Canon EOS 350D - Who has one? Honest opinions/reviews?

Maniac618

Maniac618

Maniac618

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21 Jan 2006
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Hi everyone,

Has anyone here got or used a Canon EOS 350D? I'd like to gather your honest opinions/reviews on the camera as my dad is probably going to get it and I know nothing at all about cameras.

I just want to make sure he knows what he is doing as he doesn't/can't use the net very well and so I doubt he has enough of a idea about how good it is yet before making the purchase.

I want to make sure he doesn't make a mistake basically.

So, anyone?
 
I would love to know as well, as I am off to Canada in a week and can pick up a new rebel xt (silver) :D but if there is something else out there worth considering....then please speak now or forever hold your peace!
 
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based on price the 350d is worth the cash, considering you can get one with kit lens for around £500

i was going to buy the 350d as my 1st slr but once i went into a shop and held it, and a 20d I knew that it was the 20d i wanted. It felt more solid and its a bit bigger than the 350 too- i`m not sure what other technical features are different tho - but if you goto the canon website you can do a comparison thingy
 
Love mine. I tend to leave it in Av, but might push towards using Tv more often. Depends on whether i have a tripod or not really. Some people say they come up small for people who have bigger-than-small hands (not a problem for me), but if you get the battery grip, that sorts that out. Aside from that, a worthy investment for doing some good photography. It certainly can teach you a lot by showing up your mistakes really well too. Which is good, as then you can learn :)
 
For the price you can't go wrong. I've been using one for about 8 months now and it is a very nice camera, though it is my first SLR so I'm only comparing with compacts.

IMO at this level unless you're willing to spend thousands on a camera body the main factor in the quality of your shots (technically rather than creatively) will be down to your lenses. The extra money will get you a more solid (and perhamps more comfortable) camera, faster burst modes, lower noise, possibly a higher dynamic range on the newer models, and larger sensors with the really expensive cameras. They all make a difference but unless you're really serious about it I doubt you'd tell the difference.

I would say if you're into creative photography rather than just wanting holiday snaps then get it. If money is no object and you can afford the 20D then get that instead but I would rather spend my money on a better lens than a better camera. If you're just after holiday snaps then get a compact as the quality is fairly good these days on auto.
 
Bear in mind I'm a beginner, so I don't have a lot of experience with any other cameras. If your dads in the same situation, then it might be relevent though.

I wanted to get into photography as a hobby, and despite a lot of people saying an SLR is going to be over the top at that stage, I went for a 350D as well - I like to chuck myself in at the deep end :D. I'm not sure how this compares with other SLR's, but if you don't want to do everything manually, there are a lot of modes that do everything for you automatically, and a good balance between fully automatic and fully manual.

After a fully automatic mode, there are theme modes that automatically set the apature, shutter speed, exposure and ISO for scenes like indoors, night, sunny, cloudy etc. Even if you are more accustomed to cameras, these are useful for if you need to take a pic in a hurry without adjusting all the settings yourself. Speaking of which, the start up time from flicking the switch to being able to shoot is pretty much instant, unlike compact cameras.

The other useful modes to help you learn are Tv and Av. These 2 modes let you manually set the apature and shutter speed respectively while compensating the other to ensure a decent exposure. Finally, the manual mode lets you set everything independently as you would expect.

Before I took any pictures, I spent a couple of days reading a lot of guides and tutorials online and the manual. The best of which was ...

http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/ - Click EOS digital rebel tutorial

Control wise, all the options are where you would expect, and I got to grips with it very quickly, I am an IT tech though. For an SLR it is relatively small I believe, but it feels very comfortable to me. That really is personal opinion though. I would suggest holding a few in ******* to get a feel for the one you like the best.

I am pretty much exclusively using manual mode as it's the most fun. I found that on my first shoot, about half the pictures were over/under exposed or out of focus. I did get some nice ones that I posted in this thread that I was pretty pleased with - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17580227 If you are going to use the manual modes, you'll get sharp pics, but it's a bit limiting if you are going after something a bit more creative.

One thing you'll have to budget for is another lens. As a beginner, I find the quality of the 18-55mm as fine, but the range is a bit restrictive for me, I think a 75-300mm is almost a essential purchase which will be about 160 quid (although you get a £35 cashback voucher with the camera for that lens).

Another good thing, especially if you are not 100% sure about getting into photography is that the camera will hold its value pretty well (check ebay prices). When I buy guitars, I usually go for for decent ones on the basis that if I come to sell them, I'll get back most of the money I spent. I'm pretty sure the same holds true for this, over some of the more budget models.

Hope that helps a bit!
 
What do you guys think of me getting a Canon 30d over the 350d - bearing in mind I am a beginner when it comes to photography.
 
Type_R said:
What do you guys think of me getting a Canon 30d over the 350d - bearing in mind I am a beginner when it comes to photography.
Click to expand...


I`m a beginner too but i went with the 20d as my 1st slr mainly because to me it felt better to hold , money was an issue but i felt paying a few hundred more for the 20d was worth it

go and have a look and hold of them somewhere, if your comfortable holding the 350d and you want to save a few hundred quid then get that and put the savings towards better lenses and extra kit, ie a bag/tripod/mem cards etc

likewise if you prefer the feel of the 30d and are feeling flush then go for it :)
 
Just got mine a week ago so I will leave judgement to the more seasond user.. :)

The camera does just what it says on the tin though.. Cannot fault it.. ;)

350D-85mm.jpg
 
I bought my 350D sometime in June last year.

