rob answers:

Canon Speedlite, 430EX II – $300

rob answers:

Hey,

Yes, Nikon’s competitor, Nikon D3000, has no Live View and no AF motor, so not all lenses will auto focus.

Here’s a post called ‘Buying a DSLR, what’s important, megapixels, features, brand, price and which one to buy – http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/03/which-dslr-to-buy.html

Good luck! The site has many more tutorials and tips!

rob answers:

Fishmeister:
She didn’t say she wanted to start a business, she said that she may want to consider a career in photography, and for that, this camera is ideal. She can learn the basics of photography, with a camera that has some very good fundimental features.
After some time, she will discover more about her abilities, and possibly upgrade to something that would support a career in photography.

What was your first camera? I’m sure it had much less capabilities than the Canon XS, and you managed to succeed in the field…right?

No need to berate people for having an interest, and possibly turning that interest into a career…

rob answers:

You will need a tripod, as was already stated. The photos must be all in the same horizontal plane and have the same vertical alignment. They should overlap by a good bit, so that the middle of one photo is the edge of the next in the panorama. Then you just need a bit of software to stitch them together. Due to natural distortion, the photo must be altered before the pieces will fit together properly. Try this site:
http://lifehacker.com/378490/stitch-photos-into-panoramas-with-free-software

rob answers:

And the instruction manual says?????

rob answers:

You should go with Canon VIXIA HF S21 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder

* Records up to 24 hours of crisp high definition video to a 64GB internal flash drive or directly to two removable SD memory cards
* Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens
* Canon 1/2.6″ 8.59-Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor captures video at 1920 x 1080 resolution
* Canon DIGIC DV III Image Processor
* Dynamic SuperRange OIS corrects a full range of motion

rob answers:

Http://keerok-photography.blogspot.com/2011/05/fish-eye.html

About $25 for a screw-on semi-fisheye adapter? I’d say it’s just right. That is if you know how much a real fisheye lens costs.

Http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ns=p_PRICE_2%7C1&ci=274&N=4293344976+4277998923

rob answers:

Yes, they’re the same camera.

Rebel T2i = model name in U.S.
EOS 550D = model name in Europe.

rob answers:

I’m and Canon and Fuji guy so you can see what I recommend.

Specs be damned if it’s a fully adjustible camera and it’s made by either Canon or Nikon it’s going to be a good, in fact excellent, camera.

I have a Rebel XS (1000D) and really enjoy it. I paid so little to the specs before I bought it because they actually tell you very little. The proof is in the photos and for me Canon has always had the edge.

Good Luck

rob answers:

I always give the same advice to anyone considering a DSLR…

The best camera is the one that feels good in your hands. Canon and Nikon both make nice cameras.

You are the one who will be using it, so get something that feels natural to you with easy to find controls. I went with Canon because of the way it felt in my hands and the layout of the controls, and a fellow photog went with Nikon for the same reasons. You will miss shots if you are constantly fumbling with the camera.

The best thing to do is visit an actual camera shop and hold/try/examine the various cameras within your budget (don’t forget to budget for lenses, extra battery, memory cards, camera case). The camera shops here also offer basic and intermediate camera courses (some are free if you buy the camera there).

rob answers:

I would agree with the 50 because I happen to own one. But you don’t need a 50 to do depth of field work. My primary lens is a Canon 28-200 and it’s giving me shots like this in bright sun light.

The point is if you know how to use the lens you have you won’t need a new one. But, if you decide on a new one the 50 f/1.8 is pretty good.

rob answers:

No website is going to waste bandwidth displaying 3168X4752 images when most displays can;t even go higher than 1280X1024.

A jpeg of that resolution would be around 10MB in size … That’s alot of bandwidth used up for no reason.

You can check out DPReview, they have crops of images with some lenses.

rob answers:

Extra lenses always the best choice

rob answers:

It actually depends on your requirement
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens ,Canon EF 50mm , Canon EF-S 10-22mm

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dcanon%2520lens%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Delectronics&tag=ya-ans-camera-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574865779&toolid=10001&campid=5336440665&customid=nktprk&mpre=http%3a%2f%2fshop.ebay.com%2fi.html%3f_nkw%3dcanon%2blens%26_sacat%3d0%26_odkw%3dPanasonic%2bLumix%2bDMC-FP3%26_osacat%3d0%26_trksid%3dp3286.c0.m270.l1313

rob answers:

