Bought a new camera today.

[Captain Kilowatt]

Well I finally moved into the digital camera age today. I have long owned a Canon AE-1 film type 35mm SLR that takes fantastic pictures but the time has come to move on. My wife has owned a small point-and-shoot digital for a couple years.Today I went into an electronics/home entertainment business that is closing up.I picked up a Canon EOS Rebel XSi with 12.2 mega pixels and an 18-55mm lens and several small accessories. I also got a great deal on a Tamron 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens. : Altogether the gear would have cost around $1300 before taxes but I got it for $868 including taxes.The only catch is that I have to wait until Monday for it to arrive from another outlet. Oh well, I waited several years I guess a couple more days won't kill me. :headbang

 

[Robb]

I have and use an XTi for storm chasing/reporting for the NOAA.
The Tamron lens is a very good choice; but you may be disappointed with the stock 18-55 lens. They tend to add a nasty yellow hue, and feel a little cheap. I'm no pro; but a lot of fellow storm chasers are pros and I've learned a great deal in a short time with them. You may want to get a better lens for the close-range shots - if you are going to do some good work.

It's a great camera - one that I'm sure you will enjoy as much as I do with mine. The really nice thing about digital cameras is the ability to affect you shots with software. Paint Shop Pro is very inexpensive and can do wonders. If you want to get very technical and precise with a LOT more capabilities, then PhotoShop is undisputed number one. But - you will have to study it A GREAT DEAL to make it work for you. The cost of that software is OUTRAGEOUS - but so are the results. Paint Shop Pro is a great trade-off; I recommend it...

 

[W5LZ]

AH, Yes! Another camera 'junky'!
Welcome to the group. You want a number, or will you be satisfied with a general membership card?
I do think you have good taste in brands. I like Canons. Had an 'A-1' a long time ago, worst mistake I ever made when it 'left'. Did the typical 'digital' route thingy, as in cheapest I could find. Ended up with a Sony for years till it finally died. I've been proud of myself in passing the camera displays and not stopping! Broke down a couple of weeks ago, I swear, I'll never do it again (till I get the urge)!
Got a Canon 'Power Shot' XS10IS. Oh SPIT! This things does some nice stuff! Be careful with the zoom, it can give you a black eye if you really crank it too fast. Dang! I can see ear-wax at 50 feet! And without getting any further out on that 'limb', I gotta say I'm happy with it. Got me a bag to put it in, even a polarizer filter (makes it easier to peek through windows you know). In the slooooow process of figuring out what all them do-dads are for, now. Only complaint is that @#$ lens cap, not the easiest to use, very easy to loose. New cap with the filter so who cares. Probably other complaints about stuff when I can't figure out what they do, one'a them 'give a spit' thingys, who cares. Ain't had this much fun since the pigs tried to eat my baby brother...
- 'Doc

(Know about that waiting thingy. They didn't tell me you had to have a memory stick for the thing. Hardest time finishing that day at work to go get one. Terrible, ain't it?)

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I'm sure it will take some time getting used to that's for sure. As far as photography goes, I am far from a professional but I am fairly good at it. I wanted a nice camera that I can actually do things with as opposed to simply point and shoot and take what I get and edit with software later.There are somethings that software just will not do. Thanks for the reminder about the polarizer Doc. That is the one thing I wanted and also the one think I forgot to ask about. :headbang That's what I get for shopping after coming home this morning after working the night shift and not sleeping. I have one on my Sigma 28-70mm lens I use with the AE-1 and love it. It works wonders at the beach.It allows you to see the bottom of the water and makes for some great effects as well as enhancing colours by eliminating glare. I also have a Vivatar 70-200mm lens for it as well.The camera will accept up to 16Gb of regular SD or SDHC memory so that should make for one pile of pictures. this is the first model of the rebel series to use regular SD memory rather then the more expensive compact flash drives.The only thing I did not like about it was the weight. It feels really light compared to my AE-1 and it's lenses but then again everything today is made of plastics wheareas the AE-1 is a steel body and the lenses are aluminum/steel as well. All I can say is "Come on Monday!"

