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///Milien · Dec 5, 2003, 12:09 AM

I currently have a Canon PowerShot G5 as my digital camera. I replaced my Nikon Coolpix 5400 with the Canon. I am not a professional photographer, but love snapping photos as a hobby. I am interested in refining my skills though.

Here's a photo I took while in Vegas:

The delimma I having is which camera should I choose. I have the chance of returning my PowerShot G5 and getting the Canon Digital EOS. I know they are two different cameras and price range. Which one would you choose and why?

Thanks.

anaphora68 · Dec 5, 2003, 12:25 AM

I upgraded from a digital point and shoot to an EOS 10D, which is a slightly beefed up version of the rebel. There are a lot of considerations before upgrading to a D-SLR.

First off, how serious are you about photography and about learning? You need to invest some serious time into learning how to use the camera and photographic theory to get the most out of the camera.

Second, how much are you willing to spend on lenses? The kit lens is OK, but it's not great. For a few hundred dollars more you can buy some really nice lenses, like the 50/1.8 or the 24-135 IS.

Third, you might need to post-process some of the images out of the camera, espcially if you shoot in RAW.

The camera is well worth it, I've loved shooting with mine every second I have owned it. I am trying to save up for a new lens.

Eug Wanker · Dec 5, 2003, 01:09 AM

The Digital Rebel is pretty basic feature-wise. If you're a serious amateur, you may grow out of it quickly.

If you just want something a little better than the G5, it'll be great, but only if you spend the $$$ on the lenses. But if you're gonna spend the money on the lenses, then you may as well get something like the 10D.

By the way, I have a G2, and an ancient Rebel SII film camera, as well as some other film cameras.

anaphora68 · Dec 5, 2003, 01:15 AM

The missing features are minimal. The biggest thing with an SLR is will it let you do manual. For the average photographer, the feature set on a digital rebel is more than sufficient.

My main beef with it is that there is no dial in the back, I've gotten too used to it to let it go.

I would push for the rebel at this point because you can invest in a better lens.

You're better off, and this comes from every pro i have spoken to, buying better lenses in the beginning. Camera bodies come and go, but a good lens will last you a pretty damn long time.

///Milien · Dec 5, 2003, 08:57 AM

Thank you everyone for your input. I was using my G5 last night taking shots of the first snowfall this season (near DC) and finding myself wanting the SLR. The G5 is great but it is definitely designed for point-and-shoot with a little more features.

I will be picking up the D-SLR this weekend.

anaphora68 · Dec 5, 2003, 10:01 AM

Let us know which one you decide on.

///Milien · Dec 6, 2003, 12:16 PM

I finally ventured out yesterday and traded the G5 in for the Digital Rebel SLR and what can I say - OMG. The Rebel has a nice weight to it; whcih I like since my hand doesn't shake as much. The Sport Mode shooting is great, about 4 shots consecutively. The lense that came with the camera is good and I do see myself getting a new lense soon and possibly a speedflash.

Thanks again to everyone for their input.

Eug · Dec 6, 2003, 01:49 PM

Originally posted by anaphora68:
The missing features are minimal. The biggest thing with an SLR is will it let you do manual. For the average photographer, the feature set on a digital rebel is more than sufficient.

Depends on what you mean by "manual", since the G5 has lots of manual settings. eg. Exposure compensation, shutter priority, aperture priority, spot metering, flash exposure compensation, etc. In fact some features on the G5 aren't present on the Digital Rebel, and when you're looking for higher end manual settings and features found on the 10D, they're missing on the Digital Rebel.

But for plain picture quality, the Digital Rebel will be much better than the G5. Canon does very well with its CMOS sensor. And just the fact that it's a SLR in the first place is a big bonus for flexibility.

As for me, I will likely buy the replacement for the EOS 10D when it released.

anaphora68 · Dec 6, 2003, 05:46 PM

Look, honestly, if you can set the aperture and shutter speed on the camrea that's all you need for manual control. The rebel does it, so does the 10D. The features on the 10D are only useful if you use them. I have to admit had the rebel been out I might have bought that instead, the money I would have saved on the purchase would have been a 17-40 F/4 L lens.

Right now I couldn't see myself going down to the rebel, I've gotten used to the features of the camera and I like the look and feel of it.

But hell, for film I use a Contax RTS from 1973. You can have all the advanced manual and auto options you want, but if you don't know what they do or understand what they do it's almost pointless.