Prosumer Digital SLR updates

July 18, 2005 6:46 AM

Looking to buy a prosumer SLR digital camera. Anyone know about any coming out shortly or price drops? - more info within -

I've narrowed down my choice to the new Canon Rebel (8.0 megapixel w/ lens). It can currently be found for around $800. I will probably be ready to purchase by the end of August. Anyone know any worthy competitors in the same price range, new releases around the corner or price drops?

posted by destro100 to Shopping (11 answers total)

nikon d70s is the latest from Nikon to drop in price. Essentially it's a d70 with some added features and a lower price.
posted by spicynuts at 7:10 AM on July 18, 2005

Konica Minolta is coming out with a new model soon, the 5D, which will probably be even less expensive than the Rebel.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0507/05071503kmmaxxum5d.asp

"Only" 6mp, though.

As an aside, is anyone else put off by the apparent low build quality of these budget SLRs? The tech side of the Rebel seems wonderful but it "feels" cheaper than a $300 Olympus digicam.
posted by selfnoise at 7:30 AM on July 18, 2005

Hmm. My dad has the old Canon Rebel, and it feels great to me. Is this something new to the more recent model?
posted by danb at 7:42 AM on July 18, 2005

The Nikon competitors just came out. The D50 went on sale in June, as did the D70s, I believe. OTOH, the Canon Rebel XT came out a few months ago. Both probably won't be replaced until next calendar year. Also, I haven't seen any real reason why you would want to wait for the Rebel to be replaced -- as opposed to the original Rebel which had obvious shortcomings like slow startup times.

danb, the new Rebel is quite a bit smaller than the original. This page has comparison photos, but even that doesn't really convey the difference because most of the size was lost in the grip so you can really feel it.
posted by smackfu at 7:49 AM on July 18, 2005

You could get the old rebel, hack the firmware (a simple firmware update hack) and have most of the feature of the 10D in a very inexpensive camera. This will void the warranty though.
Here is a list of some feature this will open;
Some Button mapping.
AF mode select ( a major flaw in the digi-rebel)
14 custom functions including mirror lock-up.

The D70s is better built, the Rebel XT is also better built and has 8mp, and the D50 seems well built but isn't any cheaper really then the Rebel XT and has only 6mp. You may want to see if you can find a discounted but new 10D, a well built solid performing camera. Also given the way Canon likes to update the 20D may soon be replaced but probably not by august.
posted by iwouldificould at 8:18 AM on July 18, 2005

I just got a Rebel XT. It's awesome. For a good recent article on Digital SLRs, check out Phil Greenspun's overview.
posted by Nelson at 8:53 AM on July 18, 2005

If you're looking to buy a prosumer DSLR, stop looking at the Rebel, as it is not a prosumer camera. It is an entry-level camera. It's a fine camera, but if you want prosumer, you want the 20D.
posted by kindall at 9:31 AM on July 18, 2005

I'd just like to thank Nelson for that article link: I've been looking for something like that.
posted by selfnoise at 10:27 AM on July 18, 2005

I disagree with Greenspun's position on zoom lenses. I think the flexibility they afford helps me to take more photos, play with composition, etc. The slight image quality tradeoff is well worth it. I think the 18-70mm lens I got with my D70 is a perfect setup for a beginner (like me).
posted by knave at 10:48 AM on July 18, 2005

Prosumer's a term with a weird history. For an interesting discussion on the subject, check Wikipedia.

If I had to guess wildly, I would guess that kindall is referring to the 20D as a camera that is capable of being used at least as an alternate for a professional photographer. Which depending on destro100's criterion may or may not be a useful distinction.

I often see the term used as a general term for what I would call "Hobbyist" cameras: devices that are beyond point-and-shoot travel photos but don't have the durability, speed and absolute quality to use professionally.
posted by selfnoise at 11:41 AM on July 18, 2005

The primary difference is that prosumer equipment is much more sturdily built. For example, the shutter on the 20D is rated for twice the number of actuations as the Rebel XT's. You also get a faster flash sync, and the actual operation has more buttons and less menu tweaking.
posted by kindall at 3:07 PM on July 19, 2005