Considering purchasing a DSLR

[envy me]

I have been researching various types and the Canon EOS20D/30D have caught my eye.

I know next to nothing about photography or lenses but I have been reading up on the internet for the last week and have learned quite a bit.

The way I see it, is if I were to buy one of the above mentioned cameras, it would probably last me forever.

I did read somewhere that DSLRs like the above ones have a 100,000 shutter life (or something close to it).

Now, I am not sure how long it would take an amateur to get 100,000 pictures, but if and when it does happen, what is one to do?

Do they throw out the camera? Can it be "rebuilt" or reconditioned?

I would find it kind of hard to just throw out a $1200 camera even if it was 5-10 years down the road.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

A 100,000 shutter life's lifetime will be dependent on your shooting style, how zealous of an amateur you are, and how often you shoot. It can vary from 1 year and onwards.

Once the shutter dies, send it into Canon for repair. For a Rebel XT it's about $200. For a 20D/30D it's probably a bit more, maybe $400. The price only increases for more expensive cameras.

 

[envy me]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
A 100,000 shutter life's lifetime will be dependent on your shooting style, how zealous of an amateur you are, and how often you shoot. It can vary from 1 year and onwards.

Once the shutter dies, send it into Canon for repair. For a Rebel XT it's about $200. For a 20D/30D it's probably a bit more, maybe $400. The price only increases for more expensive cameras.

And if it is sent for repair does that mean it will get another 100,000 out of it? (like rebuilding an engine)??

 

[ShooterMcB]

100,000 is not set in stone. It may go 80,000 or 120,000. If you really are an amateur, by the time you broke it a replacement that is much more advanced and cheaper will be available. 5-10 years down the road you would be throwing out a $100 camera. The money is "thrown ouy" as soon as you buy it.
Most people don't buy the camera and the kit lens and stop there. If you get into your lenses will cost more than the body, and the cost of it becomes less significant.
If you know nothing about photograhy as you say, buy a used 300d, 350d, or nikon D50, and play with it for a while before you commit. You could sell not to far down for most of what you paid for it used more than likely.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I would tend to agree that a used DSLR is the way to go. A used XT or 20D can be a very good value that would probably last you a good long time.

When you buy a DSLR, you buy into the lens family. A camera body is actually secondary compared to the lenses.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: envy me

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
A 100,000 shutter life's lifetime will be dependent on your shooting style, how zealous of an amateur you are, and how often you shoot. It can vary from 1 year and onwards.

Once the shutter dies, send it into Canon for repair. For a Rebel XT it's about $200. For a 20D/30D it's probably a bit more, maybe $400. The price only increases for more expensive cameras.

And if it is sent for repair does that mean it will get another 100,000 out of it? (like rebuilding an engine)??

Yes. In addition, when Canon repairs a part, they warrant the fix for 6 months. I'm not sure, but for a shutter they may warrant the shutter for another 100,000 clicks.

 

[saymyname]

Get a Rebel XT at Costco. Get a feel for it. Then go from there. If it doesn't work out you can return it with no hastle. Right now they have the $100 online rebate so you can get a sweet deal on the camera. I'm currently learning with it as well. There are plenty of decent online tutorials and this time of year is great for experimenting outside.

 

[Doggiedog]

The 20D's shutter is much lower than 100K IRC.

If you know next to nothing about photography, it would be hard to recommend a 20D or 30D. You are probably better off with the Rebel XT.

 

[Manuwell]

I own a Canon EOS-500n (known as Canon Rebel in the US) and the other day I tried one of my lenses (80-200mm) on a Digital Rebel-XT from a friend.

It fitted in allright and it shooted allright as well.

Canon I am and Canon I will be.

 

[John P]

You won't like the XT, too small of a body. If you have cash get the 30D. If you want to save a few bucks buy a used 20D. I own a Canon Digital Rebel 300D and would LOVE to have a 30D!!

You can get tons of camera info/opinions and buy used stuff here:

Fred Miranda photography site and forums

 

[BRObedoza]

i'm considering a 30d myself. though i hear that the Rebel XT may be due for an upgrade soon as it's being discounted like crazy, along with the $100 rebate. till then, i'm holding off

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: John P.
You won't like the XT, too small of a body. If you have cash get the 30D. If you want to save a few bucks buy a used 20D. I own a Canon Digital Rebel 300D and would LOVE to have a 30D!!