The first lens in your link…the EF 50mm f/1.8 II is a prime lens (single focal length). It’s dirt cheap, mostly due to it’s cheap construction including plastic lens mount. However, optically it’s VERY good. This lens is highly recommended by most photographers…

Http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-50mm-f-1.8-II-Lens-Review.aspx

The second lens in your link…the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM is a cheap, crappy lens. I recommend you AVOID it, because honestly, it’s crap. Don’t waste your money on it…

Http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-75-300mm-f-4-5.6-III-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

The third lens…the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is a budget priced kit lens that’s usually supplied as a starter lens when purchased with various EOS Digital Rebel camera bodies. It’s ok, but has now been replaced by a better version (Mark II). So, if considering this lens, I recommend the IS II version instead. Most photographers tend to want to upgrade to a better/faster lens after a while, but it’s fine for most people. Others prefer to avoid it and buy a better lens from the start…

Http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-18-55mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-Lens-Review.aspx

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-18-55mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-II-Lens-Review.aspx

rob answers:

Read the owner’s manual that came with your camera.

rob answers:

Complete Info about the Nikon D5100
http://dslr.bz/nikon-d5100/

rob answers:

You set it the same as in still mode.

rob answers:

The Standard Lens 18-55m is actually really good for filming by itself, but you can move onto other lenses (which get quite expensive). When buying, make sure it has a fixed ISO because it won’t adjust automatically when filming (which often destroys the video). Other than that, there isn’t a ‘best’ lens, as it’s very subjective, so just try a few (not actually buy, but get your hands on a few). My advice is go to secondhand camera shops, try some cheaper equipment which isn’t damaged, and go from there!
Have fun!

rob answers:

Indeed, you cannot autofocus while shooting video

you can always set the lens to manual focus and focus that way

rob answers:

An entry-level Canon DSLR like the XS, T1i, T2i, 50D and 7D usually has an EF-S lens as part of the kit. An EF-S lens CANNOT be used on a Canon full-frame DSLR like the 5D or 1D. Only Canon EF lenses can be used on those cameras. Of course, an EF lens can be used on the XS, T1i, T2i, 50D and 7D.

So if you buy an entry-level Canon DSLR and have any intentions of ever upgrading to a 5D or 1D full-frame DSLR Canon then don’t buy any additional EF-S lenses.

rob answers:

First, sorry I don’t speak Greek, what is “compat?”

EOS – Electronic Optical System. It’s the system that all Canon Rebel cameras use for their lenses.
All it really means is the lens is electric. Since you didn’t tell us what camera you have, I can only assume it’s a Rebel, then yes all EOS lenses. EF = Electronic Focus.
EF-s = Electronic Focus – Short Back Focus. This means there’s a shorter distance between the back element of the lens and the sensor than there is with EF lenses. Not all Canon cameras are
compatible with EFs lenses.

rob answers:

I was googling and found canon lens from follwing site.

Http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=canon+lens&x=0&y=0&tag=pntsa-20

!!!

rob answers:

Try canon-asia.com. It should list authorized repair centers for your Canon equipment. They will not work on non-Canon equipment.

For your Sigma lenses, email them at info@sigmaphoto.com for a list of repair centers.

rob answers:

The idea back then was Canon wanted you to only use their lenses, and they had something called the Canon FD Mount, which is type of bayonet lens system your T70 takes. Other Generic lens mfg’s also made their own lenses in a Canon FD mount, but make no mistake, any lens with a Canon FD mount on it is made only to fit on a Canon FD Mount Body.

Since you asked, Yes, You CAN get the canon lens to mount on your Nikon Body, or vice versa….ONCE. Then you usually can not get the lens off, so DO NOT make that mistake! There is a good chance your old Canon FD mount lens will mount on some or most of todays newer Canon AF systems, but you would not be able to shoot in full program or benefit from all the cameras features, and would most likely only be able to shoot in a full manual mode, or apperature priority mode. (Same thing with old Nikon Lenses VS todays newer cameras)

rob answers:

It doesn’t sound normal. I think you mean creative modes, not manual modes. There is only one manual mode (M), the rest have some level of automatic settings (Av Tv etc).

Is this happening consistently? I know in low light situations, auto focusing becomes difficult and the lens may ‘seek’ for a while before it focuses. You may have to press the shutter release button a couple of times to get it to focus properly.

