DSLR beginner buying XTi, need advise

[korie83]

Hey everyone,

So I'm a beginner to the SLR world, have only messed around with XT before for a few hours (and quite enjoyed it), and am looking to buy my own SLR. After debating between a few different cameras (mostly D40, D40x, XT, and XTi) I've decided to go with with XTi due to a couple of the features I think would be useful.

My problem is I'm not sure if the kits I've been looking at are truely good value or if the lenses they come with are appropriate. The one that I've liked the most was on ebay and came with what I believe are decent entry level lenses:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA:IT&ih=023

Now I know most of the extras it comes with are junk and I'm not really concerned about all that, just want to make sure the lenses I'm getting reflect good value for what I'm paying and will be right for me.

I will be using this camera for a wide variety of things but mostly include:

Family bday/xmas/etc pics
Lots of pics of my huskies
vacation pics (we travel alot)
and used to take pictures of houses (my gf is a realtor)

I like how this kit comes with a variety of lenses and i think the prime lens and the 18-55mm will be the ones i use the most, but I like the idea of having the 75-300mm for occasional use. Also I'm not sure that the wide angle lens that it comes with is any good, but i think it would be useful for certain interior shots for real estate photos, but I have a feeling it might distort them too much.

Basically what I'm asking is should I buy a regular xti kit with the standard 18-55mm lens, get a seperate 50mm prime lens, and a different wide angle? And if so what wide angle would you recommend for this kind of photo? This will be an important function of the camera (and one of the ways I can justify spending the cash on dslr with my gf :P).

Anyways before I start rambling more, any kind of advice would be great, and if you have any sites with good deals on these cameras please share! I'm always obsessed with finding the best deal!

Thanks

[korie83]

oh yea and I just realized i misspelled adviCe, if any mods care, feel free to fix my mistake :P

[rylan]

i think you can edit your post......i think

[mjs1973]

I would stay away from the kits you see on ebay. Pretty much all of the "extras" that come with them are junk, and you will end up replacing them in the future. I purchased my first DSLR as a kit and I think the only thing I still use from the original kit is the camera body, the batteries and the memory card. The bag that came in my kit wasn't even big enough to hold the kit!

I also think that the wide angle lens in this kit is a waste of money. You would be better off getting a real wide angle lens.

[JamesV]

Hello and Welcome.

Personally I would say purchase the camera with the 18-55mm lens and get the 50mm lens also. That is what I purchased about six months ago and I am still learning new things about the camera. Also if you live in the states you can rent a lens to see if you like the quality of pictures and if it fits your needs.

Good luck.

James

[korie83]

I would stay away from the kits you see on ebay. Pretty much all of the "extras" that come with them are junk, and you will end up replacing them in the future. I purchased my first DSLR as a kit and I think the only thing I still use from the original kit is the camera body, the batteries and the memory card. The bag that came in my kit wasn't even big enough to hold the kit!

I also think that the wide angle lens in this kit is a waste of money. You would be better off getting a real wide angle lens.

Like I said in my original post, the "extras" in the kit are not my concern at all, just the lenses primarily. I'm mostly wondering if these lenses are good for what I require, if the price indicated is good value for the body + 3 canon lenses, or am I better off buying the common xti w/ EF-S 18-55mm kit and get my lenses seperately?

And I'm curious as to how bad that wide angle lens would really be, does anyone have a sample image taken with one of those on? What kind of wide angle lens does everyone recommend?

[EOSThree]

If your budget is about what you have outlined in your post then this is what I would do:

Xti Body only.
18-55 IS lens, this is the newer kit lens and is much sharper than the original, and has the added advantage of being image stabilized.
70-300 IS lens. This is the latest incarnation of this lens and is the sharpest.

[Frog]

Don't buy from J&K unless you want a grey market camera without a manufacturer warranty.

[korie83]

Thanks for the great feedback, i will check out some prices for those lenses and see what I can come up with.

Also Frog, thanks for the heads up, I will definately not buy from a grey market distrubtor, warranty is very important to me. Maybe I'll head to a local camera shop and see what kind of deal I can negotiate.

[ratherbfishin]

I went through the same agony last summer. I was looking at the same lens set-up, but ended up purchasing an XTi body and a Tamron 18-250mm for a walk around lens, then added the 70-200 f/2.8 for sports shots.