Camera 500D – Fantastic Upgrade!
Author: mocowiz
I upgraded to this camera after owning a used Rebel XT for a year for portrait photography. This has been a fantastic upgrade for me. The picture quality and new settings that the Camera 500D allows is greatly liberating and lets me express my creativity even more.
I also love that it has video capabilities, though they are quite limited. It’s enough for me to play with, and that’s all I wanted. My only complaints about the video, is that the HD records at 20fps and is very choppy. I see no reason to use it because of that. It’s just not worth it. But the Standard Definition works great at 30fps and is very smooth. I’ve already used it to document class projects at night of video projections and (other than my neglect to white balance) it worked wonderfully. My other complaint is the audio recording. It records in mono, and since the mic is in camera, it picks up every noise and movement you make. Focusing or zooming with your lens while recording makes horrible noises, and though I’m using my much lower quality XT kit lens, I don’t see it getting much better with motor movements.
I understand there are microphone attachments that can do a better job, but for now, I’m satisfied just to work with the video and most pieces I create are either left silent or get a nice track of music anyway. That being noted, THIS IS NOT A VIDEO ONLY CAMERA. Much of my review is on the video quality, but it should be noted that if you’re serious about working with video, get a real camcorder. I use this primarily for photos, but it’s my toe in the door to see if I want or would use a real camcorder. I still use it primarily for the great photos it gives me. And as I’ve mentioned, it’s a great upgrade from the XT and more gentle on my budget than going to a 7D. Overall, I love this camera and would highly recommend it for serious amateurs and semi-pros.
Great Camera, Good Price
I’ve had this camera about a month now. It is my first dSLR after a decent run with point-and-shoots. Advice from friends who know more about photography than I do, coupled with good experiences with my SD850IS pushed me towards a Canon dSLR. I decided to go with the Camera 500D over the XSi due to the video capability and the Creative Auto mode.
The video, while nice, is not something I’ve found myself using very much so far. Maybe once I get more of the still features figured out, I will delve into that further. It produces good video with sub-par audio (on-camera mic only). The Creative Auto mode has really helped me to get some better photos than the Auto mode without fear of screwing up a setting and ruining the shot.
So far, I’ve added a second battery, wired remote shutter release, a Canon 430 EX II speedlite, and a Canon 50mm/F1.8 lens. In retrospect, I almost wish I would have bought it without the kit lens and upgraded to the Sigma 18-50/F2.8 EX DC Macro lens. It is more expensive, but a faster lens and would do better in lower light.
Overall, very pleased with the camera.
And I couldn’t be more pleased with Amazon.com. Twenty-nine days after receiving my camera, it was being sold for significantly less due to a price drop. I called and was informed that Amazon will not do price matches beyond two weeks time, and since the following day would be 30 since receipt of the shipment there was inadequate time to return and repurchase at the lower price without a restocking fee. However, Amazon gave me a credit and while it didn’t account for the entire pricing difference, it made me very happy that they did something for me. I will be an Amazon customer for a long time.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/camera-500d-fantastic-upgrade-1912808.html
About the Author
You Can See My Lens for Canon EOS 500D at www.squidoo.com/Camera500D-T1i
For more great tips and necessary information on similar topics by the author, read his guides on EOS500D.ueuo.com