Need advice about the Canon EOS 600D?

Question

I'm really lost on this, up untill yesterday I thought the DSLR I wanted was the Nikon d7000, HOWEVER, I went to Bestbuy and now I think I like the Canon EOS 600d better, but I was not able to try it out because it was not charged. And they don't have the Nikon d7000 in stock so I couldn't try that one either. I've done alot of online research and I just need some bottom line advice to help me make this decision. I like the price on the Canon 600d better (I'm not rich), but when I compare it in snaport.com, it loses when compared side to side to other ones in overall features it has. Well, supposedly, because the site doesn't list ALL the features, just some "highlights",

My main needs:
A good amount of color depth because I enjoy shooting Landscapes, but also portraits.
Also a good shutter speed (not too fast) because I plan to take children at play photographs also.
I like something that could capture all the rich colors of a sunset or sunrise.
I also plan to take photos at night once in a while.
It would be a plus if it was weather sealed :s

Main things I like about Canon EOS 600d:
flip out screen
shutter speed
stock lense
HD video
(the guy at the store said it has really good color depth so I really liked that but is it true?)



Any suggestions? Should I go ahead and purchase the Canon EOS 600D or is there something better for my needs?

Are there any sites that compare photographs side by side from different dslr cameras?

Thank you so much!

Answer 1

"OK talking about 60D, I heard the 50D is just the same but a cheaper alternative? Is that true?"



No. The 60D has a newer sensor, it uses the same as the 7D, 600D and 550D. The 600D on the other hand really is basically just a 550D with flip out screen.

The 50D is still an excellent camera in terms of build quality and feature set, but the sensor is aging - this is especially visible in terms of its high ISO performance, which should be a relevant factor to you based on your stated requirements.



Frankly, i'd ignore any camera salesman that tells you any stuff about "this camera has better color depth". It's irrelevant information. All current DSLRs have very good sensors and you won't be able to exhaust their capabilities even with five to ten years of intense practice. Hence small differences in color depth just don't matter at all.



You seem to have one big misconception:

You understood correctly that fast shutter speeds are useful for freezing motion, but shutter speeds are not a property of the camera. It is not so that you could take two different cameras and then get a higher shutter speed with the one than with the other.



The shutter speed that you obtain depends on the amount of available light, the aperture setting of the lens and the ISO that you set the camera to. In practice shutter speeds of like 1/8000s are only obtained in bright sunlight with a relatively wide open aperture. A camera only going to 1/4000s is not a relevant disadvantage, and 1/500s already is sufficient to freeze the motion of playing children. 1/1000s is sufficient for pro sports.

In that sense the D7000 actually beats the 60D by the way, as it performs better at high ISO values. Higher ISO means faster shutter speed in not-so-bright situations, but also more image noise. The D7000 develops less image noise than the 60D, so one can use it at higher ISO.



Ignore weather seals. They are a moot point unless you also intend to invest into weather sealed professional grade lenses - without these the camera might resist water splashes, but the lens won't. Also even with a 7D or D300s i'd hesitate to actually put the seals to the test. They don't mean that the camera is water proof, but merely that it won't be killed by a few raindrops. Pros use rain covers even on their tough-as-tanks 1D or D3.



I wouldn't consider the stock lens of the 60D to be a big plus. It's decent as a long range zoom, but not particularly good and not suitable for playing children indoors either. For that you'll need a 30mm or 50mm prime lens. Much better image quality and a better maximum aperture so you can obtain the shutter speeds necessary to freeze their motion.

Answer 2

If you didn't mention the cameras you were looking at, I would've recommended an even cheaper camera because really I think you're looking at cameras that cost too much for your uses.



If you want weather seal, go with the D7000. But you would also want a lens that's weather sealed and that means more money from you.



My suggestion, get a Canon T1i, T2i, T3i, Nikon D5000, D3100, D5100. First off, they all shoot video, the Canon T3i, Nikon D5000, Nikon D5100 have flip screens. They all take good pictures.



A good thing to do is get the cheapest of the cameras above and spend the rest on a good lens. The kit lenses are good, but might limit you indoors and you would need something called a "fast" lens.



If you're going to shoot at night, use a tripod.



Work on your photography skills first and think about what you need after putting them to use and then I would decide on expensive bodies like those.



It is better to spend most of your money on lens than it is spending it on a body.



If the bodies mentioned above are too "cheap" of a feel for you, then I would go as cheap as the Canon 40D and the Nikon D90. The Nikon D90 records video, the Canon 40D and 50D does NOT record video. Take your pick, think about what you need, not want. If you want to really record video, get a video camera.

Answer 3

I think you should go with Canon 60D you will be more satisfied

Excellent pictures - Even with the stock 18-135 lens, solid photos, great details, and very very crop-able. Yes this is not an L Lens but it is still very good

Low light performance - The ISO high iso speeds work well when you can't use a flash, there is still some noise but its manageable, the default setting for upper end iso is 3200, so that tells you how confident Canon is with its camera's ability to handle noise.

Very fast focus, yes its not the 32 point next gen autofocus, but in all my tests when not using live view it does just fine transitioning between focus points.

Answer 4

It is comparable to the other cameras you mentioned. Many pros shoot with the 60D, so it can't be lagging that far behind the other models. A lot of Magazine endorsements are bought as well, so don't put a lot of faith in them. Talk to people working in the photography industry and see what they like.

Answer 5

I do professional portraits and landscape shots with the 600D -- yes, it has great color depth.

It's an excellent camera.



Peace.