I'm done with the XSI...30D? Xti? Stay with Pentax?

I just went through 2 of them and had the same exact experience with both... they focus ok on test charts and from close range, but when shooting longer than a few feet, many, many blurry shots... espcially of faces... I can't take it... I'm either getting a 30D, Xti, or I'm going back to Pentax.

This problem with with 3 different lenses with center focus, and with plenty of light and shutter speed, etc... ... in other words, I know enough to know how to take a decent indoor photo... especially since I had my Pentax k100d right next to me and shot the same shots and while the 'screw hunt' was in full effect, the shots are tack sharp with it's kit lens....

UGH!

I know the Xti has the 'screw' thing in the shutter to fine tune focus, and the K100d has it in the firmware (hidden menu).... it really worked wonders with faster lenses.... I guess now I'm 'gun shy' with any cam that does not have some form of fine tuning...

What are your thoughts on the 30D vs. XTI AF performance?

It is an adjustment for the mirror rest and is only to be used to align the mirror with the AF sensors at the base of the mirror box. It is not the proper adjusting method for front/back focus. That is done with software by Canon technicians. Your problem is not terminal. Have you given a Canon Service Center a chance to correct your XSi?

No I did not... I'm really not sure what to do... Another try for the XSI, Xti, 30D, Pentax K100d... all have their pros and cons....

The 30d might be a good choice at under $600 refurb, but I just don't know.

My concern is that the AF performance of the Xsi, even after it is 'fixed' would still produce a high percentage of missed, just like the dcrresource review mentioned... whereas the 30D and Xti seem more tried and true, etc...

I had some problems with the Xsi as well. I love the camera but I'm on my 4th (no lie). My first 2 had issues with the focusing screen, then when I went to get an exchange Best buy sent me one that had a huge light leak on the LCD. So now I'm on my fourth... and the camera is good but somehow the motor is jammed on the kit lens.

So I don't trust 'Best Buy' anymore... so I sent Canon the lens to fix. I love the camera too much to give up on it cuz of these quality issues that ought to be fixed. I think eventually I'll have a decent camera.

Where did you buy the camera? Maybe its the place you're exchanging them..... I feel like if I bought it from B&H... I wouldnt have gone through this cráp.

I'm on the 2nd return... I really don't know what to do.... I have these Canon lenses and I love them (esp, the really old 70-210mm f/3.5-4.5), so want to stay with Canon.... but I would like some reasonable AF accuracy indoors... the thing that scared me about the XSI is that I could focus on one object and it would focus well, but then on a face (not moving) and it would front focus considerably.... Just afraid this was the type of issue that is not easily fixed or even fixable at all...

I've tried out the Xti and didn't notice any glaring issues with AF, but I really dislike the grip on that one... so the 30d is back on my radar...

Im on my 5th XSi from B&H.

I think I got a good one. I feel bad for the suckers who get the other 4. Most people don't notice small problems though, may not be problems to them.

Guys...why so many returns for one camera? Before I bought the XSi I read so many great reviews (including the one for dpreview) and no one had any major complaints, in fact it is a "highly recommended" camera. Now in all I'm reading are these out of focus issues all of a sudden. I'm still within my two week period when I bought my camera (I got it at best buy) and I'm starting to wonder if I should return it :S

I mean for me, yes some pictures are out of focus, but some are really sharp...but I want to believe that it's me as I'm new to the slr game. But after reading all these posts regarding focus issues, I don't know if it is me or the camera anymore

--
Billy the Greek
'Life is like a picture - so lets capture every precious moment.'

I have a friend that owns a camera store. He has told me he's sold many XSI's and hasn't had one complaint about any technical issues from customers about focus or anything else for that matter. I'm sure Canon is only sending him the good ones.

well maybe my technique is bad, but every other dslr I've used I've at least been able to point at a face not moving and get it in focus, especially at f/4.5 from 10 feet, but with the XSI (2 of them), I got a 30-40% hit rate with different lenses...

PictureTheGreek said:

I mean for me, yes some pictures are out of focus, but some are
really sharp...but I want to believe that it's me as I'm new to the
slr game. But after reading all these posts regarding focus issues,
I don't know if it is me or the camera anymore

Click to expand...

my impression is that experienced users who are having AF problems with the 450D have pretty consistent problems with the same lens (usually the 18-55IS, sometimes with other lenses as well). Not some bad and some really sharp images, but every AF image has bad focus and only MF or contrast-AF gives really sharp images.

If you have a good percentage of really sharp pictures now, my guess is that the camera is OK and your results will improve after getting to know the camera better.

I think Canon's AF algorithm for the XSi/450D is at best not intuitive, at worst perverse, and when you get to figure it out, you'll do fine, because you've established your equipment can take high-quality images. If the DC Resource review is right, the unusual softness of default JPEGs with the camera also needs to be dealt with (and can be quite easily).

FF

ohcello said:

What are your thoughts on the 30D vs. XTI AF performance?

Click to expand...

Both much the same as each other - the 450D uses a slightly different AF sensor top both but that doesn't explain cal issues of individual units.
Try a 400D then - I have one which is at least as accurate as a good K100D

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

yeah, I think I'm back to 400d. vs. 30d... mulling it over.... I really dislike the feel of the 400d grip, especially with heavy lenses... but I'm also a bit scared of the large 30d =)=)

ohcello said:

yeah, I think I'm back to 400d. vs. 30d... mulling it over.... I
really dislike the feel of the 400d grip

Click to expand...

Can't say I noticed much diff with the 450 grip wise to be honest, they're both hard and small.. but it's nice to see deep blue skies without speckles again in RAW, nice to see C1 V3.77 support too (450 only works with the horrid V4) and CF cards / S70 batteries are very compatible with my stuff (770 shots with the LCD mostly off) - the sensor is just as sharp, same number of pixels on the LCD, the viewfinder is a bit smaller but you have to use both at the same time to see it really and it's hardly slow ,, Both have ghastly JPG engines with tons of unnecessary NR melting everything out even at ISO100 ..

The biggest thing about the 450 apart from the mini-5D styling is "My Menus" which allows CFs such as MLU top level menu status therefore easy to get at.. otherwise the 400D is cleaner (especailly at ISO100) and more compatible (depending on what you have other cams and RAW converter wise) for around half the price used . the AF isn't perfect (it's no 1DS2 or late 5D) but it's as good as a 30D and I'd say better overall than my K10D by a very usable margin.

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

I have the nikon viewfinder attachment, which I think will work with both the 400d and 30d, so I'm good there.

I just bought some sd cards, but I can sell them easy =)

I've read that lower ISO is better on the XTi/30d... by a small margin.

I'm loving every minute with the 450D. I'm coming from the DRebel/300D and the 450D is a revelation. It's fast, and the AF (with a fast lens) is very accurate, also in low light. And I'm also getting very good AF with focus points other than the center point. The only times I'm getting unsharp images is when the shutter speed is too low (even with IS).

I'm spending a week in Austria now, and have over 250 images, almost all of them great (from a technical point of view, not artistic). The top 5 albums on http://wwwis.win.tue.nl/~debra/photos/ are all taken with the 450D. I do believe that this camera is more critical about lenses than older models. The 17-55IS works brilliantly. The Tokina 12-24 works great most of the time (AF not quite as good as with the 17-55IS) and the Canon 70-300IS works OK, but because it's slow its AF isn't as accurate and because it's slow it's also more difficult to achieve high enough shutter speeds for the focal length (even considering IS).

Most but not all complaints are about the kit lens. Most other complaints are about lenses slower than f/2.8.

If AF doesn't work right you cannot tweak it using a screw as there appears to be none on the 450D. On the 300D it was difficult (strange screw and too tight to move) but on the 350D (and maybe 400D?) people successfully tweaked AF with the screw. The camera comes with the software tuned so that AF should be perfect, so if it isn't adjusting the screw does work . If AF is off and Canon adjusts it through software, then afterwards using the screw for fine tuning may not be good. (AF may become different for top, center and bottom AF point.)

--
Slowly learning to use the 450D and and the Canon G6.
Public pictures at http://debra.zenfolio.com/ .

Coming from the 300D the 450D grip feels (right at home) whereas the 400D grip feels a bit uncomfortable to me. Haven't used the 400D extensively, but didn't like the grip much.

I do miss the noise-free ISO100, especially in the blue skies. But a setting of 25+25 in ACR leaves good detail and delivers noise-free blue skies.

You are right about the jpeg engine: I take pity on the people shooting jpeg with the 450D. RAW is so much better I'm surprised the review on this site is as positive as it is, given that it is mostly based on jpeg output (only briefly considering raw).

Adam-T said:

Adam-T said:

yeah, I think I'm back to 400d. vs. 30d... mulling it over.... I
really dislike the feel of the 400d grip

Click to expand...

Can't say I noticed much diff with the 450 grip wise to be honest,
they're both hard and small.. but it's nice to see deep blue skies
without speckles again in RAW, nice to see C1 V3.77 support too (450
only works with the horrid V4) and CF cards / S70 batteries are very
compatible with my stuff (770 shots with the LCD mostly off) - the
sensor is just as sharp, same number of pixels on the LCD, the
viewfinder is a bit smaller but you have to use both at the same time
to see it really and it's hardly slow ,, Both have ghastly JPG
engines with tons of unnecessary NR melting everything out even at
ISO100 ..
The biggest thing about the 450 apart from the mini-5D styling is "My
Menus" which allows CFs such as MLU top level menu status therefore
easy to get at.. otherwise the 400D is cleaner (especailly at ISO100)
and more compatible (depending on what you have other cams and RAW
converter wise) for around half the price used . the AF isn't perfect
(it's no 1DS2 or late 5D) but it's as good as a 30D and I'd say
better overall than my K10D by a very usable margin.

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

Click to expand...

--
Slowly learning to use the 450D and and the Canon G6.
Public pictures at http://debra.zenfolio.com/ .

Paul De Bra said:

Coming from the 300D the 450D grip feels (right at home) whereas the
400D grip feels a bit uncomfortable to me. Haven't used the 400D
extensively, but didn't like the grip much.

Click to expand...

The 300D had by far the best body shape and grip of all the "Rebel" class cameras (you of all Paul must appreciate that) , any change from the 350 to 450 is just minor in comparison..

Paul De Bra said:

You are right about the jpeg engine: I take pity on the people
shooting jpeg with the 450D

Click to expand...

the 400 is the same, melted to death, dare I say it, as bad as the 1D MK2 !! (the 1DS2 has a very respectable JPG engine, came as quite a shock!) .. what's more despite all the melting, canon have always had problems removing Chroma noise - I'd rather they left the Lum noise in (and stopped the plastification) and just removed the Chroma

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Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

I think your best bet would be to go and handle each of these camera's first hand and give them a run, I myself never owned the 30d so cannot help you with that one, but I do own the XTi and I have been extremely happy with my purchase and I have no complaints, and the grip for me is working out beautifully.

Let us know what you decide on, and the main thing is that your happy with your purchase! Sorry to hear your having problems with your camera, but the good side is you can return it I hope before the time runs out so if your not happy, do it now while you can get your money back and get the camera your happy with.

I have both (30D & XTi). Some of the differences are...

30D: Magnesium alloy body - XTi is plastic
30D: Spot metering - XTi: Center weighted
30D: 8MP - XTi: 10MP
30D: 5fps - Xti: 3fps

I think the 30D has a much better grip than the XTi. I also love the Quick Control Dial on the back of the 30D. IQ is roughly the same on both cameras.

Both cameras produce great pictures!

Randy T

--
My Gear:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=5009183&postcount=1055