 

[Robb]

For digital stuff, you will need to get a circular polarizer. I bought a Promaster (re-boxed Hoya - I believe) that works very well. The best are made by B&W and cost a mint - as camera stuff goes.

I have a 10-22mm Canon ultra-wide angle (works out to 16-35mm with 'crop factor') for storm photography and a Canon 50mm f/1.4 for distant shots. I never use the stock lens, and have no need for a zoom with the focal range of your Tamron.

One must remember that crop factor will affect your focal range, and only the high-end very expensive cameras aren't compromised with it. So - a 50mm lens will need to be multiplied by the camera's crop factor ("1.6 field of view crop factor') which yields a 80mm actual photo - as an example...

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I knew about the 1.5 or 1.6:1 factor on the focal length of the lenses.Just something to keep in mind. What do you mean by needing a circular polarizer for a digital camera? What's the differance? I thought all polarizers were linear.

Never mind. I found this:

"The Circular Polarizer Filter provides the same filter effects as a Linear Polarizer, but is designed to work with auto focus cameras with beam splitting metering. The Circular Polarizer has linear polarizer construction plus a built-in "Wave Retardant" to ensure proper exposure. The linear element polarizes the light, and the wave retardant de-polarizes it, and then the beam-splitting meter polarizes the light again for proper exposure. "

​

 

[Beetle]

I have a Canon T70, about 25 years old, maybe a little less, with a group of lenses that seem to work just fine with the old camera.

Question: will these lenses work well, or at all, with something like QRN's new camera? If I moved into the 21th (21nd?) century photographically-wise, could I attach such a lens to a digital camera and expect decent results?

 

[Robb]

The lens connection on new digital cameras aren't the same as the film cameras. For this reason, the price of the film camera bodies and lenses has fallen sharply. The digital cameras offer great resolution and instant developing; but film cameras can do things that digitals can't. But most people buy and use the new digitals because of instant gratification and digital processing effects that run circles around film. If you aren't interested in digital processing, be happy with the film camera...

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I have a Canon T70, about 25 years old, maybe a little less, with a group of lenses that seem to work just fine with the old camera.

Question: will these lenses work well, or at all, with something like QRN's new camera? If I moved into the 21th (21nd?) century photographically-wise, could I attach such a lens to a digital camera and expect decent results?

I have heard it both ways on that issue Pat. I have been told that the old lenses will not work in auto-focus mode as there is no builtin motor to adjust the lense. I was also told that they would work in manual focus mode on some but not all cameras. I'll have to check that out when it arrives as I also have some nice lenses for my AE-1 film camera.

 

[Beetle]

Thanks, Rob and Garth. Guess I'll have to ask the guy at the camera store if/when I decide to make the jump.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

The lens connection on new digital cameras aren't the same as the film cameras.

Not that I doubted you Ron but I had conflicting info from a couple differant dealers. You are right,the old lenses will not mount on the new cameras at all. I finally got my new camera and lens today however it was missing the battery charger. A new one is on the way and i will have it Monday or Tuesday. I now have a camera that I can't even power up because the battery is dead and aI have no charger.:headbang Oh well,just to make myself feel better I went and bought a pair of polarisers and UV filters. One each for the stock lens and the Tamron lens. Jeesh this photography stuff is almost as expensive as amateur radio.

 

[Robb]

Yeah, that's about right...
It's a question of how deep you get into either - I guess...

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Well I finally have the battery and charger for my new camera. All I can say is "WTF was I thinking?" :headbang Give me a Nautel Q-20, 20 Kw FM broadcast transmitter and I'll put it together and have it on the air in about eight hours despite the fact it arrives on three pallets. Give me a new fangled digital Canon Rebel XSi camera and I am lost. Sooooo much to learn and so little patience for waiting until I learn. Oh well that's what the DELETE IMAGE button is for.

 

[HomerBB]

Hey, I've got one that looks like a fountain pen, but i can't find the zoom part. I can sign my bills with it. Pretty cool, huh?

Aw, forget it. I'm just jealous.