EOS Rebel vs. Minolta 3xi vs. Nikon 5005: Best Entry-level AF?
Nathan Gasser ><>
Hi all,
I'm in the market for a beginner's AF SLR. I'm looking at the
Canon EOS Rebel/Rebel S, the Minolta 3xi/SPxi, and the Nikon 5005.
Anyone have any comments regarding the above selections? Something
in the same category I'm ignoring?
My concerns:
Is the Rebel's construction too flimsy?
Is the Minolta's xi autozomming worth anything?
Is the Nikon's many dials and guages clumsy and slow to use?
What are the (dis)advantages of built-in flash?
And the question of the day:
How do I get one of these cameras to take a 40-minute exposure? None
have a cable release connection.
Any/all comments welcome. Email unless you think it's relevant to all.
Nate.
--
Nathan Gasser ><>
gas...@eniac.seas.upenn.edu
Gary Snow
>
>Hi all,
>
>I'm in the market for a beginner's AF SLR. I'm looking at the
>Canon EOS Rebel/Rebel S, the Minolta 3xi/SPxi, and the Nikon 5005.
>
>Anyone have any comments regarding the above selections? Something
>in the same category I'm ignoring?
>
>My concerns:
>Is the Rebel's construction too flimsy?
Not really, its strong enough, and with a good conformal body case, its
even more indestructable.
>Is the Minolta's xi autozomming worth anything?
I didn't buy my 7xi for this feature, and I usually have it turned off.
>Is the Nikon's many dials and guages clumsy and slow to use?
Depends on your dexterity.....
>What are the (dis)advantages of built-in flash?
Lots of Red Eye.
You always have it with you.
Not very powerful.
Good for some quick fill flash.
on the Minolta, it also allows you to use wireless off camera flash.
>And the question of the day:
>How do I get one of these cameras to take a 40-minute exposure? None
>have a cable release connection.
Put it on the bulb setting, and hold down the shutter release for 40
minutes....:-)
Gary
--
-----
Gary Snow
uunet!clark!gsnow or gs...@clark.edu
Paul Rubin
>How do I get one of these cameras to take a 40-minute exposure? None
>have a cable release connection.
Put it on the bulb setting, and hold down the shutter release for 40
minutes....:-)
Watch out, many electronically controlled cameras use quite a lot
of battery power to run the electromagnet that holds the shutter open,
even on the bulb setting. Anyway, if this is the kind of shooting
you want to do, you can get an old mechanical camera for less
money than any of those cameras you ask about. The Nikon F even
has a T setting.
salim mehta
setting. The shutter is best operated via the remote control (RC-1). A single
press opens the shutter and another press closes it.
BTW what is a "T" shutter function do ?
--
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Tel: +44 442 230000 x3450 Hemel Hempstead
Fax: +44 442 232301 Hertfordshire HP2 7RH England
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Mike Watters
Actually... that IS how the "T"ime setting is supposed to work. On bulb,
what usually happens is the shutter stays open as long as you have the
shutter release button down. Time is supposed to open the shutter with
the first press of the shutter release and close it with the second. (Great
for VERY long exposures. I've used it for 4 or 5 hour exposures at night
to get star trails.)
mike
--
Mike
wat...@genetics.washington.edu
Dept of Genetics, Univ of Washington Seattle
(d) 206-543-1934 (e) 206-361-1156
Chuck Liang
>setting. The shutter is best operated via the remote control (RC-1). A single
>press opens the shutter and another press closes it.
>
>BTW what is a "T" shutter function do ?
On Leica screwmount cameras, the T function stands for
timed-exposure. When the shutter speed is set on T, the shutter stays
open once you pressed it - it doesn't close when you release it. To
close the shutter, you have to turn the speed dial slightly. This
function can also be achieved with the bulb setting and a cable
release that has a locking clamp.
DH02
The "T" or (time) setting is similar to the "B" (or Bulb) setting,
except that the shutter remains open as long as you don't press it
again (NOTE: in the B setting you have to keep it pressed and as soon
you remove your fingers, the shutter shuts). Very useful for lo..ong
exposures.
One variation I see in the Nikon F4s is that you need to move the dial
to a different shutter-speed setting to shut the shutter! I use the
T setting often (one of the reasons i bought the F4s!!) for time
exposures and find it more practical than using a cable release (lock)
on B setting.
Another thing. Make sure that your camera does not drain the batteries
while you leave it on long time exposures! just learned that the
F4s does NOT.
-Tamal Ghosh
Genie chimique
Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal
Thor Legvold
>In article <SM.92Au...@suns2.cel.co.uk> s...@cel.co.uk (salim mehta) writes:
>>
>>BTW what is a "T" shutter function do ?
>
>The "T" or (time) setting is similar to the "B" (or Bulb) setting,
>except that the shutter remains open as long as you don't press it
>again (NOTE: in the B setting you have to keep it pressed and as soon
>you remove your fingers, the shutter shuts). Very useful for lo..ong
>exposures.
>
>One variation I see in the Nikon F4s is that you need to move the dial
>to a different shutter-speed setting to shut the shutter! I use the
>T setting often (one of the reasons i bought the F4s!!) for time
>exposures and find it more practical than using a cable release (lock)
>on B setting.
My Bronica behaves in the same way (actually, there is a small lock
switch behind the aperture ring which closes the shutter, but it's
about the same thing.) I wondered why it wasn't done by releasing the
shutter a second time, but I think that's because (on the Bronica anyway)
T setting is mechanical - doesn't use battery power. BTW - can any
Hassy owners tell us how _they_ manage T setting - or isn't there one?
Has anyone experienced blurring as a result of camera shake when
closing the shutter (not the most vibration free methods described here -
aperture rings, lens locks, etc)...
>
>Another thing. Make sure that your camera does not drain the batteries
>while you leave it on long time exposures! just learned that the
>F4s does NOT.
Good point!
>
>-Tamal Ghosh
> Genie chimique
> Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal
>
Thor Legvold
University of Bergen
ed...@fiol.uib.no
John Sparks
>Has anyone experienced blurring as a result of camera shake when
>closing the shutter (not the most vibration free methods described here -
>aperture rings, lens locks, etc)...
The recommended method of using the T setting is to cover the lens with
something non-reflective and opaque (like a hat or jacket or even a lens
cap, but just hold it in front of the lens, don't attach it to the lens
or removing it will cause movement or at least hold the cap in front of
the len for a while after removing it to allow any vibration to settle),
then hit the shutter release. Then cover the lens again before closing
the shutter (this time you can attach the lens cap once you have covered
the lens first).
If you have a long exposure of something fairly unifomly lit, you won't
notice any movement because the vibration time is really short compared to
the exposure. However, if you have bright objects in your picture (street
lights for example) you will be able to see bluring around the bright
objects because they can expose the film to some extent even in the short
time it takes to close the shutter. Using the cover/uncover method will
eliminate this.
John Sparks