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Suggestions for a new replacement camera

UncleJoe
Contributor

 Hello and thank you in advance for your help with this matter. I've had a Canon Rebel XT for the last 12 years and I want to upgrade at this point. Over time I have accumulated some accessories for the XT that I obviously want to be able to roll over for usage with what ever I chose to replace the XT with. I am hopeful and assuming that the lens I have will be of some standard, I also have a remote for the shutter the additional battery pack that mounts to the bottom of the body a standard mount flash ect. I can provide specific model numbers if that would be more helpful. At a glance I was looking at the t7i model on the belief that being part of the rebel line it might be compatible, but I am open to any and all suggestions. I am old enough to know that one can reach a point where one is better off starting from scratch if that is the case than so be it. 

 My interest in photography is general but I have been thinking of doing some star field shots (astronomical), landscape some occasional portrait work and as a grandfather I would not mind having some basic video capabilities available. Thanks again for any assistance! 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

After your camera model, Canon came out with the 7D (with the 18MP sensor) and used the same sensor in the T2i, T3i, T4i, T5i, and 60D cameras.  It wasn't until the T6i that they put a new sensor in the camera (with some gains over the performance of the long-running 18MP that they used for years).  

 

But when they released the T7i and 77D they replaced the sensor yet again and this time the camera got some VERY significant gains.  The T7i & 77D are a huge upgrade over any previous Rebel series camera (most other models were very small gains over the prievious year's model.)

 

This is why I'd agree that you should look at either the T7i or 77D.  The two camera have the same sensor but mostly different body features.

 

If you look at the "top" of each camera, the T7i has dials and controls much like your current camera (it's changed a tiny bit and there are a few extra buttons but it's mostly going to look very similar to what you have now).  But if you look at the top of the 77D... the mode dial is moved to the other side of the viewfinder and in it's place there is now an LCD display screen (not video - just simple LCD) which has all the current exposure info, etc. all displayed.  

 

Also, another significant change is on the back of the camera.  On your camera you have a simple up/down/left/right button (which also access different functions).  This is the same (or very similar) on the T7i.  But on the 77D the buttons have a knurled rotation ring (wheel) around them and you can rotate it.  If you like to shoot with manual exposure, the front wheel (next to the shutter button) changes the shutter speed and the rear-dial (which you can easily access with your thumb) changes the aperture (f-stop).  This makes it much faster to control than your current camera.

 

The extra display and dial are features of the mid-grade and pro-grade cameras.   I think the difference for the "body only" price is about $50.  The camera performance, resolution, ISO, focus system, etc. etc. are all identical (they have the same sensor.)

 

One noteable MISSING feature... Canon does not make a battery grip for either the T7i or the 77D ... nor can you use a grip from a previous model camera.

 

If you want a battery grip, you should probably look at a Canon 80D.

 

Other than that, all cameras can use the same lenses that you've been using on your Canon XT.

 

If you are using the same entry-level lenses that might have been included with your XT (such as the 18-55mm zoom) then you would want to be aware that the new versions of those lenses are significantly improved.  The new versions have at "STM" suffix on the name (e.g. Canon EOS EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6mm IS STM)  (I bolded the "STM").  This means the lens has Canon's new "stepper motor" focusing system (very quiet and smooth) but Canon also updated the optics.  The new lenses are a bit sharper.  The EF 50mm f/1.8 lens was updated with an "STM" version which also updated the number and shape of the aperture blades so now the out-of-focus blur (background blur) is much smoother & creamier than the old generation.

 

 

 

You wont be able to use the battery pack (battery grip) that mounted on the bottom of your XT (battery grips are always camera model-specific and never carry over to any new model).  

 

You should find that your remote (wired) shutter release fits and works just fine (it probably has a jack that looks like a mini headphone jack).   However all of these cameras now support WiFi and you can actually  use a smartphone (there's a free app) to remotely control the camera.

 

All the new cameras have video capability (it wouldn't matter which model you get) although of note... these new cameras now have Canon's Dual-Pixel CMOS AF (a feature previously only found on mid-grade and high-end models).  The Dual-Pixel CMOS AF allows the camera to use a phase-detect-like focus system (light passes through a beam-splitter (pism) to split it into two phases.  If the light re-converges in-phase then the camera is focused at that particular position... if not, then the lens is not focused and the direction and distance of focus can instantly be determined by comparing the two phases.  

 

Ok, so that sounds technical (and it is) but what it means to YOU is that the camera can do continuous auto-focus during live-video and it can follow your subject as they move closer or farther ... the camera tracks focus very accurately and you wont see the camera "hunt" for focus.

 

You'll get better audio quality if you attach an external microphone (specifically you should check out the Rode VideoMic Pro which is a "powered" external mic with enough gain to avoid that "hiss" sound you often hear on other mics).  It's designed to mount in the hot-shoe socket on top of the camera.  

