 Amanda Allen |
Buying an EOS I'm interested in the Canon Rebel Ti. Is it a good camera for a beginner? And what does EOS stand for? I'm just getting into photography and know next to nothing about cameras. Any help is greatly appreciated :)
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John A. Lind |
EOS: Electro Optical System This designation refers to the auto-focus capability, its lens mount on the camera bodies and distinguishes it from its manual focus predecessor with "FD" lens mounts. It is an acceptable "consumer grade" camera body for beginners and the general photography they're most likely to be doing. I am, however, completely underwhelmed by the zoom lens they are bundled with. Not that Canon is alone in this regard. I'm equally underwhelmed by the equivalent zooms found bundled with consumer level Minolta, Nikon and Pentax SLR's. IMHO, you would do better to buy the camera body and the 50mm f/1.4 standard focal length lens. If that lens "breaks the budget," then the 50mm f/1.8 lens would still be a better choice over the zoom. While some of the features may differ slightly, it is no better or worse than the "entry level" SLR's from Minolta, Nikon, or Pentax. Two things are important in choosing a camera body:
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Photoking |
Hi, Since you are in the Canon Camp, I would suggest to try out the Canon Elan. Adv: Depth of field preview button Whatever you decide to buy, please buy a good lens. Most first time buyers don't concentrate on it. Don't buy the bundles with the 28-90mm USM lens. The replacement is 28-105mm USM. It will save you a lot of irritated moments of hunting for focus. And believe me this lens will cover most of the req.
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Amanda Allen |
Thank you so much. I just have one more question on the lenses. If a lens is autofocus, can I still focus it manually in manual mode on my camera? Finding a good lens is a bit more overwhelming than I thought :)
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America B |
Amanda, I completely sympathize with you on the whole lense buying scenario! I am not an expert but have looked at a lot of lenses and I'm pretty sure that all AF lenses give you the option to focus manually. Best of luck to you!! :)
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Maynard McKillen |
Dear Amanda: I don't know how everyone held back from telling you that Eos was the ancient Greek Goddess of the dawn (tee hee!)...
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Amanda Allen |
Greek Goddess of the dawn.... think she'll help me take good morning picure? :^) Thank you everybody for all your help. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!
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BetterPhotoJim.com - Jim Miotke  Contact Jim Miotke Jim Miotke's Gallery |
One more point, Amanda, and this may be quite the obvious... so forgive me if it is. You mentioned autofocus and the manual mode on your camera. Do not confuse the autofocus vs manual focus with the manual *exposure* mode on your camera. You are correct to assume that you can switch it into manual focus if you want to - you do this by changing a switch on the lens itself and then turning a manual focusing ring. The exposure, on the other hand, is changed via a mode on the camera body. Hope this helps - have fun with the new set-up!
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Kathy |
There is no need to restrict yourself to a Canon lens. I rencently shot a wedding with no flash and a Tamron lens on my Rebel G. I got great photos of "the kiss", Mr and Mrs announcement and procession. All my lens, Canon and Tamron, allow manual focus with a push of a finger slide
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Debra Weisheit |
I learned photography on the Canon system (AE1 of course)! My first EOS was the Elan IIE, which was an awesome camera. When that was stolen I bought the EOS 3 which is the most intuitive, best camera I've ever owned. Because I shoot professionally, when I needed a 2nd body for back up, I purchased the Elan 7 because I had loved my Elan IIE so much. Stick with the Canon system, it's SUPERB! Also buy the best body you can afford (Elan or EOS 3) and then look at lenses seperately. I have a number of them, but my favorites are the 70-200 2.8L Zoom and the 24-70 2.8L. Both are superior lenses, are quick and deliver unbelievable results in prints. Canon is AWESOME and the whole EOS line is worth every cent you'll ever spend building yourself a system!
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Faye Bishop |
Dear Amanda I also started out with a Canon EOS Rebel T. After being used to a compact point and shoot I love every minute I spend with it. I have learnt so much since buying it. The Canon I have which I presume is the same as yours has two manual settings. One for manual focus - the botton for this is on the left of the lens. It also has a setting where you can manually set the aperture and shutter speeds. Although the experts tell me that I have a 'consumer' camera, it does everything I want it to. The manual that comes with the camera is comprehensive and very informative and explains everything for you. If you haven't already bought the camera, ask the supplier if you may read the manual. I would recommend my camera to anyone and as an amateur (at this stage) I would recommend it to all beginners. Good luck and enjoy. Faye B
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Jen Hernandez |
Amanda, I own the Rebel Ti and absolutely love it! It is better than the other brands at this price point. The lense mount is metal, NOT Plastic, it's LCD is the largest around, and it's body design is excellent for one-handed handling. Minolta, Nikon and Pentax haven't figured that one out yet. It has 7 focus points compared to most cameras 5. The Ti is even superior to the later model Elans. This is your best bet and you won't be disappointed. I bought a 75-300mm lense to go along with it and it is my favourite. I researched everything about it before making my purchase and am still confident I made the best decision.
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John A. Lind |
Faye mentioned the most important point: "Although the experts tell me that I have a 'consumer' camera, it does everything I want it to." It should also fit your hands well with fingers falling naturally on its controls. What fits one person well may not fit another; hands come in different sizes and shapes. The biggest differences between "consumer" and "professional" camera bodies are durability, long-term reliability, and a few arcane features the vast majority of non-professionals would not use. Regarding durability, it must withstand about 10X to 100X the amount of use over time. I can easily burn 50-60 frames per hour doing a gig. Regarding features, it's not exotic "program" modes, it's things like a PC socket for hooking up to studio lights, mirror lock-up (or pre-fire), and total manual control of focus and exposure not being cumbersome to switch to and use. The huge majority of non-pro consumers don't need a professional camera body. More important than which camera body is the glass you choose to put on the front of it. It's the only thing between subject and film when the shutter opens. The lens makes much more difference in the technical qualities of a photograph than the camera body (artistic qualities are controlled solely by the photographer's brain). I've been completely underwhelmed by the zooms current SLR bodies are bundled with. Not just Canon, but Nikon, Minolta and Pentax too. Their optical qualities are at the very bottom of the barrel within their camera systems. Better than an inexpensive P&S, but not nearly what can be had by budgeting $350 - $400 for a lens, carefully selecting it based on optical performance, and not trying to find a "one zoom can do everything" with 10X focal length range (more than about 4X begins compromising optical quality). Experience an excellent piece of glass on the front of a camera and you won't settle for anything less. Within the EOS system, it doesn't mean you need the horridly expensive "L" lenses, but think about something toward the middle/upper end of the "non-L" USM lenses. The second thing to think about is the built-in flash. They're very low powered, have a very limited range even with faster films, and they're red-eye makers due to being too close to the lens. If you do much indoor shooting and use flash much, plan to eventually put a more powerful flash into the hot shoe. It also moves flash farther from lens and red-eye risk drops dramatically. -- John
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