I picked up a 300D (original Rebel) for $30...

Thanks for the info Wayne! Should be required reading for all 300D owners. Yea the differentiation via firmware (300D vs 10D) was annoying at the time but luckily we got some of that back from Wasia.

yep, those old dslr cameras make great 'beater' cameras for when you may not want to risk bringing the good stuff.

plenty to be had on ebay or other used sites.

the great thing is that they are built like tanks, that $30 camera may have been $500 or more back in the day which equates to much more today.

same with the old kit lenses, which come with stabilization.

fun stuff for messing around with, if someone is so inclined.

bridge77 wrote:

yep, those old dslr cameras make great 'beater' cameras for when you may not want to risk bringing the good stuff.

plenty to be had on ebay or other used sites.

the great thing is that they are built like tanks, that $30 camera may have been $500 or more back in the day which equates to much more today.

same with the old kit lenses, which come with stabilization.

fun stuff for messing around with, if someone is so inclined.

My results buying vintage cameras recently has been mixed. Over the past few months I bought five Canon cameras on eBay.

1. 40D. This one works!
2. S45. Works but the sliding lens cover/power switch seems flaky (compared to my own S45)
3. S50. Has missing horizontal lines. The camera had a card with images from 2004-2006. Some of the 2006 images had the same skipping lines problem.
4. G3. Zoom control only zooms out. The only way to zoom back in is to power cycle. The dial in front of the shutter doesn't do anything (i.e., can't adjust aperture in A/V mode, etc.)
5. A590. Showed evidence of severe battery leakage (uses AA cells) Focus is intermittent. Cross compared with my own S45 and my S45 nailed all the same scenes.
6. A570. No battery leakage and works but the battery life is less than 10 shots. I think. Needs more testing. But it nailed the same shots the A590 couldn't focus.

The 40D was about $90. The smaller cameras were in the $10-18 range with shipping in the $9 range. I didn't complain about the S45 because all I really wanted was the wrist strap. Ditto with the S50. I complained about the G3 and, because shipping is high compared to the value, I accepted a 50% refund, and didn't need to return it.

I complained about the A590 and demanded a postage paid return and refund. Got a response saying that the seller was sorry I was displeased. Didn't follow through--low priority. I haven't finished testing the A570--low priority.

All the cameras were well packed and were shipped promptly.

I suspect that the reason why all the defective cameras were sold was because the sellers seem to be dealers and are not the original owners. I think they fire them up and snap a few shots. If the shots look good on the LCD then they are considered to be "tested". On this basis, I can see why they all passed.

FWIW, S45 images are sublime. If you do everything right you can get a sharp 8x10.  Neither of the A models produced images that are in the same league.

I got a good 40D.  That pairs nicely with a EF 24-85 f/3.5-4.5 I already had.

Wayne

Wayne Larmon wrote:

bridge77 wrote:

yep, those old dslr cameras make great 'beater' cameras for when you may not want to risk bringing the good stuff.

plenty to be had on ebay or other used sites.

the great thing is that they are built like tanks, that $30 camera may have been $500 or more back in the day which equates to much more today.

same with the old kit lenses, which come with stabilization.

fun stuff for messing around with, if someone is so inclined.

My results buying vintage cameras recently has been mixed. Over the past few months I bought five Canon cameras on eBay.

1. 40D. This one works!
2. S45. Works but the sliding lens cover/power switch seems flaky (compared to my own S45)
3. S50. Has missing horizontal lines. The camera had a card with images from 2004-2006. Some of the 2006 images had the same skipping lines problem.
4. G3. Zoom control only zooms out. The only way to zoom back in is to power cycle. The dial in front of the shutter doesn't do anything (i.e., can't adjust aperture in A/V mode, etc.)
5. A590. Showed evidence of severe battery leakage (uses AA cells) Focus is intermittent. Cross compared with my own S45 and my S45 nailed all the same scenes.
6. A570. No battery leakage and works but the battery life is less than 10 shots. I think. Needs more testing. But it nailed the same shots the A590 couldn't focus.

The 40D was about $90. The smaller cameras were in the $10-18 range with shipping in the $9 range. I didn't complain about the S45 because all I really wanted was the wrist strap. Ditto with the S50. I complained about the G3 and, because shipping is high compared to the value, I accepted a 50% refund, and didn't need to return it.

I complained about the A590 and demanded a postage paid return and refund. Got a response saying that the seller was sorry I was displeased. Didn't follow through--low priority. I haven't finished testing the A570--low priority.

