I hope you guys can help me on this camera related issue Currently my Dad and I own a Canon Powershot A95 which just doesn't make high quality pictures. We found out about it's true poor standards when we were hiking in China, Hua Shan and Chang Bai Shan. The clouds didn't even show on the pictures and everything was blurry. Don't get me wrong, my Dad knows how to use a camera, so that wasn't the problem When we got home and saw the pictures, I wanted to throw the thing out of our apartment window. I didn't do it, but you know what I mean. This is when my dad and I decided to persuade my mum to let us buy a new camera, which would be "high-end". She didn't like it at first, but when we kept asking her for about 5 weeks, 24/7, she gave up. Now we are looking specifically at Nikon and Canon. My Dad saw the Canon 450D and somehow likes that one, but we aren't familiar with any camera related specs, except for the optical zoom and megapixels. My question is, could you guys tell me the good and bads of the 450D, and if it's OK to use for badminton photography because it would be mostly used for that. Our budget is around 800 euro's with a peak at 850-900. So you can also definitely suggest some other cameras too. 900 euro's peak is only when the suggested camera has a significant better quality/specs than others. I sincerely hope you guys can help us (before my mum refuses again). Thanks a lot!
It's entry level DSLR. You'll be able to most things with it. Specifically for badminton, I 'suspect' you'll be much better off with a 40D.
i would rather get an used 30D than the new 450 and save some $ too but i'm not knowledgable about photography...
I agree with Cheung and Cooler. Get the xxD line for badminton. 30D is good and spend the rest at fast lens.. 40D is better . I haven't read alot about 450D but normally i always go to dpreview.com
maybe you can post some samples here. if you have foreground object/scenery in your photo (eg. a person, a house, or some tree/hills, etc) , it is very common to have the sky to be overexposed. to fix that you need to use a special filter. a DSLR alone won't help. as for blurry photos, it depends on how blurry. imho, if you are only taking scenery photos, you don't NEED to have a DSLR as the photos will not come out drastically different between a P&S and DSLR. for other purposes though, a DSLR is more needed.
Thanks for the replies guys Well, the 40D is priced at 1350 euro's down here, so it isn't cheap. I told my dad before to have a look at that one, but he said that it would be too expensive. I'll see if I can persuade him. From all online reviews etc., the 40D definitely comes well. Isn't it the 3rd of 4th best camera from Canon? 1st would be the 1D MKIII? The Canon website http://www.canon.com/eos-d/ puts it 4th in the line (left handside menu) But the 450D, is it OK for badminton, or should I still go with the 40D. I read about the 450D being a new model for this year, and the 40D not very new. Could you give me some insight on that? Which one is still better, etc. The features on the 450D are pretty impressing, at least for what I understand. CMOS, 12.1 MP, etc. I'll see if I still have some pictures. I made them last summer 2007, so I'll need to digg in my HDD.
xxxD is the entry level (350,400D,450D) xxD i think for intermediate, advanced amateur, serious hobbyist (20D,30D,40D) xD professional (1Ds & 1D, mk2 mk3) 5D i think somewhat between xxD and xD, its a full frame but doesnt cost arm n leg 450D sure newer than 40D but the spec I think 40D still better (lower shutter lag etc..) btw don't get caught with megapixel, higher doesn't mean better. higher MP with same technology and size just mean more noise. Yep, will be good idea to post some pic
I'm still looking in my folders but I guess they're deleted. However, We're trying to buy the 40D . But does anyone know if Canon is going to launch another DSLR this year which is in the same category as the 40D (not price, but quality)? This way we can discuss the possiblities between the newest model (which would be up-to-date longer than the 40D). Thanks a lot!