 

The "STM" lenses (the new lenses) have focus motors which are no so quiet that it's extremely difficult to hear them when recording video (you probably wont hear anything but if you try really really hard ... you might just barely make out the sound of the focus motor.)

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

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57 REPLIES 57

Just to make the point, the reason I do not own a Rokinon lens, and I currently have some 40+ lenses, is that simple reason.  I do not want to deal with the hassle of getting that good one. You buy a Canon lens and you get a perfect one. Period, end of story.

 

In my circle of friends there are several Rokinon lens owners.  The Rokinon lenses they use and own are top notch.  Very good and extremely sharp.  I hate to say it but they are probably better than my Canon rival lens. However, none of them, not one, got that lens on the first try.  They all got returned and/or replaced.  Sometimes several times.

 

I will most likely buy a Rokinon lens, eventually, as the curiosity is just too much for me to handle. Smiley Surprised It is a disease, I know.  I am addicted to lenses.  Smiley Very Happy  There, I admit it.

 

It will be from B&H as I know they will take it back and replace it without hassle.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

"I have found a Rokinon 14mm T3.1 ED AS IF UMC, ..."

 

Just my .02 cents but I would never buy a used Rokinon unless I could put it on my camera and try it.  I mean really TRY it.

Rokinon's QC is so bad they produce some of the biggest pieces of crap you can imagine.  But, always a but, isn't there?  They can make some truly fantastic lenses.  You have to use them first to know.

You can easily see that a used Rokinon, that one, could just be one of those, let's say less desirable pieces of ----!

 

OK., maybe that was .03 cents worth.  Smiley Wink

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@UncleJoe wrote:
The EF 35mm f/2 IS USM is on the Canon refurbished site I believe I will purchase that lens. One question I have is that it is listed to be a wide angle lens. My knowledge with wide angle is limited, do they create distortion on the edges? With the price of the 50mm lens being as reasonable as it is I might just purchase that one as well.

I have the SPEEDLITE 580EX flash that I have used with my EX four years, would have the ability to fill the needs for the lens that I purchased? Your son is a lucky man to have a father with such great knowledge!

One other thing that I have been considering is a star tracking device I have not seen any questions on this forum about them, should I start a new topic or is it proper to bring that up here? I know that I am asking a great deal so if I am over stepping please say!
Thanks for all of your help! You folks are truly wonderful!

I have the EF 35mm f/2.  I bought one through the Canon Refurbished Store, and like a lot.  Wide angle lenses can create barrel distortion when they are not level.  Some ultra wide angle lenses can produce distortion around the edges, too.  The EF 35mm f/2 doesn't suffer from either issue, and produces rectilinear images.  Besides, with most full frame, wide angle lenses, your crop sensor does not capture the edges of the image, just the center.

Thumbs up, for the Speedlite.  It should work well with a T7i, and lenses up to moderate telephoto.  Any lenses longer than that will likely mean that the subject is beyond the range of the flash, anyway.

I would start a new thread about astrophotography.  There are a number of threads about it.  Do a search for "astrophotography".  For general shots of the night sky, with landscape, I would suggest a wide aperture, ultra wide angle lens, like the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8.  I use a Rokinon 14mm T3.1, which is cinema version of the same lens.  

 

I would love to do more of that type of photography, but I live too near to NYC for that, which means you do not see ANY stars at night.  Suitable "dark sky" is at least 3-4 hours drive from home.  So, setting up a semi-permanent rig is almost out of the question.  They do make filters for city lights, and I have captured some surprising shots during a new Moon without a tracking device, just a long exposure.

 

With a fairly robust tripod, you can capture pretty good images with just a wide angle lens.  But, many shots that you see have had a fair amount of post processing applied to the image.  Frequently, they can be made from multiple images.  It has been through taking the time to try to reduce the noise and increase contrast, that I have discovered that some of my shots of the night sky actually captured significant amounts of detail.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

You need to learn the 500 Rule.  It is similar to the Sunny 16 but for astro-photography.

 

Here’s the 500 Rule:

500 Divided By the Focal Length of Your Lens = The Longest Exposure (in Seconds) Before Stars Start to “Trail”

For example; let's say you're taking a shot with a 24mm lens on a full frame camera. 500 / 24 = 21 seconds, which you can round to 20 seconds.

 

IMHO, it really sounds like you need to get into post editing before you buy anymore gear.  Great photos are made in post not in the camera.  Look at Lightroom and/or Photoshop.  Possibly Photoshop Elements.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

You need to learn the 500 Rule.  It is similar to the Sunny 16 but for astro-photography.

 

Here’s the 500 Rule:

500 Divided By the Focal Length of Your Lens = The Longest Exposure (in Seconds) Before Stars Start to “Trail”

For example; let's say you're taking a shot with a 24mm lens on a full frame camera. 500 / 24 = 21 seconds, which you can round to 20 seconds.

 

IMHO, it really sounds like you need to get into post editing before you buy anymore gear.  Great photos are made in post not in the camera.  Look at Lightroom and/or Photoshop.  Possibly Photoshop Elements.


