Canon EOS 600D

[Sheesh]

Hello,

I need some help guys!!! I'm in the process of updating to a DSLR. My first DSLR in fact!!! I'll be moving up from a Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.

I'm looking at a Canon EOS 600D twin lens kit. I want to know what your experiences with it has been like and would or would you not recommend it.

I'm not a professional and so the camera will be just used for my purpose and that of my family. So things like portraits, landscapes and macro will be the main pictures been taken. But with a price like it is I want room to grow!
Thanks
Sheesh

[inkista]

I do this to every newbie who posts the 'what camera do I buy?' question, so don't freak, but you do understand that moving to a dSLR is not really a straightforward upgrade, and a lot more expensive, right?

The first things to figure out are what do you plan on shooting with your gear? The Canon 600D is a great first dSLR and the Canon system is widely capable and if you're not sure what you want to shoot, then Canon or Nikon are probably the safest choices. But if you plan to do some kinds of specialized shooting, another system might be a better fit.

What you want to shoot and how much you want to spend are generally going to determine which cameras are likely to be the best candidates for you. This isn't about finding the best camera ever. It's about finding the best fit for you and what you shoot. And your budget.

The 18-55 IS/55-250 IS twin lens kit is a good low cost way to cover a large zoom range, but if you're serious about telephoto photography, the chances are good you'll eventually want to move to a better lenses for both your walkaround and the telephoto zoom. However, you do need experience with dSLR lenses before you'll be able to know what it is you actually want to upgrade to. Many would disagree with me on this, though.

[Sheesh]

Wow so many things to think about!!
Manily what I'd be taking pictures of is my family. So portriats and the family snaps. To spice those shots up I want to get that blury background you get with the lenses. That's somthing I can't get on my P&S.
But landscapes and macro which I enjoy also, would be something I'd like to do as well. Sky's and sunsets don't really work on my P&S as it can't handle all the different colours of blue's or pinks at once and so the picture looks dull.

Is the Auto mode of this camera good enough to stay on while I slowly learn the ropes? Will that be able to do what I want before I jump into Manual and drown!!?! Or maybe there's a camera out there that will do the blury background, without the whole DSLR thing!

[inkista]

Originally Posted by Sheesh

Wow so many things to think about!!

Yup. As I said, change of paradigm more than an upgrade.

Manily what I'd be taking pictures of is my family. So portriats and the family snaps. To spice those shots up I want to get that blury background you get with the lenses. That's somthing I can't get on my P&S.

Ok, neither of those lenses in the twin lens kit is going to be great at that. You might want to throw the EF 50mm f/1.8 II on the pile, too, if you're on a budget. That's the one I'll usually toss in to make the "training wheels triple." It's all about maximum aperture and controlling your focus.

What you have to understand is that the reason the background blurs is because it's out of focus. With a dSLR you can get anything out of focus. P&S cameras for the most part can't, so you've never had to worry about focusing before. But with a dSLR, that's another skill you're going to have to pick up.

But landscapes and macro which I enjoy also, would be something I'd like to do as well.

Macro may have to wait until you can get a macro lens or figure out if you want to try some of the poor man's macro techniques like extension tubes or lens reversal. I'd keep the P&S camera for this type of shooting for a while at least.

Sky's and sunsets don't really work on my P&S as it can't handle all the different colours of blue's or pinks at once and so the picture looks dull.

Hate to tellya, but that's not going to change a whole helluva lot with a dSLR. Dynamic range and extending it are more in the domain of post-processing as well. A lot of us use a lot of tricks and techniques and gear to do this: graduated ND filters, post-processing, HDR, exposure fusing etc. And you can do the same thing with P&S shots, too. While a dSLR has a little more dynamic range than a P&S, it won't mean not struggling with sunset shots, either.

Is the Auto mode of this camera good enough to stay on while I slowly learn the ropes? Will that be able to do what I want before I jump into Manual and drown!!?!

The worst that can happen in Manual mode is that you get a black frame or a white one and you don't know why. This is what EXIF is for. But yes, you can use the Auto mode (or better yet, the P mode) to help you out until you find your feet. Most of us continue to use an automated form of one kind or another. You don't have to end up shooting in full Manual all the time. You just need to know how to use it when you need it. I probably do 80% of my shooting in aperture-priority mode.

Or maybe there's a camera out there that will do the blury background, without the whole DSLR thing!

