Got my Rebel XT
My Rebel XT arrived on Monday. I ordered it from B&H, it shipped the next day and arrived without a hitch. I've been so excited, I took it along on my morning walk and took a few shots. It focuses so fast. The seven focus points are so very neat. The wide angle on the kit lens is great compared to what I have had.
I don't have my computer right now, so it's tough to upload a pic. I'm using my husbands computer for just a quick note here.
Gateway sucks!!! We have a very expensive four year extended warranty with onsite service because we need our computers for business. So what do we get? "Sorry, parts are on backorder, nothing we can do". What happened to "We'll overnight the parts and have the tech out the next day." ? It's been 10 days now! Aaaaack!
I really love my new camera, but I'd be so happy if I could put the pics on my computer. I viewed some on my husbands monitor, the jpgs. I can't see the RAW files unless I put the software on his computer. I can't spend much time on his computer anyway because he's using it. It's late now and I have to go into the house and do something about dinner. I'm so frustrated.
Will post pics as soon as my computer gets fixed. :rolleyes
I don't have my computer right now, so it's tough to upload a pic. I'm using my husbands computer for just a quick note here.
Gateway sucks!!! We have a very expensive four year extended warranty with onsite service because we need our computers for business. So what do we get? "Sorry, parts are on backorder, nothing we can do". What happened to "We'll overnight the parts and have the tech out the next day." ? It's been 10 days now! Aaaaack!
I really love my new camera, but I'd be so happy if I could put the pics on my computer. I viewed some on my husbands monitor, the jpgs. I can't see the RAW files unless I put the software on his computer. I can't spend much time on his computer anyway because he's using it. It's late now and I have to go into the house and do something about dinner. I'm so frustrated.
Will post pics as soon as my computer gets fixed. :rolleyes
"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." - Francis Bacon
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
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This review http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/EXT/EXTA.HTM, just posted today (I think), is very critical of the ergonomics. What is your impression so far?
Is this your first DSLR?
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How the heck do I get one of those cute little pics uploaded like your winkie guy on the left of each post?
Regards...Keith
http://redbull.smugmug.com
"Money can't buy happiness...But it can buy expensive posessions that make other people envious, and that feels just as good.":D
Canon 20D, Canon 50 1.8 II, Canon 70-200 f/4L, Canon 17-40 f/4 L, Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 430ex.
Looking forward to some shots.
ian
regards,
Gary
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
http://redbull.smugmug.com
"Money can't buy happiness...But it can buy expensive posessions that make other people envious, and that feels just as good.":D
Canon 20D, Canon 50 1.8 II, Canon 70-200 f/4L, Canon 17-40 f/4 L, Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 430ex.
Ahhhhh, saved.
Now where was I? Oh the camera!
The big question from everyone seems to be the ergonomics. I have never used the 300D Rebel so I can't compare them. But, I will say that the grip is small and cramped. The grip jutts straight out in front compared to the grip on my Oly which tapers out to the right. This means that your fingers have to squeeze into a narrow space against the lens mount. I have very small hands, so it's not a big problem for me and I think I can get used to it. However it does make me grip the camera with my first knuckle joint instead of the second. This feels a little less secure. I keep my fingernails quite short because of typing, but if they were any longer they would interfere with my grip. For men with longer fingers than mine, it could be a real problem. Adding the battery grip would probably solve this problem.
For me, this brings up another problem. When you add the battery grip, the camera gets larger and heavier. When I bought they Oly, I wanted something small enough to carry around all day on vacation trips and fit into my purse. It's great for that. But, the Rebel XT is about twice the size. If I add a battery grip, it's going to be huge. I like the fact that the Rebel XT is fairly light and not too big. I can carry it around my neck for a long time without it bothering me. It might fit in a large purse or very large pocket, but with the 18-55 lens, it's a bit large. I plan on ordering an extra battery for a spare, but I'd prefer to carry it separately. It takes a NB-2LH battery and comes with a charger. The charger takes 90 minutes to fully charge. The battery grip holds two of these batteries, or can take AA size batteries.
I would like to find out if they have a rapid charger that will charge in 30 minutes. I have one for my Oly (which uses AA batteries) and I like the speedy charge.
The LCD screen. They say in the manual that it is 1.8". I think that is a diagonal measurment. The screen measures 1 1/2" by 1 1/8". I found it to be easy to see in the daylight. It is actually much easier to see than the screen on my Oly. It also has a brightness adjustment. I have no problem with it. I do miss the ability to view through the LCD screen while shooting though. I find it difficult to view through the eyepiece while shooting macro shots sometimes. I have to poke my head into the bushes.
Speaking of image, I noticed that the images size seemed wider than the ones I was used to from my Oly. That is more wide than high.
The images are 3456 X 2304 pixels in high quality jpg or raw. (8 mp)
The images on my Oly. in raw are 2560 X 1920 pixels. (5 mp)
The pictures look very good. Nice and clear and crisp.
