I know I know in the FAQ for beginners it says stray away from packages. However, i think we can be an exception. This camera is for a beginner family - mother who will probably see this less than the father and son who will eventually use it more.

We've been searching and used a canon digital rebel xti that my aunt got for her 25th year work anni. gift... and we liked it.

dont wanna get to serious so thats why i thought this package might be ok.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=019

cliffs - canon xt 350d, included 18-55mm lens, 1 gb card, "wideangle converter lens," uv polorizer and fld filter lens, memory card reader, wallet, case, cleaning kit, a flexable tripod (plan just to use it for my canon sd1000), and "delux" tripod... (dosnt look too bad)

anyone this this is a decent deal for around 475$? company is Barclay's photos in Brok. NY

any help is appreciated

 

ugh. poop.

I like how they are trying to claim the wide angle converter is a 2nd lens.

 

well i know about that... im probably just gonna skip on the lens and use the 18-55 anyway.

what do you suggest with a budget under 500?

 

RUN

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/BarclaysPhoto

 

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP...d=290200988621

98.5 on ebay

so then again... what do you suggest?

 

B+H, Amazon, Calumet, Adorama

 

at b&h for the 350d xt, price is 409$ w/o lens?

 

better than getting ripped off...that reseller has horrid reviews.

 

Because it is a real, US product, and there is no grey market, refurbished crap in the box.

You get what you pay for.

 

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/EC2809/

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Rebel_XT.html

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-...2462286&sr=8-1

 

dude! just the other day i posted about NOT buying any of that crap off of ebay when it comes to cameras...i also mentioned a situation i got caught in where i was lucky to get out of with only losing $74, as opposed to over $1500....guess what company it was?

barclays photo...their feedback is bullshit...half (or more) of it is their own employees posting positive feedback on there...go read Thomas Hawk's experience w/ them...

seriously, STAY AWAY FROM BARCLAYS...i can't stress that enough...here, now go read the review i left about them on resellerratings.com...if the link doesn't take you there, scroll down to the user 'rimz'...

 

by the way, their sales and customer service numbers are exactly the same!



oh, and guess what...



it's a f*ckin' cell phone...

 

It's been said, it's been said, stay away from ebay sellers and the bullshit fly buy nights. You're not getting a USA market camera when you buy from them.

You want a camera at a great price, go to amazon.com bhphoto.com or adorama.com, beachcamera. co.

 

The jury has spoken. Avoid the package from the shady e-tailer. Most of the stuff in those packages are junk anyway. Real junk. You are better off not having a filter than using one of those they give you in the package deal. The tripods they give you will make your photos worse, or will destroy your camera when the whole thing topples.

Check Craig's List for people looking to upgrade from the XT. I see deals all the time in Phoenix on used camera gear.

Maybe someone with experience should make a thread about what to look for when purchasing a used body/lens?

 

:ibhestillbuysfromthem:

 

avoid that seller like the plague. get from B&H or Adorama. you wont regret it.

 

 

adorama also has a pretty decent used selection, if you wanted to go that route. Probably could get a 20d for ~$500, but that would probably be body only. or go on one of the photography forums for used equipment even cheaper. A used XT w/ kit lens on the street shouldn't be much more than like $350, or for $400 i'll sell you mine, and make up a 'cool' kit for you.

I think all you really need to get started is body, lens, and memory card. I lived for 2 years without an extra battery, although just bought a few for a trip coming up. Sterlingtek is a good resource for aftermarket batteries. A rocket blower is good, but I used a clean turkey baster for a good year or so. UV filters are pointless, especially on the kit lens.

 

Did the gravy mess up the sensor much?

 

it made my pictures richer and more 'full-bodied'...?

 

lol not that stupid :tounge:

but you know... its my mother and she just likes the price... so yea ill stick away

and osamu... wanna talk about that? lol id rather get one from a trusted member than on ebay...

 

Nikon D40 SLR Digital Camera W/ Nikon 18-55mm Lens & Nikon 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX and 2GB mem card

http://www.abesofmaine.com/item.do?item=D402LK

LOYALTY10 for $10 off brings it to just under $600 if you arent in NJ.

And you dont have to wait 3 months to get the lens from Amazon.

 

Here's where I started. With the release of the XSi, you should be able to find a good deal on an XTi body only. Then add the 18-55 IS lens that typically comes with the XSi. This lens adds image stabilization and by many accounts, better optics over the 18-55 that normally comes with the XTi. Make sure you get the lens from a reputable retailer (online or brick/mortar) and make sure it's a Japanese model, not a Taiwanese model. It's a nice lens, but you'll soon find it's not fast enough for indoor shots. I picked up my first prime (35mm F2), which is pretty close to a "normal" lens with the 1.6X factor.

Get a good large card (Sandisk) and a good case and that should be enough to get started.

 

I definitely wouldn't get an XT. It came out over 3 years ago.

 

Abe's of maine isn't the most trustworthy place to purchase from. I've read about some great bait and switches by them.

 

I have canceled an order or two from them because of just that tactic. Lesson learned.

 

what would you get for around that price? and we kinda wanna stick to canon... we have friends with lens, etc... family all uses canon

 

The only option close to that price is the XTi. You'll appreciate it for the bigger screen alone. I have an XT btw.


I know its more, $675 with the kit lens or $580 without, but its worth it IMO.

 

Read the same too.

Gave them a phone call to clarify something and they threw me through the ringer about how my warranty from Nikon sucks, the battery only lasts 10 minutes, my lense will blow up without a filter and my memory card is slow. At one point I told the guy I wasnt paying attention to him anymore.

2 minutes of hilarity is worth it to me. Ill have my D40 by this Friday.

 

Give the different cameras a once over at Best Buy. Theyre kind of like cellphones, you get used to how one menu works and you simply prefer it. I hate my Canon SD600 menus but I learned how to make it work. On the other hand, I played around with my friend's D60 two weekends ago and got used to it right away. I guess its just personal preference.

 

honestly, mine is in pretty rough shape, I haven't really even considered selling it, as I don't think it's worth enough for me to want to sell it. But if buying from a trusted member is worth that much to you, shoot me a PM .

 

I got the same thing from Butterfly Photo the last time I used them - which is the last time I will use them. On previous orders they never did that. It got to the point where I flat out said "Listen, if you don't want to sell me just the camera and JUST the camera I ordered, then I'll cancel and buy it somewhere else." That got them to shut up and put the order through.

OP - You can check:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...&sort=lastpost

and

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/10

for used gear. I've bought and sold a bit of stuff, mostly through POTN, and have had good success.

 

ok. its been exactly 2 weeks since this thread. and i finally won the one on ebay.

but it's not what you think... i bought this from an independent person, upgrading and thought i got a stellar deal.

I listened to your guy's suggestions and heres what i came up with.

We couldnt afford to get any xti, xs, xsi etc... so we bought a 5 mth old xt

i kept my eye out for extras like an external flash, tripod, lens, etc and one of the suggestions was to get the IS lens. the seller included it in the package.

Comes with 6 total gb of memory and everything is in good condition. All other auctions ive tried to bid on went over 500 (our budget) and didnt have the IS lens. This one did, i jumped on it and was surprised to find that i won it at 450$ a couple of minutes ago.

so not :ibididnotgobuybarclays: and i am pretty excited on the deal i got.

 

I never bid on company sellers on ebay, only regular people trying to sell the items they used themselves. I've also switched to only trying to buy from people in my local area.

Enjoy the camera!!