I would agree with the suggestion that you become familiar with shooting as RAW, not JPEGs, and using post processing software.  Canon makes their Digital Photo Professional 4, DPP4, software available with the camera.  While it is not the most sophisticated application of its' type, it is fully featured enough to do a fairly decent job.  

In a nutshell, when you set the camera up to save photos as JPEG files, you are using the camera much like an old Polaroid instant camera, which spat out a print that took up to a minute to develop.  When you shoot RAW, you are asking the camera to create the equivalent of a digital negative.  The DPP4 software is your digital darkroom to convert the RAW digital negative files to JPEG output files, which you can share with others in our digital world.

 

The Adobe application Lightroom is a far more powerful and sophisticated digital darkroom application.  I would suggest learning the concepts of post processing with DPP4 before making the immediate leap to Lightroom.  Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, which is less sophisticated version of full blown Photoshop, take image processing in a different direction, allowing you to make edits of the actual image itself.  This is an essential part of creating astrophotography images.  While it is not absolutely mandatory for wide angle shots of the night sky, it does improve the images immensely.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."


@UncleJoe wrote:

One other thing that I have been considering is a star tracking device I have not seen any questions on this forum about them, should I start a new topic or is it proper to bring that up here? 

The two most popular tracking heads are:

 

1)  The "Star Adventurer" by Sky Watcher

2)  The "SkyTracker Pro" by iOptron

 

The Star Adventurer was the beefier system and could handle heavier loads and costs a bit more... but I noticed that NOW Sky Watcher offers a "Star Adventurer Mini" (a lower cost version that handles less-beefy loads) and conversely iOptron now offers a "SkyGuider Pro" which is a more expensive version to handle beefier loads.  So both companies are definitely trying to cross-compete both on load capacity and price. 

 

These devices tend to be in the $300 price range (give or take a bit).

 

The Earth spins from west-to-east which gives us the illusion that we remain still and the sky moves east-to-west.  The tracking head spins east-to-west and while it has selectable speeds, the main speed for tracking stars ("sidereal rate") rotates at 15 arc-seconds (angular rotation) per second (of time).

 

If the rotating axis of the tracker is exactly parallel to the axis of the Earth, then the rotation of the device cancels out the rotation of the planet and any objects in the sky are exactly held in place ... you can take nice long exposures with tack sharp results.

 

The shot below used a 135mm lens and an 8 minute exposure!!   The lens was set to f/10.  This isn't the exposure I actually used when imaging the area but it was nice to test the tracking accuracy (the real exposures used a much lower f-stop and much shorter exposure times.)  ...but you get the idea.  A nicely aligned tracking head will eliminate the star drift problem and not only let you shoot longer to capture more detail... it'll also let you use longer lenses for more detail on parts of the sky.

 

IMG_2719.JPG

 

These heads all come with some type of alignment aid to help you get a pretty close polar alignment.

 

I do strongly suggest a quality beefy tripod.  You may want to hang a weight from the center post to help stabilize the tripod.  Adding weight helps reduce vibration.

 

I think the iOptron might include the equatorial wedge but I think it's sold as an accessory for the Sky Watcher brand head.  Regardless... you want one.  The head gives you fine adjustment control for carefully dialing in your accurate latitude and azimuth for accurate alignment.  It can be done with just a simple ballhead or pan-tilt head... but it's tought to do that accurately.

 

Both have an optional counterweight bar and weight ... which would be for use with longer/heavier lenses.  This allows the weight of the camera & lens to be balanced by the counterweight so that the tracking motor isn't running slower when "lifting" the camera and faster when "lowering" the camera.

 

The narrower the angle of view of the lens, the more critical it is to have accurate alignment and tracking.  

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

UncleJoe
Contributor
I appreciate the insight on direction for finding the astrophotography in the forum. I myself live in central New York north of the Auburn area. Although we still have the issue with light pollution to deal with I no so folks from Cornell do some star gazing on a hill not to far from my home so I am hopeful that the area where I live will be suitable. I will look into the lens you suggested, once again thank you!

BTW, it translates to about 15 seconds on your new T7i with the same 24mm lens.  

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

UncleJoe
Contributor
I have been considering that also, much of what I have read suggests exactly what you have just said, the truly great shots are perfected in post production. The camera I came out of before purchasing the XT was a Nikon Nikkormat I bought while in the service overseas. I had collected many lens for it over the years and although I could develop even color film in my home darkroom the best I could do for editing was with a razor blade under a magnifying glass, perhaps a marker or a wave of the hand under the light that was as technical as it could get for myself! Now with a program such as Photoshop an image of a boat can be transformed into an airplane! Those subtle touches in coloration or slight miscalculations in white balance are things of the past. I do need to spend some time investigating the usage of these programs. I do not believe that I am beyond the point of learning such things.

UncleJoe
Contributor
I have seen the RAW file typeIs the Photoshop program a reasonably intuitive application to work with in your opinion?
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