Camera question

[trigger11]

I took the plunge and have ordered a new camera. Unfortunately it wont arrive for another week or two but I do have a question I am hoping someone on here might know the answer to.
Camera
Canon EOS Rebel XTi with the stock 18-55mm lense.
Question
I have tried to find out what the digital zoom is on this camera and I cant find it. For example, I have a canon powershot camera and it has a 3X optical zoom, and a 3x digital zoom. I am guessing since the EOS Rebel is an SLR camera style the zoom is going to be measured differently?

 

[maelv]

From all of the reading I have been doing, this guy seems to know quite a bit about Canon cameras....I believe that is what he uses....look him up.
05xrunner
And congrats, I too am jumping into an SLR, but I am getting the Rebel XT. Should have it in a couple of weeks myself. With stock lens.

 

[05xrunner]

there is no such thing as a Digital zoom on a DSLR...your zoom is the lens that you put on it. the stock lens is a 18-55mm
there are many many others out there. So it all depends on the lens on your camera. DSLR is nothing like a point and shoot

 

[maelv]

I can't wait to get mine. Like I said, it is only a XT, but still should be a nice camera....

 

[05xrunner]

i had the XT before my 30D...it was great..There really is no difference in IQ and could do anything I wanted.

 

[travis99]

that means you have a zoom from 18mm to 55mm. But there is a crop ratio on digital cameras, I think canon is 1.5, so basically a 18mm is really a 24mm. This is because the sensor on a digital camera is smaller than one on a film camera.
I could go on for hours, but the camera you bought is a good one. The lens is ok. You can pick upa 50mm 1.8 lens for about $90. Crank that baby down to 1.8 and you/ll get a fast shutter speed and a nice blurry background.
Travis

 

[05xrunner]

well dont get that crop confused with being actual extra reach.
Its a cropped sensor of 1.6 so at 18mm it will give the filed of view of a 24mm. That does not mean its 24mm. that just means on a full frame sensor it would be the same field of view as it is on a 18mm 1.6 crop sensor.

 

[travis99]

Or you could just get the 5d and not worry about all that stuff. Which is a great camera, but it is a little slow when shooting raw. It only gets about 3 fps, and shoots about 10 or 11 pics then its gotta catch up with itself.
Thats the only draw back to those big files the canon deliver.
Travis

 

[05xrunner]

if price wasnt issue get the new 1DMKIII 1.3crop sensor only..10fps and just insane. ISO6400 that is cleaner then most point and shoots at ISO 200 live view to much stuff to keep typing

 

[travis99]

Originally Posted by 05xrunner
if price wasnt issue get the new 1DMKIII 1.3crop sensor only..10fps and just insane. ISO6400 that is cleaner then most point and shoots at ISO 200 live view to much stuff to keep typing

thats awesome, are you a profesional?

 

[05xrunner]

lol...i dont have one, i wish i did

 

[travis99]

10 fps, thats cool. I have the d200 also, that shoots 5 fps, and it sounds so cool. I couldn't imagine 10. Whats the price tag? I'm thinking around 8k.
But remember everyone, a camera does not take the picture, the person behind it does.

 

[05xrunner]

yea I have the 30D and its 5fps and all. Does its job good. When i shoot ISO 3200 its not even that noisy with proper exposure.
the 1DMKIII is $4500

 

[maelv]

What is a noisy picture? Please explain.

 

[05xrunner]

alot of grain...like it looks fuzzy.
see how there is more noise the higher the ISO you up it down the chart

 

[maelv]

Yes I do see that. I think I am going to need to buy a photography book or take a class or something. Things you and other DSLR owners talk about is greek to me. I am used to taking crappy pictures with the point and shoot cameras then get pissed why it came out blurry...I know, operator error...ha ha...
But I really don't know alot of the acronyms, and someone telling me the name of it, doesn't make me know how it works. You recommend any book in particular, or should I take a college course?

 

[05xrunner]

???????? never read a book or took any classes..Just read alot on canon forums and asked questions when i started and just used my camera ALOT to understand what it does.

 

[maelv]

Oh okay.....thanks for the information, consider yourself screwed....you and everyone else I run across this site who owns a Rebel XT, or knows about them...LOL

 

[maelv]

Another question.....for photos used here do you shoot it in RAW or JPEG format? I see that RAW format pictures "uses" 8.3 MP. Or is that used more so for shots you plan on placing in an album?
And what would be a good size memory card for this to start off with? 1 GB?

 

[05xrunner]

if your gonna shoot raw get 2gig
I use the Ridata 2gig pro 2 80x..its like 35bucks and it keeps up fine with my 5fps so it will be fine in the xti
RAW is just totally unwritten data. you still have total control over the white balance, setting exposure compensation and such. I shoot RAW most of the time when the shots are important. If I am just shooting my tank i dont