All the cameras were well packed and were shipped promptly.

I suspect that the reason why all the defective cameras were sold was because the sellers seem to be dealers and are not the original owners. I think they fire them up and snap a few shots. If the shots look good on the LCD then they are considered to be "tested". On this basis, I can see why they all passed.

FWIW, S45 images are sublime. If you do everything right you can get a sharp 8x10. Neither of the A models produced images that are in the same league.

I got a good 40D. That pairs nicely with a EF 24-85 f/3.5-4.5 I already had.

Wayne

wow, an ebay adventure for sure.  glad the 40D still works, and what a great savings for the newer Canon D cameras.  i use a Canon T3i and a Canon XS and both are no troubles.  even the batteries can be bought third party off from amazon for cheap with a charger.

my cameras were bought from canon refurbished and another from office depot as a demo model. when i wanted a video camera that came from canon as a refurb.

ebay is a gamble, it may be best to trade with dealers who have a 30 day return policy like roberts camera or keh.  i got an old tamron lens tele that didn't work to well with my t3i and roberts sent me a return label and refunded.  older non canon lenses just may not work to well with canon bodies.

i don't have much need for bodies or lenses generally so not an issue. eventually it would be nice to get a bridge camera for birding or not having to change lenses.  the canon sx 40 and sx 50 seem to be affordable in used.

my canon xs isn't worth too much and does everything well, except for the lower iso. why not just keep it as a beater camera or when the t3i gives up?

on days we don't wanna haul around the dslr, our nikon coolpix are a good alternative for video/pix.  for me this is mostly the joy of family memories, so no high end equipment needed.

Wayne, how is your 40D doing?  would that be your best camera and would it be worth upgrading from a T3i to a 40D

thanks.

bridge77 wrote:

ebay is a gamble, it may be best to trade with dealers who have a 30 day return policy like roberts camera or keh. i got an old tamron lens tele that didn't work to well with my t3i and roberts sent me a return label and refunded. older non canon lenses just may not work to well with canon bodies.

I'd tend that way for something more expensive but most of the cameras I talked about were in the $10 range so really weren't worth returning.

I stick to Canon lenses. I had a bad experience with a first generation Tamron 28-70 (75?) f/2.8 lens in the early 2000s that wouldn't focus at f/2.8. It took multiple trips to Tamron service but was never fixed. It was an f/8 only lens. I eventually replaced it with a Canon 17-50 f/2.8 IS that did focus accurately at f/2.8.

I think that the "dealers" I dealt with were private individuals that bought things from wherever (garage sales...) and then sell on eBay.  I didn't see many original owners sell the cameras I was interested in.  I don't think any of them were trying to pass off bad merchandise.  It is just that they don't (or can't) do extensive tests.

i don't have much need for bodies or lenses generally so not an issue. eventually it would be nice to get a bridge camera for birding or not having to change lenses. the canon sx 40 and sx 50 seem to be affordable in used.

Several years ago I got lucky with an SX50 I got from eBay that was/is in excellent condition. I can't remember the price but it was attractive. It is good in bright sunlight.  All my other cameras have better IQ because the SX50 has a real tiny sensor, but the SX 50 beats them all when I need super-zoom.  I'm not sure that I'd use it as my one-and-only camera.

my canon xs isn't worth too much and does everything well, except for the lower iso. why not just keep it as a beater camera or when the t3i gives up?

Yep.

on days we don't wanna haul around the dslr, our nikon coolpix are a good alternative for video/pix. for me this is mostly the joy of family memories, so no high end equipment needed.

Wayne, how is your 40D doing? would that be your best camera

No. I got the 40D to have a decent body for situations when I didn't want to bring my better bodies. I have a 300D, T2i, 60D, 6D, M, M6 and M50. And S100, GX7 II and SX50.

and would it be worth upgrading from a T3i to a 40D

I think the 40D would be a downgrade sensor wise.  My T2i has the Canon 18 megapixel sensor and I think your T3i has the same.  The 40D has an older 10 megapixel sensor. The 40D body is an upgrade, though.  Magnesium body, lots of controls/buttons  and (I think) somewhat weatherproofed.  The controls and build quality are better than on my 60D and 6D, IMO.

The 40D is good with decent light but the newer bodies have somewhat better dynamic range and do better at high ISO. Because it is winter and the general Covid disincentive to not be out and about, I haven't used the 40D for any real shoots. I tested it mostly indoors with its internal flash.

