Canon noob question

cbmazur

Ok is the "Canon Digital Rebel XT" the same as the Canon EOS 350D? What are some of its weak points. All I ever find online is one sided reveiws. Im not asking you to bash this camera, But I have found a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a 18-50 mm Sigma zoom lens for $550 used and I dont want to get something thats gunna or has been know to be a POS. What are your thoughs is this a good deal or just around the fair market value?

moose135

Yes, the Rebel XT is the 350D. I haven't used one myself (started with a 300D then jumped to the 30D) but I have a number of friends with the 350D, and I haven't heard of any problems from them, they are all quite satified with it. It's a good camera, but I can't really comment on the price you are looking at. You say it's used - do you know how much use it's gotten, and what kind of condition it's in?

cbmazur

this is the ad im going off of. I have emailed the owner and asked for more info in to the unit and what else its coming with. Right now im on a budget and looking for a good fair priced entry level camera that i can build up with lenes. And not break my bank account in the process.

"Mint condition Canon Digital Rebel dslr with mint 18-50 MM Sigma zoom lens. Barely used."

Thats is nothing more describing it.

Mike02

cbmazur wrote:

Ok is the "Canon Digital Rebel XT" the same as the Canon EOS 350D? What are some of its weak points. All I ever find online is one sided reveiws. Im not asking you to bash this camera, But I have found a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a 18-50 mm Sigma zoom lens for $550 used and I dont want to get something thats gunna or has been know to be a POS. What are your thoughs is this a good deal or just around the fair market value?

I would avoid the used rebel, even if you can afford it.... its a crappy lens with a sub optimal camera (because there is probably something he isnt telling you, or he just doesn't know enough about his camera to notice if there is anything wrong).

Keh(.com) has some new Rebels (XT) for $600 (with the canon kit lens), so I would buy this if I were you.

Just a note, here is a photographer who shoots landscapes, and just about all of his photos were taken with a rebel xt and the kit lens (If I remember correctly :P)

Hope this helps.

And avoid that dealer or whoever he is... he obviously doesn't know very much about digital gear if he bought his camera with a 3rd party kit lens (Assuming it's the cheap sigma :P).

Oh, and it sounds like a rip off ;P

BigAl

Check which Sigma 18-50 lens is included. The F2.8 is almost worth the $550 on its own, the F3.5-5.6 is pretty lousy. The 350d is a *very* capable camera. Check out some of my galleries.

ziggy53

Tha Canon dRebel 350D/XT is a very competent and capable camera. I have 2 copies, and I use the camera regularly for personal photography. It has an imager very similar to the 20D/30D series, and it is capable of almost any shooting situation, given an appropriate lens or accessory.

Potential weaknesses are:

Construction, the camera has more plastic than metal, although metal is used where it matters most, and the plastic is a filled polycarbonate. You just don't want to abuse this camera, although it has not been a problem for me.

Shutter, this is an entry level shutter and mirror mechanism, and Canon has not published durability figures. My own guess is around 35,000 actuations, more than enough for 2-3 years of regular use. (YMMV) Again, this has not been a problem for me.

The menu system and single dial throws some shooters, but I adapted quickly, and now I wish the 1D MKII had similar shortcut buttons for some of the basic functions.

All in all, the 350D/XT has been a very satisfactory camera, that I don't plan to get rid of anytime soon. $550USD is not a spectacular price, and I too recommend that you purchase from a known source with a return policy, just in case.

TeamSpeed

I guess I am blind, but where does it say 350D or XT in the ad? That sounds like the Rebel 300D (6mpx), and if the 18-50 is the 2.8 ($300 used), then you are paying $250 for the body which is close to the normal used price. Be sure to get pics and details beforehand.

The 18-50 Sigma 2.8 is a great lens if it is indeed the f/2.8.
The older rebel is a good starter camera.

Check out this site for reviews the cameras, it goes into a ton of details of the capabilities.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/default.asp?view=alpha