That DSLR search...Again.

Hello all -- it's been a while!

It's about that time to get a new digital SLR. I had a DRebel for a while, but have since parted. Currently I have only a Canon Elan 7e -- a film camera. So, while purchasing an SLR seems like an easy task, it certainly isn't. I was set on the XTi for a price tag of $560 for the body until I went to the store and picked it up. It's tiny, and I'm a pretty big guy! I'm also iffy about the light body. It feels much lighter than even the 300D.

I'm definitely looking for something sub-$800, but I'm also looking for something with a decent feel, more along the lines of my Elan (or 10D, as I remember). The Nikon D80 has a great feel, but it borders the price constraint, and would require switching to a different system (read: buying a new lens). I could look for a used 20D (do they even have new ones anymore?) -- but with all of these nice bells and whistles and giant LCD screens, it's tempting to look elsewhere.

Can anyone chime in on how "professional" (compared to what I mentioned above) the XTi feels with the battery grip?

Can anyone comment on whether or not the XTi for $560 vs. the 20D for $560 is a stupid question to be asking?

*I shoot mostly street, and I travel a lot. In April I brought my Elan and DRebel to Morocco, and found myself waist deep in surf, sliding down sand, and climbing a canyon in 105F heat. Although a majority of what I do is less 'bumpy.' Shutter speed, fps...Doesn't matter.

Again, great to be back and see regulars still posting. Feel free to point me in the direction of previous threads (a search was done).

-Jared

*And I'm the idiot that put this in the wrong forum. Mod?

I would chose the XTi over the 20D. I don't think it feels as good. But it's got a better sensor, with sensor cleaning, better high ISO performance, and better auto focus. I have been using an XTi for over a year now. I replaced an EOS 10D with it. And I've been really, really happy with it. I've done a ton of commercial work with it and very rarely has it not been up to the task. In those cases, it's been a matter of speed, not image quality or build quality. I have not tried it with the grip. Part of the reason I bought it is the small size and weight. I take it on my mountain bike a lot and small and light are big pluses for me.

I've spent the past three days debating: XTi vs. switching systems. I know the XTi is a damn good camera, but I can't shake that it just doesn't feel right to me -- something I find quite important. Not excited between switching systems, I must say that I found both the Olympus E510 and Pentax K10D intriguing. After reading several reviews, and looking at many images (thank you for your contribution to this, John), I must say that the Pentax really stands out.

The main issue I see with the Pentax is the purple borders it creates on several images I've seen. On that note, however, I don't foresee it being too big of a problem for me. I found the K10D for $611 after rebate, including the kit lens and a 2GB card. I'm sold.

Hope you read the dealer reviews.

I did, and they had good reviews. I spent hours and hours reading different camera (and dealer) reviews, looking at images, and comparing the K10D to other models. I should receive my camera in 4 or so days. Very excited!