rodney
Vendor - Explora Dome
Reged: 03/08/05
Posts: 904
Loc: Asbury, NJ
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New to this area of CN. So pardon me if this has been answered already. I am looking at one of two DSLR's, the XS and the XSi. In understanding the big differences are the mega pixels, the 9 focus points over the 7, and the pricing. Is there any other outstanding reason to choose the XSi over the XS? I plan on only using it for AP.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated,
Clear skies,
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Explora Dome information can be found here:
www.exploradome.us
Rodney
Meade 10 SCT
AT 8/F4 imaging scope
13 Truss
C8-NGT
Orion 80mm/F11
Canon 300D
Canon XSi
Two AS-GT mounts
Extremely happy Explora Dome home observatory owner
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Footbag
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/13/09
Posts: 502
Loc: Scranton, PA
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The differences you mention are the only ones I know of. I just chose the XS over the XSi and now I have enough money left to either mod the camera or buy another lens. Having trouble deciding.
Live view is the most handy feature IMO and both models have that.
I have heard that there is some sort of deal on the XSi if you buy two lenses, but I haven't chased that deal down.
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Adam
Celestron CPC 800, Celestron HD Wedge
Hyperion 17mm, Celestron 40mm Plossl, TMB 9mm
WO 66, SSAG
Modded Canon XS
Lackawanna Astronomical Society
My Gallery
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solshaker
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/06/06
Posts: 1866
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from what ive gathered the extra mp wont matter much. i wouldnt worry about the af points either since youll be manually focusing using live view.
i recall reading that the xs has a 12-bit dac and the xsi has a 14bit dac. but thats just regurgitation and i really dont know how that matters. might not make a difference, or it may matter a lot. im sure others with more skill and knowledge than myself will speak to that.
i do know ive seen some great photos with both cameras and even much older models.
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My Gallery
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justabob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/05/07
Posts: 1892
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I own both of these cameras and I choose to get a modded xs because of the lighter weight. If you look at my gallery most of the recent photos are taken with the xs. The unmodded xsi is used for daylight only.
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http://www.pbase.com/rkn/astro&page=all
Vixen Sphinx SXW
Meade sn6
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Hutech 1000d
Self modded 350d
SBIG ST8300c
DSI PRO II
Bob
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Illinois
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 731
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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I look at both XS and XSi....
XSi...12.2 meg, 3.5 frames per seconds and 3.0" LCD XS....10.1 meg, 3 frames per seconds and 2.5" LCD.
I think about to buy XS and I am new on DSLR! My question is that it said 30 seconds and also have bulb. How it would work if I want one hour or longer exposure? Press bulb several times to make longer exposure? Thanks!
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Astronomer since 1975!
Orion 80mm ED refractor and
iOptron CubePro mount
Meade 16" Lightbridge Dobsonian
Orion 10" SkyQuest Classic Dobsonian
Tele Vue Eyepieces
Canon EOS XS 1000D
Orion Planetary 5 mm and
Orion Expanse Wide-Field 6mm eyepiece
4.5" F5 Reflector since 1982!
Orion Narrowband and SkyGlow filters
Member of IDA, let's fight light pollution!
Old Edmund 6"F8...donated to cousins
Super Polaris C8...donated to Byron Observatory in Illinois
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justabob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/05/07
Posts: 1892
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Long exposures require a laptop or a remote switch.
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http://www.pbase.com/rkn/astro&page=all
Vixen Sphinx SXW
Meade sn6
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Hutech 1000d
Self modded 350d
SBIG ST8300c
DSI PRO II
Bob
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Footbag
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/13/09
Posts: 502
Loc: Scranton, PA
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Quote:
I look at both XS and XSi....
XSi...12.2 meg, 3.5 frames per seconds and 3.0" LCD XS....10.1 meg, 3 frames per seconds and 2.5" LCD.
I think about to buy XS and I am new on DSLR! My question is that it said 30 seconds and also have bulb. How it would work if I want one hour or longer exposure? Press bulb several times to make longer exposure? Thanks!
I use a laptop, so I set my exposure times in a window in EOS utility. This is where Live view is and that allows you to focus and frame on the laptop screen. I highly recommend getting used to it and trying it.
I do all of my shooting with the laptop, so I'm barely even know how to do it without but, I believe you just need to either get a remote control or bulb cable. This allows you to time the exposures with a stopwatch without having to touch/shake the camera.
You can get great results with either method, but without a laptop it seems like it could be very tedious.
