I need some guidance on selecting our first digital slr. Since I first read the "sticky" before posting, here are my details:

THE USE: We have young kiddos and I would love to catch wonderful shots of them doing interesting things... trying to walk, painting the walls with non-washable markers... you know, the usual. Since our life now revolves around them, this is the majority of the future camera's use. The afore mentioned sticky said to mention the size of prints... I could see these going definitely above 8x10, but not above poster size.

THE CANDIDATES: I have narrowed down our purchase to the Rebel XT and the Nikon D70. We are in the sub $GRAND$ market and would like to stay there. That said, we could be swayed to take a gander at other options.

So if you could "help a sista out" and give up some much needed guidance and advice I would be forever in your debt (not really, but I would appreciate you greatly).

Thanks :D

I recommend the XTi, even more camera for less. $900 with lens.

Have you held both? If you haven't, do that and start working from there.

The XTi looks like a pretty good camera but its build quality remains to be seen :wink:

I need some guidance on selecting our first digital slr. Since I first read the "sticky" before posting, here are my details:

THE USE: We have young kiddos and I would love to catch wonderful shots of them doing interesting things... trying to walk, painting the walls with non-washable markers... you know, the usual. Since our life now revolves around them, this is the majority of the future camera's use. The afore mentioned sticky said to mention the size of prints... I could see these going definitely above 8x10, but not above poster size.

THE CANDIDATES: I have narrowed down our purchase to the Rebel XT and the Nikon D70. We are in the sub $GRAND$ market and would like to stay there. That said, we could be swayed to take a gander at other options.

So if you could "help a sista out" and give up some much needed guidance and advice I would be forever in your debt (not really, but I would appreciate you greatly).

Thanks :D

As suggested, go to a store and hold both of them. Play with the menus. Decide which one you like best.

"Build quality" is a phrase often tossed around here haphazardly. Many believe that a heavier camera is a "better camera" thanks to decades of metal monsters! That's just not true. Polycarbonate is light and very strong and, in many ways, better than metal (for example, it bounces and absorbs energy, metal does not). Light cameras are a lot easier to carry, especially when running after kids! I have yet to see a single bonafide instance of polycarbonate going bad, deforming, or breaking. That is, after all, what build quality is all about.

In either case, choose the one you like best. As I often say, there is no wrong choice between these two.

Consider the Sony Alpha...more features, better quality at 10.2 megapixels, and probably lower price. Minolta, Sony, and soon Zeiss lens.

Ronnoco

The Sony Alpha will cost a bit more than $1000. Mine cost $1087, with the kit lens. And then you'd need to buy a memory card, too. But I agree with Ronnoco. You should take a look at it. It's a really nice camera and the built-in Super Steady Shot image stabilization will help you take better pictures with it right out of the box, then you would with the other two cameras. If I was starting a new system right now and didn't have a manfuacturer preference, I'd go with the Sony.

On the other hand, if you have a predisposition towards Nikon or Canon, it might be better to stick with the brand you like best. Sometimes people try to make fair and rational buying decisions and end up wishing they had gone with the company they have always lusted after. It may not make sense, but if you have a favorite brand, that's an important consideration.

Well you all have been very helpful. I really appreciate the replies.

I went to the store today and held both cameras. I am glad that "mwfanelli" had said that heft does not equate to quality, bc it was the heft of the Nikon that made me go Canon. I like to leave my weights at the gym ;) In all honesty, it was enough of a difference to sway me given the closeness of all other review factors. I also am comfortable with Canon after enjoying my S2IS for the last year.

On a side note, the XT (not XTi) is on sale at CompUSA for 799 and you can print out a 25% off cpn. So I got it for $599 including basic kit lens. They also had some flash cards on sale which fell under the 25% off umbrella. Now to find an external flash....

Again, I appreciate the responses.

That is an awesome deal! Congratulations on your new camera. I think you'll find a lot of people hear will recommend the 420 or 430EX flash. It's got a lot of power and is fairly inexpensive. The 430EX has ETTL II, the newest Canon flash exposure system, as does your new camera. Here's a link to that review page, although there are no reviews: http://www.photographyreview.com/sf-1/befid-96460/pid-27957163/productreviewscrx.aspx?dnatrs=canon

If anyone has the 430EX, please post a review!

OOOHHH thanks for the link to the flash! I will add it to my list of needs..errrr wants for the upcoming months!

We just took the camera for a trial run this evening. I can't believe how wonderful the image quality even with an untrained hand. I haven't shot a manual since my HS days with an old Pentax... I can still smell the dark room...:)

Anyway, thanks again!

If you're photographing with flash, I found a neat (fairly cheap!) accessory, basically a softbox to go on the front of the flash - lastolite Micro Apollo.
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/photo/studio_lighting/lastolite.html?cd=1061712

At £30 it's the best flash accessory I've found.
Beats the sto-fen omnibounce for soft shadows, with more flash power, because you're not bouncing diffused light (which is what the omnibounce is for) but using a large soft fronted box to give a larger apparent light, and thus softer shadows.

The Omnibounce does it by bouncing light off everywhere which is fine if you're close enough to walls and ceilings to make a difference. If not then all it does is gives a diffuser the size of your flash head, which is a now dimmer point source than when you started without the omnibounce :( Yes you get slightly softer shadows, but the area of the diffuser is the same size as your flash, using a softbox on the flashgun it's 10x or more larger and really makes a difference.