May 30, 2006
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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Hey guys I’m in a dilemma and I need your help. So I have been researching cameras for a while now and I have come to two cameras that I would like to purchase but obviously I will only purchase one. I am a definite entry level person who would like to learn about photography so I am looking at entry level cameras of course. The two cameras I am currently torn between is the Canon EOS Rebel XT and the Canon Power shot IS S3. Now yes I am fully aware these are two completely different cameras since one is SLR and the other is a Point and Shoot Camera. Now there are a lot of things I like about the S3 and I have almost convinced myself to purchase it. Now I understand there is a huge price gap as well and that they are virtually two different cameras but I like things about both, hahaha. This is where you come into the pictures to help me out. I understand the main differences but I’m so new to this photography scene that I’m not sure if the XT is too advanced for me, haha. The funny thing is I really like the idea of taking pictures using the LCD but I know with the SLR I don’t have that option and I know the SLR can do more and is is more expandable than the point and shoot S3. The S3 is definitely easier to use but I’m wondering if its better to learn with the S3 and later invest in a SLR? Not really sure! If I get SLR Rebel XT I would generally prob get a good overall lenses for it and take pictures with that. I am not interested just yet in expanding really far out because I don’t really know much about photography. I need a camera that can teach me things. I like that the S3 has SLR features in terms of settings but I’m having a hard time deciding what I really want. Since I am an inexperienced photographer I am wondering if actually taking pictures with the view finder might be difficult to for me to take pictures with. I’ve been used to using the screen to taking pictures so looking through the hole on a SLR will be really different. If any of you guys could provide pointers for me that would be awesome. Thanks for even taking the time to read this.
CANON POWER SHOT S3 IS
CANON EOS REBEL XT
***EDIT***
Nikon D50 DSLR
So I have finally narrowed my decision to getting a SLR because I have a feeling I will want to expand for the future. Plus, I want to learn and get better at taking pictures with the viewfinder. Anyway’s, a few people have been mentioning the Nikon D50 to me too and I was wondering what you thought about the D50 compared to the XT. I’m leaning towards the XT but I love the images from the D50. I am going to go to a local Bestbuy or Circuitcity to check out both of these cameras myself to see how the feel. Either way, I’m going to get one of the two just need to see which one I like more.
Comments (30)
woohoo you’re listening to jay chou! haha
hahah ye-yeah..jay chou!!! =)
oh and re: your entry…sorry can’t help you there dude…i have no clue about cameras.
:yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :littlekiss: :whocares:
:giggle: :goodjob: :sunny: 
:lookaround: :spinning: 
:nono: :laugh: :littlekiss: :littlekiss: :shysmile: :yes: :shysmile: 
:eprop: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes:
Learn to use the viewfinder. using the LCD is bad photography. Another thing to consider which is more important than megapixels… is sensor size. The small sensor of the S3 will not allow it to take low depth of field type of shots. A staple of photographers everywhere.
Using the viewfinder helps photography. A – you get a real picture of your shot – not a LCD processed one. B – putting the camera that close to your face – your cheek actually acts as a stabilizer and helps prevent blurry shots.
think about that for a moment.
consider the Nikon D50… I saw a kit at costco.. you get the d50, a 28-80, 70-300 and bag all for $570. – great deal.
i use a point and shoot camera myself, can’t afford SLR =( but don’t underestimate the point and shoot, it has a lot of functions, and can turn out some very nice photography.
btw tried your salt and pepper chicken, haha was very yummy
bryan told me to help you out, so heres my opinion
honestly, if you havent fiddled around with the cameras, i would suggest you do so first. if you feel that the rebel is too advanced and you wont take full advantage of it, go with the point and shoot.
correct me if im mistaken, but i believe that you can also correct aperture, shutter speed and iso w/ the s3. as for the lcd for photography, i have no qualms with using it for photography (if done in the correct lighting, otherwise, it could wash out in bright conditions). for this, the correctness of the lcd is 100% of what you get in your photos, whereas in the rebel (or any dslr up to the mark 1 which costs up to 7k) will get you 96% of what you will actually have in the shot, so an lcd is actually more accurate than the viewfinder. but in this camera, you can also utilize the viewfinder that is found on the camera body, so i would suggest trying out both.
