I'm thinking about getting an entry-level(≤$600 for everything) DSLR sometime in the near future, and was looking for some advice.
I'm planning on using it for just general use as well as some aviation photography.
I was looking at the Canon Rebel XS, any opinions on that camera?
It looks more economical to get a lens+body deal; I want something I can use at airshows, but I'm not sure the 18-55mm lens that comes with it will be enough for airshows. What is 55mm in levels of multiplication(is there an easy way to convert?). The 4X optical on my point & shoot is not sufficient, but the 16X digital is just about right. Two lenses is probably out of the question because of price.

Thanks

RaptorF22 wrote on Aug 20^th, 2011 at 10:19pm:

I've had several different Canon DSLR cameras. Not tried the Rebel XS (1000D) but it should be fine.

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The 18-55mm IS lens is a good general purpose "wide angle" lens. However, it's not suitable for air shows except for static shots.

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The X zoom value commonly quoted by manufacturers for compact cameras can be very misleading. Put simply it's the ratio between the minimum & maximum focal length.

Take the two lenses that skoker recommended as an example. The 18-55mm would be rated at 3x zoom to the 75-300 at 4x although the latter has a much longer maximum focal length. The 120-400mm lens I use for air shows would be rated at 3.3x.

The 75-300 lens would probably be OK to start with as it's relatively inexpensive. However, it doesn't have image stabilizing (IS) which I think is essential for decent aerial photos, for me at any rate.

PS.If someone had explained this to me when I first started in this hobby it would have saved me a lot of money.

I shoot with the Canon EOS 1000D (Rebel XS) and I have a 70-300mm lens for airshows.

70-300 is the focal length, which is the field of view that the lens provides. A smaller number means that you have a really wide angle, and a high number indicates a far narrower angle (which is basically a more zoomed in image).


18-55 is not enough for airshows. It will do for a general walk around lens, but not for airshows. This link will give you a comparison of various magnifications.

I'd keep the kit lens until you save up for a better one, but do keep in mind that they're usually awful. The 75-300mm lens posted by Jordan will do you for a while until you can save up for some professional kit (if you want it), but in terms of magnification; it will do just fine. I mean, I can't speak for the actual quality of the lens, but it should be fine. Better lenses use ultrasonic motors for super fast focusing, and traditional motor lenses can be quite slow, but they still work.

To put it into perspective, a typical 70-300mm lens costs about £100. A 70-200mm lens with a 2x adapter (140-400mm lens) with stabilisation and ultra sonic motors will cost you about 10 times as much!



A bit of interesting reading for you, to get to know DSLRs:

Look at full frame cameras
Look at cropped sensor cameras (and comparisons between the two in terms of quality and images produced)
Look at videos and tutorials on how to use manual (or semi-manual) shooting modes, and how to use RAW file formats and why they're better.


If you want to see some photos with a 70-300mm lens, check out my signature and look at the Cosford airshow folder. The in-flight ones will be at about 200-300mm, and they're largely uncropped. What you see is what you get in terms of magnification.