Which EOS should I buy?

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I have never used an SLR camera before but am expecting a baby in December this year and want to buy an SLR. I also take a lot of stage shots and also pictures of people dancing in low light levels. I have been recomended the Canon EOS by a couple of people, but there are so many models I am a bit overwhelmed. The 300 seems adequate for what I need with maybe a 28-90mm lens. I can't really tell what you're paying the extra money for.

Also a friend of mine is working in Singapore at the moment and said he will look if the camera I want is cheaper there. Are Canon EOSs standard wordwide in quality but may be called the Rebel 2000 in North America?

-- Latif (LatifS@halcrow.com), July 24, 2001

Answers

The Canon EOS Rebel 2000 and EOS 300 are the same camera no matter where you buy them, and are both compatible with all of Canons EF and pro 'L' series lenses. However, the warrenty may differ depending on where you buy them.

The 300/Rebel 2000 is an excellent choice for the beginner who is on a budget - it is pretty fool-proof in the automatic modes and allows for some creative control when you are ready for it. The Elan 7/30 is faster, stronger, a little smarter, and allows greater flexibility for the photographer - a step toward pro gear. It's about double the cost of the 300.

The 28-90 (the kit lens) is probably the poorest quality lens Canon offers and I suggest you avoid it. Build quality and optics are both very poor. If you need a zoom, I recommend the 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM EF, or the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS EF USM. Both are more expensive, and both have different features to offer depending on what you want. If you do not need the zoom, a great lens to start with is the 50mm f/1.8 II EF, or 50mm f/1.4 USM EF. Both have better optical quality than the zooms and the 1.8 II is very inexpensive. Check out www.usa.canon.com for details on the lenses, and www.bhphotovideo.com for pricing.

I'm not sure what you mean by "stage shots", but for low light you may consider buying a flash. The pop up flash on the 300 is pretty weak, and is effective to about 10 feet. Canon's EX series speedlites will support E-TTL metering (most compatible with the 300/Rebel 2000 and Elan 7/30 metering system).

Good luck.

-- Derrick Morin (morin@fttr.navy.mil), July 24, 2001.


Stage shots. People dancing in low light levels. New baby on the way. All of these involve shooting action in very low light, with use of flash impossible or inadvisable. Get the 50/1.8 lens before you buy any other lens. Previous poster's comments regarding bodies is right on target--Rebel/300 should be fine--as is his disdain for the worthless 28-90 kit lens. www.photographyreview.com isn't particularly useful (everyone generally likes what they buy) but contributors there are united in their contempt for Canon's "kit" 28-90.

.......................

-- John (WhitmanDesign@aol.com), July 24, 2001.


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