Buying your first DSLR is a fun time in your life, but it can also be confusing and frustrating. The confusing and frustrating part begins when you first decide to do some research online to find out which camera you should purchase. You find a sea of cameras and manufacturers vying for you attention. Which camera is best? Which manufacturer can you trust to make the best DSLR camera?
Chances are pretty good you will be starting with an entry level DSLR camera. Most folks start there. Then when they find out how great their experience is with one of these amazing cameras, they naturally move up to a more sophisticated, and, yes, more expensive camera.
When buying the first DSLR camera, many look mainly at Canon and Nikon, since these are the most popular brands. There has been an ongoing debate among camera enthusiasts about which of these two brands is the best. Let me put your mind at ease by telling you that they are both fantastic manufacturers, and you will be happy with either.
However, that being said, we will compare Canon DSLR cameras for beginners.
The two newest cameras are available for purchase – the Canon Rebel T1i and the Canon Rebel XSi. Both cameras are excellent according to every review. They offer a wide range of manual controls, as well as creative and auto features, and the image print quality is equal to any other camera in their class. The feature set on each camera is pretty close to the same when it comes to such things as megapixels, ISO settings, LCD screen, etc.
There are two main differences
- The T1i has video while the XSi does not
- The T1i has something called Creative Auto mode and the XSi does not.
There are a couple of minor other differences but these are the main ones. The result is a difference in price of about $150. So the choice boils down to whether or not you need these two extra features in your new DSLR. There have been some negative comments along with all the positives in discussion of the video quality of the Rebel T1i, suggesting that it is not as good as some of the newer point and shoot cameras.
Most photographers move up to a DSLR camera because of the interchangeable lens possibilities and the other professional controls that are not available on the digital compact cameras, so the video capability, while attractive, is not a major consideration. Why not use the $150 you save by purchasing the Canon Rebel XSi instead of the T1i to add an external flash or a tripod to give you more flexibility in your photography?