i also diagree that the sensor size will affect your pictures, i use a 20d (also has a difference in sensor size which produces a 1.6x crop factor in the effective lens) and personally, it all comes down to how you utilize the camera to manipulate the image. the camera boasts a 36 – 432mm lens from f/2.7-f.3.5, this is plenty to fool around with depth of field. if you need less depth of field, move closer to the subject and use large apertures, this will effectively increase background blur to get that look that the previous poster is talking about. i havent read up on the optics of the lens, but this is a good entry level camera. personally, i dont see how sensor size would affect your depth of field, seeing as how this lens was made for this sensor.
and for this cheek stabilizer thing hes talking about…thats pretty ridiculous…a cheek doesnt keep your body from swaying at shutter speeds of .5 seconds or lower (i have handheld shots up to 1.5 seconds long with the IS turned on), try the camera out, and you will immediately be able to discern which (at slow shutter speeds) were taken with IS and which were not. its very useful, especially for night or low light photography. “cheek” stabilizer will probably only work for quick shots, where one usually wouldnt even need to hold too still.
i would suggest the rebel if you are serious about this hobby and willing to shell out more money for lenses and various other equipment. its a good camera though, i would highly reccomend it if you have the money and the drive to stay in photography (good lenses cost quite a bit mind you). if youre planning on going with the rebel, youre gonna have to put much more thought into what else youre gonna get. but if not, i believe the s3 is the correct choice. its cheap(er), it has IS, it has a good zoom range w/ relatively fast apertures and can also be used in full manual. i see no reason why this camera cant teach you what you need to know before you get started in slr photography. but with true slrs, you dont get lcd viewing until after the shot is taken.
i would also like to note that the rebel has a much better low light sensor than the s3, with the s3, you get much more noise at iso 800 than you would at iso 800 on the rebel. just something to think about for that.
ok good luck with your choice, this is just a preliminary viewing of the s3, but i read nothing but good reviews, and going on through the focal range and ability to use full manual, i see it as a good choice for someone starting out who doesnt want to spend too much. the rebel is a really really nice camera, but it requires more investment. the choice is whether youre going long term or not. well, thats my opinion
image noise refers the the amount of grain in a picture. for example, a picture taken at iso 100 will have very little grain, but light sensitivity will be lower, meaning, it will take more light for it to expose properly. whereas iso 1600 will be very sensitive to light but at the cost of image noise (reduction of photo quality as denoted by a grainy appearance, like clumps of pixels are not being properly exposed).
higher light sensitivity iso comes at the cost of producing these lesser quality images.
this is an example of the s3′s noise level at various iso
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_s3-review/
scroll past the mickey mouse picture.
another good sight that i used to frequent for digital camera reviews is
http://www.imaging-resource.com/DIGCAM01.HTM
i dont see the s3 on their list though.
cheek stabilizer >>> holding camera about 12 inches from face in the air. holding a camera (or anything for that matter) is more stable if you hold it close vs if you hold it away. Its physics. You are correct though – I overlooked the fact that the s3 has IS – so that should overcome most any handshake issues.
Yes you can change f-stops in a point and shoot but the smaller sensor of a point and shoot does not pick up the boken that a larger sensor DSLR will. Even with the 1.5 crop factor, a 20- something mm wide sensor is better than a 7mm wide sensor found on most P&S cameras.
I found this post awhile back – it explains in better detail what I am talking about.
http://www.xanga.com/PhotoSavant/358046048/item.html
Hey Steve long time no talk. I had the Cannon S2 IS. I loved it was great, took great photos, lots of options. if you did decide to move up in the world of photography you could always sell your S3 to help finance the future.
woop wooop.
another…
http://www.xanga.com/scottrobert/319656443/item.html
another article.. kinda old though. … comparies different 3mp cameras with different sensor sizes.
http://www.photo.net/equipment/digital/sensorsize/
and another..
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/digital-camera-sensor-size.htm
haha it was easy…i just marinated the chicken with salt, black pepper and garlic and some dark soy sauce, left it for about 20mins…stir-fried it with everything else together and that was it haha….i addd extra chilli flakes cause i like my food hot :goodjob: i used chiken thighs tho….it find it more tender then the breast
It all depends on what you want. Like what ureshii said, if you’re passionate about photography like i am go for the slr. All the functino at first may look confusing but everyone has to try everything first. slr photography is an expensive hobby. but if you like photography just to take pictures and want conveniency (is that even a word lolz), then go for the point and shoot. It all depends on what you really want.
