Canon EOS Rebel XSi is My Newest Toy
Long before I did video work and music and computer work, I was a photographer. Very amateur photographer. I ran the darkroom in High school and when I wasn’t playing in bands, I used to take my Fuji digital and snap pictures of other local bands around town.
I never got into DSLRs because I was trying to work more with video. Even though DSLR cameras became more flexible, I always went with the pro-sumer models. It was important to get the right shot and the DSLR still needed an operator to focus as subjects moved.
Last week I was doing some garage saling when I ran across the Canon EOS Rebel XSi model. It was the body only, but the price was so good, I couldn’t turn it down. It had a battery so I knew it worked well. I just needed a lens.
I had my old Olympus OMG (yes, it was called the OMG) which was a 35mm SLR. I knew the lens wasn’t compatible, but I still used it just to make sure the optics were OK. I found a lens on Amazon for $50 and a charger with spare battery. I had all the pieces, just now a waiting game for them to arrive.
Today, the EOS EF 28mm-80mm Lens showed up and I was a kid in a candy store. I went out and re-learned all the functions a SLR can do. I spent the day around Madison snapping photos up to 10 or more times in different ISO, camera speeds, focuses and balances.
You might wonder why I would want to get this beast of a camera when I have one in my pocket. The biggest advantage over a camera-phone is the optical zoom. There is so much more you can do when you can attach a lens. Plus, I need my smartphone to be just a phone at times.
I know they is not the top of the line Canon EOS cameras and eventually I’ll have to start looking at DSLR cameras that can record 4K video. But I like the fact this Rebel XSi doesn’t do any video. It will help hone in my photo taking skills once again.
When I’m out at events like CES, I’ll have a camera dedicated to stills rather than video.
Like I said – Kid in a candy store. Here are some of the images I got today.