It doesn't get a huge amount of use especially since my baby daughter was born but I do still take it out and brush the dust off it occasionally as time allows.

Knowing what I know now, I would probably have gone for the 20D at the time (now it would be the 30D) for the few extra plusses but I do still like the 350D.

It is easy enough to use and the menus are fairly straight forward once you have given the manual a read through but there are a couple of things I am not too keen on.

The size and quality of the rear screen makes deciding whether you have the "right shot" hard work. On quite a few occasions I have gone home thinking I have a decent picture, only to find that when I viewed it on my lcd screen at home that it is not as good as I first hoped.

The size of the actual camera is also as issue. I do not consider myself to have large hands, but the 350D does feel slightly small and unbalanced in my hands. That said, with the grip attached it is pretty much perfect both in size and weight.

Like most cameras the thing that you notice most with this cameras is that lens quality is everything. I started off with some low quality, budget lenses and was really disappointed with the results. I know it can be argued that I was a beginner and shouldn't expect too much etc, but when I got a decent quality lens on it the differences were all too obvious - and I wouldn't say my skill level had improved all that much at that point (it still hasn't).

Would I buy another? Yes but only if funds wouldn't stretch to the 20/30D.
 
starscream said:
Bear in mind I'm a beginner, so I don't have a lot of experience with any other cameras. If your dads in the same situation, then it might be relevent though.

I wanted to get into photography as a hobby, and despite a lot of people saying an SLR is going to be over the top at that stage, I went for a 350D as well - I like to chuck myself in at the deep end :D. I'm not sure how this compares with other SLR's, but if you don't want to do everything manually, there are a lot of modes that do everything for you automatically, and a good balance between fully automatic and fully manual.

After a fully automatic mode, there are theme modes that automatically set the apature, shutter speed, exposure and ISO for scenes like indoors, night, sunny, cloudy etc. Even if you are more accustomed to cameras, these are useful for if you need to take a pic in a hurry without adjusting all the settings yourself. Speaking of which, the start up time from flicking the switch to being able to shoot is pretty much instant, unlike compact cameras.

The other useful modes to help you learn are Tv and Av. These 2 modes let you manually set the apature and shutter speed respectively while compensating the other to ensure a decent exposure. Finally, the manual mode lets you set everything independently as you would expect.

Before I took any pictures, I spent a couple of days reading a lot of guides and tutorials online and the manual. The best of which was ...

http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/ - Click EOS digital rebel tutorial

Control wise, all the options are where you would expect, and I got to grips with it very quickly, I am an IT tech though. For an SLR it is relatively small I believe, but it feels very comfortable to me. That really is personal opinion though. I would suggest holding a few in ******* to get a feel for the one you like the best.

I am pretty much exclusively using manual mode as it's the most fun. I found that on my first shoot, about half the pictures were over/under exposed or out of focus. I did get some nice ones that I posted in this thread that I was pretty pleased with - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17580227 If you are going to use the manual modes, you'll get sharp pics, but it's a bit limiting if you are going after something a bit more creative.

One thing you'll have to budget for is another lens. As a beginner, I find the quality of the 18-55mm as fine, but the range is a bit restrictive for me, I think a 75-300mm is almost a essential purchase which will be about 160 quid (although you get a £35 cashback voucher with the camera for that lens).

Another good thing, especially if you are not 100% sure about getting into photography is that the camera will hold its value pretty well (check ebay prices). When I buy guitars, I usually go for for decent ones on the basis that if I come to sell them, I'll get back most of the money I spent. I'm pretty sure the same holds true for this, over some of the more budget models.

Hope that helps a bit!
Click to expand...

thanks for the advice, i'll pass it on to my dad.

Does the 35 quid cashback come with the camera as standard from canon or a particular shop that you bought the camera from?
 
Maniac618 said:
thanks for the advice, i'll pass it on to my dad.

Does the 35 quid cashback come with the camera as standard from canon or a particular shop that you bought the camera from?
Click to expand...

It comes in the box, so is standard :)
 
I love my 350d, although I was slightly bothered by the advert I saw at the cinema for it last night. It seemed to hint that this camera was for 'play-time.'

I cannot see how anyone who is not used to the settings in photography could pick this up and have it for playtime :rolleyes:
 
Maniac, go with your Dad to a shop and handle as many as possible.

I'm also a beginner :) I chose the 30D primarily because it felt right, the 350D felt too small and light for me so didn't inspire confidence. It may well feel completely different to you and your Dad.

We can of course adapt to use any camera but it's an extra thing to overcome when you're learning.
 
Gungnir said:
Maniac, go with your Dad to a shop and handle as many as possible.

I'm also a beginner :) I chose the 30D primarily because it felt right, the 350D felt too small and light for me so didn't inspire confidence. It may well feel completely different to you and your Dad.

We can of course adapt to use any camera but it's an extra thing to overcome when you're learning.
Click to expand...

thanks for the advice everyone, i'll probably post back when he's got it and maybe even try and get him signed up on here to talk with you guys about it hehe.
 
Just to add my little bit, I love my 350D. It's a great camera and has a lot of scope for anyone who wants to experiment. Luckily it also has all the auto modes so if you're not so creatively inclined it will do all the hard work for you. I may upgrade the 350D at some point but I doubt it will be for at least another year, lenses are more important.
 
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