Although 40D is last year's model, I think it is still pretty good. It's better for badminton than the 30D. The files are a little better at high ISO which is exactly what is needed. I've posted many examples of badminton pics using 30D. Although it works, I think the reaction time of pressing the button is a little bit slow. It's even slower with the 350D, 400D so that's why I dismissed the 450D straight away. 40D is a little better than the 30D. You may ask why have I not upgraded to a 40D . It's simply because I have a 30D already. If I started from new, I would get the 40D straight away. It has better and fast autofocus compared to 30D. It is unlikely that a new camera will be released to replace the 40D this year. The lifespan is about 18-24months for Canon xxxD and xxD series. Given the choice between a new model 450D vs last years 40D, I would definitely pick the 40D! You don't know if the 450D is good for badminton (no proof) but we do know the 40D can take badminton photos A few years back I went for the entry level 350D instead of the midrange 20D just to save some money. Bigggg mistake. It meant the 350D was inadequate for my needs (esp badminton). I ended up spending extra money to upgrade the body. If I had bought the 20D in the first place, I would have wasted much less. So will you take a chance on the entry level and unproven 450D?hehe
Try and bargain down the price of the 40D a bit. I know an extra 400euros is a lot but I really think it's worth it for a camera you'll be using for more than few years. Don't worry about 10mp vs 12 mp. The difference is very small and practically insignificant for our needs. Don't be impressed by the 12mp - that is quite low down on importance for badminton photos!! It's just a marketing trick.
Thanks Cheung for all the info. It was clear and understandable, even for a photography newbie. Now I've read your view and experiences, there's no doubt that I'll go the entire length to get the 40D. I'll try bargaining . But how much would a full kit cost? I mean, I can get the 40D (body) and the Canon 17-85mm IS lens together from an authorized reseller for 1089 Euro's/1722 USD. Is that cheap? http://www.buycanon.eu/product_details.php?id_product=49109 And if I have got the body and the Canon 17-85mm IS lens, what other accesoires would I need to buy? Flash, battery-pack, cables, bags, etc.? I know I'll need to get some CF-cards, but that's common knowledge. So could someone be so kind to give me a basic list with what I need and the price-range of everything in total? Thanks a lot!
First, you have to think in stages. Full kit means many things. Find out the price of the 40D body only, 17-85mm IS lens by itself, the EF-S 17-55mm. Now, with these zooms, they are not going to get you badminton photos but they can get you started on learning about your camera and taking other photos which is really important. I'm a bit hesitant about the 17-85mm lens. I don't think it is very good. Can you find the price of the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS ? For badminton, look for a Canon 50mm/f1.8. They are quite cheap. You might try some of your local camera forums to see if you can pick up some 2nd hand equipment. As for the other accessories, you need a camera bag. Get a bigger one because you might add more equipment later. I recommend a Crumpler 6 or 7 million dollar bag. I personally use the latter and they are good because you can stuff other things inside - not just camera equipment. Flash is not essential at the beginning but forewarn your mother that you'll need to buy one at some point. CF card is your choice. They are quite cheap. 4Gb is reasonable. The camera will come with the cables and a battery and also a strap.
So I'll need to get this: - Body - Lens Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS - Lens Canon 50mm/f1.8 - Bag (Crumpler) - CF Cards I'll go hunting for this stuff, and let you know when I found out. Maybe later I'll go looking for a flash and extra battery pack. But could you give me an indication price of the above equipment (the list above). Then I won't need to keep asking if it's too expensive/rip-off. Thanks Cheung!
may consider these; 1. body 2. EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS 3. EF 50mm f/1.2 4. EF 85mm f/1.2 5. EF 135mm f/2 6. EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
You may want to try this link.. ..there are better deals out there...And i found an online camera shop which sells the combo package which you mentioned, which includes a brand new Canon 40D plus the 17-85mm IS lens for a pretty good deal @ US$899 (incl. free shipping), nearly half the price of the one you saw: http://www.bestpricecameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=902244 http://www.bestpricecameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=902260&up=902244 I personally tested with it a bit around this weekend and it's not too shabby. And yes, go with Cheung's advice.. And don't worry, you don't have to give me any commission fee...
those are scam artists. please don't buy from them. http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Enterprise_Photo
Drifit, I don't think I'll be able to stretch that far Way over budget, as Kwun hinted Ctjcad, thanks for the link! That is amazing... absolutely amazing. That's about 70% cheaper then the site I found!! This would make things much easier. But is your link trustworthy... it's just too good to be true... I doubt it to be honest, but that's just my consience. Anyone got any experience with bestcameras.com? EDIT: Never mind. Thanks for the info Kwun, I knew it was too good to be true.
