# I need help picking a camera out.



## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

My wifes B-day is coming up at the end of Nov.I wanted to get her a new camera she likes the Cannon Rebel ??? I can't ask her then she will know what I am up to.She likes taking pics of the kids playing sports and wildlife.I would like a good zoom to get pics out to 100+ yards if possible.I have absolutly NO clue on what to look for or ask for when purchasing.Any help would be appreciated.I figure from $1.50-$1,500.00.

Thanks in Advance


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## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

Ok I have been searching around how does this sound?Not sure on cost yet.

Canon 40d
Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 IS
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8
Canon Ex 430 Flash


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## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

rippin lips said:


> Ok I have been searching around how does this sound?Not sure on cost yet.
> 
> Canon 40d
> Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 IS
> ...


That package. >$3000 using the following site.

http://www.adorama.com/

An XTi and a Sigma 70-200mm lense would put you in the $1500 ballpark.


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

It is the weekend. Duck season, Deer Season and nice weather to fish. Most of the regular camera guys will be back tonight and will post tomorrow. Or that would be my bet. Give em a couple of days to get it together and you should get some answers.


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm Back..

Here is a trusted link for digi cam reviews... http://www.steves-digicams.com/

I personanly like Olympus with a 40x Digital zoom. For less than 400 a few years back I could zoom in a a bald eagle and tell you which way it way looking.


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## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

Thanks I will keep all options open .I am lost when it comes to photography.I need alot more help than I thought after all day online and can not find the end to the internet.LOLI have read more about cameras and I am still lost.

Thanks so much.I figure she will be taking Kids baseball and soccer pics and some wildlife up to 100-200 yards.not sure on how to pick lens either.

I have found this place also.
http://www.centraldigital.com/product/?43658&cart_id=19518456

what about a 70-2004.0 instead of a 2.8 ??


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Like Capt Dave, I am partial to the Non-DSLR Ultra Zooms. I own a Canon S3is and appreciate the 12x -optical- zoom. With an add-on tele-converter lens .. you can get out to 732mm effective.. However, the DSLR's will give you better shots in poor light and they have much larger sensors..which normally means sharper pictures. 

The trade off is price and size. If your wife doesn't mind the larger carrying size and weight..and you don't mind the price....then zillions of people love the Canon Rebels, including my son. I'd be sure to buy someplace where the return policy is generous...buying sight unseen ....for your wife. Rich


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## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

rippin lips said:


> Thanks so much.I figure she will be taking Kids baseball and soccer pics and some wildlife up to 100-200 yards.


MT Stringer could probably steer you in the right direction with the criteria you just listed. Thats right up his alley. Shoot him a pm if he doesn't respond to this thread. Good luck on the search.


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## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

Great advise.I agree for a few more dollars I can get local.That would be terrible her open it and try it and something is wrong.OUCH I would be in the dog house for sure.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

If one of her goals is to shoot kids playing sports...and she can do it in the daylight..check out the soccer pix posted here today. Rich


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## bigpun91 (Oct 2, 2005)

it takes the fun out of it, but I say if you are willing to spend that kinda money for a camera, take her and let her pick it out. no worse feeling than getting something that she does not want. I did just that, my wife wanted a program for touching up photos, I got her a program that cost $100 did everything under the sun, 2 inch thick manuel, it was great until she tried to use it. it was so complicated both of us could figure it out, even with the manuel. she will be thankful that she got to pick it out, and gets what she wants. my $.02


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Just when you thought you were at the end of the internet, there's always one more place to look.
Canon Digital Photography Forums
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

That oughtta take you a little while to browse through.

The Canon 20d, 30d, 40d are a little bigger than the Digital Rebel. The Rebel may fit her hands a little better and it's a little lighter. It was uncomfortable for me, but I added a battery grip (holds two batteries) and all was fine.

But now I have a 20d and love it. The megapixels are the same for the sensor at 8.2 but it shoots at 5 frames per second instead of three. That's good for sports. The LCD Screen is small but much bigger on the 30d and even larger on the 40d.

Focus is faster on the 20d and I have heard good things about focusing on the 40d. That's also good for locking in on fast action sporting events.

The Canon 70-200 f/2.8 is an excellent lens with the 2.8 allowing for lower light photography and if you get the model with IS (image stabilization), it will help when handholding to help reduce camera shake.

An alternative is the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 - considerably lower in price but still a very good lens. It doesn't have any image stabilization.

If you add a 1.4x teleconverter it will make the lens a 98-280 f/4 lens. I use this combo alot, including today at a softball tournament. The fence was too high to shoot over until I was about 20 feet past the dugout. The extra reach of the zoom helped me to get closer. I use the Sigma teleconverter but I've heard good things about the Kenko Pro 1.4x TC. Both are considerably cheaper than the Canon model.

I used my 430EX flash to shoot the Crosby/Huffman football game Friday night and it worked OK for me. I was walking the sidelines with it mounted upside down on a monopod and conected to the camera with the Canon Offshoe Cord 2. The ETTTL still worked with this setup.