I personally like SLR’s better. I thought you wanted to go pro with this…or at least semi-pro? In all the photography classes I’ve taken over the years since Jr. High and HS, I’ve always liked the SLR’s more. It could be a personal preference though. Let me know if you want some pro advice from my uncle.
hey could any of you refer me to other people with the XT? maybe someone on xanga, i know a couple only, hahaha but they’ve only had it for a short period of time!
I DIDN’T KNOW YOU LIKED JAY CHOU! Hey, the next time he has a concert in Cali….YOU AND ME…..LET’S DO IT!
example of an XT shooter: http://www.xanga.com/Claybaby
honestly – the difference between 6mp and 8mp is not noticable unless you are looking at it with advanced software. And like I said – don’t be brainwashed by the megapixel hype. The size of the sensor is more important than how many megapixels there are. Early DSLR’s were less than 4mp and still made great enlargements up to 11×14 or so.
Kenrockwell has a pretty good write up on megapixels and the non-differences between 6mp and 8mp.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/20dd70.htm
Scroll down to the section titled: “RESOLUTION”
Last time I checked (about a month ago) you could get a D50 with basic lens from Amazon for $450. Thats a great deal!
the Nikon vs Canon question is tough. Canon performs better with Autofocus and is better in low light, but some will say that the Canon Digic II processor overprocesses the jpgs and makes it look “too smooth”. Almost airbrushed. The Nikon less processed jpgs produce more noise, but thats photography….. film has had noise for decades. It’s kinda like all the Computer graphics movies out there today. Compare the original STar Wars movies with the latest prequels. The original movies used real models and had a really unique look to them. When you watch it – you were in awe. Now look at the current Episode 1 thru 3 and the computer graphics were soooooo over used and it really lost the awe factor. (IMHO) Similar arguement can be made for Nikon vs Canon.
I suggest you go to your nearest Best Buy. Hold each camera and play with their user interfaces. Then see which one feels better in your hands and which one has a better intuitive controls.
Also note – the D50 uses SD cards and the XT uses Compact Flash. I have a feeling that future camera models will be leaning toward SD media and not compact flash. Alot of new laptops come with SD media readers built in. Also alot more P&S cameras use SD media. So, if you go D50 – it may open up more options for you in your memory card management.
I’m going to say D50, but I’m a biased Nikon shooter. What can I say?
I will say that I do not believe SD cards are not the way of the future with dSLRs. CF is faster and comes in larger capacities.
go with the xt. better mid range lenses compared to what nikon has to offer. if you want any quality nikon glass, be prepared to pay signifcantly higher than canon’s counterparts. i shoot primarily with a 1d markIIN and a 20d. i carry an s80 in the car for emergencies. thanks for askin. and yes.. selling my EK will suck. but i have a baby and need an SUV now.
Aw, that’s a shame. It hurts my heart that you’re going with Canon. Hah.
And if you check out bhphotovideo.com you’ll see that expensive glass varies on price from Canon to Nikon:
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 – $1350
Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 – $1399
Canon 50mm f/1.4 – $289
Nikon 50mm f/1.4 – $279
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS – $1649
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR – $1539
Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS – $3899
Nikon 300mm f/2.8 VR – $4499
I’m a nikon user so i’ll be bias and tell you to get the d50. don’t you like my pictures???? hehe jk!! i”m shooting with the d50 right now and i love it. hopefully Will (still_reprise) will sell me his d200 when he gets his d2Xs. Why don’t you actually go pick up both the xt and d50 and decide from that. Good luck man and thanks for coming by again!!
hey man, im just a random xangastalker. im a canon shooter, so with that said, go with the XT. the main reason is high ISO cleaness in images. higher isos let you shoot in lower light with faster shutter speeds. if youre using a standard kit lens with an apterture slower than 2.8, a high iso is a must of any type of indoor photography. i find myself shooting at iso800 at the very least, often going up to 1600 with 2.8 zoom lenses. if your images come out too grainy, turn in BW in photoshop, no one can tell the difference. good luck!!
also, i think the d50s controls over specific manual things are a lil watered down. its seems to have a point n shoot software with SLR mechbox.
found it… finally….
Here is a link that tested the differences between small sensored P&S vs larger sensored DSLR for depth of field….
http://folk.uio.no/gisle/photo/crop2.html
its a jindo..
and to help with ur decision.. get the xt.. but only if u have a budget..
Thanks for dropping by! I highly recommend the XT, but then again, I’m being baised. Hahaha!
I would go with a D70 actually so that when you decide to upgrade later on you’ll at least have a bunch of CF to move to.