You can get tons of camera info/opinions and buy used stuff here:

Fred Miranda photography site and forums

I've got a 20D and would love the 30D for the spot meter but somehow I doubt a novice would even touch that feature. He's probably better off getting a beater camera to learn on. I would recommend getting high quality lenses though because those you can transfer plus they retain their value a lot better in the event you want to sell them. I would start with the EF 50mm f/1.4. You can't go wrong with that lens.

 

[sohcrates]

i've found with my original rebel (eos 300d) that it's "technology" lifespan has come up well before it's shutter has died. i've been using it for over 3 years now and it has nary failed on me, yet there have been about 6-8 new canon models released since i bought it (xt, 20d, 30d, etc). Now i feel out of place using it, but it still gives me great pics

My advice is that if $1200 going to waste is a problem, you can get a brand new rebel XT for about $500-600 (1/2 the cost of a 30d) and it'll provide a great learning curve. once you've mastered it, you can move on, and in the meantime you can use the extra cash for lenses, such as the 50mm 1.8 (cheap and awesome).

i really doubt as a novice you will miss any of the 20/30d features. the XT is surprisingly powerful.

 

[John P]

i really doubt as a novice you will miss any of the 20/30d features. the XT is surprisingly powerful.

If anyone plans on using the camera for sports at all I would recommend going with the 20D/30D right away.

Here is a recent thread at FredMiranda.com on the "Sports Corner" forum about a guy upgrading from a 10D - lots of recommendations and good info on the 20D/30D:

Linky

 

[WillyF1uhm1]

envy me, if you are really new at photography, I'll second sohcrates opinion, to begin with a less expensive Canon. say a 350D, and spend the extra money on lenses and other accesoires.

I started with a 300D and kitlens (which was priced at 800 euros, new, 2 years ago) and have spend approximately 1500 euros since on lenses, filters and other accessoires.
In that 2 years I still haven't used all possible features of my 300D . But I did learn, what kind of pictures I do like to take.

Current equipment:
Eos-1, Eos 300D, Canon EF-S 18-55mm, Canon EF 50mm 1.8, Canon EF 28-105mm 3.5-4.5, Canon EF 75-300mm 4-5.6, Sigma 70-200 2.8, 550 EX flash, B&W Polarisation filters (58 mm & 77 mm).

 

[edro]

Wow... only 100,000. That seems really low to me. I have had my Digital Rebel 300D for about 3 years now and I am up to 30,000. I guess that isn't too bad. 9+ years is a good lifespan for electronics now days.

I have the 5 year replacement plan from Best Buy on mine though.

 

[ultimatebob]

Has anyone here ever have a shutter go bad on their DSLR? I've never heard about this being a major problem before.

Also, I think that the 30D is overkill for someone who's new to photography. I'd get a Rebel XT instead, so you'll be able to reuse your lenses if you ever outgrow the camera.

 

[aceO07]

I suggest you explore the threads and ask questions on photography forums first. www.dpreview.com www.dpchallenge www.fredmiranda.com and whatever else is out there.

Regarding the shutter life, it isn't hard set to 100k. It can fail at any time, though hopefully not under 20-50k. It can also go well beyond 100k clicks. Just go and enjoy it. 100k is going to last a long long while. Imagine if you were using film rolls of 24, 100k clicks would take over 4k rolls of film.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Has anyone here ever have a shutter go bad on their DSLR? I've never heard about this being a major problem before.

Also, I think that the 30D is overkill for someone who's new to photography. I'd get a Rebel XT instead, so you'll be able to reuse your lenses if you ever outgrow the camera.

Yup, the dpreview forums had a few people with failed shutters when I was more active there during the first year I got my 300D. I don't think it was as bad as it seemed.

I think if he's really interested and dedicated to learning and doing photography, it shouldn't be an issue to get a better camera to start. Not to say that the 300D or 350D/XT is not good. My main issue with the XT is that it's much smaller and lighter than the 300D, 10D, 20D, 30D... With the Canon 17-40L lens on my 300D, it doesn't feel balanced. I don't remember how it felt on the XT. The 17-40L seems to feel better on a friend's 10D, though much heavier.

Whatever you end up getting, just learn and don't leave the camera on auto modes.