Advantages of keeping old camera ?

[kunaldaswani]

Dear all,

Sorry to keep posting like this but im really confused. If your ready for a lot of questions please read on.

1) Should i upgrade from a Powershot s3 is to a DSLR? Why? Which one? I have got my heart set on the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. What lens should i buy? I have no clue. I want good zoom atleast 12X.

2) What do i do with the powershot S3? Sell it? Keep it? Why?

3) Will be traveling to Singapore soon, any idea where i can get a good deal for the DSLR? Can i sell the powershot there?

4) Should i wait i get a good deal on a refurbished camera or should i just buy a new one?

Sorry for all the questions, but whatever answers i can get will defintly help! you have no idea how much this is running on my mind. Not able to concentrate on work even!

[Christa]

I hear ya on the whole thought process. Just thinking of getting a new camera keeps me up at night too.

I think a lot of your questions are subjective. Do you think you would use your old digital if you get a DSLR. For me the answer would be yes but I have specialized equipment for my Sony P/C. I have a marine pack which as previously mentioned overfits my P/C and lets me swim with my digital camera or play in the snow with the kiddos and not be worried. I couldn't do this with a DSLR.

If you have your heart set in the Canon then go to a local photography store and handle it if you haven't already. See how it feels in your hand and how easy it is to work through the features. I like checking out epinions.com whenever I do a purchase.

Here is the page for yourself http://www.epinions.com/Canon_Digital_Rebel_XT_18_55mm_Digital_Camera/display_~reviews

Personally I wouldn't buy a camera overseas unless of course the deal was sweet. I like the idea that I can return if it doesn't meet my expectations or if are pixels damaged on the LCD screen which I power it up.

Personally I don't like refurbished items as well. The whole idea behind a refurbished product is flawed to me. That an item had glitches after mass production, gets sent back to the factory, receives modifications and is sold cheaper than the original but should work as previously expected. When it comes to major purchases I would rather wait for a Demo sale or an Open Box but that's just me or I will buy used from a person who appears to have handled it with care.


I don't know enough about lenses or flashes or equipment to suggest but I am sure the pros here will.

[smc1377]

Just a few thoughts.

I have no problems with refurbished electronics as long as the "refurbishing" was done by the manufacturer. They'll usually come with the same warranty as something that was purchased brand new. There are shady operations that sell "refurbished" items that were refurbished in-house to low standards.

As to the 12x comment, all the 12x means is that the zoom is 12 times closer than the widest angle shot. It has NOTHING to do with the actual magnification of an object. Meaning, an 18-55mm lens is technically a 3x zoom lens because 55 divided by 18 roughly equals 3. A 75-300mm lens is technically a 4x lens because 300 divided by 75 equals 4.

See my posts in the following thread for a better explanation.

http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=963

I always keep my old digital cameras. It's nice to have a backup camera and also, it's nice to have a point and shoot camera laying around when you don't want to look like a complete dork cause you brought a DSLR camera to a night out. Not only that, but my daughter (21 month old) loves taking pictures with my older cameras. Sure, she drops them every once in awhile, but they're well built and it keeps her entertained for hours!

[hitkaiser]

Mr Daswani, please go ahead and buy the XTi

It won't disappoint. I would buy it new (which I did), this camera is going to last for years, might as well make sure you get a good copy.

Lens? Well this depends... if you are short on cash ge the bundled 18-55 kit lens... Sometimes you can get a 17-85 USM IS bundled, this one is much better and I wish I had gotten that instead ! And if you have a tiny bit more of cash to spend, grab a yourself a 50mm f.18, here is a few sample shots from this lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hitkaiser/sets/72157594574303930/


In any case, dont go cheap on things, its a big investment which you can build over time, so don't rush!

With the S3... keep it or give it to someone in the family : ) I keep my old P&S and hardly ever use it... but the time comes when Im glad i stil lhave it as using an slr wouldnt be convinient e.g. concert or when im not carrying a bag


Hope this helps..

[kunaldaswani]

Mr Daswani, please go ahead and buy the XTi

It won't disappoint. I would buy it new (which I did), this camera is going to last for years, might as well make sure you get a good copy.

Lens? Well this depends... if you are short on cash ge the bundled 18-55 kit lens... Sometimes you can get a 17-85 USM IS bundled, this one is much better and I wish I had gotten that instead ! And if you have a tiny bit more of cash to spend, grab a yourself a 50mm f.18, here is a few sample shots from this lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hitkaiser/sets/72157594574303930/


In any case, dont go cheap on things, its a big investment which you can build over time, so don't rush!

With the S3... keep it or give it to someone in the family : ) I keep my old P&S and hardly ever use it... but the time comes when Im glad i stil lhave it as using an slr wouldnt be convinient e.g. concert or when im not carrying a bag


Hope this helps..

Yes it helps! Exactly what i wanted to hear! thanks ! :)