Pentax Optio WS80
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1
Casio EX-Z450
Nikon Coolpix S640
Canon PowerShot S90
Canon PowerShot G11
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7
Canon EOS 7D
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS
Canon EOS 400D
The Canon 400D (Canon Digital Rebel XTi in the USA) is finally unveiled today, after weeks of rumours and the usual leaks. Offering 10 megapixels, a large 2.5 inch LCD screen and perhaps most interestingly a new integrated dust removal system, the Canon 400D replaces the popular 350D. Apparenty a Canon EOS 350D was sold every 90 seconds in the UK during the first half of 2006 - I wouldn’t bet against the 400D emulating that success. The Canon EOS 400D 18-55 kit will be available from late September 2006 for £719.99 RRP inc. VAT / €1039.99 RRP inc. VAT (Body only £649.99 RRP inc. VAT / €939.99 RRP inc. VAT).
UPDATE: I’ve now added some images from this morning’s UK press conference to the end of this article, showing both the black and silver versions.
Canon UK Press Release
Canon today announces its next generation D-SLR: the Canon EOS 400D. Featuring a 10.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor, new EOS Integrated Cleaning System, larger and brighter 2.5” LCD and 9-point AF, the Canon 400D is predicted to take the lead as the world’s most popular camera. The 400D is positioned above the EOS 350D, currently the fastest selling SLR camera of all time. Canon’s EOS 300D, the world’s first consumer D-SLR, kick started a digital revolution in 2003. “We are now witnessing a mass consumer trend towards D SLR,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. Consumer research shows it is not only existing film SLR owners now switching to digital SLR photography. “On top of the existing 21 million analogue EOS shooters, a completely new profile of consumer is adopting digital EOS and driving growth,” said Jensen. “With European household penetration having only just hit 3%, the question now is not ‘will this market be big’, but ‘how big will this market become’.”
The EOS 400D features:
• 10.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor
• Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• 2.5” LCD screen with 230K pixels and 160º viewing angle
• High-precision 9 point AF system
• Picture Style image processing parameters
• DIGIC II image processor with 0.2 sec start up
• Digital Photo Professional RAW processing software
• Compact and Lightweight body
• Fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites
Canon is the only D-SLR brand to own and manufacture the sensor, processor and lenses in house. “EOS photographers benefit from 20 years of ongoing research investment into EOS,” said Jensen. “EOS photographers have the great advantage of owning a system camera in which every element is designed at a very fundamental level to work as a balanced, integrated whole. It is one reason why more than 70% of registered photographers at the Athens Olympics shot on EOS.” With EOS, Canon aims to provide consumers with the widest and most expandable camera system available, including over 60 EF lenses and Speedlite flash units.
Improved Performance
As well as the EOS Integrated Cleaning System, the EOS 400D incorporates a number of developments over the EOS 350D. Resolution increases from 8.0 to 10.1 Megapixels, using the superior hi-sensitivity, hi-speed, low-noise CMOS technology now found in all six EOS Digital models. At nearly twice the size of the EOS 350D display, the 2.5” hi-resolution LCD is the brightest in the EOS range and now displays all of key shooting and user interface information along with image playback. The AF system expands from 7 to 9-point, with a highly sensitive f/2.8 center point for exceptional performance in low light. Even with the image resolution increase, maximum frame burst almost doubles from 14 to 27 large JPEGs and from 5 to 10 RAW.
Dust reduction
The EOS 400D is the first camera to incorporate the EOS Integrated Cleaning System. Based on significant research into the causes of dust in D-SLR cameras, the system combats dust in three important ways: Reduce, Repel and Remove.
1. Reduce
Internal camera mechanisms are designed to minimise dust generation. The body cap is redesigned to prevent dust generation through wear on the cap itself.
2. Repel
Anti-static technologies are applied to the low-pass filter covering the front of the sensor so as not to attract dust.
3. Remove
A Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses hi-frequency vibrations to shake dust from the low pass filter for approximately one second after each start up. For instant shooting after power up, this feature is disabled immediately the shutter release is depressed.
Canon has also developed an internal Dust Delete Data system, which can map the position of any visible dust on the sensor. This can then be deleted automatically after the shoot with the latest Digital Photo Professional software.
The EOS advantage
The EOS 400D inherits a number of advanced features proven in higher-end EOS models, such as the EOS 30D and 5D. These include its 9-point AF system, Picture Style (see Appendix: Technologies Explained), 9,999 image capacity folders and expanded Pictbridge functionality.
The EOS 400D also incorporates the same DIGIC II processor found across the EOS range right through to EOS 1 professional models (see Appendix ‘Technologies Explained’). As well as providing superior image quality through advanced rendering algorithms and almost instant 0.2 second start up time, DIGIC II’s accelerated processing prioritises the photographer’s ability to keep shooting by clearing the buffer quickly between frame bursts.
Upgrading
The upgrade path to the EOS 400D from earlier EOS models is made easy by maintaining the same intuitive user interface and basic layout of key features and functions. Photographers are also able to use the same battery and Battery Grip BG-E3 as used on the EOS 350D, as well as continued support for all EF and
EF-S lenses, EX Speedlites and EOS accessories.
Software
Consistent with the entire EOS Digital range, the EOS 400D is supplied with a comprehensive software suite to help the photographer’s workflow. This includes Digital Photo Professional (DPP), a powerful RAW converter that provides complete RAW image processing control. DPP also integrates with camera features such as the Dust Delete Data and Picture Style. The camera also comes with EOS Capture, Image/Zoom Browser and Photostitch, plus 100MB of personal online space on CANON iMAGE GATEWAY, Canon’s online photo sharing service.
Availability and Price
The EOS 400D 18-55 kit will be available from late September 2006 for £719.99 RRP inc. VAT / €1039.99 RRP inc. VAT (Body only £649.99 RRP inc. VAT / €939.99 RRP inc. VAT)
Reader enquiries
UK – 08705 143723 / http://www.canon.co.uk
Eire – (01) 2052400 / http://www.canon.ie
Technologies Explained
Picture Style
Picture Style pre-sets simplify in-camera control over image qualities. Picture Style pre-sets can be likened to different film types – each one offering a different colour response. Within each selectable pre-set, photographers have control over sharpness, contrast, colour tone and saturation. The camera’s factory default configuration is set to deliver immediately-usable JPEG images without need for additional menu settings. Picture Style presets applied to a RAW image do not degrade the image in any way and can be revised with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software.
The six pre-sets include: Standard – for crisp, vivid images that don’t require post-processing; Portrait – optimises colour tone and saturation and weakens sharpening to achieve attractive skin tones; Landscape – for punchier greens and blues with stronger sharpening to give a crisp edge to mountain, tree and building outlines; Neutral – ideal for post-processing; Faithful – adjusts colour to match the subject colour when shot under a colour temperature of 5200K; Monochrome – for black and white shooting with a range of filter effects (yellow, orange, red and green) and toning effects (sepia, blue, purple and green). The User Defined Picture Style can be used to store up to three customised pre-sets, or any of the pre-sets available for download from Canon’s web site.
DIGIC II
Now found across the EOS range, DIGIC II is a purpose built, dedicated image processor responsible for the high speed calculations necessary in order to providing exceptionally accurate colour reproduction in real time. Canon’s second generation imaging engine, DIGIC II performs the duties of a number of separate processing units to speed processing, save space, and optimise battery life.
Canon’s processor overcomes the trade-off faced by other manufacturers between camera responsiveness and image quality. With its massive capacity, DIGIC II treats every image with the full complex processing algorithms required in order to deliver superb EOS picture quality, while enabling extended continuous shooting bursts.
