It's no 5D, but ...

Dudley Hanks wrote:
Well, I bit the bullet and bought an EOS Rebel XSi. It's clearly no 5d, but
it gives me more than half the resolution at less than a third the price.

I figure that's a pretty good deal.

Once I get the controls and menus figured out and memorized, it's going to
be interesting to see how it performs.

Don't memorize them, _understand_ them. Canon's controls are pretty
intuitive.

If the economy continues as it's been doing, that 5D Mark II may be a
lot less expensive very soon.

"SMS" wrote:

If the economy continues as it's been doing, that 5D Mark II may be a lot
less expensive very soon.

In the short term, the 5D2 should be becoming at least 15% more expensive.
The price was set when US1.00 bought you 105 yen or so, but yesterday you
only got 88 yen. And with the zero interest rate in the states (and higher
interest rates in Japan for the first time in recent years (if ever)), the
dollar will only be weakening.

--
David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

David J. Littleboy wrote:
"SMS" wrote:
If the economy continues as it's been doing, that 5D Mark II may be a lot
less expensive very soon.

In the short term, the 5D2 should be becoming at least 15% more expensive.
The price was set when US1.00 bought you 105 yen or so, but yesterday you
only got 88 yen. And with the zero interest rate in the states (and higher
interest rates in Japan for the first time in recent years (if ever)), the
dollar will only be weakening.

Fortunately, prices for consumer goods are set by what the local market
will bear, not by the exchange rate.

SMS wrote:
If only people would
not feed him, but that's too much to hope for.

Didn't you just post a thread titled:
"Sometimes it's Just Really Sad to Watch People with P&S Cameras"

plonk

:-)

On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:17:18 -0800, SMS
wrote:

David J. Littleboy wrote:
"SMS" wrote:
If the economy continues as it's been doing, that 5D Mark II may be a lot
less expensive very soon.

In the short term, the 5D2 should be becoming at least 15% more expensive.
The price was set when US1.00 bought you 105 yen or so, but yesterday you
only got 88 yen. And with the zero interest rate in the states (and higher
interest rates in Japan for the first time in recent years (if ever)), the
dollar will only be weakening.

Fortunately, prices for consumer goods are set by what the local market
will bear, not by the exchange rate.

Making a profit also matters, if you think about it a bit, and profit
is affected by the exchange rate.

bubba

Archibald

"Garret D." wrote in message
...
On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:30:31 GMT, "Dudley Hanks"
wrote:


"bowser" wrote in message
r.com...

"Dudley Hanks" wrote in message
news:1Lb2l.573$sM.225@edtnps83...

"bowzer" wrote in message
...

"Dudley Hanks" wrote in message
news:Ff82l.494$sM.446@edtnps83...
Well, I bit the bullet and bought an EOS Rebel XSi. It's clearly no
5d, but it gives me more than half the resolution at less than a
third
the price.

I figure that's a pretty good deal.

Once I get the controls and menus figured out and memorized, it's
going
to be interesting to see how it performs.

Shoot RAW. Also, the XSi is nearly the same resolution as the 5D. Did
you mean the 5DII? Anyway, that's an excellent camera by any measure;
enjoy!

My bad. Indeed, I did mean the 5D2...

I really have to quit posting prior to downing my first cup of
coffee...

No matter. The XSi is one of the best compact SLRs out there, and
capable
of producing huge enlargements. It's a wonderful camera, no question.
You'll love it.

I haven't taken a picture with it yet, and I already love it. It feels
much
more like my old 35mm's, and that puts me in a good frame of mind, right
off
the bat.

Now, if it would just warm up outside, I could catch some of that freshly
fallen snow and some Xmas lights...

Take Care,
Dudley


True, that's always a drawback with D/SLR lenses. They can't be used in
low-temperature conditions. Either it's condensation on the sensor, or
back
elements of the lenses, or the mirror. Or worse, that condensation
freezing all
that mechanical contraptions into a useless block. That's why P&S cameras
with
ultrasonic motors, which don't rely on high-viscosity lubricants to keep
the
lens elements in position and there's no exposed mirror and focal-plane
shutter
to freeze-up, work so well where D/SLR cameras have always refused to go.
This
is why I get so many more award winners with P&S cameras. The rest of the
"pros"
with their crippled D/SLRs can't get the shots that I get regularly. Their
chosen camera won't let them. So much for them being "intelligent" pros.


