5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Great for the beginning photographer
Date of Review: Dec 28, 2007
The Bottom Line: I'd definitely recommend this for the photo enthusiast, someone just getting into digital SLRs, or as a backup camera for the professional.
I purchased this camera in 2005, after my film Canon Rebel XT was stolen. I researched brands and lenses, prices, megapixels, more prices, and much more before sinking a good portion of my pay into a camera. The only thing I could say was... WOW! Why'd I wait so long to go digital?
Even after 2-1/2 years of shooting my very large family (and anything else I can find with my viewfinder), it's still going very strong. According to the numbering system, I've shot over 5000 photos in those years, so I'm pretty impressed at how well it's held up. The only issue I've really ever had was with the on-camera flash. After much abuse, it did get bent and refused to fire when needed. Luckily, my husband is pretty handy, and willing to risk my wrath from time to time. With a pair of pliers and a very careful grip, he repaired the small latch that had gotten bent.
When I first bought the camera, I spent a lot of time in the "auto-everything mode"; however, as time has gone by, I find that I have used most, if not all, of the creative control settings that are available.
The matrix system for auto-focus is wonderful for people like me who don't always see 20/20, even with corrective lenses, and gives me a lot of control over how to frame a shot and still have the focus just where I want it. When I don't feel like figuring out f-stops and shutter speed, the other mode settings are excellent. I frequently use the landscape mode to keep everything in sharp focus, and the portrait mode to blur the background behind my subject. Both modes work extremely well, and can be used for all but the most technical shots. Unlike many of the other options on the camera (which can be confusing without the book in hand), these are easy to see on the program dial, and the pictures (mountains for landscape mode, and a person's profile for portrait mode) help the photographer choose the mode quickly and get the shot before it's too late.
Several of the other adjustments take some getting used to, and must be accessed using an info button which brings up a graphic menu. Without the user's guide, some of these settings are time-consuming to adjust, and hard to remember where to go to get to them. In my personal opinion, these are the settings that most people have a tendency to "set and forget", so it's not as critical to me; however, some more advanced photographers may find this to be a design flaw.
In conclusion, if you are looking for an inexpensive digital SLR to get into photography or are an advanced amateur and photo enthusiast, I would highly recommend this camera. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