CMOS
Canon’s CMOS technology is one of the company’s key competitive advantages, with noise reduction circuitry at each pixel site delivering virtually noise-free images. In comparison with CCD technology, the lower power consumption characteristics of Canon’s CMOS sensors also help optimise battery usage.
CCD sensors use a bucket relay system to transfer each pixel’s accumulated electrical charge to a corresponding gutter. The operation is time consuming and draws considerable power.
By contrast, signal conversion in Canon’s CMOS sensors is handled by the individual amplifiers at each pixel site. Unnecessary charge transfer operations are avoided, vastly speeding up the process of getting signal to the image processor. Noise generation is reduced, power consumption is limited and faster frame rate potential is increased.
Digital Photo Professional Software
Digital Photo Professional software provides high-speed processing of lossless RAW images. Processing with Digital Photo Professional allows real-time display and immediate application of image adjustments, giving control over RAW image variables such as white balance, dynamic range, exposure compensation and colour tone. Images can be recorded in sRGB or Adobe RGB colour space, and the Digital Photo Professional application supports sRGB, Adobe RGB and Wide Gamut RGB colour spaces. An ICC (International Colour Consortium) profile attaches automatically to RAW images converted to TIFF or JPEG images. This allows faithful reproduction of colours in software applications that support ICC profiles, such as Adobe Photoshop. For improved efficiency, a set of image adjustments can be saved as a recipe and applied to multiple images.
Pentax Optio WS80 Review
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 Review
Casio EX-Z450 Review
Nikon Coolpix S640 Review
Canon PowerShot S90 Review
Pentax K-x
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1
Ricoh CX2
#1 Jann Morgils
Will this camera have a spot metering function. The 350D did not have one. And this was a great mistake.
1:58 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#2 Mark Goldstein
I'm afraid not Jann.
"TTL full aperture metering with 35-zone SPC
(1) Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points)
(2) Partial metering at center (approx. 9% of viewfinder)
(3) Center weighted average metering"
2:00 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#3 max meier
canon woke up at last to bring a resonably priced 10 mega. now I know where I will fix my canon glas to. took toooooooooo long !!
2:08 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#4 Stewart Bywater
The Sony Alpha 100 still looks better value to me. What do you think?
2:42 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#5 Jason
the diff between 10 and 8MP makes the most difference to the marketing dept. In fact, I'm curious how the noise will be since they're putting smaller photosites on the sensor.
From what I've seen the Alpha's about $200US more expensive...to me the only advantage in the Alpha is the VR. I'd like to see what Sony's going to offer in a pro-oriented camera before I'd make the move.
5:19 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#6 RonS
Was seriously considering the 350D. Biggest criticism was small screen and no dust removal. Both problems now addressed, but why no IS function as they have incorporated a moving sensor for dust removal? However I will wait for this one!
5:27 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#7 nigel
Are those European prices right ???
Allowing for VAT, still doesn't equate to the $899 US price (with kit lens).
7:21 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#8 max meier
answer to 5. you people talk about something and have no idea what you talk. I make books and I have many subjects going over 2xa4 size, if I do this with 6 MP the picture comes out flat because not enough pixels. when I do it with 8 MP it looks better but details still not so good, if I do it with 10 MP it looks quite good. I am sure you never went through the whole process from shooting to offset printing, I did and that I learned.
you can have a look for some books here -e-book version-
http://www.thailandsouthern.com
http://www.allmyanmar.com
answer to 4. I somehow agree with you, but the real thing is for me twofold, one is I have quite some lenses from the my old F1 and F5 and the other thing is belive it or not the cmos sensor canon is using has MUCH less noise than CCD, I had also a D10 before it is unbelivable what a difference in noise. I have also 3 sony equipment 2 movie and 1 still -digital- and I always get upset by the noise problem once you go over 200 asa speed. I dont know why this is like that, but I know it is.
7:32 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#9 Daveed V.
Check out Canon's whitepaper on the 400D (I found it at http://www.robgalbraith.com/public_files/Canon_Rebel_XTi_White_Paper.pdf).
Regarding image stabilization/shake reduction/vibration reduction/however-you'd-like-to-name it, it contains a rather clear/interesting articulation of why Canon currently prefers the lens-based systems over the sensor-based systems.
Anyway, the 400D seems like a rather nice answer to Nikon's D80 and might also put pressure on its D50. I also suspect it will put some real pressure on Canon's own 30D.
9:04 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#10 Dario
Isn't the D80 more like the D70 in the sense that it feels more like a prosumer camera rather than advanced amateur?
I mean, from those pictures, that 400D looks tiny! I'd rather buy a 6.3 MP body that fits my hand than the 400D.
I hope whoever belongs to those hands is at least 190cm tall.
11:00 pm - Thursday, August 24, 2006
#11 Nicholas
Hi Mark,
My head is spinning.
With the 400D announced why buy a 30D?
Am I missing something?
Do the specs of the 400D read between the lines that a 30D replacement is around the corner?
Regards, Nicholas
2:45 am - Friday, August 25, 2006
#12 Zoltan
Three long years after Oly's introduction of the Supersonic Wave Filter, Canon have finally managed to wake up and smell the coffee. It is very good that more and more manufacturers are realising the importance of effective auto-dustbusting in the case of interchangeable-lens digital cameras. Now that Oly, Sony and Canon are all offering their own solutions to this, Nikon and Pentax/Samsung are at a serious disadvantage.
That said, the D80 still seems a better spec'd, more usable camera than this 400D. Better body ergonomics (I can't believe Canon haven't modified the horribly badly designed hand grip of the 350D!), a much better viewfinder magnification (0.94x vs. 0.8x), with on-demand gridlines overlay and a pentaprism instead of a pentamirror, real spot metering, longer battery life and the existence of a top-mounted status LCD all put the D80 ahead of the 400D. But Nikon definitely have to come up with their version of an effective dust removal system if they want to remain competitive in future.
8:57 am - Friday, August 25, 2006
#13 fxk
It does seem like this new camera cut the 30D off at the knees – probably more so than the original Rebel did to the 10D. I’m not quite sure just what Canon was thinking. Canon has been bashed time and again for “low pixel density” compared to Nikon – well, that is now answered. We’ll have to see about the noise issue – and I wonder that by time production runs are available, whether it may end up with the Digic III processor.
As far as ergonomics of the grip, there are a lot of different hands out there – what’s good for one may not be good for another. I don’t think Nikon, Sony, Pentax, or anyone else can produce the perfect ergonomic camera for everyone. “The world will not adapt to you - adapt to the world around you.”
Zoltan had some good points, especially about the viewfinder. (and, I might add, why can’t these folks have a finder coverage over 95%?) Is this a “amateur protection from oneself thing. Or a cost thing? Handling? I’ll wait for the Luminous Landscape to review both. And it still probably has that screwy mirror lock-up (MLU) through custom functions. But at least it has MLU.
What with Nikon, Canon, and now Sony, what a rich choice of cameras of which we can choose (or just pixel-peep!)
11:25 am - Friday, August 25, 2006
#14 phule
[[It does seem like this new camera cut the 30D off at the knees]]
A close look at the exact specifications of both cameras would prove this wrong. Anti-dust is the only thing that is significantly better than the 30D.
4:47 am - Saturday, August 26, 2006
#15 Stephen O'Briien
I had just decided to make my entry into the camera market with the 350d, then i hear about the 400d.
i like the idea of the larger lcd, the dust remover and the 10mp as oopposed to 8mp.
however i am going on holidays on safari soon and wanted it for then, anyone know an exact release date or where i might find out?
also anyone think it is worth waiting for it or should i save €300 and just but the 350d?