I like the burst feature. I forgot that it could do that, so I was waiting for my dog to move to the right position instead of watching him through the view finder. I missed the shot of course. Next time, I'll track him with the burst and catch the movement.:): Great for birds, when I get the longer lens.:D
I have to practice more with macro shots. When it's in the basic mode (the little picture of the flower) I can't use RAW. When it's in the creative mode (Av, Tv or M) I can use RAW but I'm not sure how close I can get. I took several macro shots which look good. I was able to see the blur in the narrow depth of field quite easily through the view finder.
Well, that's enough for now. I will post again when I can upload some pictures. I am using a very old laptop with a dial-up modem while still waiting for my computer to be repaired.
If there are any questions about the Rebel XT, feel free to ask. I took a couple of pictures that show the grip and the LCD, but will have to post them later. Sorry. There are good pictures on some of the reviews, but I think my discription adds a little more perspective. I hope it helps you to visualize it.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
My 'puter is finally running again. I've got a picture uploaded from my Rebel 350. I took this on 3/23 in the afternoon. It was in the L-jpg mode, f/4.0, ISO 100, focal length 18mm, 1/800 sec. This is the widest angle on the lens and this is full frame. Nothing done to it except a little curves. The focus locked on the flowers nicely and you can get a good idea of the "bokeh" provided by the kit lens.
Wild Onions
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
I am going to bed now, but I did want to see your photo first. I was wondering how you did the macro, I never thought about putting mine on programmed? I wonder if that would get closer.
Nice bokeh, too.
ginger
And congratulations on your new purchase! That's a bummer about your computer taking so long to get fixed! We are so dependent on those darn things these days...
My hands are large, for a woman, and my large purse limited... my 828 just makes it. Being able to keep a camera with me at all times is a priority so I've been hesitating going the dSLR route, although my frustration level is increasing,
I think I have more camera related items in my purse that girly stuff -- extra battery, manual, couple of filters, a 9 in 1 card reader, lens cloth...
I almost think I have to look at lenses, price and size first and then decide on a camera,
Reading all the reviews there just isn't a clear winner between Canon and Nikon (sorry Marketing people). I think I'm a little more partial to Nikon's color rendering, but of course one could write an action to take care of that pretty easily I suppose.
I love macros too -- and that's important in a lens. When/if I go dSLR I'd want a dedicated macro. Then I'll be complaining about having to clean off dust all the time, right? Just never can win!
I'll be keeping an eye out for your threads to see how the learning curve progresses. What you like and don't like, etc.
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Its all in the math.
What you are seeing is a difference in the aspect ratio of the images, which is the ratio of width to height. I'm not sure I have my history correct on this topic, but here's my understanding of it.
Photography started out as large format cameras (by today's terminology, that is. They weren't called large format back then, they were just cameras). I think the negatives were like 8x10 inches. As with many things, as the technology improved, things go smaller. Cut each dimension in half and you get a 4x5 inch negative, which has the very same apsect ratio.
Other formats appeared, but it appears that these early days might have been what got the industry used to the 8x10 frame, and other sizes based on that aspect ratio, such as 11x14 and 16x20.
I believe that 35mm film started out as motion picture film, and they chose an aspect ratio of 2:3, not 4:5. Somebody decided that same film would make a great film for an even smaller body, since its negative was about 1 by 1.5 inches, and could conveniently be placed into a roll carrier. In fact, Seattle Film Works uses Kodak motion picture film, which is why it can't be processed at your local supermarket, it is not a C41 process negative.
The problem with 35mm film is that it naturally produces an 8x12 image, not an 8x10, and you can't find ready-made frames in the 2:3 aspect ratio (with the exception of 4x6). A 5x7 photo is close to a 2:3 but not exact, but closer to it than 4:5.
Then digital cameras started coming of age. I believe the first Kodak professional digital cameras kept the 35mm format, but when the consumer model digital cameras came about, they were made to match the aspect ratio of a computer monitor, which is 4:3, just like your television set. This way the picture you took filled the entire screen of your computer.
So there you have it. An industry with a mess of a lot of different aspect ratios for prints. Hence why Smugmug sells so many different sizes of prints!
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As you point out, it's smaller than the 300D, or 20D. Andy and I held one a few weeks ago and as you wrote, you're lucky if you can grip it at the first knuckle joint. Plus, the back of your fingers do rub against the lens/lens mount. The woman that was using it had small hands and still she complained about her hand cramping because of the grip. I'd recommend the battery grip, even though it makes for a larger form factor. Leave it in the car if you're shooting casually. Attach it if you are going to be doing long shoots
Sorry bout your Gateway. But, that's one of the problems with extended warranties. Electronics change so rapidly, it's sometimes near impossible to get an original replacement part. Especially after 2 or more years have elapsed. Hopefully, they'll get you up and running again soon.
Enjoy your 350D and keep sharing your results
Steve
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