Why Canon?
Because they are generally cheaper than the other manufacturers. Sure you can get a good deal on a body from other manufacturers but you will start to pay for it later when you want to expand. Another benefit from using Canon is more choices. Canon has more lens options and accessories than any other manufacturer.
Why a Rebel XSi?
If you are bothering to ask what to get, it means you don't know what you need. Until you know you need a very specific feature and you know you will actually use that feature, don't buy it. The easiest thing you can do is over buy on the body and skimp on the lens. Don't buy a Canon 50D
or 5DII
if you don't know what truly makes it different in a practical manner. Your pictures will NOT look better and your wallet will be much lighter. The other rule is don't get sucked into megapixels. 3 Megapixels can make a decent 8x10 and after 5 megapixels it will be hard to tell the difference between that and an 8x10 from a similar quality 22 megapixel camera. The rebel XSi is an outstanding camera. It's pictures will look just as good as the pictures from a 50D or a 5DII which is why the others are a waste.Video?
I don't buy still cameras for video and I don't buy video cameras to take stills. These cameras aren't made for that. The controls and handling are messy, memory is limited, and battery life won't hold up the same. In the end, I just say don't buy camera x because the manufacturer also decided to put video into it. There are videography enthusiasts who buy some of the recent SLRs just to use them for video. But those people are buying only for the video and not the still. It's different, they have a very specific need and they have researched enough to know how one of these SLRs will help them and in which ways they will hinder them.
Which lens?
If you have the money (because you decided to save money and buy the XSi) I would put money into the lens. The first thing a beginner wants out of an SLR is super telephoto zoom. They see some gigantic lenses on an SLR and assume that they really 'zoom' in. This is not always the case. Lenses get bigger as their 'quality' improves. They also start to cost a fortune! Either way, here are some recommendations:
If you don't have extra money, just stick with the kit lens until you have money and know what you are missing.
- Wide Zoom - Canon 10-22
- Standard Zoom - Tamron 28-75mm f2.8
- Telephoto Zoom - Either Canon 70-200 f4
or Tamron 70-200 f2.8
If these prices scare you, perhaps you should consider staying with a high end point and shoot camera. One of my favorites is the Canon s90
. For photographers, all the lenses above are considered inexpensive. Some readers may notice a slight contradiction between my lens recommendations and body recommendations. Yes many people get outstanding pictures from the pure consumer lenses like 70-300
or 18-55
, etc. However if you really want to do some of the more creative work with photography you need to avoid buying your lenses at big box stores. Investing:
Also lenses are more of an investment. They don't loose value like a Camera will and you will generally keep them longer than your camera. I have had a lens which I bought for $800, used it for an entire year, and sold it to someone for $750 on ebay. Basically I paid $50 to rent a $800 lens for an entire year. And no it wasn't luck. Lenses can go up in value too. Exception: The cheap kit lenses, ie 70-300, always drop in value the instant you buy them. Camera bodies always drop in value in relation to how many newer models there are from the same line.
Enjoy your camera.
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