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Gail's Blog
XSi: Random thoughts
Luggage
After using lightweight compact digital cameras for years, I'm still not used to the weight of the XSi (and it's considered light for a DSLR). Still, when actually using it, I don't think about the weight at all.
However, I must confess. I feel like I'm packing luggage for a trip whenever I want to take along both lenses and the few accessories I have to date. :)
Auto ISO
Speaking of using lightweight digital cameras for years, I am ecstatic about the high ISO performance of the XSi. It is just so superior to the high ISO performance of any compact digital camera I've owned. My FujiFilm F20 does quite well, but for my photographic style, the F20 is just too plain and the zoom too little. I keep the XSi on auto ISO most of the time.
Moving from a compact digital camera to a DSLR
There is a definite learning curve when moving from a compact digital camera to a digital single reflex camera . Suprisingly, handling a DSLR can be easier than a compact. There is very little need to dig through menus to change key settings such as ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, etc. On my XSi, they all have dedicated, external buttons.
AP mode
But things like using the flash and getting the best out of a lens take some homework. To get the sharpest images out a lens, you have to find its "sweet spot." That means using aperture priority mode; the automatic P mode, which I regularly used on compacts, no longer cuts it for most scenes.
Using the flash
My experience with the flash has not been a pleasant one. Evidently compact digital cameras do not have the shutter speed limitation as with DSLRs that have focal plane shutters. So until I figure out something called "x-sync speed," I'll be using the flash very little. Thankfully, the high ISO performance of DSLRs excels compared to compacts. I've never been a fan of flash photos anyway. Still, I need to get a handle on using the flash correctly.
