Upgrading from Canon A1 to DSLR (forum noobie)

[CNI Dawg]

1st I am glad to have found your forum on the web....Thanks for letting me join !

I am considering upgrading from my old Canon A1 outfit to a digital SLR
At 53 years old I find manual focus is becoming a problem when shooting sports action or catching a quick candid moment.

I bought my A1 used in the mid '80s with 2 Canon lenses: 30-70mm & 70-210mm Power winder, & 'hot-shoe' flash.
I added a Vivitar 120-600mm when I was taking shots of both my sons pee-wee football games.
I have found these basic lenses left me wanting more light in certain situations.
All in all it is a great camera & has spoiled me when I look at the new offerings.
(BTW - Back in the '70s I studied up a little on photography but was at best a struggling amateur with my cheap Petri shooting black & white)

Unfortunately college savings/costs for my boys keep me from spending as much as I would like on a new camera outfit.

So far I have read up a little & looked at the following cameras...i would appreciate your opinions to help me decide which one. (I know none of my Canon FD lenses will work on the new cameras)

Canon XT
Canon XTi
Nikon D40
Nikon D40x
Nikon D50 (if I can find one - used maybe?)
Nikon D80
Sony A100 (Konika/Minolta lens compatible) Heard is has CCD noise @ ISO800 & up
Olympus E500 (also noisy)

I am partial to the Canons & Nikons if only because they used to make the best cameras years ago

Budget restraints will require a single lens for a while.
I understand the "kit lenses" are slow & not very 'sharp'
What do you think of the 18-200mm lenses?

I will be shooting everything from action (football, motorcycle races, etc)
to the occasional 'bee on flower' macro type shot to portraits to landscapes.

It would be nice to exposure bracket shots, spot meter, AF bias an area, and give me a good big viewfinder for my old weak eyes!
.....Don't ask for too much do I? :D

Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

I find I just don't shoot the film camera much due to my manual focus problems & developing/printing costs.
The photo CDs they do are pretty low resolution & don't allow much cropping in iPhoto .
Needless to say I do good if I get 3 "keeper shots" out of a roll of 24 :)
I figure with a DSLR I could take thousands of shots & view on iPhoto...maybe even take some Photoshop classes at the community college to learn more advanced techniques.

We use our Canon 2MP Digital Elph a lot but the shutter lag is horrible~!
However, it is SO easy to upload pics & email them to the grand parents & friends

Sorry if I've rambled too much in one post

TIA,
Bill

[CNI Dawg]

Hmmm....after rereading my post perhaps I should summarize.


DSLR:
Fast, accurate, & sharp focus
Spot metering
Spot focus
Exposure bracketing
3+fps 'burst' shots
Big bright clear viewfinder
Sudo-manual operation options - shutter priority, aperture priority, etc.
Easy to use menus (large & easy to see preferable)
Low noise CCD
Good color reproduction
Quick "on" time


Lens usage:
Telephoto
Macro
Portrait
Easily 'pan-able' for action shots
Not too heavy to carry for long periods
Bright & clear glass



Kind of like my A1 ....only digital with auto focus and images I can work with on my computer :D

[coldrain]

The nicest bodies in you little list are the Canon XTi and the Nikon D80. They offer the best mix of image quality and features.
The Sony A100 offers IS in body, but its sensor JPEG output lags those two a bit.

The Canon XT is a nice camera too, but the XTi's superior AF system is worth the difference.
The Nikon D40(X) is just too cut down in my opinion. It misses features (like exposure bracketing, depth of field button, mirror lock up, WB/ISO buttons, only 3 AF points) and it lacks the otherwise standard Nikon AF motor.
This will limit your choice of lenses rather severely in certain areas.

So... The XTi or D80 are the best choices. The XTi is a bit lighter and smaller. The D80 has a 2nd wheel for exposure settings.
I personally like the XTi's sensor output more, and the Canon lens line-up.