You could also look into mirrorless compacts, like the micro four-thirds, Sony NEX, or Samsung NX cameras. But they cost about the same as dSLRs and have fewer lenses.

You may also want to look into some of the higher-end "enthusiast" compacts, like the Canon S95, the Olympux XZ-1, or Panasonic LX5. They're not as nice as dSLRs in blurring out the background (still with small sensors), but they do open up wider than your average P&S camera, to f/2 and f/1.8 at the wide end, so you have a fighting chance at getting some background blur. And they shoot RAW files, so you'll have more latitude in post-processing.

You do want to think about post-processing software as well. While something like iPhoto or Picasa are good to start with, if you want to do more complex processing, a lot of us eventually move to something like Lightroom or Photoshop. There are open source packages that do similar things, so you don't have to drop a ton of money on Adobe, but you're going to want a package that at least lets you do Curves adjustments.

[pkguptabhu]

I am also a user of Canon powershot SX20IS, My problem is shooting at slow shutter speed. In the night even with widest aperture at shutter speed of 2-5 seconds the view is dark . increasing ISO to 1600 (maximum with my camera) gives satisfacoty exposure but noise is too much. Another problem I face is while taking picture of water falls during day light, at speed of less than 0.5 seconds, even with most nerrow aperture of my camera which is F8 the wiew is too bright.
Can these problem be solved by Canon EOS600D? Please help.

P K Gupta

Originally Posted by Sheesh

Wow so many things to think about!!
Manily what I'd be taking pictures of is my family. So portriats and the family snaps. To spice those shots up I want to get that blury background you get with the lenses. That's somthing I can't get on my P&S.
But landscapes and macro which I enjoy also, would be something I'd like to do as well. Sky's and sunsets don't really work on my P&S as it can't handle all the different colours of blue's or pinks at once and so the picture looks dull.

Is the Auto mode of this camera good enough to stay on while I slowly learn the ropes? Will that be able to do what I want before I jump into Manual and drown!!?! Or maybe there's a camera out there that will do the blury background, without the whole DSLR thing!

[RovingLenses]

Originally Posted by pkguptabhu

In the night even with widest aperture at shutter speed of 2-5 seconds the view is dark . increasing ISO to 1600 (maximum with my camera) gives satisfacoty exposure but noise is too much.

This is the case even with DSLRs. While the amount of noise may be lesser than your P&S, there will be noise at higher ISOs, never the less. However, running the pics through a noise reduction program (like the built in on in LR or Noise Ninja) does help reduce the noise in the picture.

Originally Posted by pkguptabhu

Another problem I face is while taking picture of water falls during day light, at speed of less than 0.5 seconds, even with most nerrow aperture of my camera which is F8 the wiew is too bright.
Can these problem be solved by Canon EOS600D? Please help.

P K Gupta

A 0.5 exposure at f/8 during day time is quite high. I'm guessing you are trying to get the smooth flow effect on the water falls. If f/8 is the smallest aperture your P&S will shoot in, then that's about the best you can do.

This problem will be solved (to an extent) with the DSLR. Most lenses (atleast the kit lens) come with a min aperture of f/22. This will let you use slower shutter speeds. If still not sufficient, you can always get ND filters to cut down more light.

Before you make a decision, I recommend reading inkista's - "a dSLR is not a P&S upgrade" lecture 101. It's easy to get attracted and sucked into the world of DSLRs. You wanna be sure that you know what you are getting into before you dive into it.


Hope this helps.


~ AC

[RichardTaylor]

@ pkguptabhu

Low light shooting.
Shoot at a lower ISO and slower shutter speed.
You may need a tripod.

For the waterfalls, use a neutral density filter on the front of the lens.
It will reduce the light entering the lens and allow for a longer exposure.

Most DSLRs the with the right lenses, and attachments (like filters) can be configured to be the almost perfect camera for most shooting situations.
The Canon 600D, except possibly for sports, is one of them.

-------------------------
Even a good P&S may meet your needs for long exposure night shots and waterfalls.


These were taken with a Canon G11 P&S camera and a tripod and remote release.
(1)

Camera Canon PowerShot G11
Exposure 8
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 6.1 mm
ISO Speed 80
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

(2) The G11 has a "switchable" ND filter built in.

Camera Canon PowerShot G11
Exposure 0.5
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 9.8 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire