I am getting ready to pull the trigger to buy either the Canon XSI or the T1I Camera and lens. Just can't decide if the T1I is worth the extra money or not. I currently have a 35mm Canon Elan 35mm Camera (haven't used it in years) with 3 EF auto focus lenses so I will be able to use them for the new camera. I have an ebay 10% discount which expires tomorrow night at 12am, so I gotta decide by then.

I have a 35-80 lens now (no auto stabilization) should I get the 18-55 with stabilization. Will I notice it with this small of a lens?

If any camera guys has some input please let me know.

 

How good is the glass on your old lenses? Image Stabilization is just another way for camera manufacturers to go cheap on glass and still make a relatively blur-free image at low shutter speeds and apertures. I'd be willing to bet that your old 35-80 has better glass and will be more useful and useable than the newer 18-55.

 

My vote goes for the T1i, it has the same sensor as the bigger 50D but does HD video.

I don't think you can use FD mount lenses though. All the Canon DSLRs use EF mount lenses.

 

As for a lens, I suggest the Tamron 17-50 F/2.8. It's a very good piece of glass that is higher quality at 50mm than the Canon cheap prime 50mm F/1.8. It's also half the price of the Canon EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS.

 

You'll never regret paying for quality.
I know a couple people who are happy with their EOS DSLRs.

But, for me, I wouldn't touch a Canon anything with a 10 foot pole. I've had printers, a scanner and a video camera, all pieces off utter crap. Should be a lemon law for that.

 

It mite be too late now, but I have had a Canon EOS Elan II (Film Camera) for many years. It came with a 28-80 canon lens and I bought a 75-300 telaphoto lens, I have taken many a picute with it and have had no problems. but now film is getting hard to find. my wife got a FREE Canon EOS Rebel XSi (for 10 years of service with Flying J), it came with the 18-55 lens.

your going to want more lens than 55, 50 is consittered normal view. a 28-80 is a better choice. I just bought a new Canon EOS Rebel XSi myself (off eBay), it came with a bunch I don't really want, but I was shoping price and it was the lest expensive. I got a off brand (Tamron) 28-80 lens, along with a 2x converter and a wide angle lens. I can also use the old lens off my film Canon, and the wife can use the 28-80 lens on here camera.

So I would say get a Canon, just get a 28-80 lens to start and if you have the cash, a 75-300.

Here are some photos I took yesterday with my Camera in Cheasterfield Idaho:

 

I have the XSI and I love it. The T1i came out right when i was getting ready to buy, but i got the body, the 18-55 IS and the 50-250 IS lenses for 850 as a package, less then the T1i with just the kit lens...

It takes great photos but tends to overexpose just a bit.

I recommend the IS for sure. You will notice it even on the 18-55. You can actually see it working, look through the viewfinder. and slightly jiggle your camera, then half press the shutter, and every is like it is in slow motion. So much easier to get a shot off.

I don't really think the addition of IS has to do with better or worse glass. With a more expensive lens you can get a faster aperture, but even those with the addition of IS would be even better.

I can hand hold a 1/15 easy now which is nice in low light areas. Even when I pop my 60mm 2.8f macro on, i wish it had IS. Yeah it is a lot faster of a lens, but i don't want to shoot at the widest aperture all the time...

Plus, just in general, i don't have a ton of money to spend on lens etc, so this works for me now until I can upgrade.

Don't really care about video that much, so that didn't pull me in for the T1i. Plus it can't do full HD at full speed, it is a bit slower, kind of a rip.

 

I have the XSI and I love it. The T1i came out right when i was getting ready to buy, but i got the body, the 18-55 IS and the 50-250 IS lenses for 850 as a package, less then the T1i with just the kit lens...

It takes great photos but tends to overexpose just a bit.

I recommend the IS for sure. You will notice it even on the 18-55. You can actually see it working, look through the viewfinder. and slightly jiggle your camera, then half press the shutter, and every is like it is in slow motion. So much easier to get a shot off.

I don't really think the addition of IS has to do with better or worse glass. With a more expensive lens you can get a faster aperture, but even those with the addition of IS would be even better.

I can hand hold a 1/15 easy now which is nice in low light areas. Even when I pop my 60mm 2.8f macro on, i wish it had IS. Yeah it is a lot faster of a lens, but i don't want to shoot at the widest aperture all the time...

Plus, just in general, i don't have a ton of money to spend on lens etc, so this works for me now until I can upgrade.

Don't really care about video that much, so that didn't pull me in for the T1i. Plus it can't do full HD at full speed, it is a bit slower, kind of a rip.

 

I turned a Rebel into a dedicated infrared digital camera. Great piece. I shoot mainly with the Canon 5D and 1DMKII. Both have larger sensors than the crop on the Rebel, but with the right lens combo, the Rebel is a fine casual photographic tool.

Buy Canon or Nikon and you will do fine with future system needs (flashes, remotes, lenses, etc. ) Olympus and Pentax have some decent offerings as well. Minolta was taken over by Sony so Minolta AF lenses work with Sony DSLRs.

You will love the quality of a DSLR. Even the cheapest has better low light performance and higher ISO capabilities than any consumer digicam.

Here are several from my Rebel. All posted kinda small to fit the constraints of forum posting rules. If anyone wants to see more, here is my web gallery site with options to view anything larger if desired.

http://www.pbase.com/harpozep/root&page=all

 

How is a lens with max f/2.8 better than a max f/1.8? 2.8 is great for telephoto outdoors, but you need the 1.8 for flashless work indoors. Unless you're doing a lot of macro work outdoors, I don't see the need for a 17-55 in a kit. IMHO, a 50 MM fixed bright lens for indoor work and a 70-210 MM or 70-300 MM tele for outdoors is a good basic kit.