Camera Newbie: Canon S3 vs Canon XTi

[clickynext]

Originally posted by: FilmCamera
If you want to get into photography, get the dSLR.

To start off, you can set it to fully automatic. Then you can set it to pick either the shutter or the aperture for you and you just pick one out of them (and the ISO), and then you can progress to shooting at fully manual. I only shoot in manual mode these days.

Doesn't it take a long time to do the settings? How do you shoot scenes that happen quickly, like sports, if you're using manual?

 

[FilmCamera]

Originally posted by: clickynext

Originally posted by: FilmCamera
If you want to get into photography, get the dSLR.

To start off, you can set it to fully automatic. Then you can set it to pick either the shutter or the aperture for you and you just pick one out of them (and the ISO), and then you can progress to shooting at fully manual. I only shoot in manual mode these days.

Doesn't it take a long time to do the settings? How do you shoot scenes that happen quickly, like sports, if you're using manual?

Practice.

Usually I know what general settings will work for the current lighting situation and it's already set on that. Then I can just alter either the shutter speed or the aperture to adjust for variations. Toss in a bit of fill flash if needed and it's really not that hard. Once you are experienced with light you can do things much quicker. You will be able to observe a scene and estimate that you need ISO 400 1/100th at f/5.6 and get pretty close. If it isn't perfect, it can be fixed in post as long as you are not that far off from proper exposure.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: FilmCamera

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: FilmCamera
If you want to get into photography, get the dSLR.

To start off, you can set it to fully automatic. Then you can set it to pick either the shutter or the aperture for you and you just pick one out of them (and the ISO), and then you can progress to shooting at fully manual. I only shoot in manual mode these days.

I usually shoot in aperature priority because it allows me to get the desired depth of field.

You can get any depth of field you want in manual mode.

I know, but in aperature priority I can just let the camera deal with the time setting.

Aperture priority is basically the best to be shooting in during day. At night the camera is unable to do as well with shutter times, so you have to set the times yourself. Best bet is to go manual at that point, but during the day aperture priority is awesome when you're starting out. I don't get why you even want to shoot in full auto during the day.

 

[anonymouschris]

thanks for all the responses. i think i'll settle for the S3 for now and maybe sell and upgrated to the full frame 30D or the XTi when I am ready for more....

 

[vi edit]

30D isn't full frame. It's still a 1.6x crop. The 5D is the full frame one, and it's about 3x the price as the 30D.

Anyway...I think you are playing it smart going with the S3. You aren't investing much into it and you will be able to easily pawn it off to family in the future if you want to upgrade.

 

[azoomee]

Originally posted by: FilmCamera
I have both those lenses as well as a 24-105 F/4L and a 70-200 F/2.8L IS. It's pretty much all I need at the moment. Though I would like to get a few more primes. I want the 85 F/1.2L but I can't see spending the money on it just yet.

What do you think of the 24-105? Would you use that as your primary lens?

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: azoomee

Originally posted by: FilmCamera
I have both those lenses as well as a 24-105 F/4L and a 70-200 F/2.8L IS. It's pretty much all I need at the moment. Though I would like to get a few more primes. I want the 85 F/1.2L but I can't see spending the money on it just yet.

What do you think of the 24-105? Would you use that as your primary lens?

I am unimpressed with mine on my EOS-20D. It just lacks sharpness at the corners, center sharpness at F4.0 isn't great. Colors are nice, so is IS.

If you are going crop, better to buy the EFS 17-55 F2.8IS.

If you are going FF, better buy the 24-105 F4L. It really shines on FF so they say.

 

[FilmCamera]

Originally posted by: azoomee

Originally posted by: FilmCamera
I have both those lenses as well as a 24-105 F/4L and a 70-200 F/2.8L IS. It's pretty much all I need at the moment. Though I would like to get a few more primes. I want the 85 F/1.2L but I can't see spending the money on it just yet.

What do you think of the 24-105? Would you use that as your primary lens?

It's an extremely good carry-around lens. My copy is great. It's not quite L glass quality but it's good. 17-55mm IS is also very good.

I wouldn't use it as a primary all the time. But I do use it alot for weddings. Let me see if I can find you a photo that I took with it.

 

[FilmCamera]

http://picsorban.com/view.php?pic=img0058.jpg

Here's a quick candid. I'd have to do some searching for more stuff with that lens.

That's with a 20D, 1/250th, F/4, ISO100 @ 93mm

I wanted one that was shot wide-open so you could see how well it does. That image has not been cropped. Converted to B&W though obviously.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Here are some snapshots I took with my EOS-20D last weekend at Arlington.

EF-S 10-22: 14mm, F8.0, 1/100, ISO 100

Tamron 28-75: 28mm, F5.0, 1/320, ISO 100

Tamron 28-75: 75mm, F5.0, 1/125, ISO 100

EF 24-105: 35mm, F8.0, 1/160, ISO 100

EF 24-105: 35mm, F5.6, 1/200, ISO 100


Meh, nothing all that great.

Edit: These are straight out-of-camera. Aside from reduction, no PP!

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: anonymouschris
thanks for all the responses. i think i'll settle for the S3 for now and maybe sell and upgrated to the full frame 30D or the XTi when I am ready for more....

If you're just starting out on SLR's, there's no need to get FF.
Let me tell you why.
FF is an arbitrary standard created when 35mm film came out. Lenses were built so that the light that hits it would perfectly match that frame. Many photographers have a large collection of lenses based on that frame. They are used to the angle of view they get with that frame. You, starting out, do not. Thus, there is really not a lot of benefit going FF, especially considering the price premium. You can save a lot of money by getting the cropped frame. 30D has nearly the same quality as the 5D for a third of the price. There are plenty of high quality cropped lenses that you can get, so you wouldn't be paying extra money for glass that you can't fully use.