With all this said, I'm trying to migrate to a good phone for most family pics. Right now I use a Pixel 2. I think its battery is starting to swell so I have been posting in mobile photography researching a replacement. If I can get a shot with my Pixel 2, SOOC Pixel 2 JPEGs are generally as good as what I can get from raw files from any of my other cameras (with the possible exception of the 6D and L glass.)  At the same focal length.

Wayne

Wayne Larmon wrote:

bridge77 wrote:

ebay is a gamble, it may be best to trade with dealers who have a 30 day return policy like roberts camera or keh. i got an old tamron lens tele that didn't work to well with my t3i and roberts sent me a return label and refunded. older non canon lenses just may not work to well with canon bodies.

I'd tend that way for something more expensive but most of the cameras I talked about were in the $10 range so really weren't worth returning.

I stick to Canon lenses. I had a bad experience with a first generation Tamron 28-70 (75?) f/2.8 lens in the early 2000s that wouldn't focus at f/2.8. It took multiple trips to Tamron service but was never fixed. It was an f/8 only lens. I eventually replaced it with a Canon 17-50 f/2.8 IS that did focus accurately at f/2.8.

just checked the lens i bought...

Tamron A03 AF 28-200mm f3.8

the dealer said the lens was older than my T3i and Canon wont program the new bodies for older third party lens, had to return the thing. it seemed to just throw error codes. cheap lens if not for that problem. it seems that any Canon digital camera will work with any EF lens, unless you know the Tamron is newer than your Canon camera. any then that may fall thru.

I think that the "dealers" I dealt with were private individuals that bought things from wherever (garage sales...) and then sell on eBay. I didn't see many original owners sell the cameras I was interested in. I don't think any of them were trying to pass off bad merchandise. It is just that they don't (or can't) do extensive tests.

i don't have much need for bodies or lenses generally so not an issue. eventually it would be nice to get a bridge camera for birding or not having to change lenses. the canon sx 40 and sx 50 seem to be affordable in used.

Several years ago I got lucky with an SX50 I got from eBay that was/is in excellent condition. I can't remember the price but it was attractive. It is good in bright sunlight. All my other cameras have better IQ because the SX50 has a real tiny sensor, but the SX 50 beats them all when I need super-zoom. I'm not sure that I'd use it as my one-and-only camera.

B&H camera advised me to get the sx50 when i was looking for a birding lens. i bought a used canon 300mm and returned, but it would hardly be useful for birding. may eventually get the bridge cam and be done with dslr as i don't need high quality.

my canon xs isn't worth too much and does everything well, except for the lower iso. why not just keep it as a beater camera or when the t3i gives up?

Yep.

on days we don't wanna haul around the dslr, our nikon coolpix are a good alternative for video/pix. for me this is mostly the joy of family memories, so no high end equipment needed.

Wayne, how is your 40D doing? would that be your best camera

No. I got the 40D to have a decent body for situations when I didn't want to bring my better bodies. I have a 300D, T2i, 60D, 6D, M, M6 and M50. And S100, GX7 II and SX50.

and would it be worth upgrading from a T3i to a 40D

I think the 40D would be a downgrade sensor wise. My T2i has the Canon 18 megapixel sensor and I think your T3i has the same. The 40D has an older 10 megapixel sensor. The 40D body is an upgrade, though. Magnesium body, lots of controls/buttons and (I think) somewhat weatherproofed. The controls and build quality are better than on my 60D and 6D, IMO.

the magnesium body is attractive.

older canon 5d classic are even more interesting/affordable, but seem to have gone up over the last month or so.

The 40D is good with decent light but the newer bodies have somewhat better dynamic range and do better at high ISO. Because it is winter and the general Covid disincentive to not be out and about, I haven't used the 40D for any real shoots. I tested it mostly indoors with its internal flash.

if it wasn't for better iso, i really wouldn't care. my t3i goes to 6400, which is good for night shooting. ideally a good bridge camera that could best that would be a game changer for me, if it was affordable.

With all this said, I'm trying to migrate to a good phone for most family pics. Right now I use a Pixel 2. I think its battery is starting to swell so I have been posting in mobile photography researching a replacement. If I can get a shot with my Pixel 2, SOOC Pixel 2 JPEGs are generally as good as what I can get from raw files from any of my other cameras (with the possible exception of the 6D and L glass.) At the same focal length.

Wayne

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