Which canon option should I go with?

[bearskibob]

I am debating on buying a canon Rebel XT 350D off of ebay and there are 2 options in my price range. I have a canon sd700 but I want to take a step up and here are the two options that I have Option 1: http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Digita...QQcmdZViewItem or Option 2: http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Digita...QQcmdZViewItem ? Basically I am wondering if there is a difference in the lens quality between sigma or tamron? Is it worth it to spend an extra $80 and get the sigma lens?

[EOSThree]

Many of the extras in those kits are of pretty poor quality, although you do look like you get a fair amount for your money. In most cases with these kits, you usually end up disappointed with most of the stuff you get. I know the Tamron lenses included in the second kit are not exactly stellar performers. I am not familiar with the Sigma lenses in the other kit, but I am sure they are of similar quality.

Sunshine Electronics has a fairly good rating on resellerratings.com, so they are a decent seller.

If it were me I would buy from a few select retailers: Buydig, B&H photo video, Adorama, Beach Camera. I wouldn't look for a kit but buy exactly what you feel will meet your needs.

[mjs1973]

I'm with EOSThree. The ebay kits are not as good as they look. I bought my first DSLR as one of these kits, and have pretty much replaced everything that came with it. The only things I still use are the camera body, batteries and memory card.

Figure out what you want, and what you can afford, and buy quality gear from a reputable dealer. You will pay a little more upfront, but you will save $ in the long run by not having to replace everything you got in the kit.

[bearskibob]

Does canon make nice quality lens(specifically the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II Standard Zoom Lens and the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens)?

[EOSThree]

For the most part Canon does make quality lenses. They make some duds, everybody does. The newest incarnation of the 18-55 kit lens (the one with image stabilization) is actually a pretty good lens, the build is on the light side, but the optics are pretty darn good. If you are looking for a 70-300 something lens then the latest Canon 70-300 IS lens is pretty good. Both of those lenses cost a little more than what you can get in those kits but make up for it in image quality.

This hobby is pretty expensive and to get the results that make you say wow, you usually end up spending a fair amount of money. I have been moving my system to all professional grade lenses, after I experienced one pro grade lens, I knew that was the quality level I wanted and demanded. Unfortunately now my least expensive zoom lens cost me well over $700, and my lens costs far outweigh any one body I have.

That being said, great photos can be taken with just about any lens, but you have to work withing the sweet spot of the lens. The more you spend on better lenses, the larger the range and the more parameters you have to work with.

Budget:
Rebel XT
18-55 IS
70-300 IS

Better:
Rebel XT or 30D or 40D
17-40 f/4L
70-200 f/4L

Best:
30 or 40D
16-35 f/2.8L
24-70 f/2.8L
70-200 f/2.8L or 70-200 f/2.8L IS

[brmill26]

Just to toss this in, you don't necessarily have to spend a ton of money right off the bat to get great images. Check out the Canon 50mm F/1.8, which sells for about $80, but produces very high quality images. If your budget is tight, or even if it's not, it's an excellent lens to start out with and to learn on.

[bearskibob]

Thanks for your feedback! It has really helped. Is this package a decent one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Digita...QQcmdZViewItem it comes with two canon lens, even though they dont have IS. I think that this is about my spending limit, for now, so thus I cant get the IS lenses.

[EOSThree]

Thanks for your feedback! It has really helped. Is this package a decent one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-EOS-Digita...QQcmdZViewItem it comes with two canon lens, even though they dont have IS. I think that this is about my spending limit, for now, so thus I cant get the IS lenses.

No, both lenses are mediocre at best. Price wise for what you get it's not bad, but those lenses are marginally OK. The old 18-55 kit lens is known for being soft, and the 75-300 shown is the old one, the least desirable one. The 75-300 is known for being very soft from 200mm on.

Here's what I would do with that budget:
Canon Rebel XT $386
Canon 28-105 f/3.5-5.6 USM II $235
This puts you right at your budget. It definitely looks like you are getting a lot in that ebay package, but the reality is that it costs a certain amount for the retailer to buy this stuff. If a bargain looks too good to be true, it's because it is. Sunshine Photo doesn't have some special formula that allows them to sell a great kit at a very reasonable price, they are selling low end stuff.

Like I said above, the 18-55 has a lot of detractors(I actually won one and refused the prize) and the 75-300 shown is also known to be a dog(no USM, soft). Those lenses are of poor quality and basically the bottom of Canons lineup. They'll take OK photos when stopped down, but in general they will be of the same quality you'll get from a compact camera.

Maybe a compact camera is what you should be looking into with your budget. The Canon G9 is an excellent camera and the S5 is also an excellent super zoom camera. You'll get the same kind of results you'll get from an XT with the lens combinations you are looking at and the cost is actually a little less than your budget is right now. I owned a G2 for a while and also an S2 and both were decent little cameras. The biggest advantage you'll get from an SLR is better high ISO performance and working speed.

[bearskibob]

Im sorry if I keep asking stupid questions but I am a college student and I am not loaded. Also I am sort of new at photography so I dont know what is a good deal and what isnt so this is why I ask you guys because I know you guys know more than I do and I appreciate what you guys have told me so far.

Anyways, I have been price searching on the internet and I was looking on Adorama's web site and I found a refurbished canon 350D xt that comes with a EFS 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens for $374.95( here is the link http://www.adorama.com/ICADRXTSKR.ht...20xt&item_no=2 ). I guess I am wondering what you guys know about refurbished cameras, are they a good deal or are they risky? I have heard that some are display models but some are just returns.

[EOSThree]

The only downside of a refurbished camera is the 90 day warranty. I have no problem at all purchasing refurbished products. I purchased my 5D refurbished, it looks and functions like brand new, and saved me over $400 on the cost of a new one.

You are not asking stupid questions, that is why I keep answering, if they were stupid you'd get few or no replies. The 18-55 is the weak link here, it's the same lens in the third kit you were asking about. It's an OK lens and some are satisfied with it, many are not. It can do a decent job if stopped down some. The newer 18-55 IS kit lens(about $150)is a much better lens.

[Olivia]

Hey guys!! My name is Olivia. I have recently joined this forum and an quite enjoying it.If you don't mind i would like to suggest this one site called Checkcost.co.uk which has a wide range of canon cameras with a number of sellers to compare the price with.I recently bought a camera from there and I really got a great deal.
http://www.checkcost.co.uk/search/canon/cat/69/ref/