If it happens in bright sunlight, I would say you have a problem. I never heard of this problem, though, so I suspect it is something else.

rob answers:

Here’s a link to your manual. Http://media.the-digital-picture.com/Owners-Manuals/Canon-EOS-Rebel-XS-1000D-Owners-Manual.pdf . The instructions for shooting black and white are on page 68. It would be alot easier just to convert the photo using image editing software. Gimp is the most powerful and can do almost anything Photoshop can. But it has a high learning curve. Another easier to use program is Paint.Net. Http://www.paint.net/ You have a lot more control over how the image looks using a photo editor than letting the camera make the decisions for you.

rob answers:

If you didnt get a manual youll need to know a lot more than how to turn on the LCD so below is a link to the full online manual from the Canon site

rob answers:

Nice.

I’m 13 too check out my pics.

Http://www.flickr.com/photos/gummyworldlover/

rob answers:

Like Edwin said, you can use all EF and EF-S lenses. If you want to use old FD lenses it’s going to be a little more difficult. It is possible to get cheap mechanical adapters for FD lenses. However, the distance between the lens and the inside of the camera was shorter on the FD mount, so if you mount it on your XS you’ll lose the ability to focus to infinity. You can also get an adapter that has optics that will allow you to focus to infinity, but it’s very expensive (like $1000) and only works on a few lenses (mostly expensive telephotos). Of course, you also have to focus manually and use stop-down metering with both types of adapters.

In my opinion, there’s very little reason to bother with FD lenses. Lenses have come a long way and you can get some really good glass for relatively cheap. The only justification I can see for using the adapter would be if you had a few thousand dollars worth of expensive telephotos for the FD lens mount.

rob answers:

Kimmy,

1. The Canon XSi automatically recognizes the difference between SD and SDHC.

2. The memory card speed can be an issue if you plan to use the “burst/continuous” modes. Faster cards will help your Canon XSi buffer the images faster, giving you the best possible performance.

3. The best overall (price + performance) memory card in my opinion is the Class 6 Transcend memory card: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ECQVSS/?tag=amazon-digital-cameras-20

I hope that helps!

- Moose

rob answers:

DSLRs are very different from a point-n-shoot. There’s no auto zoom. You control the zoom and it’s speed directly with your hand around lens. It’s considerably faster and more accurate than any auto-zoom I’ve ever seen.

As for learning how to use your camera, the manuals for your camera and lens/lenses should cover basic operation. And yes, you do need to read the manual. You just spent several several hundred to a thousand dollars on a camera and lens. The manuals are free and it is worth your time to read them.

As for websites that might help. There are a great many of them out there. Try some of the following sites to start:

http://www.the.digital.picture.com

http://www.kenrockwell.com

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/

rob answers:

Time stamp was a feature of 35 mm cameras.

Now ALL your image files have the time and date in the EXIF data on each file … That and much, much more.

Why would you want to put that on a perfectly fine image?

rob answers:

We’ve seen this question a couple of times where people needed that for work. If this is isn’t for work and is just something you’re interested in don’t. Nothing will make your photos look worse that the yellow date in the lower corner. Only rank amateurs would use it unless, as I say, it’s for work purposes.

Yes, check the menus. You’ll find it there.

rob answers:

Shooting in manual is the best, but each time the settings is going to be different. There isn’t a master setting that allows you to take great pictures all the time. In manual, you set the parameters such as aperture, shutter speed, and iso. These 3 settings can vary a lot taking pictures of different things in the same room.

You need to have the shutter speed fast. Fast enough that it stops motion. What you are getting is motion blur, caused by either your hand moving while you take the picture or your subject moving.

You can either raise up your ISO allowing you to shoot faster. Or buy a new lens like perhaps the 50mm f1.8. The bigger the aperture the more light you can let in. That allows you to shoot with a faster shutter speed.

Perhaps you should buy a introduction to photography book.

rob answers:

You get what you pay for !
A generic one might have to be programmed to work on the camera.

rob answers:

If you goto this link

http://www.dbldistributing.com/index.php?main_page=account_passwordThe

you will be able find the flash you need. I know this because I used to work there.

rob answers:

Use only canon lenses. Or u may choose Tamron. Don’t connect lenses via adaptors, waste of time and money. Why buy a canon camera and not use canon or canon related lenses? Only EF series canon lenses will fit and work with your rebel, or similair ones made by Tamron, which are good lenses. If the lenses you have don’t fit your camera, then sell them and put the money towards the lense you want.

rob answers:

Not Really.