If you want to see some example pics taken with the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 with the 20d, go to my website and check out the Tiger pics, all of the Deer Park Rams football games, Cedar Bayou Jr vs Woodland Acres and the Diesel drags. Also the Little League games and the basketball tournament pics were taken with the Rebel XT and 70-200 lens.

If you want to reach out further, there is always the Canon 400 5.6 and the Sigma 50-500 f/4-6.3 (it's heavy!).

www.mtstringer.smugmug.com

I hope this helps. Sorry if I have confused ya.
Mike


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## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

WOW alot of info. And all this is getting alittle better to understand.Thansk so much everybody.


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

*Night Softball sample*

Here is an example of what you could expect from night softball or Little League. I was standing behind the low fence and just beyond the first base dugout. The runner was in route to an inside the park home run...or maybe a double with 2 base errror! 

I did not crop the image so you can see what to expect.
I shot this picture at ISO 3200; 1/320 sec @ f/2.8 using the Canon 20d w/Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lens. The EXIF info reports the zoom at 175mm.

I could not have taken this pic with a Rebel because ISO 1600 is the highest ISO you can set. That would have cut the shutterspeed in half and the result would have been a blurry picture.

You asked about the 70-200 f/4. That would have produced the same result (cutting the light in half) and with a Rebel set at ISO 1600 instead of 3200, the light would have been cut in half again resulting in shutterspeed of 1/80 sec. Way too slow for night sports.

I've shot several night football games at ISO 3200; f/2.8 and the shutterspeeds vary from 1/500 sec to a pitiful 125/sec at one field. I had to use a flash for the entire game.

I hope some of this info helps.

If your wife can handle the 40d, I think she would be much happier with it. Higher ISO available and more frames per second. The 70-200 f/2.8 (regardless of make) would make a great combo to the lens that comes with the camera.

Mike


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Yea..and if I had shot it with my Canon S3is.... Ultra Zoom..maximum usable ISO is 400 and that is only marginally useful in the dark...You'd only get a dark motion-blur. For night sports...definitely go with a DSLR. rich


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## fishcat01 (Mar 24, 2005)

A DSLR is undoubtedly the best for image quality. The question that no one has asked yet is just how "interested" in photography your wife is? Is she one that is content with point-and-shoot quality? Does the "lag" from pressing the shutter to actual picture taking with a P-and-S bother her? Is she comfortable with aperture, shutter speed, and ISO jargon and how each relates to picture taking?

DSLRs are wonderful cameras, but if your significant other does not care or have the desire to learn how to shoot with one, then it is probably not a good choice. Sure, some come with a "Program" mode that lets the camera choose everything and that's OK if that is what you want. You are just not getting the most from the camera that way. If she has never used a digital before, then going with something like the S3is is a good compromise; just know that there are limitations as discussed above. If she is willing to carry around a larger camera and start with a "Program" mode, then go on from there,then a DSLR is the way to go. You might also consider the Nikon D40x or the D80. (sheese, all the Canon guys here  ). My $0.02


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## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

Thanks again.Not sure really how much she wants to get into it.She does love taking pics and has mentioned she would like to learn more so if I get one she cannot do certain things on it then I need to start over.I really like that pic that is exactly what she will mostly doing evening shots under lights.I like that setup it seems to work great.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Well, given the fact that I am VERY prejudiced in favor of the ultra zooms...AND .. since you can buy most of the better ones for $300 to $500.00 and can use them in a great variety of places. ( but not in the dark..for action shots )...you might consider getting her a Canon S3is; Canon S5is; or similar models from Panasonic; Fuji; Sony etc. Not a LOT of money and they can do many good things. 

If she really wants a DSLR...then they will give the best over-all pix... but they are a lot more camera and lens changing and money and weight etc. Rich


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## chucked (Dec 11, 2006)

I normally don't post much but have recently been getting a little more interested in photography. I actually bought the camera for my wife earlier this year - a Canon Rebel XT w/ Sigma 28-300mm lens. She wanted to make a hobby out of it, and sounded pretty enthusiastic about it. I knew that my wife probably wouldn't spend much time reading up on the DSLR's, photoshop, and photography in general so I was hesitant to spend $1000, but I did anyway. She uses the camera somewhat often, but typically uses the "auto" mode as she never read the manual, has no idea how the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture affects the pictures and as a result, the pictures are no better than with a point and shoot, sometimes, considerably worse. So, if you think wife will take the time to learn, the DSLR's are awesome, but if not, they become "expensive point and shoots".

The only good thing (or bad...) about me purchasing her the camera, is that now that I've read up on how to use the camera (mainly to teach her how to use it) and playing around with photoshop...i've kinda gotten the bug and have started thinking about a 40D for christmas.

One thing to note, if you end up getting a DSLR, namely the Canon and you save the images in raw format, you'll need an update from Microsoft (Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer) to view the thumbnails and previews. I'm using Photoshop CS2 - and it needed an update as well. Not sure about CS3.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

CS3 also required an update of the Camera Raw plug in to read 40D raw files. It's free from Adobe.


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