Monday, December 1, 2003
I'm in Love With a Rebel, and Her Name is EOS
Posted by Jason Dunn in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 10:00 AM
Long-time PPCT readers will know that I have a digital media bug (video, audio, and photography), and I'm constantly hunting for the best gear I can get my hands on (without re-mortgaging my house that is). I enjoy carrying digital pictures with me on my Pocket PC, and using Pocket PC software to work with digital photos. I'd like to introduce you to a camera that I purchased recently, and why it's so dear to me: the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. :ppclove:
If you're not familiar with my lusting for this camera, go read this first. So, did it live up to my expectations? It surpassed them! After shooting purely with digital cameras since 1999 (with a then "cutting-edge" Kodak DC-265 :lol:), I had adapted my shooting style to make up for the one of the biggest limitations of mid-range digital cameras: shutter lag...
Speed, Speed, Speed
I had gotten used to holding down the button halfway for minutes at a time, anticipating the moment, and trying to get people to hold poses and smiles so I could capture them. When I picked up the EOS Digital Rebel and snapped a picture, I nearly fell over in shock. The camera actually took the picture exactly at the moment I wanted it to! 8O You might not think that's a big deal, but every digital camera I've ever owned has always had a lag between pressing the button and taking the picture, and however slight, it can really throw off the moment. The Rebel's rapid autofocus and instant shutter speed make taking pictures a delight. I forgot how much I enjoyed the speed of 35mm photography! I no longer have to regret that aspect of digital photography - the Rebel gives me exactly what I need.
Speed in photography isn't just about pressing the shutter - being able to take shots in rapid succession is also critical. The Rebel surprised me here too - I can easily take one picture a second, with a flash each time, for four seconds in a row before needing to pause to let the first photo get written from the buffer. That pause only needs to be about 1-2 seconds, and then I can start shooting again. Nice!
Quality & Richness of Tone
Beyond that, the Rebel excels in every other area that's important to me: colour trueness, low noise level, and a solid 6.3 megapixels of information (nice, big prints!), capable of capturing impressive levels of detail. So what level of detail am I talking about? Check this out 8O (the image has been cropped). I'm not a professional photographer, but I've found the colour cast of the images it takes to be wonderful - very true to life, rich tones, but not over-saturated and fake looking like some digital images. In fact, of all the cameras I've owned, the images that come off the Rebel are closest to 35mm tones. Which, I suspect, is the whole point. :D Of course, it has taken some time for me to adjust - somehow the tones look "wrong" because I'm so used to a more "digital" image. Full circle indeed!
Size & Battery Life
The size is something I'm still trying to get used to - it's a big camera. When I'm used to slipping a small S-series Canon into my pocket for most occasions, this was a big adjustment while I was walking around Las Vegas. I also purchased an add-on bundle that gave me a 55-200mm lens, and never having owned a lens that big, I'm still getting used to that. :-) Having the interchangeable lenses is both a blessing and a curse - it's great to be able to snap on a telephoto lens and get closer to the action, but all of a sudden I need much bigger bag to handle all that great. Even the mighty Podzilla isn't big enough for the Rebel, my external Flash, and my big lens. It might be time to drop an email to my good friends at Roadwired...
The battery life on this camera is simply awesome - I shot over 1300 photos in a span of four days (not all of them with a flash of course), and I only needed to recharge the camera battery once. I purchased an extra battery just to be sure, and it takes the same type of battery as my Canon G2, so I now have three batteries and 2 gigs of CompactFlash storage (1 GB x 1, 512 MB x 2). I'm loaded to bear - just point me at an event and I'll start snapping! :lol:
Specifications
This camera falls firmly into the prosumer range in terms of specifications. There are cameras out there that trump it in terms of resolution and manual control features, but for someone like me who loves photography but doesn't earn a living from it, this camera is a good blend of performance and value. Some of the quick specs:
6.30 Megapixel Digital SLR, 3072 x 2048 resolution images
EF-S 18 - 55mm Lens (28-90 mm 35mm equiv.)
1.8 inch TFT LCD, 118k Pixels
Auto Pop-up E-TTL autoflash
ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Enhanced 7-point AutoFocus
JPEG and RAW Image Formats
Rechargeable LiIon Battery
PictBridge Direct Printing
1 Year Manufacturer Warranty
If you're interested in reading the most thorough review I've ever read on this camera, go take a look at this dpreview.com article. I can't begin to match a review like that, so this quick glimpse at my experience with the camera is meant to be anecdotal in nature. The dpreview.com article has all the gory technical details, and much of it is over my head. :worried: I just know that I love this camera, and for the first time since using my original Rebel 35mm camera, I feel like I'm not making any compromises by shooting digital. That's a nice feeling to have!
Where to Buy
The price point of the Rebel is simply amazing - I paid $1300 CAN for my Canon G2 a little over a year ago, and for only $300 CAN more you can buy a Rebel from a local store - not that I did mind you, because it was cheaper for me to order it when I was in the US. :wink: The Rebel's MSRP is $999 USD for the camera plus a 18-55mm lens, or $899 for the camera body alone. It's a no-brainer to get the body+lens package, because the lens is worth far more than $99 USD alone. Interested in buying a Rebel Digital EOS? State Street Direct [Affiliate] has competitive pricing, and you'll be supporting this site if you buy from them.
And That's a Wrap!
