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Which should I buy - Canon EOS Rebel XS for $499 or XSi (Refurbished) for $549?

Which should I buy - Canon EOS Rebel XS for $499 or XSi (Refurbished) for $549?

  • Canon EOS Rebel XS for $499 (NEW)

    Votes: 7 24.1%

  • Canon EOS Rebel XSi for $549 (REFURB)

    Votes: 22 75.9%
  • Total voters
    29
dmk1974

dmk1974

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 16, 2008
2,513
568
I am stewing between the two. This is my first DSLR camera after using point and shoots all my life. I like the Canons for sure.

The XS is less in price by fifty bucks and is brand new carrying a 1-year Canon warranty. http://www.adorama.com/ICADRXSKB.html?searchinfo=canon xs&item_no=1

The XSi is a refurb from Adorama and carries a 90-day Adorama (not Canon) warranty. http://www.adorama.com/ICADRXSIBKR.html

The XS probably suits my needs, I guess, but the XSi has higher megapixels (12 vs 10), more focus points (9 vs 7) and a few other key upgrades. A new XSi is way outta budget. Just a little concerned that it's a refurb I guess. Otherwise, it seems to be worthwhile to throw down the extra $50, right?

Please vote!
 
I personally would probably avoid buying a camera with such a short warranty. That said, my current SLR was a refurb and I bought it despite the 6mo warranty. I guess it depends how much you want it.
 
leighonigar said:
I personally would probably avoid buying a camera with such a short warranty. That said, my current SLR was a refurb and I bought it despite the 6mo warranty. I guess it depends how much you want it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the warranty is my only concern. The refurb is done by Canon (not Adorama) which makes me feel more comfortable. I mean, I have purchased a dozen Dell refurb PCs and laptops over the years and even a couple of refurbished 3G iPhones. Those had 1-year manufacturer warranties though, but hopefully the Canon quality won't pose any issues.
 
I believe the XSi has a larger screen and viewfinder. Also, the grip is more textured, which is nice. I would hold both to make sure you're OK with the grip on the XS. I wouldn't worry too much about the warranty. The most you'd get anyway is one year, and lots can happen after that.

Nonetheless, there isn't a huge difference between the two models, so perhaps your $150 is better spent on glass. I'm going to vote for the XS and suggest you put the $150 into a new lens fund. The lenses are where the real fun begins.
 
Phrasikleia said:
I'm going to vote for the XS and suggest you put the $150 into a new lens fund. The lenses are where the real fun begins.
Click to expand...

Actually, since the XSi would be a refirb, it's only a $50 difference, not $150.
 
dmk1974 said:
Yeah, the warranty is my only concern. The refurb is done by Canon (not Adorama) which makes me feel more comfortable. I mean, I have purchased a dozen Dell refurb PCs and laptops over the years and even a couple of refurbished 3G iPhones. Those had 1-year manufacturer warranties though, but hopefully the Canon quality won't pose any issues.
Click to expand...
For $50, I would go with the XSi as well. I just picked up a 70-200 f/4L Canon refurb, and it might as well be new. It's spectacular and I'm glad I got to save the money (around $85). It's a 90-day warranty too as well as opposed to a year, but I'm not that worried. Seems like the consensus is to go with the XSi. 3.5fps in RAW, a bigger viewfinder and spot metering is worth $50 to me!
 
Cool...I ordered the XSi and it should be delivered on Friday. Can't wait to use it!
 
My wife likes my XSi because of the live view feature which the XS does not have. I think that feature is really one of the key differences.
 
I received the refurb XSi today. It's beautiful! Looks just like brand new and the only way you know it's a refurb is from the gold foil sticker on it (that can easily be removed). I took about 50 shots so far and the photos look great! I like the grip on the XSi much more than the XS too. Aside from it being in a white generic Canon refurbished box (which did have a Canon tamper sticker on it which was in-tact) all the accessories appeared to be brand new as well. Great deal! Now I just hope I have no issues with it.
 
daesup45 said:
can you return refurbished camera
Click to expand...

Per the Adorama website, this has a 14-day return policy. It also has a 90-day warranty through Adorama (not Canon).

I also went to the Canon website to register my refurb camera. Nothing came up indicating it was a refurb. Is there some way to look up when my Canon warranty expires?
 
Believe me you want to go new with a DSLR because you never know what is done with the product before you got it. You might not even know they refurbished it.
 
After close to 2 weeks, this camera works great. Only two small Error99 messages when the battery was about to die. It does also have a single dead pixel near the middle of the 3" LCD that is a bit annoying. I tried to set up an exchange but the refurbed XSi just came off the site and isn't available. :(
 
dmk1974 said:
After close to 2 weeks, this camera works great. Only two small Error99 messages when the battery was about to die. It does also have a single dead pixel near the middle of the 3" LCD that is a bit annoying. I tried to set up an exchange but the refurbed XSi just came off the site and isn't available. :(
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. I've never had an Error99 message on my XSi. No dead pixels, either.
 
I have a new XSi and I love it. I did however have to upgrade to the newest firmware, and that made things much smoother. If your error problem continues, check the firmware.
 
Congrats to the OP on the purchase.

I have had the pleasure of dealing with Adorama customer service regarding a Tokina lens purchase. They were nothing short of professional and empathetic and resolved my issues promptly.

I wouldnt hesitate to recommend their store to anyone. I would contact them and I am confident they will make the situation right for you.

enjoy shooting with your camera.

Neil
 
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