12:41 pm - Tuesday, August 29, 2006
#16 GARY POGODA
Stephen, the 400D's EOS Integrated Cleaning System is definitely a
feature worth waiting for. I don't have any additional info on the date
of availability for the 400D, but you might consider renting a camera
for your Safari if the 400D is not available by that time.
RonS (post #6), the 400D's dust removal vibrates the low-pass filter
in front of the CCD, not the CCD itself, as would be required for IS.
1:37 pm - Tuesday, August 29, 2006
#17 Zoltan
Stephen, nobody seems to know the exact release date of the 400D, but unless you are committed to Canon for one reason or another, you may consider other options too.
The Sony Alpha 100 also has 10 megapixels, has its own dust-buster, a 2.5" 230000-pixel LCD and anti-shake to boot.
As a less expensive alternative, consider the Olympus E-500, which has a proven mechanism to effectively combat sensor dust, and it also has a huge LCD with wide viewing angles. (It's "only" eight megapixels though.)
2:54 pm - Tuesday, August 29, 2006
#18 Stewart Bywater
Don't forget the Nikon D80!
3:25 pm - Tuesday, August 29, 2006
#19 GARY POGODA
All good choices, but Canon's the only one with a CMOS Image Sensor.
4:17 pm - Tuesday, August 29, 2006
#20 Surg Roach
I reads like it'll replace the 350D, but with a higher spec than the current 30D? That makes it sound like there's gonna be 2 cameras announced (350->400D, 30->40D?), or a reshuffle of the range...
-----
Sincerely yours, Surg Roach
9:43 am - Wednesday, August 30, 2006
#21 Zoltan
Apparently, Canon's anti-dust system is not working. Cameralabs.com say, "despite vibrating the low pass filter upon every startup and shutdown, we still found dust marks on some images."
Source: Canon EOS 400D Review @ cameralabs.com
12:24 pm - Wednesday, August 30, 2006
#22 GARY POGODA
Zoltan, that was certainly not a fair assessment of the review, which
only pointed out that the 400D dust system was not infallible. But no
dust system is. Here is a quote from the review's conclusion:
"So while the EOS 400D / Rebel XTi’s dust removal systems were not 100% infallible during our test period, they’re a most welcome addition and will hopefully be fitted to subsequent Canon digital SLRs. We particularly liked the way dust data could be updated before an important shoot and automatically appended to subsequent images with little or no impact on file sizes."
1:58 pm - Wednesday, August 30, 2006
#23 Stephen O'Brien
Thanks for the advice guys
Have decided I'm gonna wait for the 400D.
As a previous user of an old Canon SLR and more recently a powershot user, I rather like the canon's and that has definately helped my decision not to go for another Brand.
So now another quandary, will the sandisk extreme III memory cards work in this baby, or what actually is the best memory card out there at the moment? My current card for the powershot is only 512gb so not worth a damn really in the 400d
thanks again
steve
1:14 pm - Thursday, August 31, 2006
#24 GARY POGODA
A SanDisk Extreme III CF card would be an excellent choice. The 400D
requires 2 GB, or higher, and be sure to get the FREE Capture One LE
software from Phase One that now comes bundled with it.
2:48 pm - Thursday, August 31, 2006
#25 Zoltan
Gary,
Sure no system is infallible, but the reviewer has found multiple dust spots on multiple images after maybe a week or two of use. Compare this to the experience of countless Olympus users who are yet to see the first dust spots on their cameras' sensors after years of use! Why is it not fair to say then, that Canon's system is not working as it should be?
2:44 pm - Friday, September 1, 2006
#26 GARY POGODA
It would NOT be unfair for 'you' to say that, but from your previous post,
I got the impression you were attributing that assessment to the 'review'.
Now that I've read your most recent post, I can see you probably did not
mean for it to be taken that way. Sorry if I misinterpreted your comment.
3:31 pm - Friday, September 1, 2006
#27 Stewart Bywater
So which is best out of the Eos 400, Nikon D80 and Sony Alpha 100?
5:51 pm - Friday, September 1, 2006
#28 GARY POGODA
They're all good, and they all have their plusses and minuses.
9:31 pm - Friday, September 1, 2006
#29 Mark
I am really torn between the 30D and tne new 400D. Although I print in 11x14 and 16x20, the 8 MP file size is fine if I don't have to crop. I'm not that concerned about the dust removal system either.
I shoot often in low light and am wondering if spot metering and a 3200 ISO setting is a better bet for my needs. Thank you.
6:55 am - Sunday, September 3, 2006
#30 GARY POGODA
If you take away the 400D's "EOS Integrated Cleaning System", then
the only things the 400D has going for it over the higher-end 30D are
more pixels, smaller size, and lower cost. If they are not so important
either, then the 30D's higher performance, higher maximum ISO, and
spot metering loom large.
7:34 am - Sunday, September 3, 2006
#31 Stephen O'Brien
Ok guys, I'm still waiting......impaitently for the release, you know when you decide you want something you just have to have it!!!
Anyway, I need to ask something to you guys who know your stuff.
I am going to buy a zoom lens for my holiday. was thinking of the 70-300 is usm lens. what is the difference between this and the DO version. Is the DO version a better purchase?
Also, what is the difference, if any at all between the american version xti v the 400d?
reasons for asking are that I have a friend who travels to new york and could purchase items there for me as they seem to be lot cheaper than here. the DO version of the lens is only slightly more that the standard here so is that worth it? the camera looks like it will come in maybe €200 cheaper bought in nyc.
check out http://www.bhphotovideo.com and let me know what you think,
much appreciate all your comments
10:16 am - Monday, September 4, 2006
#32 GARY POGODA
I can help you with your choice of lenses, but not with the ins and outs
of purchasing in the US versus overseas.
The advantages of Diffractive Optics lenses are ALL mechanical rather
than optical quality. They are shorter in length (although they are NOT
lighter), they have faster auto-focus, and they enable full-time manual
focus override.
Their main disadvantage is substantially higher cost. Unless money is
of little or no concern (which does not appear to be the case based on
your questions about where to buy the camera to get a better price), I
doubt that a DO lens would be a good value for you.
12:34 pm - Monday, September 4, 2006
#33 Stephen
Hi, I have been checking many of the cameras out, about which you have all written, as I am about to buy a DSLR and couldn't ask for a better choice at the moment. I demo'ed them all using my own memory cards so that I could then print and compare the results. Here is my mustard on the DSLR sandwhich:
Sony, It did't feel like a quality or pro camera like compared to Cannon and Nikon. Lens are poor and soft at the extreme.
Canon 350d, I loved the easy feel of this model, its lightness and smooth shutter but hated the small screen (I need reading glasses)and the lack of a spot meter which is the most important thing I use on my old Olympus OM4. The 400d takes care of this and is now joint No1 on my list with:
Nikon D80. I love the feel of this camera. I love the 18-70mm lens which blows the standard canon 18-55mm kit away. I love the semi-pro feel. I love, no, thats not strong enough an expression, I absolutely adore the D80's viewfinder.
Canon 30d, I love the feel of this camera as well but it is much heavier and bulkier than either the 350d or D80 and apart from spot metering, it offers me no real advantage or the 400d or D80.
In summary, I am torn between the 400d and D80. I have examined the rest and all fall short compared to these two cameras. I am so glad I waited a few weeks to make my mind up as I now have 2 great choices in the cannon 400d and the Nikon D80. I have yet to shoot any shots with the 400d till then I will hang on to compare the prints of the Nikon D80, which I think is a better camera for all seasons. But as an avid mountaineer and skier I do love the size and wieght of the 350d which puts the 400d right in to No 1 spot with the D80, which is a little bulkier and heavier.
What a wonderful choice.
regards et al.
Stephen
2:35 pm - Monday, September 4, 2006
#34 Stewart Bywater
In all the reviews I have read about the Sony Alpha 100, they have moaned about the kit lens, but has anyone tried it with a different lens?
3:29 pm - Monday, September 4, 2006
#35 GARY POGODA
Stephen, great comparison, but I did notice one inconsistency. You
say that spot metering is the most important thing you used on your
old Olympus and you hate the 350D's lack of spot metering, but the
400D takes care of that.
However, the 400D also lacks spot metering. For that feature, you'll
have to move up to the 30D, as you indicated in your 30D comment.
4:24 pm - Monday, September 4, 2006
#36 Cuban Heels
Just when I was torn between spending my hard earned money on a 30D (with my conscience just telling me to settle for the much cheaper 350D) Canon introduce the 400D. Fantastic, decision made.
So what's the best body only price that anyone has found for the 400D in the UK; the list price is £650 (pretty painful compared to a US list price of $800) but I can see £550 at Justcanon.com and Camera World. Has anyone seen a better price?
12:33 pm - Tuesday, September 5, 2006
#37 Mark Goldstein
Play.com seems to have a good deal - £520 with the kit lens.
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/1134794/Canon_EOS_400D_Digital_SLR_Camera_18_55mm_Lens_Kit/Product.html
Or you could check out the shopping links here:
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=1429&sort=2&cat=2&page=1
1:24 pm - Tuesday, September 5, 2006
#38 Stephen O'Brien
so anyone know if there is a difference between the american version xti and the 400d?
1:45 pm - Tuesday, September 5, 2006
#39 RobL
This all sounds great. I have recently(ish) been looking at the 350D as a 'kind of' replacement for my ageing T90 and Canon FD system so the anouncement of the 400D is promising. One or two comments though:
- I was concerned about the small size of the body but adding on the BG-E3 battery grip makes the whole thing (based on the almost exactly the same 350D) a lot nicer to use, especially for vertical format shots AND you can get AA batteries anywhere; also putting on a 'proper' lens, I'm looking at the 17-85mm IS-USM adds some stability and makes the whole unit very nice and sweet to use from my admittedly limited road test.
- As for pricing unless you must have the newest the moment it hits the market the prices will come down, internet sites are already advertising it for under £550 before it is even available so hang in there!!
- Not having spot metering (and especially multi-spot) will be sadly missed from the T90 but on balance for my own part I know I only use that about 10% of the time, the vast majority of photos come out perfectly exposed using partial so I wouldn't lose too much sleep over that if I were you!
Anyway its just possible I may finally be tempted away from my beloved T90, roll on Christmas bonus!?
2:17 pm - Tuesday, September 5, 2006
#40 mick
remember play.com is based in jersey so that on top of the basic £520 kit price you will also be liable to vat[17.50%] and import duty [although i believe that for digital cameras this is zero] the post office will also collect a fee of you for collecting this [possible £8]
if anyone buys from play.com i would like to know of any extra charges.
1:41 pm - Wednesday, September 6, 2006
#41 SteveP4
Regarding best price for the 400d. http://www.dabs.com are listing it for £477, but of course have none in stock at the moment.
My only concern would be handing over my money and then waiting til Xmas before they could deliver...by which time it would be available at more outlets for a similar price.....
My local dealertells me he has ordered 25 of the 400d, however he is realistically expecting to receive 3 or 4 this friday. I expect his pricing will be relatively competative to other dealers (around £575), but if demand is high then no doubt the price will stay high as well.
8:40 pm - Wednesday, September 6, 2006
#42 SteveP4
Having called my local dealerthis morning (Norfolk cameras in Dereham 01362 693506), he is expecting delivery on the 15th and his price is £499 for the body alone. Sounds a good price to me and only 1 mile away...so I have placed my order and will wait till next weekend !
8:53 am - Friday, September 8, 2006
#43 lee phillips
Hi,
Jessops pricematched play.com's web price for me yesterday... now one very happy 400D with kit lens + tamron af70-300mm f/4-5.6 ld macro 1:2 lens owner all for £629.98.
I simply visited jessops (loaded with web printouts) stating that I know play will not have the camera untill the 15th (as per play's website, £529.99 with lens kit) and I really would like to buy from jessops etc. etc.. could they get anywhere near plays price which was £100 cheaper. I also said I could wait for play's release date if I had to (I lied).... gobsmacked when they came back from the till and said ok... £529.99! I then brought the tamron lens for half price (instore offer if buying a dslr)
happy days...
8:10 am - Sunday, September 10, 2006
#44 Mark
At the moment I have a canon EOS 50 and I'm thinking of changing over to the 400D. Can I transfer my Tamron 70-200 lense over? any information would be greatly appreciated.
11:37 am - Tuesday, September 12, 2006
#45 SteveP4
As far as I am aware, the EOS 50 takes EF lenses. therefore you should be able to utilise the lens on a new EOS 400d.
You should be aware that the EOS 400d, like many EOS digital cameras has a 22mm * 15mm CMOS chip, therefore if you consider a current picture taken by your EOS 50 with a 35mm film, the same picture taken on a digital camera will only be the centre section.
This is not a problem, just that you shjould be aware that due to the size of the CMOS chip, the effective size of your lens will change to 112mm - 320mm. You should therefore look for another lens to look after shots from wide-angle (say 20mm) up to 120mm.
Personally, I have purchased a Tamron 18mm-200mm lesn for my EOS 400d. Later purchases may include an ultra wide angle (10 or 11mm) and a larger zoom (say 180 - 400mm). With regard to the larger zoom, I may find that due to the 10 megapixels of the EOS 400, I may be able to do satisfactory zooming on the computer rather than invest in a little used and heavy lens.
NOTE. Canon has produced EF-S lenses which are specifically for camera with 22mm CMOS. These lenses provide an image a little over 22mm wide, therefore are not suitable for use in 35mm film cameras or high end EOS digitals such as the 5d which have a 35mm CMOS.
10:23 am - Wednesday, September 13, 2006
#46 Jacks
Oh help, I have rushed out and got the 400D + Kit Lens. Was about to Buy 350D but LCD too small then saw this one.First shot on Macro was supurb.
Since then I cannot get a good shot, they all look grainy-noise I think. There is a lot of knocking inside. Manual says Flash parts knock!
My Canon S45 and this 400D have taken side by sides shots all day, manual, auto ,landscape, etc. All look dull and grainy. Canon lady said use a tripod!! What for everything?
whats gone wrong? Any ideas people.
5:50 pm - Wednesday, September 13, 2006
#47 GARY POGODA
Jacks, I'm not familiar enough with the 400D to offer any really useful
suggestions, but until someone does, you should at least try reverting
the camera back to its default settings via the menu.
6:48 pm - Wednesday, September 13, 2006
#48 Jacks
Thanks Gary. I did ask the canon lady but she did not understand what I meant by default settings.
Another forum has very mied views on 400D, I think I'll need to take it and try it with a good lens. In the mean time I will attempt to restore things to default settings although I am not sure I have changed them really.
Cheers.
7:44 pm - Wednesday, September 13, 2006
#49 SteveP4
The kit lens is not very highly rated, but should produce acceptable pictures.
From the MENU page, you can select different quality settings. Apart from RAW, the best quality is "curve" L. The lowest quality is "steps" S.
I will try a couple of shots and see what mine gives (I have a Tamron 18-200 lens).
My EOS 400d occasionally gives a rapid burst of flash when holdign the shutter buttom half way (and NO, this is not the Red-Eye reduction tool).
I think that in the rush to get these camera to market, a few duds may have got through.
If your camera (and mine) is faulty, your first course of action is to discuss it with the dealer, and maybe a word to Canon support.
9:48 pm - Wednesday, September 13, 2006
#50 SteveP4
I have taken a few test photos for comparison and loaded them up to photobucket. See how they compare with your shots.
If they do not show directly here, take a look at the following hyperlinks. (The photo is a zoom in of the EOS400d manual. The 3 shots show the difference between RAW, highets quality and lowest quality from the camera.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/Stevep4/lowestquality.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/Stevep4/topquality.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/Stevep4/raw-zoomin.jpg
11:15 pm - Wednesday, September 13, 2006
#51 Stephen O'Brien
hi guys
what do you think of buying the 17-85 is usm lens instead of the standard version that comes with it
this seems a good deal on ebay?
any ideas?
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Canon-400D-Digital-Rebel-XTi-Body-17-85mm-2GB-Gifts_W0QQitemZ200025044458QQihZ010QQcategoryZ31388QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
12:04 am - Thursday, September 14, 2006
#52 SteveP4
Hi Stephen.
there is a small test on "kit lenses" in this months PRactical photography.
The standard 18-55 gets a pasting as it is not particularly good.
The report on teh 17-85 goes like this...
Although not strictly a standard kit lens, many suppliers are offering this with the 350d and 30d so it is worthy of inclusion in this test. This is the Canon equivalent of the Nikon 18-70mm, but with the addition of image stabiliser (IS) it offers considerably more. It will also put the price of your kit up considerably too. The trouble is that all the extra goes on teh IS technology and not on teh build quality. But it is still worth investing in this lens rather than relying on teh 350d's standard lense to give you good results.
The verdicts were
handling 5 stars
features 5 stars
image quality 4 stars
value 3 stars
overall verdict 4 stars.
in teh end, the nikon lens beat it on value for money, but that wont fit on an EOS.
I used Hong Kong supplies for a remote timer a few months back and teh service was OK. The overall price (including postage is £770 which is not bad, but considering I bought my EOS 400d for £499, and Jessops will sopposedly match any price, perhaps you can get a similar deal locally.
12:20 am - Thursday, September 14, 2006
#53 Jacks
Looks like I may have a Dud afterall. I've tried 3 shots of the same subject using jpeg normal,super fine & Raw. Taken in Auto mode,Manual mode & either one of the set modes.
. I will go back to the dealer and seeif I can get a repleacment. No camera today should produce consistentely poor shots. Thanks everyone.
Steve sorry could not open the links to check your shots All photo's since the very first are of a poor quality.
On another site I have seen some excellant results simular to my first.
I know a good lens would improve things but surely Canon would not mess up by putting such a bad lens on what should be a top class starting DSLR. Believe me I may be an amatuer but I do love excellant quality photos.
6:04 am - Thursday, September 14, 2006
#54 ScudMonkey
Reply to SteveP4
<<My EOS 400d occasionally gives a rapid burst of flash when holdign the shutter buttom half way (and NO, this is not the Red-Eye reduction tool).>>
The 350D uses this to autofocus in low light.
9:29 pm - Monday, September 18, 2006
#55 Jacks
Okay folks. I spoke to a sensible canon techno later and he agreed that there must be an issue with my 400D, gave me a reference number and I returned it to the dealer Friday and recieved a new 400D Monday. This one is perfect, love it great pictures. I can now consider buying a decent lens.
Which Standard Zoom do you all advice me to go for. i want a little more focal length than that which come with the kit. I intend doing close up work of floweres etc so would appreciate a Macrooption too.
DEAL Wise. i bought my EOS 400D from http://www.askdirect.com for £549 Kit. They were fantastic at sending out a replacemnt too.
7:09 am - Tuesday, September 19, 2006
#56 Stephen O'Brien
Hi Jacks
Got my 400d last saturday, they only arrived in ireland then so we were a week behind you guys!!!
I am buying the 70-300 IS lens which on my homework seems like a really decent zoom lens without spending the earth. There had been a problem with them which has meant a shortage but the problem is fixed now and they should become readily available soon.
You might pick one up cheaper on the net than in the shops, I have someone going to the states to get mine for $500 as opposed to €670 here.
9:07 am - Tuesday, September 19, 2006
#57 SteveP4
Jakcs. Nice to know you got your camera exchanged so quickly. I bought the EOS 400d from my local camera shop as they could match any other price I found. Considering no postage or petrol costs involved in delivery, plus I have someone to talk to if there are problems..brilliant.
I bought the Tamron 18-200 lens. Managed to find one on e-bay and this cost a total of £200. As far as I can tell, the pictures taken so far have been excellent. It is a Macro lens as well, so should give some good results.
I will see what further lenses I need. I may consider the 11-18mm wide angle (tamron), or the Canon EF-S 10-22mm.
For the odd occaision where I need longer telephoto, I already have a 2* converter which only works with manual focus. Picture quality is still OK. I may have a word with Tamron to see if their converter maintains the autofocus feature.
My father has the EOS 20dA which has special filters to allow astronomical photography. This is being kept very busy and hopefully will get some good nebulla shots.
Mother has ordered the EOS 400d as well. Not sure about the lens she will go for.
Considering the expected shopping list for lenses, it may well be worth us checking some of the USA websites for prices and taking a day trip !!!
9:59 am - Tuesday, September 19, 2006
#58 PAUL REDLING
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE SELF/AUTO CLEANING SYSTEM ( DUST REMOVAL ) CAN BE SWITCHED OFF ON THE NEW 400D , I AM WONDERING BEFORE I BUY ONE , AS WITH MOST "FIRST VERISON " GIMICS , THEY CAN END UP NOT WORKING PROPERLY , OR SOMETHING GOES WRONG WITH IT ... ? THANKS .
INCEDENTLY THE 400D LOOKS LIKE EXELENT VALUE FOR WHAT IT IS , BEARING IN MIND THAT SOME PLACES ( RETAILERS ) ARE STILL SELLING THE 350D FOR ARROUND THE SAME PRICE AS THE 400D , ( DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS NOTICED )
NOT EVERYWHERE ADMITIDITLY , BUT IN SOME PLACES !!!! .
2:09 am - Sunday, September 24, 2006
#59 SteveP4
Yes, the auto sensor cleaning can be disabled. There is a section in the menu pages to allow this.
In the "full auto" selections, you can enable and disable the self cleaning.
In the manual selections (such as AV ), you can select manual cleaning which locks the mirror up until you turn the power off
8:24 am - Sunday, September 24, 2006
#60 PAUL REDLING
THANKS TO " STEVE P4 " FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTION MUCH APPRECIATED , FOR ME AS I SAID WITH ANY FIRST VERSION GIMIC- IT REALLY SWAYED MY DECISION ON WETHER TO PURCHASE ONE OR NOT . I HAVE ORDERED ONE ONLY TO FIND CANON CAN'T MAKE ENOUGH OF THEM TO SATISFY THE GROWING NEED FROM SUPPLIERS / WAREHOUSES . SO MINES ON BACK ORDER , SO HONESTLY PEOPLE , NOW I HAVE ONE ON ORDER IS IT REALLY WORTH THE WAIT ? , WHAT DO YOU THINK , ALSO WHAT IS PEOPLES OPINION FOR THE VITAL STATS OF THE 400D , IE - IMAGE QUALITY , HANDLING , EASE OF USE , ? . THANKS AGAIN .
1:45 am - Saturday, September 30, 2006
#61 Jacks
Hello,
Been using and enjoying my 400D for a few weeks now, thanks to you all for Lens ideas I shall try the Tamron 18-200 I think it seems to cover most of what I need and at least I can afford one lens.
I read that using a lens protector was a good idea and was recommended - Hoya Filter UV Pitch 0.75 High Quality.
Does anyone know if this can effect the picture quality or Auto focus.
I have noticed that my latest shots are not quite as sharp as they were. It could be me of course.
Please recommend away
Cheers, Jacks
6:25 am - Saturday, September 30, 2006
#62 paul redling
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE EQUIVELENT X IS ON A 18-55MM LENS IS ? IE - IS 10X 15X 20X ?
YES I AM NEW TO ALL THIS HENCE WHY I ASK !! . THANKS AGAIN , ALSO I REFER PEOPLE TO MY LAST COMMENT ON THE VITAL STATS OF THE 400D , IE - IMAGE QUALITY , HANDLING , EASE OF USE , ? .
4:21 pm - Saturday, September 30, 2006
#63 Stephen Penney
18-55mm lens.
Sine the sensor on the 400d is only about 15mm*22mm, the effective picture is only a fraction of that which would be taken on a 35mm film camera (or some expensive digitals with a 35mm sensor).
On the 400d, the conversion factor is approximately 1.6, therefore if you used an 18-55mm lens on a 400d, you would take the same shots as if you were using a 29 - 88 on a 35mm camera.
As far as your other questions.
Image quality. Very much a matter of the quality of lens you are using, but overally, the quality is very good.
Handling. It is a relatively small camera, so may be difficult for big hands. Best advice is to go to a camera shop and try one for size.
Ease of use. It has full auto modes, a few programmed modes (portrait, landscape, flowers etc,) plus you have various levels of manual intervention all the way to full manual control of every setting.
7:15 pm - Sunday, October 1, 2006
#64 Stevep4
I bought the Tamron 18-200 lens because for the time being, I have a limited budget. Possibly buy some nicer lenses next year,
I did buy a high quality lens protector. I bought the Hoya Pro 1 Digital UV filter. This lets about 99.7% of light through.
Cheaper filters are equallly as good at phisically protecting the front lens, but the light transmission can be much worse causing autofocus problems in lower light conditions.
Aparently, once a lens gets beyond approx 5.6 aperture, the autofocus has difficulty and can hunt. My Tamron 18-200 is 3.5 - 6.3. Therefore when a 200mm zoom, the light transmission through the lens is not as good as a more expensive lens. Adding a poor filter might make matters worse.
7:20 pm - Sunday, October 1, 2006
#65 nick in japan
Paul, a couple more comments...
Sensor size is the key, Canon, except for the large sensors, use 1.6X to get the 35mm equivilent, Nikon, 1.5, and the 4/3rds systems use 2x!
Once you get the 35mm equivilent it is esy to see the X factor as compared to our eyes, which are near 50mm. 2x would be near 100mm, 3X, 150mm, 4X,200mm, and on and on.
Unlike adding a doubler to a lens on a film camera, that 1.5x, 1.6x or 2x you get by adding a lens does not affect the F stop...ie, the 300mm f2.8 lens mounted on a Nikon becomes a 450mm 2.8, mount it on a Canon and its a 480mm 2.8, mount it on an olympus 4/3rds mount and it becomes a 600mm 2.8, divide that 600 by 50 and you have the same as a 12 power telescope when you look thru your finder.
10:20 pm - Sunday, October 1, 2006
#66 PAUL REDLING
THANKS TO THE ABOVE PEOPLE FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS , MUCH APPRECIATED , I HAVE USED OLDER SLR'S IN THE PAST , SUCH AS MINOLTA DYNAX'S AND EVEN PRAKTICA ( YES I HEAR YOU LAUGHING ) . BUT AM VERY NEW TO THE DSLR WORLD AND I SUPPOSE NEVER REALLY FULLY COMPATENT IN THE SLR WORLD LET ALONE THE DSLR WORLD !! ., THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT X ( ZOOM EQUIV IN X/18-55MM ) WAS BECAUSE I HAVE JUST GOT RID OF MY SONY MAVICA MVC-CD2000 ( 2.1 MP ) I BASICLY LOOKED AT THE LENS ON THAT CAMERA AND IT HAD ON IT
16-68MM , AND I KNEW IT HAD A 10X OPTICAL ZOOM SO I SOME HOW DEDUCED THAT A CANON LENS AT 18-55MM WOULD BE ARROUND 5X OPTICAL ZOOM , AND OBVIOUSLY WITH A BIGGER LENS THE GREATER ZOOM ( x ) . SO ON AND SO ON . CAUSE OBVIOUSLY AFTER USING THE MAVICA WITH 10X ZOOM I AM LOOKING FOR THE SAME SORT OF ... WELL ... ZOOM POWER AND MORE WHEN ONE CAN AFFORD IT !! . AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT LENSES ON THE MARKET TRYING TO WORK OUT THE EQUIVS AND RATIOS . IF THIS ALL SOUNDS CONFUSING , WELL YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE CONFUSED, I WAS AND STILL AM ACCEPT NOT AS MUCH !! . ME THINKS ITS MAYBE TIME I WENT ON A CAMERA COURSE !!! . KIND REGARDS TO EVERYONE , AND I HAVE ORDERED A 400D SO AM LOOKING VERY MUCH FORWARD TO GETTING IT ( BACK ORDER ) , WELL THAT IS WHEN CANON CAN BE BOTHERED TO PAY THE COMPANY I BOUGHT IT FROM A VISIT WITH THIER "GOODIES" TRUCK .!!!! .
2:01 am - Tuesday, October 3, 2006
#67 nick in japan
Paul, Camera sensors come in all sizes and shapes, some video cameras have very small sensors, the 18-55mm must be mathematically converted to the 35mm equivilent to easily undersand the range. The manufacturer figures in the 'X" factor below 50mm and above 50mm to show the TOTAL range, and then tell you that it is, in your case, 10X.
I'm sorry I left that part out.
I have 2 Prackticas in my collection, a well made camera, no laughing!
Please also consider that "Digital Zoom" is something that may, or may-not be of interest to you due to losing of quality of the image.
4:04 am - Tuesday, October 3, 2006
#68 Morris
I bought the D70S a few months ago after a lot of deliberation, hoping to use the range of regular nikon mount lenses I have from my SLR's. Unfortunately, although the lenses fit the DSLR, because of the stopdown mechanism, I can only use them at full aperture and no metering. I noticed with the canon there is an adaptor to use Nikon mount lenses and still retain full manual metering. I now want to upgrade to a 10MP DSLR and I'm stuck on choice. Similarly I feel it's a bit churlish from Nikon to charge extra for the clean up software where other manufacturers offer it for free.
5:06 am - Wednesday, October 4, 2006
#69 nick in japan
I use the terrific Nikkor lenses on my Canon 10 and 20Ds, allows manual aperture selection only. Metering appears to work well.
What really upsets me is the FD lenses are not supported for repair by Canon, nor are they adaptable to EOS mount without an adapter with lens. I do use that arrangement with my 85mm 1.2, but would rather the hook-up be without another lens added (reduced light)
5:19 am - Wednesday, October 4, 2006
#70 Jacks
Me again.
Can anyone suggest what I might be doing wrong!
I took the 400D out yesterday as it was perfect for photography. Lots of light, no wind, Sun and occasional clouds I went down to our local fishing harbour and beach. Took some great shots, colours & light perfect BUT. THE FOCUSING IS JUST TOO SOFT.
I used various manual, TV AV + Auto settings messing about but in all shots used the AF in it's normal mode.
I cna only assume I am at fault. I made sure all the speeds were up so that Camera Shake didn't effect my shots, the light was great too.
On macro it's pin sharp but for all the other shots although appearing in focus and looking sharp on the LCD once on the computer it's a little dissapointing.
I know, get a good Opticians! I work for one! I am new to DSLR and Auto Focuisng so please treat me gently
Jacks
5:57 am - Wednesday, October 4, 2006
#71 Jacks
SOFT FOCUSING
Can anyone suggest what I might be doing wrong!
I took the 400D out yesterday as it was perfect for photography. Lots of light, no wind, Sun and occasional clouds I went down to our local fishing harbour and beach. Took some great shots, colours & light perfect BUT THE FOCUSING IS JUST TOO SOFT.
I used various manual, TV, AV + Auto settings messing about but in all shots used the AF in it's normal mode.
I can only assume I am at fault. I made sure all the speeds were up so that Camera Shake didn't effect my shots, the light was great too. ISO is at default setting 100.
On macro it's pin sharp but for all the other shots although appearing in focus and looking sharp on the LCD once on the computer it's a little dissapointing.
I know, get a good Opticians! I work for one! I am new to DSLR and Auto Focuisng so please treat me gently
Jacks
6:26 am - Wednesday, October 4, 2006
#72 nick in japan
Test it Jacks... Take off the filter, rest the camera on something stationary, ensure that your focus piont is where you want it and set it on self timer.
Now you know that there is absolutely no hand shake, filter blur, and focus point is correct.
I have a rule of thumb, shoot at a speed 1/250th or faster, if possible. Not many folks like lugging a tripod, but a mono-pod does help.
Lets start here and see what happens, good luck, Oh, don't be afraid to crank the ASA up to 400, it will handle it well I'm sure!
6:29 am - Wednesday, October 4, 2006
#73 Jacks
Thanks Nick for such a quick response. I will try later on after work. I'll let you know how things go.
jacks
6:41 am - Wednesday, October 4, 2006
#74 nick in japan
Fingers are crossed, good luck.
It's a bit after 1600 hrs here in Japan, I'm usually done with my daily pictures by 1300-1400 each day, catch up on mail till it's time to start supper.
7:07 am - Wednesday, October 4, 2006
#75 Mat
I am very new to the SLR thing - have a couple of point and click camera's but have seen the results of a friends DSLR - came across this site during research and the feeling I get from what has been written before is that for somebody like me the 400D would be better than the Nikon D80 especially as I can find the lens pack deal for £450. This is obviously my first foray into SLRs so value for money is the over-riding factor for me. Are there any other suggestions for entry level. Thanks in advance
Mat
12:03 pm - Friday, October 6, 2006
#76 Stevep4
Who is doing the lens pack deal for £450 ???
Are you sure that this is for the 400d + lens or is it for the 350d+lens ?????
Typical deals for the 400d + 18-55mm lens are £520
Typical deals for the 350d + lens are £430
12:26 pm - Friday, October 6, 2006
#77 Stevep4
Are you asure that the deal you are being offered is for the 400d?
Typical prices for the 400d + 18-55mm lens are £520
Typical prices for the 350d + 18-55mm lens are £430.
12:28 pm - Friday, October 6, 2006
#78 Mat
Unless I am mistaken:
http://tinyurl.com/s28l4
I have to profess I haven't used this company before - let me know what you think
12:39 pm - Friday, October 6, 2006
#79 Stevep4
BIG WARNING
The price starts off quite good.....
until you add VAT which is 17.5% This brings price up to £527.50
Then add the shipping charges (these camera are in Hong Kong)
Order cost £12.50
Shipping cost £4.80 per kilo.
So, if we consider a 2kg package,
you would be looking at
Camera 449
VAT 78.50
Order cost 12.50
Shipping 9
TOTAL 549
YOu might get stung for inport tax as well, whatever that is !!
You can do a lot better than that at jessops and have a face to talk to when the camera has a problem.
1:03 pm - Friday, October 6, 2006
#80 Mat
ah well I guess it had to be too good to be true! Thanks for the warning - so back to my original comment over the camera's...
1:07 pm - Friday, October 6, 2006
#81 Stevep4
I am far from an expert.
I would suggest you go to http://www.dpreview.com and go to the FORUMS. There is a forum there specifically for the EOS 300 / 350 /400d. Spend some time going through the messages.
Masses of info there from people who are using the camera every day.
Always advantages with buying new (nothing missing from the box, warranty etc.).
Second hand gives price savings, as does buying last years model (350d) which offers almost everything the 400d does.
Plenty of comparisons on the forum,
1:13 pm - Friday, October 6, 2006
#82 Jacks
Hi Nick
Finally got back to you and the forum.
Good news indeed. Taken a lot more shots over the last few days.
THIS CAMERA IS BRILLIANT considering I'm still only using the KIT lens! I did as you advised but also switched exclusivley to manual for one day and then checked out the RAW images using Canons own software, No Raw plug-ins available for this camera yet as far as I can tell. Opening the raw files everything is pin sharp. The colours are fantastic as is the detail the sensor is picking up.
When viewed as JPEGs in Elements or CS2 the images do appear soft but the reality is that they are not.
My few errors I made on mamual mode could easily be rectified using the canon software.
Lots to learn but looking forward to it. Can't wait to get a good lens!
Cheers to all great forum.
jacks
2:10 pm - Sunday, October 8, 2006
#83 Jacks
Hi again
Camera Raw Plugin for EOS 400D now available from Adobe. Version 3.6
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3543
jacks
2:28 pm - Sunday, October 8, 2006
#84 Stevep4
Any chance of updates for Photoshop 7.0 or Elements 2.0 ???????
9:20 am - Monday, October 9, 2006
#85 Gary Francis
I have a canon eos 500 35mm with a tamron 18 - 200 lense. Forgive my ignorance but will the tamron work on the eos 400D? IF not can someone explain in simple terms why not. Ta
6:34 pm - Tuesday, October 24, 2006
#86 Stevep4
Canon EOS cameras have an EF mount. Therefore the lens should fit without problems.
Note though, that because the sensor on the 400d is smaller than a 35mm film frame (actually it is around 24mm * 15mm), the effective range of your Tamron lens will be 29mm-320mm. (Lay a piece of A5 paper on top of a piece of A4 and you will understand).
There are also EF-S lenses which are specifically designed for digital camera with these smaller sized sensors. You cannot use an EF-S lens with a 35mm Canon (or Canon 5d, 1d etc. which use a very expensive 35mm sensor) as the EF-S lens is designed to produce a 24mm image, not a 35mm image.
9:28 pm - Tuesday, October 24, 2006
#87 nick in japan
#85, Adapters are available to , also, to use , just about, any lens on the 400D.
There are restrictions tho, losing electrical connection will necessitate manual focusing.
A couple of my favorite adaptations is the Nikkor 300mm 2.8, and Canon 85mm 1.2.
Your Tamron should be a good lens to use, as, Tamron has a great reputation, and that is a very nice focal range!
9:56 pm - Tuesday, October 24, 2006
#88 paul redling
HI THERE AGAIN FOLKS , IT MIGHT INTREST YOU TO KNOW THAT I SENT MY CANON 400D BACK , AS THE FIRST ONE DEVELOPED A FAULT WITH THE AF POINT SYSTEM , IN THAT THE MICRO L.E.D'S THAT DSIPLAY IN TEH VIEWFINDER WENT BLURRY AND THEN STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER , I ALSO NOTE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A FEW OTHER PEOPLE , AND THAT THE LED LIGHTS SHOULD BE CRISP AND CLEAR AND NOT BLURRY OR FAIL TO WORK ATALL . I GOT ANOTHER CANON 400D AFTER SENDING THE FAULTY ONE BACK IN .
HOWEVER QUITE IMPRESD WITH THE CAMERA , CERTAINLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO THE SONY MAVICA CD1000 I HAD !!! . A PERSONAL THANKS TO THOSE THAT HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE X(S) CONVERSION .
4:01 am - Tuesday, November 7, 2006
#89 Tedric
I have found a very unusual feature with the 400D that I would like explained. I have a macro set-up using 4 Vivitar 283 flashes for lighting. To synch them in the past I have used the camera's flash (with an EOS 33) to fire the other flashes using sensors. (I believe the triggering voltage with 283s can damage some cameras). It worked extremely well with the film camera, but the flashes do not synch. with the 400D's built in flash. I cannot understand why. The only way to do it is to set the 2nd curtain synch and then the external flashes will be in synch with the 2nd flash. BUT this means giving a long exposure (say 1 second) because the external flashes need time to recover because they will have fired with the first flash. Complicated!! Get it? I would like to sort it out.
8:10 am - Wednesday, November 8, 2006
#90 Laurent
Hi Tedric! The built-in flash of the EOS 33 is a TTL-type flash whereas the EOS 400D uses a built-in flash of the ETTL-type (otherwise it couldn't meter the correct exposure). ETTL flashes fire two flashes that appear to be only one for the human eye. The first ETTL-flash makes your four Vivitar flashes fire directly before the exposure. Unfortunately I don't know any solution for this problem...
Laurent
11:38 am - Friday, November 10, 2006
#91 Laurent
What is your opinion of the self-cleaning sensor of the EOS 400D? I'm rather disappointed. At the beginning everything seemed to be great, but after having released the shutter for more than 600 times (and changed the lenses several times because I prime lenses instead of zooms) I've noticed some dust points on the photos. Neither the automatic sensor cleaning succeeds to remove them, nor am I able to blow them away with a bellows... As I do a lot of macro shots that require stopped-down apertures, the dark points on the photos are rather annoying. I wonder if it is a common problem, or if I am the only one with this problem.
Laurent
11:43 am - Friday, November 10, 2006
#92 Stephen O'Brien
Hi all
Back from the most amazing safari ever, and I certainly got my moneys worth from the 400d and the 70-300 is usm lens i bought.
However some points I noticed with my camera.
When i half press the shutter release button, i get a severe burst and flickering of the flash. is this normal?
Also towards the end of my holiday, perhaps after taking about 2000 pictures, i found that a lot of pictures were becoming quite blurry, especially taken at dusk or evening time.
I found that when i was lining up a shot, depressed the shutter, the camera didn't seem to want to take the picture?
I only used the auto functions as i am not familiar enough yet with the professional use.
So can anyone let me know if i might have a problem with my camera please or if i need to make some simple adjustments in taking the pictures.
Also if anyone want to see any wildlife shots which I took, i am going to upload some onto webshots, let me know and i will post the link here.
8:56 pm - Saturday, November 18, 2006
#93 Stevep4
Hi,
the burst of flash is not a problem. Ths is called AF assist and is used in low light conditions (P41 of the manual). The flash is used to illuminate the subject enough for the autofocus sensors to get a fix.
The camera freezing and not taking a shot is probably again due to low light conditions. If you have "P" selected, the flash will only work if you press the button on the left of the lens (see page 54). The light level is not enough to focus and the camera stops.
If this happens, either switch to full auto, or try a manual setting with the flash turned on.
10:19 pm - Saturday, November 18, 2006
#94 PAUL REDLING
RE- THE POST BY STEPHEN O'BRIEN , I WOULD BE INTRESTED TO SEE THE PICTURES YOU SAY ARE BLURRY , WHICH IS PROBABLY DUE TO LIGHT - ALLTHOUGH I AM NOT AN EXPERT !! , SOME OF THE GUYS ON HERE ARE THOUGH !!! . BUT ONE THING TO NOTE IS I HAVE ALLREADY NOTICED THAT THE AUTO FOCUS DOSEN'T PULL ASWELL AS IT COULD ON OCASIONS , BUT THIS HAS MAINLY OCCURED IN LOW LIGHT COND'S , AND WHEN THE WRONG SHUTTER SPEED FOR THE SUBJECT WAS INCORRECTLY CHOSEN WHICH MAKES YOU THINK IT HASN'T AUTO FOCUSED PROPERLY - BUT REALLY THE SHUTTER SPEED WAS TO SLOW FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN !!. REGARDS , PAUL - COULD ANYBODY ELSE THROUGH ANY LIGHT ON THE PROBLEM FOR MR O'BRIEN ? .
8:23 pm - Sunday, November 19, 2006
#95 PAUL REDLING
DON'T FORGET ALSO WHEN YOU'RE IN FULL AUTO MODE AND SOME OF THE OTHER MODES IT WILL DETERMINE THE SHUTTER SPEED ITSELF AUTOMATICLY , WHICH CAN LEAD TO BLURRY PICS !!! . I DON'T BOTHER USING AUTO MODE AT NIGHT , I CONTROL THE ISO AND SHUTTER SPEED MYSELF , BUT EVERYONE HAS THERE OWN WAY , AND DON'T FORGET THE MANUAL DOES SUGEST SETTINGS FOR ALL CONDITION - WELL AT LEAST MOST . PAUL
8:32 pm - Sunday, November 19, 2006
#96 Mike
Is this Canon EOS 400 backwards compatible with old SLR lenses and perhaps flashed, (not digital).
I have an old Canon EOS 650 (not digital), and wondering if the lens and flash I have for it will be compatible with the Canon EOS 400, and perhaps other Canon dSLRs?
4:59 pm - Sunday, December 24, 2006
#97 Stevep4
The lenses from the EOS 650 will fit and work no problem, but don't forget teh multiplication factor of 1.6 on all of your lenses, so a 100mm lens would effectively become a 160mm.
The flash units are a differetn story. I had an EOS 600, and while the lenses were fine, the flash unit would not work. So you will need to buy a new flash.
The integral flash on the EOS400 is ok, but it is very easy to ruin a photo by having your fingers around the lens or if the lens itself is long. You are also limited by the flash unit needing to cool down after about 15 shots.
Merry Christmas
7:47 pm - Sunday, December 24, 2006
#98 nick in japan
Skimming thru the entries above, a couple thoughts come to mind...
1. Flashes for older model EOS cameras will work only in 'Manual" mode, but will work!
2. Flash synk needs a 'Digital slave that syncs with the 2nd flash emitted from the camera, new digital camers have a focus flash that trips the flash, thus when the shutter is activated there is not enough time lag to get a quick second flash. Many companies sell Digital slaves that also, some models, be adjusted to 1st or 2nd flash recognition.
7:01 am - Monday, December 25, 2006
#99 Mike
Thanks for replies so far...
So what would any of you suggest, considering I already have this Canon lens and flash - is it worth bearing these in mind whilst looking for a dSLR? If so, what Canon dSLR would you suggest?
My lens that I have at the moment is a high quality 35 - 105 zoom...
The Nikon D80 also interests me, but I would obviously be saving a bit of money if i went for a Canon, no?
Thanks
6:49 pm - Monday, December 25, 2006
#100 nick in japan
Merry Christmas Mike!
Hard question to answer.... Separate your "Wants" from your "Needs"
Consider staying with Canon, that 35-105 is a GREAT lens!
Consider a used 10D, 20D, used prices/older models are dropping in price, and, a back-up camera will be something most of us kinda think will be needed
Read, read read about the pros and cons that folks have, tests by folks at blog sites are great tools to help YOU make the final decisio about the NEW models that are coming out, a live LED screen is in the near future for Canon, and it may be a good idea to wait a bit!
Keep us info'd, Good luck!
Also remember that adaapters to mount other maker's lenses to Canon are a real nice addition to using a great lens you may run across, I use Nikon attached to my 10D/20D with GREAT results, Not sure about adapters of Canon lenses to Nikon bodies..
Semper Fi
Nick
1:14 am - Tuesday, December 26, 2006