And fhotoace didn’t read the question. Minolta AF lenses will work with a sony DSLR. Minolta MF (SR MC MD) will not.

You can get adaptors but all degrade the image or lose infinity focus. You are also adding to the crop factor.

There is one company who make a shim for the mount which makes it possible, it just depends how confident you are taking your camera to bits:

http://digitalrokkor.altervista.org/news.html

Your lenses will need to be focused manually, and the rebel focus screens aren’t really good enough for that. You can retrofit a split prism type, but it is a third party diy job. In conjunction with the focus screen issues you also have the pentamirror design which is dark and less clear than the superior pentaprism type found in better canons.

Finally, your lenses are film era. The coatings going in will be 25 year old technology with 25 years of wear (at least) and the rear element will not be coated to prevent the ghosting that can occur with DSLRs.

In short, I don’t think its worth doing. It’s your call and you have the link. Good luck.

rob answers:

For portraits, the EF 50mm f/1.8 is an excellent choice for only $100. If your budget allows a bit more you can get the f/1.4 version (around $350).

For landscapes, the EF-S 10-22mm is a very good lens but a bit pricey. It costs around $700-$800.

For action, it depends. Indoors or outdoors? If you shoot indoors, you’ll probably want f/2.8 at the least, although the faster the lens is, the better. For outdoors, f/4 will do the job. The 70-200mm series has great quality – all you need to do is decide what aperture you need and whether you need IS or not.

rob answers:

Sure… I just did exactly that. I have and Rebel XS but wanted video so I bought a t1i body only because I already had 4-lenses and certainly didn’t need another 18-55. Everything fits just fine.
Good Luck and have fun.

rob answers:

Well Canon has discontinued all film cameras, so it is very unlikely that you will still find it in a store. It looks like it had an MSRP of $190 back when it came out.

Now, the only way to find it is through stores that sell used equipment or a site like eBay. Just checking eBay for completed listings show that the cameras are selling anywhere between $50 and $150.

rob answers:

For $200, this is a great starter camera if the camera is in good working order. Stick with the 28-105mm lens for now and wait until you’ve developed a thorough understanding of focal lengths and what a lens has to offer before investing in additional glass.

To be fair, Canon did offer an EF 28-105mm zoom lens with their Rebel 35mm cameras and some of their earliest DSLRs (including the Digital Rebels) between 2000 and 2003. The very site Kermit cites lists that very lens (http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-28-105mm-f-4.0-5.6-USM-Lens-Review.aspx) in the discontinued lens section of Canon Zoom lenses.

At anyrate, Canon’s website would be the first place to look. If I remember correctly, model DS6041 is in fact the model number for the very first Digital Rebel. If that’s the case, you’ll want the following links;
– http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer/eos_slr_camera_systems/eos_digital_slr_cameras/eos_digital_rebel
– http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer/eos_slr_camera_systems/eos_digital_slr_cameras/eos_digital_rebel#BrochuresAndManuals
– The following link to the owner’s manual for the Digital Rebel (EOS 300D) is taken directly from Canon’s website: http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/4/0900000274/01/EOSDR300DIM-EN.PDF

rob answers:

I bought three Canon Digital Rebel cameras. Mine, one for my wife and granddaughter. I love mine.

I have several lenses for my Rebel, but the two that I end up using are the:

18-55mm Wide angle and,
75-300mm Telephoto

With those two lenses (which zoom from the low number to the high number) you can cover almost the entire range from 18mm (very wide) to 300mm (very telephoto).

EBay has great prices on these lenses, far less than a camera store. I went with the slightly more expensive IS (Image Stabilized) lenses that compensate for shake when you are shooting handheld images.

My wife is taking a lot of bird pictures at our feeders. I wanted to be able to get even closer shots, but I didn’t want to spend hundreds, or thousands, of dollars for a the “L” style lenses. What I ended up buying was a Quantaray 2X DG Teleconverter for Canon which doubles my lens to 150-600mm. I do see some image quality loss, but not enough to bother me. I paid $25 for the converter, but it would have been several hundred for a “Canon” solution in “L” lens and Converter to do the same thing.

Good luck and great shooting!

~

rob answers:

It depends on what youve heard. Its a nice 35mm film camera with A, P, S, A and M modes. No reason to think it wont provide good photos. If youve heard it has some magical powers to make every photo you take a masterpiece someones exaggerated.

