(O/T) Camera Failure - Canon Digital Rebel

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IronBeltKen

IronBeltKen

Lazy Daydreamer
**** NEVER MIND - OPERATOR ERROR DISCOVERED! **** (Mods, please erase this thread...)

Hi all,

Looks like I have to put photographing my trains on indefinite hold: My digital SLR camera, which I bought back in April 2004, is showing its age. I can no longer adjust the light exposure level - all my photos are coming out grossly overexposed. When I called my closest full-service camera store, they said I'd probably have to have them send it out for repair at a cost of ~$250, with a 2-month turnaround (where exactly are they sending it to...Asia!?:mad: ).

I think it would be better to just buy a replacement for ~$350 off the 'Bay. One question I have is, can a lens from an older Digital Rebel be used with one that's one or two generations newer? I'd like to be able to buy just the body, an use my existing lens.
 
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Yep. As long as they are Canon (or comatible brand like Sigma) EOS branded lenses, they'll work on a newer generation.

I have an XSi and I LOVE the thing. Taking a break from a project to build an old timey tintype camera prop enclosure for it right now that it'll screw to. That'll allow me to have a functioning old west prop camera that takes modern digital photos at my Gunfighter shows. Loads of fun with that camera though, best $1200 I ever spent. (bought a large kit from a camera shop in NY)
 
Thanks for replying, that's good to know.

I think I may have discovered the root cause of the malfunction: I wasn't holding down the ISO button while I was spinning the dial. :o Apparently I pressed it by mistake when I was in the middle of doing something else. So maybe my camera isn't dead after all..?

[I was hoping to delete this thread as soon as I made this discovery, but I was too late, oh well!]
 


If you are still not sure, switch over to brain-dead (full auto, green square) and rattle off a few to see how it does. If they come out ok, well, you know the camera is probably ok.

I hope it works for you, remember that sometimes even cameras need a re-boot....pull the battery for about 5 minutes if all else fails.
 
Actually I did that earlier, when I was shooting a few on a diorama in direct sunlight. They looked basicly OK, except they lacked depth-of-field [I was shooting at an angle]. It's when decided to go back out and try it again in Aperture Priority mode that I noticed the problem.

When I tried to read the manual for the answer, I got nowhere because I don't know zip about photography jargon. I did however, notice an obscure button referred to as "ISO" - and I remembered enough [from film days] that ISO has something to do with light sensitivity. So...with the camera in Av mode, I held the ISO button down and spun the dial - and wah-lah, the pointer moved back to the center! I setup an indoors shot of the same scene using a 500W color-balanced photo floodlight, and captured an image that was in focus both in front and toward the rear.

I guess I dodged a $350 bullet this time..!
 
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