DSLR Advice

[RaptorF22]

I'm thinking about getting an entry-level([ch8804]$600 for everything) DSLR sometime in the near future, and was looking for some advice.
I'm planning on using it for just general use as well as some aviation photography.
I was looking at the Canon Rebel XS, any opinions on that camera?
It looks more economical to get a lens+body deal; I want something I can use at airshows, but I'm not sure the 18-55mm lens that comes with it will be enough for airshows. What is 55mm in levels of multiplication(is there an easy way to convert?). The 4X optical on my point & shoot is not sufficient, but the 16X digital is just about right. Two lenses is probably out of the question because of price.

Thanks

[skoker]

Get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-XS-Digital- ... b_title_ce

And this:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-75-300mm-4- ... 348&sr=1-2

and you will be shooting like the pros, or me...

You could go with the 55-250mm lense but your really missing out on the zoom, so I prefer the 350

[Hagar]

I'm thinking about getting an entry-level([ch8804]$600 for everything) DSLR sometime in the near future, and was looking for some advice.
I'm planning on using it for just general use as well as some aviation photography.
I was looking at the Canon Rebel XS, any opinions on that camera?

I've had several different Canon DSLR cameras. Not tried the Rebel XS (1000D) but it should be fine.

It looks more economical to get a lens+body deal; I want something I can use at airshows, but I'm not sure the 18-55mm lens that comes with it will be enough for airshows.

The 18-55mm IS lens is a good general purpose "wide angle" lens. However, it's not suitable for air shows except for static shots.

What is 55mm in levels of multiplication(is there an easy way to convert?). The 4X optical on my point & shoot is not sufficient, but the 16X digital is just about right. Two lenses is probably out of the question because of price.

The X zoom value commonly quoted by manufacturers for compact cameras can be very misleading. Put simply it's the ratio between the minimum & maximum focal length.

Take the two lenses that skoker recommended as an example. The 18-55mm would be rated at 3x zoom to the 75-300 at 4x although the latter has a much longer maximum focal length. The 120-400mm lens I use for air shows would be rated at 3.3x.

The 75-300 lens would probably be OK to start with as it's relatively inexpensive. However, it doesn't have image stabilizing (IS) which I think is essential for decent aerial photos, for me at any rate.

PS.If someone had explained this to me when I first started in this hobby it would have saved me a lot of money.

[expat]

Do you already have a 35mm reflex camera?? If so keep this in mind....The kit lens that come with "camera kits" are at best pants!! and you will be disappointed with them once you start to realise what your camera can do. And as you probably already know, a high quality lens in the digital sphere is mega bucks. Here is what I did;
Before I converted to digital, I used (still have) a Nikon F2 and a bunch of lenses. The lenses were gathered over many years, I think eight or so. All quality Nikor and Tamron. When I went looking for a digital, the Nikon D60 had just made the market place. I checked it out. I was given a demonstration of a kit lens in comparison to a "proper" lens. It was chalk and cheese. I decided to go for the D60 as all my old lenses would fit. Now there are two drawbacks to this. Firstly you will have to operate your camera in manual mode. Secondly, the 35mm lenses were designed for 35mm film and not digital. If you think about a 35mm film, the lens has to spread the light over a large square, where as a digital lens will direct the light to a very, very small square. The difference you will notice is that regardless of what any light meter tells you, you will have to increase depending on your light level one or two stops. After the first few shots you will get the hang of it and will not think twice thereafter. However this approach gives you the chance to put a good bit of glass on the camera from the first day you have it.

Matt

[machineman9]

I shoot with the Canon EOS 1000D (Rebel XS) and I have a 70-300mm lens for airshows.

70-300 is the focal length, which is the field of view that the lens provides. A smaller number means that you have a really wide angle, and a high number indicates a far narrower angle (which is basically a more zoomed in image).


18-55 is not enough for airshows. It will do for a general walk around lens, but not for airshows. This link will give you a comparison of various magnifications.

I'd keep the kit lens until you save up for a better one, but do keep in mind that they're usually awful. The 75-300mm lens posted by Jordan will do you for a while until you can save up for some professional kit (if you want it), but in terms of magnification; it will do just fine. I mean, I can't speak for the actual quality of the lens, but it should be fine. Better lenses use ultrasonic motors for super fast focusing, and traditional motor lenses can be quite slow, but they still work.

To put it into perspective, a typical 70-300mm lens costs about