Watch the price. A very good condition X body only is available used from B&H for $69

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800683017-USE/Canon_C128244212_EOS_Rebel_XS_35mm.html#specifications

If youre buying from an auction or private party the price should be lower than a retailers price.

rob answers:

There is NO difference – the EOS 450d is the European name for the American EOS Digital Rebel XSi. Same features, the name printed on the camera and literature is different, and the warranties may or may not be honored in different locations.

rob answers:

I’ll prefer Nikon if given choice. The Nikkor lens is gr8.
You may like to visit this site http://www.digitalphotoexpress.in/category/slr/ to buy one…

rob answers:

Always better to stick with Canon lenses. There is nothing else really in that price range and zoom range thats any better. If you want an f/2.8 aperture I believe Tamron makes a 17-50 f/2.8 thats not bad, but unless you really find yourself needing the f/2.8 go with Canon.

rob answers:

So, you don’t want to use the flash?

If that was what you were thinking, you’ve chosen a few wrong lenses. The 28-80 and 75-300mm Tamron lens have a relatively small aperture, which maximizes depth of field, and make taking photographs in lower light more difficult. Also, Depending on the price of the flash you bough, you might not be able to illuminate a scene at 300mm’s, unless you got a really strong flash unit. The 50mm f/1.8 lens is a marvelous lens, and is much sharper than those other two lenses. However, it’s a prime lens, and can’t zoom out of 50mm’s. So, you have to remain close to the action. Which you should do because those other two lenses are day time lenses. With it’s f/1.8 aperture, you can get much more light in your photos.

So yea, i think the 50mm 1.8 lens would be your best option. However, if you’re doing this for your school, shouldn’t they lend you or rent the right equipment? This is the lens a professional photographer would use in such a situation like that:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-70-200mm-2-8L-Telephoto-Cameras/dp/B00006I53X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1220707594&sr=1-1

Almost two thousand dollars, but that’s an investment a professional would make. I probably wouldn’t though, not on my tight budget. However, if you were going to use the flash, if you absolutely had to, you could use the 70-300mm lens, but the images won’t be all to sharp, and the flash probably won’t illuminate the scene entirely.

The 50mm f/1.8 is the best option in my opinion, much better in low light conditions. With the 1.6 crop factor, that lens really becomes a
80mm prime lens. Which should be good enough for your event. Also, with the 70-300mm lens, at 300mm’s, you have to use 1/300+ shutter speed, and you definitely won’t get that in the night, without pushing to ISO beyond limits.

rob answers:

Saving a zoomed image is not what you do.

You have to crop the image to what you want, and then save the cropped image. It is best to save the new version with a new file name, so you don’t lose the original. I can’t walk you through the process using Zoombrowser, I don’t use that software.

rob answers:

That’s correct. I own a Rebel XS at 10mp and a t1i at 15mp and there’s no difference in the technical quality of stills. I bought the t1i for video.

rob answers:

I see no advantage at all to the vivitar, it sells for the same price or higher than the 430ex. With the canon flash you get full e-ttl, far more choice in manual power settings, greater zoom, high speed sync plus proven reliability of Canon USA products.

Also, most aftermarket flashes have a generic AF assist pattern and only cover the center point or group of points. The current Canon units are designed to work with all the AF points.

In the end, unless you are professional strobist, there will not be a huge difference between the two. I would personally get the 430 EXII

rob answers:

Go to the canon website, download the owner’s manual and read it to learn about the camera.

rob answers:

Since you have the beginnings of a Canon system, changing to Nikon is not really recommended unless you have a sponsor.

Here are all the senors listed in their performance

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Sensor-rankings

After the fact you can see why many pros use Nikon’s

Low noise at high ISO’s, ultra fast auto-focus, can use legacy lenses as far back as 1959.

rob answers:

Invest in a high quality compact. There’s plenty out there (Canon G12, Nikon P7000, Samsung TL500, Lumix LX5, Canon S95, Samsung WB700, Lumix DMC-ZS10, Canon SX230, Lumix DMC-FX78, Sony DSC-HX9V, Finepix F550EXR) to choose from and will perform much better than your regular run of the mill compact with features such as fast maximum aperture lenses, bigger sensors, etc.