You have failed to actually tell what your budget is. The XTi is about $200 cheaper. For lenses you say bright glass. Not sure what you may mean. If you mean big max. aperture, no 18-200 lens is ideal.
Furthermore, the 18-200 lenses distort a lot (especially the Nikon 18-200 VR), and they have some other optical problems, compromises for the extreme focal range. They are not ideal for landscapes (barrel distortion at 18mm), not for portraits, not for macro.

So, what would I advice... Take a look at the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC Macro (~$430). It offers an 1:2.3 macro mode, which gets you quite close to flowers and such. If also has a lot less distortion at 18mm than the 18-200 breed, it has clear glass (good contrast), it offers a big max. aperture (f2.8) and will do quite well in portraits.
That only leaves the telephoto range.
Take a look at the quite good and very affordable Sigma 70-300 f4-5.6 APO DG Macro, if your budget is very limitted (~$220 USD). It offers acceptable IQ at 300mm, and it offers a nice 1:2 macro mode.
If you have a bit more to spend, look at the very good Canon EF 70-300 f4-5.6 IS USM for the XTi (~$550) or the also good Nikon 70-300 f4.5-5.6 VR for the D80 (~$500).

Also, consider a 50mm f1.8 for portraits and even bigger max. aperture, ~$85 from Canon or ~$120 for Nikon.
If you want a dedicated macro lens, let me know and I will give you my opinion on what may be the most interesting ones for you and your budget.

Both the XTi and D80 will offer what you list as your requirements, the XTi having the clearest and most easily readable settings/display, the D80 having the brighter view finder. The XTi is bit better noise wise, but the D80 is no slouch either.

[speaklightly]

CNI-

I agree with coldrain. The XTi offers just about every thing you desire in good measure. I use the XTi and like it a lot. However, it is important that you know that it does not offer true spot metering. Instead, you can select what amounts to center weighted metering on an approximate 9% area. I find that to be quite effective.

The biggest improvement over the XT is the XTi's much improved AF system that is quick and very accuarate. I believe that you will enjoy the XTi a lot.

Sarah

[CNI Dawg]

Thank you both for your replies ! :D

When I started looking I thought I might get into the DLSR game for around $500 If I considered a used set-up.
After reading it looks like used equipment might be a mistake....remember reading somewhere these DSLR bodies are only good for around 5000 shots then need to be replaced.
The whole idea I had going DSLR was to take more pictures....practice makes perfect.

So now I'm coming to the realization it's gonna cost $1000+ to get something I will be satisfied with. :(

Another shock was how little my old A1 outfit is worth in today's market.
Was thinking of selling it to help finance the new DSLR outfit.
Now, after research, I might as well keep it as a backup instead of dumping it for couple hundred $.

I'm now leaning to the XTi with the 2 sigma lenses you suggested.

Let's see....switching from film to digital would equal about 50 rolls of 35mm film, developing, printing, & CD. And would have only about 2MP digitals off the CD....not much to work with on the computer if I need to crop :(
Film also leaves me with my 'old eye' focusing problem & missing shots 'cause I'm too slow to get on target & focus

Thanks again for your input !!!

Bill

[CNI Dawg]

FOrgot to ask....

Will the XTi use any Canon auto focus lens?

With the Canon there are no worries about a special lens for that body ?
(i.e. - with a motor built in the lens like the Nikon D40x)

[speaklightly]

The Canon XTi camera is what is referred to as a "crop" camera, meaning that the imager used on the XTi is somewhat smaller than the standard or traditional 35mm format of 24mm X 36mm.

Therefore, yes, those Canon lenses that were designed for full frame (the standard 35mm format size) wil effective act like the labeled focal length multiplied by 1.6 (that is the so called "crop" factor). Therefore, a 50mm lens designed for the full frame format will effectively be 80mm lens when it is mounted on a " crop" camera such as the Canon XTi.

Sarah

[CNI Dawg]

Thanks Sarah !

