Hey Folks!
So I bought the digital version of the Canon Rebel E05 back in November of 2009 in prep for my trip around the world. It’s been just about 10 months, and I’m pretty confident that I can give a thorough review of it. All in all, it handles very well, takes fabulous pictures, and clear video. When I bought it, it came with the standard lens (18-55mm) as well as a zoom lens, which was great for getting difficult wild-life shots. Anyway, without further ado, here is a simply pro/con list for this camera:
Pro:
1) Great picture quality.
2) Easy handling, easy to use even those of us who are not experts at photography (cough cough myself cough cough).
3) Having the high definition video capability has been fantastic, and I’ve used that a lot.
4) I have made particularly good use of the non-flash setting, and the “P” setting where I can also pick my point of focus. Please note: I still do not know many of the settings because I left without my camera manual…stupid me!
5) I absolutely do not regret buying it. A wonderful piece of equipment.
6) Relatively light weight, sturdy, etc.
Cons:
1) I have had two regular lenses (18-55mm) malfunction on this camera. Whether it is the camera or the lenses’ fault is hard to determine; I used to think it was my original lens, but I’m now convinced it is the camera itself. Both lenses have broken in the same way; the autofocus breaks, which makes it near impossible for me to take pictures…given my skill level.
2) The pop-up flash has also broken numerous times. By broken, I mean that it gets stuck and wont pop up when needed. Due to the fact that I am in Africa and usually nowhere near any sort of camera store, I’ve “fixed” this problem by prying the flash up and trying to get loose whatever is holding it down. Seems to have worked, but I have no idea if i’ve done damage to my camera.
3) I cannot for the life of me, find where I can set unlimited shutter time. For example, if I want to take a night shot, I can find a setting that lets me select up to 30 seconds of open shutter time, and then a “bulb” setting, where I have to physically hold down the shutter (not good for those night pics due to minute physical movement, etc.). I have asked three other competent photographers to find this setting for me, and none have succeeded. Does it not exist? If so, that is a major flaw with this camera.
4) I didn’t think about the fact that I would be working in areas where cameras are not looked kindly upon. It is a very obvious camera, due to its size, and for people traveling to developing countries, it might well be worth your while to consider a more compact SLR. Honestly, I would have sacrificed some image quality to be able to have my camera on me at all times. Many great photographic moments were lost because of that.
So, all in all, I had technical problems with the camera, I couldn’t figure out a specific setting on the camera itself, and I dislike its size. However, it is a fantastic piece of equipment and I am very happy that I bought it.
If you have more questions about the camera, feel free to email me at kim.e.reuter@gmail.com
Cheers dudes!