My favourite is the soon to be released Nikon Coolpix P300 with 4.2x zoom, fast f/1.8 lens, fullHD video, 4-way stabilisation, PSAM full controll and fast startup/focus/shooting which plagues ‘normal’ compacts.

rob answers:

You can use EF lenses on your film camera but not EF-S lenses.

rob answers:

Canon 10-22mm is a good wide angle lens for landscpe that fit to your budget
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002Y5WXE?ie=UTF8&tag=computer0bd-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002Y5WXE

rob answers:

Unfortunately, your A1 uses the Canon FD lens mount. Canon abandoned that lens mount for the EOS lens mount when they introduced their auto focus 35mm cameras in 1985. The EOS mount is used on all Canon DSLR cameras.

However, Canon did offer an adapter to use the FD mount lenses on the EOS mount bodies. You should be able to find one at:

http://www.adorama.com

http://www.keh.com

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

There is also an adapter to allow use of the Minolta MC/MD mount lenses on the Canon EOS mount bodies. (Minolta also changed their lens mount in 1985 when they introduced their AF camera. The A-mount of the Minolta Maxxum 7000 is used by Sony DSLR cameras today).

Please remember that using those older lenses will require manual focusing and likely “stop down” metering since there will be no contacts between the lens and camera body to allow auto metering.

rob answers:

The best camera and lens will not guarantee quality photos. It is more about your skill and experience using the camera and lenses. If you want to base it on $$$…then the 1Ds Mark III for $6,500 would be the first choice. But I have seen better photos from a professional with a entry level camera than I have from an amateur with a professional grade system.

To me, photography is roughly 70% photographer skill/experience, 20% lens quality, and 10% camera.
My choice for shooting portraits is the 50mm f/1.4 and the 70-200 f/2.8L sitting on either a 1D Mark III or for softer shots on a D30.

rob answers:

EF Lenses won’t mount on the Canon S5 IS camera.

There are a few adapters that they make specifically for it. (A teleconverter, wide angle adapter, and close up or macro adapter.) Those are what you see on the Canon Website under the S5 IS page.

rob answers:

From what I have read I would definitely choose the Canon Rebel t1i over the Canon 40D. The price difference is not very much. The 40D is rated at 10.1MP while the t1i is rated at 15.1MP. All of the specs that I have seen the t1i beats the 40D hands down.

rob answers:

No, that’s a downgrade.

If you sell the T1i you lose $300 to gain $300 to buy flashes. So you’re right back where you started. Just save up the money to buy lenses or flashes for the T1i.

rob answers:

Bokeh is actually the Japanese word for idiot (blurry thinking), I think your talking about ‘Selective Focus’ where the background is blurred, but the subject is sharp.

To do that use Aperture Priority, set the widest aperture you can (lowest f number), the camera will set the appropriate shutter speed.

The effect is more pronounced when you are close to the subject, and/or you use a wide aperture lens.

Chris

rob answers:

It will not mount directly. You can mount via an adapter, (something like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Adapter-Fits-Pentax-PK-K-Lens-Canon-EOS-Camera-new-/130554707633?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e65aabeb1 ) but it will be all manual for both the camera and lens.

Keep in mind that lenses do not cross brands… Canon for Canon, Nikon for Nikon, and never the twain shall meet. Companies like Sigma and Tamron and Tokina make multiple versions of their lenses, to fit on the various mounts. Same rules apply, you must have the lens made to fit your camera.

Using a lens from another mount via an adapter is not the best use of your gear, although I do understand the reasoning. Not everyone has deep pockets and unlimited budgets for toys!

rob answers:

There is no way you can totally prevent dust within the lens.
Chances are, the dust that is showing up in your pictures are those stuck on the sensor, not in the lens itself. Try getting a blower and gently blowing the sensor.

If you can’t get the dust off the sensor with just a blower alone, I suggest you leave it and leave it to a professional to clean it for you. If you are certain that the dust showing up in your pics are the result of dust in the lens, that lens would need to be dissembled to be cleaned (again, leave this to a professional).

rob answers:

I had similar needs as you do, and the rebel works just fine for me.

rob answers:

First, it sounds as if you are confusing medium format cameras with “Lomo” cameras (they are not the same thing, although there are medium format lomo cameras, just as there are medium format SLR cameras and medium format digital cameras).

Second, wide angle has to do with the lens, not the format (there are wide angle lenses for 35mm photography as well as wide angle lenses for medium format photography). The lens might behave differently on a different format camera.

If by “effect” you are referring to the “Lomo” effect, then you would need to get a lomo camera. A digital camera (such as your canon) does not make those effects (unless it happens to have some creative setting). Or you can try doing it in photoshop.

