G3 or Rebel EOS?

[David Prahl]

Yes, I've started another thread on essentially the same question. So... :P

I'd like to get a nice "prosumer" camera for hobby photography - mostly landscapes and nature shots. I really want the "film look" and control, but would like to spend less than $500.

The G3 seems to be a great camera, but I'm wondering if it's worth it to spend the extra money to get a 300D "Rebel". I'm a relative newbie when it comes to photography hardware, so please use small words.

So that's my question - as a poor student would spending the extra cash on the 300D be worth it? Are there other high quality cameras I should consider?

Thanks!

[David Prahl]

Yes, I've started another thread on essentially the same question. So... :P

I'd like to get a nice "prosumer" camera for hobby photography - mostly landscapes and nature shots. I really want the "film look" and control, but would like to spend less than $500.

The G3 seems to be a great camera, but I'm wondering if it's worth it to spend the extra money to get a 300D "Rebel". I'm a relative newbie when it comes to photography hardware, so please use small words.

So that's my question - as a poor student would spending the extra cash on the 300D be worth it? Are there other high quality cameras I should consider?

Thanks!

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Originally Posted by David Prahl

So that's my question - as a poor student would spending the extra cash on the 300D be worth it? Are there other high quality cameras I should consider?

If you use it enough, and use it well, then yes. If you end up leaving it in storage for too long, no.

But if cash is really tight, I don't suggest you stretch your budget too much. The G3 is really great at that price. Don't think you can go wrong with it.

[David Prahl]

Thanks, yslee!

What about purchasing a G3 (or any model, for that matter)? Would eBay be fine, or should I buy locally? I've found most G3s on eBay to be $250-$450 USD.

[Bob12]

I agree that it's not good to stretch a tight budget but, some things you should consider . . .

The 300D is a single lens reflex which gives you a truer view of what you are photographing than a range finder camera will, especially on close ups.

The lenses on the 300D are interchangeable with a large selection available. Granted, some are pricey but many are reasonably priced. This allows the camera system to "grow" with you as your talents and needs increase.

And finally, the 300D is a 6.3 megapixel camera.

But, as yslee says, if the budget is critical, it's not good to stretch it.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

If there's a good store in your area that still stocks the G3 and is selling it for under $500, go get one. I'm not sure about ebay; I tend to use it only to find older 2nd hand stuff. Newer equipment tends to be not much better than the stores for me, and the ebay shops tend to add a lot of fluff accessories to puff up the price.

[Jason Dunn]

If you're a newbie at photography and just want to dip your toe into the water without a big investment, then a G3 would do you just fine - the 300D is still fairly expensive, and I think in the next 12 months we'll see a lot of competition around this price level.

[David Prahl]

Thanks for your help, everyone!

:werenotworthy:

[Suhit Gupta]

Since it seems that budget is critical, the G3 may be the way to go. But like Bob12 points out, the 300D is an SLR which means you can change the lens. Therefore, one thing to think about is that in the future, you could buy an additional lens to augment the abilities of the camera (something you can't really do in a G3). Although, lenses tend to cost a lot of money, so that is double edged.

Suhit

[Doug Johnson]

Another thing worth mentioning...

The 300D (Digital Rebel) is a camera you'll probably be able to use longer into the future. The quality is quite a bit better than the G3, so you're likely to get more use out of it and keep it around longer.

I had an original G1 that I didn't use much. But since I bought my 10D i shoot constantly. 3000 pictures in 2 years on the G1, 6000 pictures in 6 months on the 10D. It's just more fun and I get better results that I know I'll want ot keep. To me the 300D/10D are good enough to replace film in most circumstances, the PowerShot G series are not.

[Gary Sheynkman]

Apart from the 300D consider the D70 from Nikon. If you plan on delving deep into photography you might be limited by the feature set of the G3. Get a Rebel. You will not regret it.