Canon EOS300D vs EOS400D Thoughts

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi All,
I would be interested to see what everyone thinks about the different Canon DSLRs, As I remember it the larger the Pixell the more sensitive it is, and can hold a larger charge, so would not the EOS300D still be the best Camera for Deep Sky work, Its image sensor is 22.7 x 15.1 mm at 6 Mp. vs the EOS400D at 22.2 x 14.8 mm with 10 Mp.....comments please- re Deep Sky use.

regards............Jim

[[1ponders]]

What are the pixel sizes Jim? The larger the pixel size the more sensitivity, the larger the chip the wider the field.

[rogerg]

I can't dispute your logic - they both give the same magnification of image and yet one has more pixels so you'd think the 350D has a smaller pixel size. Would be worth checking though. And I wonder if advances in the CCD counter that pixel size increase with respect to sensitivity. I'd see if I could find their QE if I were you.

I've some some experience using a 300D and I have a 350D. I've found quite a difference between those two in processing speed, the 350D is much faster from what I have seen. I'd expect the 400D is the same as the 350D in that respect as they both use DiG!C II, as compared to the 300D which has v1.

Personally if I were in the situation I'd probably upgrade from a 300D to 400D but not 350D to 400D.

My 2c worth.

Roger.

[John K]

As you can tell from some of the other threads I am also doing some research on Canon DLR's.

From what people are saying and from the latest test dpreview on the 400D http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/
there is not much of a difference photographically between the 350 and 400. However the 400D has some nice new functionalities inc. sensor cleaning.

The question you may like to consider is wether you should go with a Huteck or equivelant modified camera and lower megapixels so save money. So I would say that a 300 or 350 modified unit will out perform the unmodified 400D. That's the stage I am at the moment. Altough it would be nice to get a modified 400D, it's a lot of cash. So for me either a modified 350D or just a second hand 350D body to start off with could be the best value for money all around.

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi All,
Thanks for your comments and suggestions, I will research the subject a bit more and come up with whatever facts I can (pixell sizes, transfer charge methods Etc.) and post same, Roger interested in your comments regards processing times on the different Cameras, do you notice any visible difference in detail betwen the 6.1 and 8 Mp. chips ??.


cheers.....Jim

[rogerg]

Jim,

I'm barely happy with 8 MP, having come from pro films where I could easily end up with a high quality 70mb file. 6 MP simply wouldn't cut it (hence I didn't buy before the 350D). I'm eagerly awaiting the day I have the cash for 12 MP which will be comparable to the pro films I was using but that won't be for a long time.

I haven't directly compared images from the two cameras for quality and size, I just go by the maths - a 6.1 MP file isn't big enough for me. As for quality of the photo I suspect it would come down to the lens quality more than the camera when comparing the 300D vs 350D, but wouldn't know for sure.

Roger.

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi All,
Difficult to get an exact answer on this subject, as CMOS and CCD can not be directly equated, however the fact that the larger surface area of any sensor will make it more sensitive still stands, getting the photons of light to CMOS sensors is another matter, and the microlenses in front of each sensor play a big part in the net result of their sensitivity, as does the method of charge transfer, Canon say these both have been improved in the EOS400D making it a more efficent light collector (light imput vs time) seems the proof of the pudding will be in results.

Pixel size- Canon D1- 11.8 u -2.62 Mp

Pixel size- Canon D30- 10.1 u - 3.1 Mp

Pixel size- Canon 300D- 5.1 u - 6.5 Mp

Etc. Etc.

regards...............Jim

[Kal]

Image sensor The heart of the camera is a new 10.08 million image pixel, 22.2mm x 14.8mm Canon-designed and manufactured CMOS image sensor with a 5.7µm x 5.7µm pixel pitch, bayer pattern RGB filter array, high-efficiency microlenses and two-part optical low pass/IR cut filter. The focal length cropping factor is approximately 1.6x, relative to 35mm film; the sensor's physical dimensions are identical to that of the Rebel XT/350D, which makes the sensor ever so slightly smaller than that of Canon's EOS 30D and previous midrange digital SLRs. The sensor's data is read out in 2 channels; Canon's DIGIC II is the imaging engine. Capture bit depth is 12 bits per colour, which is then converted to 8 or 16 bits per colour depending on file format and processing.
Chuck Westfall, Canon USA's Director of Media and Customer Relationship, says that dynamic range and noise levels with the Rebel XTi/400D are nearly identical to the camera it replaces, despite the smaller pixel size of the new model (5.7µm square vs 6.4µm square for the Rebel XT/350D). This, says Westfall, is because of an improved fill factor - the gap between the sensor's microlenses has been reduced, and the light-sensitive area of each pixel has been further increased through other design improvements. If true, this is likely to make the Rebel XTi/400D the best high-ISO performer of the new crop of 10MP cameras that have emerged in 2006.

source: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-7897-8492

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi Kal,
Thanks for that bit, quite interesting, It would appear that they have solved the area occupied by transfer transistors problem (each pixell cell has a transistor to transfer the charge to the next stage-takes space) and squeezed more pixell cells into the same area as the 6 Mp. of the EOS300D, the pixels are only slightly smaller then the EOS300Ds at 5.7 u (300D- 6.4 u) and the whole 10 Mp of them occupy an area slightly less than the 6 Mp array in the 300D, really shrinking things they are, and if the microlenses are as good as they say, it should give very good results, however the proof of it will be in results, I dont think the noise figure will be any better myself, but the resolution should of course be (6 Mp. vs 10 Mp.), dont know if the present Mod. instructions will apply either.

cheers.........Jim

[ving]

do not buy a 400d, dont but one!!

win it at www.canon.com.au/findyourshot
:D

[alan meehan]

hi all
i have only just bought the new400d and i have to say it is a really good camera,compared to the 350d it has about the same picture quality except it has more features like sensor cleaning,i have not used it for deep sky work as yet,as i have just ordered a new eq6 mount,instead of my lxd55 meade mount,wich will give me better tracking.with a bit of bartering i got it from .camera house body only $1060.i would have to agree with rodger it would come down to the lens you used.

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi All,
Alan glad to hear you are pleased with the EOS400D, and that was a very good price you got it for, I look forward to seeing some Astropix when you get around to it, do you look like modifing it (removing the filter), wonder if anyone has posted the mods. on the internet as yet, maybe the EOS300D instructions would be sufficent if the Cameras are the same construction.


cheers....Jim