As far as the lens being able to work with your camera, well, read the first review.

rob answers:

They are very different cameras in one way. The T1i has an extended ISO range, so shooting in low light will be easier.

Http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Compare-sensors/(appareil1)/586%7C0/(appareil2)/270%7C0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Canon/(brand2)/Canon

If you learn how to pick shutter speeds fast enough to prevent camera movement, an IS lens is only really useful with lenses longer than 100 mm or if you are shooting in very dark areas and upping the ISO to 12,800 still produces too low a shutter speed to hand hold the camera without introducing blur.

rob answers:

Addressing your concerns first: live view is not really important unless you’re doing a whole lot of macro photograpy (where you would other lie flat on your stomach with the viewfinder) Most of the live view systems implements in dslrs aren’t really up to par to compacts anyway- having a slow frame rate, klunky performance, etc. Most pros don’t care about live view. Megapixels don’t mean a thing. Seriously. Unless you’re shooting at below VGA resolution, the camera should be perfectly capable of printing out 4x6s. Read this: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm

On terms of other features, both cameras offer very similar performance that isn’t worth mentioning on paper. Nikons are known for better ergonomics and menu system, which should be taken into consideration if you rather not fiddle around trying to look for what you want. The d40 is cheaper too, meaning you can spend more on lens, flash, accessories in the future if you ever consider upgrading.

rob answers:

Canon.

And I’m not a Canon user, so I’m not biased in their direction. But since you only gave me the option of Canon or Sony, Canon.

There’s better glass available for the Canon hands down. Additionally, I don’t like Sony memory cards as they’re overpriced and underpowered. (Oh…sorry…the A200 uses Compact Flash. Still, I prefer SD cards over CF, and that is a personal bias.)

rob answers:

You will probably find both cameras are identical,the rebel xsi is produced for sale in the American/Canadian markets,while the 450d will be for the British /European markets ,they used to have a canon 1000fn in the UK,but in the USA it was called the rebel something,hope this helps, both should be good cameras ,I myself have the canon 60 d which was about one of the first digital slr to come on the market and I find it a very good camera and its only a 6mp which is fine for doing pictures upto A3 and still give good results.

rob answers:

It should, but I haven’t tried it myself. This is an optical slave unit that is supposed to be able to sync to any built-in flash, including the one in your Canon.

You could also look for the “YN-460″ flash, which also has the optical slave and full manual power control, which is what you need to control the flash off camera. Otherwise, it will fire at full power.

rob answers:

Where are you going to eventually live? Cameras usually last about twenty years … At least. The technology in the 450D will be old in about five years, so the camera will outlive its technical value. Buy where you live … Or where you will be using your camera.

Only you know where you will be spending most of your time over the next five or six years. For me that would be the deciding factor

rob answers:

I own a Nikon D60. My officemate owns a Canon 450D.

* Kit lens for both is 18 – 55 mm. Image Stabilizer (Canon) or Vibration Reduction (Nikon) included. The D40 doesn’t have VR on its kit lens.

* I don’t know the difference but sensor for the 450D is CMOS. D40 or D60 uses a CCD sensor.

* As you have said, 450D is more expensive than D60.

* 450D has live view. D40 or D60 does not. Live view is using your LCD monitor to compose your pictures just like a point and shoot.

* LCD monitor of 450D is 3″. For the D40 or D60, it’s just 2.5″.

* 450D has 12.2 megapixels. D40 has 6.1 MP (I think) and D60 has 10.2 MP.

* 450D has an integrated cleaning system for the sensor. D40 doesn’t have one. D60, however, has it (called Dust Reduction System by Nikon).

I don’t remember anything else at the moment but I can say that it is quite unfair to compare the 450D to the D40 or even a D60 since the latter 2 are entry level models of Nikon. As far as I know, the Canon’s entry level model is the EOS 1000D (comparable to the D60).

rob answers:

The XTi can shoot RAW, also. You can compare them here—

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos400d%2Ccanon_eos450d&show=all

If you are looking at the XSi mainly for the live view, it really isn’t that important, because you would probably rarely use it. No one holds a DSLR out in front of them to shoot a picture, so you would have to put it on a tripod. Just depends on how often you use a tripod.

I have the XTi and it is a great camera. I would suggest that you go to a good camera store and handle both of these. See which one is easiest for you to use, and which really has the features best for you. Ask questions, and you will know the right one for you when you hold it in your hands.