No true at all, I have taken many shots with D-SLRs in the snow, never a
problem, I am guessing you just don't know how to look after your gear.

"Archibald" wrote:
SMS wrote:
David J. Littleboy wrote:
"SMS" wrote:
If the economy continues as it's been doing, that 5D Mark II may be a
lot
less expensive very soon.

In the short term, the 5D2 should be becoming at least 15% more
expensive.
The price was set when US1.00 bought you 105 yen or so, but yesterday
you
only got 88 yen. And with the zero interest rate in the states (and
higher
interest rates in Japan for the first time in recent years (if ever)),
the
dollar will only be weakening.

Fortunately, prices for consumer goods are set by what the local market
will bear, not by the exchange rate.

Making a profit also matters, if you think about it a bit, and profit
is affected by the exchange rate.

Exactly. If Canon can't make a profit, their choices are to raise prices or
not sell the product. At 88 yen to the dollar, selling a product that
retails for 290,000 Yen in Japan for 240,000 Yen in the states may not fly.

--
David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

"SMS" wrote in message
...
Dudley Hanks wrote:
Well, I bit the bullet and bought an EOS Rebel XSi. It's clearly no 5d,
but it gives me more than half the resolution at less than a third the
price.

I figure that's a pretty good deal.

Once I get the controls and menus figured out and memorized, it's going
to be interesting to see how it performs.

Don't memorize them, _understand_ them. Canon's

As a blind photographer, I need to do both...

controls are pretty
intuitive.

But, they don't talk...
Take Care,
Dudley

"SMS" wrote in message
...
Dudley Hanks wrote:

I agree the SX10 is a good camera, and it was a tough decision between
the two. But, versatility won out over economy and portability.

You should have bought one of each!

It's so easy for you to spend my money...


I have a fair bit of EOS equipment from my old A2 35mm camera that will
work with the Rebel. Of course, the flashes will work with the SX10, but
the rest won't.

Beware that some of the old flashes won't work with the XSi (or any of the
Canon digital SLRs). I had the EOS-5QD, which was the non-U.S. version of
the A2E (the A2E was the A2 with eye-controlled focus), and the 430EZ
flash. The EZ flashes will only work in manual mode on the Canon D-SLRs,
not in (A)-TTL mode. You need a flash with EX suffix for the Canon digital
SLRs.

My 540ez has manual mode, and the other has an x suffix, but I forget the
exact model number...



Besides, what I'm mainly after is low-light performance, and you'll
notice the comparison you quoted was an outdoor, daylight test only.
From what I've heard, the SX10 isn't quite as good as the XSi when the
lights go down.

"Isn't quite as good" is the understatement of the century! The difference
is night and day, no pun intended.

So did you buy any lenses with the XSi? I really want an IS lens so I can
do more high ISO work.

Two.

I picked up the standard 18 - 55mm and the 55 - 250mm.

My wife has been shooting with a Digital Rebel XT for about a year, and she
loves the IS lens.

Prior to the Rebel, she was using an old Powershot A70, and she was never
happy with it. Her ratio of keepers / garbage increased dramatically with
the Rebel.

Take Care,
Dudley

On Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:50:44 GMT, "Dudley Hanks"
wrote:


"SMS" wrote in message
.. .
Dudley Hanks wrote:
Well, I bit the bullet and bought an EOS Rebel XSi. It's clearly no 5d,
but it gives me more than half the resolution at less than a third the
price.

I figure that's a pretty good deal.

Once I get the controls and menus figured out and memorized, it's going
to be interesting to see how it performs.

Don't memorize them, _understand_ them. Canon's

As a blind photographer, I need to do both...

controls are pretty
intuitive.

But, they don't talk...
Take Care,
Dudley


Post a suggestion to the authors of CHDK for Canon P&S cameras. See if they'll
merge the menu-navigation voice module from the open-source RockBox MP3 player
project into the CHDK cameras. RockBoxed MP3 players voice what menu selection
you are in and what settings you make, if that option is turned on. You don't
have to look at the screen and can still navigate their many-layered menus and
song-titles just by listening.

The CHDK authors would be applauded greatly by people from many walks of life if
they could pull off that trick. I bet they could too, if they were given
incentive by knowing how many people it would benefit. Maybe you could get some
organization that you know involved in trying to help them to accomplish this,
or even help in programming that capability into CHDK P&S cameras.

Here's a link to their CHDK forums http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php in case
you are motivated to try to get the ball rolling in that direction.