Canon 400D Vs 30D

HELP!

I’m about to make the massive leap from compact to DSLR. My compact is great but only after about 1 ½ years I feel I’ve done all I can with it and need to move on.

I’ve already decided on Canon but trying to work out if I should go for the 30D or with the 400D just out, I should look at that.

The price tag on the 400D looks very tempting indeed. Is the 30D that much better camera than the all new 400? I’m not a pro and don’t intent to be but I do understand by getting into underwater DSLR’s I will need to sell my soul for all the gear I will need, and will a few extra £’s or $’s make much of a difference anyway?

Has the 400D got everything I will need to keep me interested as a very keen amateur for a bit more than a few years, or should I bite the bullet a pay up for the 30D?

It is well worth considering housing availability too. There are not many housing options for either of these cameras.

Canon's 5D and 300D have more housings ready straight off the shelf.

Alex

Hi Saeed,

A couple things to point out for camera shopping that Alex pointed out is housing availability:

I know the 30D has housings available from Sea & Sea and Subal, probably a few more....

but the price tag is gonna run you a decent amount more than the new 400D (about $1400 without the lens)

The Rebel line will cost you about half.... I also feel the Rebels are very friendly cameras to make that jump to DSLR as for the new one (400D) you might have to wait a small amount of time for a housing but with DEMA on the horizon you never know what might happen..... Sea & Sea has already informed us of unveiling a new housing for the Nikon D80 so I'm sure they are thinking Canon too!!

Hope this helps,

Lee

Good pts guys. When camera shopping for underwater photography, it's really important to look at the cost and how you'll use the whole system. For example, you may save $800 on the camera, but for a $5,000 system, it's not a huge percentage savings.

Cheers

James

Another candidate that deserves consideration is the 20D. It is every bit the camera that the 30D is, for a significant savings. Housings are still available.

Saeed,

Ikelite will likely have their housing with eTTL2 flash compatibility (with their DS strobes) soon, maybe as early as DEMA in early November.

Advantages of the 400D are in an earlier thread in this forum, but in short:

* 10.1 MP

* Same AF as 20D / 30D

* 2.5" LCD review screen with color RGB histogram

* 100,000 shutter life equal to 20D / 30D (I read this some where at www.dpreview.com do a search if you care to)

* Small size (great for travel!) with improved rubber grip from 350D

* Cheap.....Buy two

In short a best buy....Saving $$ for lenses and actually going diving and shooting photos

YMMV

dhaas

Thanks for all the advice guys.

What I’ve decided to do is buy the 400D (well at the price its a must really) and use it for a while as an above water camera so I can learn to operating a DSLR (never even used a SLR before) and carry on using my compact system for my underwater stuff as it served me well and I know it works.

It may even be that I decide to upgrade the 400D when it comes to buying the housing or even just upgrade to another compact, as they seem to be getting better and better every year.

Anyway off to order my Canon now.

Cheers again

I just had a look at the Nikon D80 and Canon 400D at my local dealers and shot a few test images on the 400D. My initial reaction was that both cameras feel surprisingly well built for their price. The one thing that did strike me was the easier to view through viewfinder on the D80 - which might be something which will weigh against the 400D for underwater use. However the test shots from the 400D (jpeg ones anyway - I can't open the Raws in PS CS2 even with the latest version of ACR) are very good indeed - I used my 60EFS lens and was really impressed by the image quality. The 400D is truly backpackable - very small (big handed people may think too small) and is priced so that if you consider it as a two year investment it would equate to shooting 30~40 rolls of slide film/year in cost terms! I'd consider one as a topside replacement to my G5 even.

Another viewing of the 400D has revealed one hiccup - the rear lcd shuts off as it is lifted to the eye (there are a couple of sensors which detect something in the vicinity of the rear of the camera). This will mean that the rear lcd may not operate with the camera in a housing - and I couldn't find out if it is possible to switch these sensors off (it didn't look hopeful). Has anyone checked this out or found anything out about these sensors?

Paul,

I read you can disable that.

Cheers

James

Hi James

I couldn't see how to via the menus but didn't look in the manual as it was still sealed - any suggestions as to how? A friend wants one but is waiting to check this before buying as it will go in a housing when these are available.

Hi James

 

I couldn't see how to via the menus but didn't look in the manual as it was still sealed - any suggestions as to how? A friend wants one but is waiting to check this before buying as it will go in a housing when these are available.

Go here and follow the "click here" link to the pdf manual

http://www.canon.ca/english/index-customer...ort.asp?pid=422

It's on page 101.

The menu item to switch is "LCD auto off" -> Disable .

Excellent.

Thanks for that Herbko.

Canon will sell another camera!

now does anyone know if I can shoehorn a 400D into my Sea & Sea 350D housing...

Pakman,

I think/hope it might be possible. Sombody on here has tried with an Ike housing but had no luck.

If they are 'that' cheap I probbably woudlnt mind shaving a mm or 2 from the body

I had heard in another post that while the camera may "fit" into the housing, the left side buttons are off-set just enough, or are at an angle that would make them un-usable.

For the record, I spoke with Aquatica yesterday. They are not making a housing for the 400D. And it appears Ikelite has at least a line item open in their on-line catalog for a housing. So, maybe at DEMA well see something from them?

Fantasea will have housings out for the Canon 400 xTi and the Nikon D80, demos at DEMA and available by Christmas - is what I've heard.

I may get a demo unit (not sure for which camera!) for my Truk trip in November and will put it to the test, there and a couple weeks later in California.

Jack

Pakman,

I think/hope it might be possible. Sombody on here has tried with an Ike housing but had no luck.

If they are 'that' cheap I probbably woudlnt mind shaving a mm or 2 from the body

Well, my local camera shop offered to let me bring my S&S 350D housing in to see if the 400D will fit. Just eyeballing the 400D body vs the 350D at the shop last week it looks very close, but... the av button and the whole row of far left buttons will not likely match up with the 350D housing button. But with some ingenuity (if the body fits properly) some custom made feet for those buttons may solve the problem. As the rear of the 350D housing is pretty much a full window from below the eyepiece down, I don't think the larger LCD will be cut off from view. Anyways, crossing my fingers. Would love to be able to use the 400D especially with its upgraded AF and larger buffer.

PS: Notorious, the athena dome/ Canon 10-22mm combo performed really well on my recent trip to the Philippines. S&S really made a nice housing and the TTL worked pretty darn well. If the 400D doesn't fit, I'll still be happy with the 350D in it...

If the 400D doesn't fit, I'll still be happy with the 350D in it...

True the 350D has imposed no limits on my photography. This field can become overly gear orientated instead of focusing on creativity and funamental photography skills.

The price for the 30D quoted earlier ar $1400 is rather high. I got mine for $1200 from B&H in July. With the 400D out now, the price of the 30D will drop further so you should be able to get it close to $1000 on the street pretty soon.

Of course, I would expect an upgraded 30D(i?) in the spring of '07.

Aloha!

JCD