Sony H1 to EOS 400D?

Good Evening all

I have been considering upgrading my H1 to an SLR (due to the Sony becoming constraining), and after much research (and lurking), I have narrowed it down to the 400D. Has anyone followed this route, and can compare IQ, features etc?

p.s., this is a legitimate question, not me trying to start bother a la Jane T...
;-)

For an unscientific response...

I had both the H1 and then the H5 before getting the xti. In short, the xti has opened up a whole new world for me in terms of capabilities, photo quality, etc. That said, be aware of a couple things:

• both the H1 and H5 are excllent P&S cameras, with sharp, vibrant photos right out of the camera.
• the move from P&S to dSLR takes some adjustment on your part; it can be more rewarding and more demanding (and more expensive!)
• this is my first dSLR, and I've absolutely loved it from day 1; sold the H5 immediately, to help finance this, but do not regret the move at all.
• reading the forums, I believe many people who go from P&S to dSLR are initially disappointed, because the latest P&S cameras are very good and deliver sharp, saturated color that people have become accustomed to. My own belief is that the xti delivers more accurate color, but it may not seem as vibrant to you when you first use it.
• if you shoot jpeg with the xti, you may want to consider a customer Picture Setting that increases sharpness & saturation, to render more closely to the H1. (I did that, but now shoot only raw, so I can make the settings anything I want once on the computer.)
• I highly recommend you forget full auto; go to P mode at a minimum, and A(perture) priority mode when you're comfortable.

Hope this helps. I've been extremely happy with my xti since I got it.

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Kevin

I agree with SDD, as he/she pretty well hit the nail on the head.

Also keep in mind, that you will be a LITTLE SPOILED coming from the H1. Remember it had a fabulous OPTICAL IMAGE STABALIZATION mechanism.

With your XTI, unless you get a IMAGE STABILZED lens, you will need to concentrate on proper camera holding techniques. PRACTICE!!!!

As stated above, H1 images are much more vibrant and sharp, but the XTi has much more REALISTIC images.

The XTi just offers an entire new world over the H1. If you are enthusiastic about photography, your habit will definitely expand.

I only have two lenses thus far, an 85mm f/1.8 and a 50mm f/1.8

I have blast with those alone, let alone my future lenses to come.

Thanks for that Kevin,

I'm glad there is a noticable difference in IQ as most of my pics, whilst (if I say so myself) are pretty good, they seem to lack a certain something. It probably does not help that the comparison shots are from work where we have a pro with a 30D and quite often someone very keen with a 1D MkII with lots of toys. Even so...

The main thing holding me back (other than the initial capital outlay) is the reach of the Sony, especially with the 1.7 teleconverter. I suppose that these can coexist in the bag.

Are there any really required things immediately or can most be added on later? Much has been written about the kit lens, but I think I can cope for a while (mainly because the wallet cannot!).

Most consider the additional grip most useful. Is this because of the extra power (most reviews seem to find this acceptable) or is it the relatively small size of the body?

Should the learning curve for the Canon be easier as I have been using the manual controls on the Sony (complete with the single blasted menu for everything) or is it a case of different camera and therefore different 'standard' setup for shots (aperture/speed relationship, etc)?
Sorry for all the questions, but it's quite a big decision

Thank you for your thoughts, they are helping galvanise a plan.

With regards to the IS of the H1, is this a real issue right through the focal range options, or only really an issue at telephoto ranges? (Obviously it will help any lens, but in real-world terms?)

It helps at the wide and tele ends, but yes, it helps more so at the tele end. Very much so at the tele end.

IS is something that nearly all people want, and unless you shoot on a tripod at all times, I too recommend IS.

Thank you to all, I think the wallet is weeping with every passing minute. I suspect it may be time to take the plunge. In my defence I will be getting a fifty quid rebate from the lovely people at Canon...

With regards to RAW, what's the deal? Obviously the Sony doesn't talk this language, so what is it? Is it the 'miracle' some claim or merely a bit better than JPG?

Another question I cannot understand is metering. What does it do? As far as I can tell, it simply tells me when I'm about to (or normally just after) I've used an 'interesting' amount of over- or under-exposure. Is this it or have I over-simplified this beyond all reasonable doubt? Further, what is the difference between all the different types of metering: spot, multi, etc?
Thank you for you patience...

Had the H1 and got the H5 .. sold my G6 and got the 400D .. I will keep the H5 for the time being for my plants photography. As said image stabilisation is something one gets used to very very quickly

I'm also thinking of a Sigma 105 as a macro lens, depending on the results I might decide to abandon the H5, maybe .. 12x zoom is still fun ..
The H5 is fast but the 400D is faster
FWIW
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if needed, email me at : [email protected]
Horum Omnium Fortissimi Sunt Belgae !
(CanFT-QL)Can400DSonH5CanA520-M3358-DH1758

I've just done exactly that - loved my H1, resisted an upgrade to H5 and was sort of expecting I might upgrade to the H9, but went on a course where the instructors reckoned I'd "grown out of" my H1 and recommended the 400D and a Sigma 18-200 (11x zoom) lens.

I took the plunge, passed on my H1 to my partner (so it's still in the family) and am on a new learning curve.

Had a few photo opportunities over the Easter holidays and made the best of them to explore the new camera.

I miss the IS, but am getting better at holding the camera steady. Higher useable ISO is also useful. One thing I picked up on the course was using burst mode (3 per second) at slower shutter speeds - a couple of shots will be sharp as you're just holding the button down not pressing it for one shot.

Out-of-the-camera photos are a bit stunning compared to the H1 which was great. And they improve with gentle post-processing. Some of my favourite H1 shots were with the wideangle adaptor - with the 400D and this Sigma lens the wideangle shots are just there without any additional kit and I've always loved the look of wideangle photos. The bokeh with this lens (blurring of out-of-focus areas) might not be quite as pleasing as the H1 but I'm happy with it so far.

I've got some photos with these cameras at http://www.flickr.com/photos/philllister/

Bear in mind that they're compressed to get on the flickr website and I can't report on print quality as I haven't done that yet. But I'm not disappointed so far.

All in all, I'd say it's worth thinking about taking the plunge. I'm sure the H9 will be fantastic, But with the 400D you've got a bigger sensor so less noise, RAW if you want it, higher useable ISOs instead of IS. I miss the spot metering,but I'm learning how to compensate for that.

All the best

Phill

Phillister:

Thank you for the advice, I think a trip to Jessops may be in order in the very near future. Nice to see another Brit on here - someone else with whom I can complain about the extortionate price of kit in the UK with. I made the fatal mistake the other day of clicking by mistake on an American link to 400Ds for sale. Before I could close it, I had automatically done a quick conversion from dollars to pounds. Life is not fair...
P.S., nice photo's in you gallery by the way.

I shot with an H1, and two other Sony's for years. I have had my XTi sinc eit was released, and there is no comparison at all in IQ, capabilities, accessories, and on and on.............

The Sony was a fun little camera, but the XTi is just on another level.

H1 has a great long reach zoom; roughly 400mm equivalent if I recall correctly. You will need a 250 mm lens on the xti to reach that. I favor the wider shots personally, so am doing OK without that length, but may add a lens later. Currently have the 17-55mm 2.8 IS, and the Sigma 30mm 1.4, both of which I'm very happy with.

Yes, you can (and probably should) add things later. Start out with the basics, get comfortable with the camera, and then figure out what your add-on priorities are. Up front: take the camera to a store with a good selection and find a bag you like. (Get some memory: I just bought a SanDisk Ultra II 8gig for $78.)

I don't have the grip; I find the battery life with the single battery quite good, though, granted, I don't do extended shoots. A lot of the threads here indicate people like the feel with the extra grip better. I bought a camdapter handstrap which I really like for holding my camera tight.

The Sony menus are good, but I haven't had any trouble adjusting to the Canon. Also, it took me maybe a day to get used to using the viewfinder rather than previewing/framing on the LCD.

Keep us posted on how you make out!
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Kevin

Nice shots, Phil. I've been curious to see some reviews of the upcoming OS version of the sigma 18-200...
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Kevin

I did it...H1 is a great cam ( still have it for bird shooting +1.7 tele), I belive that it offers the best price-quality ratio in the compact class. The 400d is very different, it will take some time to master it but if you do that, the results are great. The bad thing is that lenses can be expensive....it depends on what you want to do with it.
I salute you!
Emi ( Maga Emil)



EOS 400D with 30-135mm&18-55mm&50mm; H1 fully equipped
Some of my shots here: http://emiphoto.freewebpage.org

Thank you all for your coments.

With regards to memory cards, what size do you recommend. I know that normally it's a case of 'as large as you can afford', but by the same token I know that 16gig is never going to be warranted. For some perspective, the Sony has a 512Mb card, and I only filled that once, on a long weekend in Paris without my laptop - all other times it's out for a day and then onto the Mac. The Sony's pics are between 1.85 and 2.3Meg each. I'm planning on playing with Raw, which I know drinks the space.

So, this brings me to the next point. All other things being equal would you recommend (say) one 2Gb cards or two 1Gbs?
Thank you again

Get at least a 2GB.It will hold about 200 raw images or 400 jpegs.The 2GB is not double the price of a 1GB.You will be sorry if you get a 1GB.I have 2x-2GB and will get a 4GB or 8GB soon.
Prices have fallen so much that it's crazy not to get a larger CF card.

Well chaps

Just got back from a quick trip to Jessops, and established two things: I will be getting a 400D, and Jessops is quite possibly the worst place in the world ever.

From being ignored for the first twenty minutes, then to be approached with 'Ya'right mate?' from the most ignorant of salesmen - I'm sure I knew more than he did, and that's saying something. He then left me to it and completely failed to sell another would-be customer - just as rude and obnoxious to her as he was to me.

He then returned and claimed that the camera really sold itself (just as well really) and then proceeded to ask, 'so can I tempt you today?'
Proof indeed that he would have had trouble closing a window.

Anyway, end of rant, I'm now trying to find a sensible camera shop, either online or in the flesh.
Any good experiences of shops in Newcastle anyone?