six months later" -- this decisive soul finally made a decision. Am now the owner of a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. The initial lens I chose was a Tamron AF 18-200mm F3.5-6.3. That lens is the equivalent of a 35mm 28-300mm, so it gives me a nice range of wide angle to telephoto. Would have loved to have a 1.4 or 2.8 -- but now we're talking big bucks that I don't have. Also, had to delay IS for some time in the future. Not really needed in most of the stuff I do anyway.
I don't think I have ever vacillated so much on a decision. They are very close in features, with just a few items that would make one lean back and forth from one to the other - so this meant there would be trade-offs. If I got the feature I wanted on one, I would give up that feature on the other. For example, the Nikon is a 6 mega pixel whereas the Canon is 8 -- however, the Nikon has a 1/8000 shutter speed whereas the Canon's fastest is 1/4000.
My final decision was based on input from a number of pro's that I quizzed. Unless a pro has a kit full of Nikon lens already, most seem to be going to Canon. Canon has moved ahead in this technology and Nikon is in a catch up mode. The Rebel XT now has the same technology that their top of the line pro cameras have. There is talk of the soon to be released Nikon D80 -- but I'm sure I couldn't afford it.
Here's the dpreview of one of the 1st XT's. It has the standard lens sold with the camera -- plus since then a number of small things have changed. E.g., the 350D logo is now a red and white XT Rebel logo. Also, the firmware has experienced upgrades since this evaluation.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/
Thank you Al and Ron.