I sound like a giddy school girl whenever I talk about my Rebel - I haven't been this pleased with a purchase I've made in a very long time. I've taken it with me to show to my friends when I go out, which is something I'd normally only do with Pocket PCs. :roll: If you've ever wanted to step up to a prosumer-level camera, I heartily recommend the Canon Digital Rebel EOS - it's one of the best technology purchases I've ever made.
If you're not familiar with my lusting for this camera, go read this first. So, did it live up to my expectations? It surpassed them! After shooting purely with digital cameras since 1999 (with a then "cutting-edge" Kodak DC-265 :lol:), I had adapted my shooting style to make up for the one of the biggest limitations of mid-range digital cameras: shutter lag...
Speed, Speed, Speed
I had gotten used to holding down the button halfway for minutes at a time, anticipating the moment, and trying to get people to hold poses and smiles so I could capture them. When I picked up the EOS Digital Rebel and snapped a picture, I nearly fell over in shock. The camera actually took the picture exactly at the moment I wanted it to! 8O You might not think that's a big deal, but every digital camera I've ever owned has always had a lag between pressing the button and taking the picture, and however slight, it can really throw off the moment. The Rebel's rapid autofocus and instant shutter speed make taking pictures a delight. I forgot how much I enjoyed the speed of 35mm photography! I no longer have to regret that aspect of digital photography - the Rebel gives me exactly what I need.
Speed in photography isn't just about pressing the shutter - being able to take shots in rapid succession is also critical. The Rebel surprised me here too - I can easily take one picture a second, with a flash each time, for four seconds in a row before needing to pause to let the first photo get written from the buffer. That pause only needs to be about 1-2 seconds, and then I can start shooting again. Nice!
Quality & Richness of Tone
Beyond that, the Rebel excels in every other area that's important to me: colour trueness, low noise level, and a solid 6.3 megapixels of information (nice, big prints!), capable of capturing impressive levels of detail. So what level of detail am I talking about? Check this out 8O (the image has been cropped). I'm not a professional photographer, but I've found the colour cast of the images it takes to be wonderful - very true to life, rich tones, but not over-saturated and fake looking like some digital images. In fact, of all the cameras I've owned, the images that come off the Rebel are closest to 35mm tones. Which, I suspect, is the whole point. :D Of course, it has taken some time for me to adjust - somehow the tones look "wrong" because I'm so used to a more "digital" image. Full circle indeed!
Size & Battery Life
The size is something I'm still trying to get used to - it's a big camera. When I'm used to slipping a small S-series Canon into my pocket for most occasions, this was a big adjustment while I was walking around Las Vegas. I also purchased an add-on bundle that gave me a 55-200mm lens, and never having owned a lens that big, I'm still getting used to that. :-) Having the interchangeable lenses is both a blessing and a curse - it's great to be able to snap on a telephoto lens and get closer to the action, but all of a sudden I need much bigger bag to handle all that great. Even the mighty Podzilla isn't big enough for the Rebel, my external Flash, and my big lens. It might be time to drop an email to my good friends at Roadwired...
The battery life on this camera is simply awesome - I shot over 1300 photos in a span of four days (not all of them with a flash of course), and I only needed to recharge the camera battery once. I purchased an extra battery just to be sure, and it takes the same type of battery as my Canon G2, so I now have three batteries and 2 gigs of CompactFlash storage (1 GB x 1, 512 MB x 2). I'm loaded to bear - just point me at an event and I'll start snapping! :lol:
Specifications
This camera falls firmly into the prosumer range in terms of specifications. There are cameras out there that trump it in terms of resolution and manual control features, but for someone like me who loves photography but doesn't earn a living from it, this camera is a good blend of performance and value. Some of the quick specs:
6.30 Megapixel Digital SLR, 3072 x 2048 resolution images
EF-S 18 - 55mm Lens (28-90 mm 35mm equiv.)
1.8 inch TFT LCD, 118k Pixels
Auto Pop-up E-TTL autoflash
ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Enhanced 7-point AutoFocus
JPEG and RAW Image Formats
Rechargeable LiIon Battery
PictBridge Direct Printing
1 Year Manufacturer Warranty
If you're interested in reading the most thorough review I've ever read on this camera, go take a look at this dpreview.com article. I can't begin to match a review like that, so this quick glimpse at my experience with the camera is meant to be anecdotal in nature. The dpreview.com article has all the gory technical details, and much of it is over my head. :worried: I just know that I love this camera, and for the first time since using my original Rebel 35mm camera, I feel like I'm not making any compromises by shooting digital. That's a nice feeling to have!
Where to Buy
The price point of the Rebel is simply amazing - I paid $1300 CAN for my Canon G2 a little over a year ago, and for only $300 CAN more you can buy a Rebel from a local store - not that I did mind you, because it was cheaper for me to order it when I was in the US. :wink: The Rebel's MSRP is $999 USD for the camera plus a 18-55mm lens, or $899 for the camera body alone. It's a no-brainer to get the body+lens package, because the lens is worth far more than $99 USD alone. Interested in buying a Rebel Digital EOS? State Street Direct [Affiliate] has competitive pricing, and you'll be supporting this site if you buy from them.
And That's a Wrap!
I sound like a giddy school girl whenever I talk about my Rebel - I haven't been this pleased with a purchase I've made in a very long time. I've taken it with me to show to my friends when I go out, which is something I'd normally only do with Pocket PCs. :roll: If you've ever wanted to step up to a prosumer-level camera, I heartily recommend the Canon Digital Rebel EOS - it's one of the best technology purchases I've ever made.