This helps seal the decision on the XTi.
I'll be able to keep the lenses when I upgrade the body in a few years.

Wonder if my old hot shoe flash from my A1 work work on the XTi?
I'm thinking it will not communicate with the new electronics but really don't know for sure.....

[coldrain]

Hmm, a DSLR normally lasts as long as a film SLR. Mechanical parts can fail. You seem to be a zero off, most consumer models will be able to go to 50000 photos till you may have to have the shutter replaced for instance. Or buy a new DSLR of course.

50000 is quite a lot of photos, your old A1 probably is not even anywhere near that mark.

Any Canon EF or EF-S lens will AF of course. The EF-S lenses (and the Sigma DC, Tamron Di II, Tokina DX lenses) are designed for the smaller APS-C size sensors. These will not mount (EF-S) or vignet a lot (DC/Di II/DX) on an EOS camera with full frame sensor, because the image circle of the lens is too small. But this is only a problem if you in future would go to a full frame camera.
The Sigma 18-50 f2.8 is such a lens. But I would not worry about that now, it is a very nice lens optically for a "moderate" price and will serve you well on an XTi (or D80).

[CNI Dawg]

Thanks coldrain !

50,000 shots is more than I'll ever take I'm sure.

There appear to be 2 Sigma 18-50 f2.8 lenses.

1.) Sigma Zoom Wide Angle-Normal 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital EOS

2.)Sigma Zoom Wide Angle-Normal 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital EOS

Which one should I get?
Is the Macro lens only for macro shots or will it take both macro & normal?

There are 2 on line stores I was found with very reasonable prices on those lenses
beachcamera.com and sigmaforless.com
Rainbowtronics had a good price on the XTi body

Have you had any experience with these stores?

Thanks,
Bill

[coldrain]

The 18-50 f2.8 EX DC Macro version is the one you would want. It is the new improved version. They added "macro" to the name because this newer version allows you to focus closer.
It is improved optically.

[cgl88]

It's too bad the sony alpha was taken off your list. From my experience, I shoot ISO1600 (where there is noise) 1% of the time. the SSS is used 100% of the time and has therefore saved so many of my shots. It's $610US body only at CC. It won best entry level on PP due to price.

Since you have Canon lenses, though, you should go with the XTi. I assume they will work with the XTi?

[CNI Dawg]

NO, my Canon lenses are too old to work on the new cameras.

[canonwire]

CNI-

I agree with coldrain. The XTi offers just about every thing you desire in good measure. I use the XTi and like it a lot. However, it is important that you know that it does not offer true spot metering. Instead, you can select what amounts to center weighted metering on an approximate 9% area. I find that to be quite effective.

The biggest improvement over the XT is the XTi's much improved AF system that is quick and very accuarate. I believe that you will enjoy the XTi a lot.

Sarah

++ seconded. I'm a recent proud XTi owner and its a great camera. Also enjoying my new 17-55 f/2.8 IS lens. Great lens.

[cgl88]

++ seconded. I'm a recent proud XTi owner and its a great camera. Also enjoying my new 17-55 f/2.8 IS lens. Great lens.
That is an exceptional lens ($900+). I'll have to look into how the image quality compares with a sony a100 + tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 ($400) or Sigma 17-70 ($400).

[coldrain]

That is an exceptional lens ($900+). I'll have to look into how the image quality compares with a sony a100 + tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 ($400) or Sigma 17-70 ($400).
The Tamron 17-50 f2.8 is more like $450, and the Sigma 18-50 f2.8 EX DC Macro is a bit better, both optically and mechanically, than the Tamron.

[canonwire]

That is an exceptional lens ($900+). I'll have to look into how the image quality compares with a sony a100 + tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 ($400) or Sigma 17-70 ($400).

Yeah, for me, I was trying to decide between the 3 for the longest time...took my friend's canon 17-55 IS f/2.8 out for a spin and absolutely fell in love with the sharpness and added IS and took the plunge. I haven't felt a twinge of regret. :cool: