Canon xti or xsi?

Question

hello i'm a new dslr canon user. i was wondering is xsi worth buying for the money compared to xti. i already know all the bells and whistles that xsi has that xti doesn't have but is it worth it. i'm planning to make photography a hobby of mine but i don't have much money. i found this great deal of xsi that is 1200 something with kit lense and a 70-300 mm lense?. i'm hearing really good things about the IS in the xsi kit lense. but i need feedback if your in my situation. 1300 to spend as of now. planning to get all the stuff bag mem card later. just focus on the carmera itself. discuss=)

Answer 1

I just bought an XTi... the entire rebel series is pretty good, and the XSi has a decent kit lens... but honestly, the money for it isn't worth it if you're planning on it being a hobby, in my opinion. You can probably buy a used XTi, a used kit lens with IS, and a used 70-300 for under $800... if you don't mind going with used or refurbished items (just make sure whatever you're getting has low "clicks" or "actuations" (that's how many pictures have been taken with it, if you're not sure) because that is key... I found a used XTi with under 1500 clicks (pretty low!) for $450... the kit lens might cost $100 or less on ebay or through another used source (fredmiranda.com is a good place to look, just check out the buy and sell forum) which leaves you with about $750 to spend on more lenses and accessories.

Another thing you might want to do is price compact flash cards vs. SD cards, since the XTi uses CF and the XSi uses SD...

Basically what it comes down to is a price difference of about $250 if you buy new.... personally, I didn't think it was worth it... but my budget was a little lower and I was quite happy with the specs on the XTi :) But if you want that extra 2 megapixels and the aforementioned bells and whistles, go for it! :)

(Oh, and this could be different from the 70-300 that would come with the XSi... but if it's not, you're definitely getting ripped off... http://cgi.ebay.com/SIGMA-70-300mm-DG-Le... )

Answer 2

Hi Harvey.  :)  You ask a very valid question and  I will save time with a short response.   I do have the XTi and I really enjoy using it.  But it is last year's technology.    Why would you want the older technology if the current is on the shelf and you are considering it anyway?    You are behind the times with the XTi and right on course with the XSi.   Save your money and instead of buying a kit...  look into one 28-200mm lens for the time being.  This should get your hobby up and running.   You are going to need a nice camera bag,  perhaps an extra battery..  just a few accessories that you will enjoy with your set.  Thanks for reading and have fun shopping.

Answer 3

What do you have now?  Plan on buying a new camera about every thee to four years.  

You may want to "save" your image files on a CD or DVD and then carry a them with you to share

Answer 4

I have the XTi it is an excellent camera.. that being said, if I were looking at the 2 cameras today, considering buying one, I'd buy the XSi, simply for the fact that it has "spot metering", in my mind that is a huge advantage, especially for a beginner photographer.  The kit lens for the XSi has IS (Image Stability), which the XTi's lens lacks, that too is an advantage.

As for memory cards, you can pick up a 2gb card for about $20 dollars, at most stores.... do get an extra battery if you can, http://adorama.com sells their version of the Canon battery for a lot less....