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Adam
Celestron CPC 800, Celestron HD Wedge
Hyperion 17mm, Celestron 40mm Plossl, TMB 9mm
WO 66, SSAG
Modded Canon XS
Lackawanna Astronomical Society
My Gallery
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Illinois
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 731
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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Laptop....? That's too much trouble for me! All I want to do is set up and take long
Exposure then take memory card in my computer to take pictures! I don't mind to use remote control or bulb cable. After that then maybe I would take laptop when I get my astrophotographs skills! I like to step up one at a time!
Thanks!
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Astronomer since 1975!
Orion 80mm ED refractor and
iOptron CubePro mount
Meade 16" Lightbridge Dobsonian
Orion 10" SkyQuest Classic Dobsonian
Tele Vue Eyepieces
Canon EOS XS 1000D
Orion Planetary 5 mm and
Orion Expanse Wide-Field 6mm eyepiece
4.5" F5 Reflector since 1982!
Orion Narrowband and SkyGlow filters
Member of IDA, let's fight light pollution!
Old Edmund 6"F8...donated to cousins
Super Polaris C8...donated to Byron Observatory in Illinois
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Jerry Lodriguss
Vendor
Reged: 07/19/08
Posts: 889
Loc: Voorhees, NJ
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Quote:
My question is that it said 30 seconds and also have bulb. How it would work if I want one hour or longer exposure? Press bulb several times to make longer exposure? Thanks!
For exposures longer than 30 seconds, you use the Bulb setting. The shutter will stay open for as long as you hold the shutter release down.
Obviously, this is not very practical for astrophotography with long exposures. So you need a cable that plugs into the side of the camera into the bulb port.
On the XS and XSi, it is a simple mini stereo plug. You can even make one yourself. Or you can buy a cheap one.
If you want to shoot multiple exposures all at the same exposure time, you can get a cheap $30 Remote Timer Release made by JCC in China on Ebay from DSLRbaby.
You do not need a laptop.
Also, you won't really be shooting hour or longer exposures with a DSLR. It's not like film.
To get an hour's worth of exposure, you would shoot something like 12 x 5min exposures and stack them.
With an hour exposure, you are going to have too much thermal signal from heat buildup in the camera for the exposure to be usable. So you shoot a bunch of shorter exposures and add or average them together.
Jerry
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A Beginner's Guide to DSLR Astrophotography
http://www.astropix.com
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Illinois
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 731
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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Jerry,
Now I am understand what you explained and use cable, stereo plug and remote timer. I will do that when I get Canon XS!
Thanks so much! 
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Astronomer since 1975!
Orion 80mm ED refractor and
iOptron CubePro mount
Meade 16" Lightbridge Dobsonian
Orion 10" SkyQuest Classic Dobsonian
Tele Vue Eyepieces
Canon EOS XS 1000D
Orion Planetary 5 mm and
Orion Expanse Wide-Field 6mm eyepiece
4.5" F5 Reflector since 1982!
Orion Narrowband and SkyGlow filters
Member of IDA, let's fight light pollution!
Old Edmund 6"F8...donated to cousins
Super Polaris C8...donated to Byron Observatory in Illinois
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rodney
Vendor - Explora Dome
Reged: 03/08/05
Posts: 904
Loc: Asbury, NJ
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Update,
Well I went shopping today for the XS. I ended up with the XSi. I could not refuse the deal offered. Times must be tough because these guys were very willing to negotiate, something which I would not have considered years ago.
Either way, after speaking with the sales person/owner, and showing me the differences and discussing the potential noise issues in the XSi and that fact that my RC-1 wireless remote will work with the XSi I got it. I have yet to unpack it and try it out. Hopefully tomorrow night.
Question, using the PC to control the live view, is that a huge learning curve or straight forward?
Clear skies,
--------------------
Explora Dome information can be found here:
www.exploradome.us
Rodney
Meade 10 SCT
AT 8/F4 imaging scope
13 Truss
C8-NGT
Orion 80mm/F11
Canon 300D
Canon XSi
Two AS-GT mounts
Extremely happy Explora Dome home observatory owner
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justabob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/05/07
Posts: 1892
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No learning curve involved, just click on the icon. Make sure you are at iso 1600 for best results. You can apply a grid and zoom right in on a bright star or planet.
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http://www.pbase.com/rkn/astro&page=all
Vixen Sphinx SXW
Meade sn6
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Hutech 1000d
Self modded 350d
SBIG ST8300c
DSI PRO II
Bob
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KevinUK
Vendor (DSLR-AstroMod)
Reged: 08/22/07
Posts: 744
Loc: N 51'53 W 00'25
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Oh and get or make yourself a Bahtinov mask, indispensable if you value your setup time 
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DSLR AstroMod
DSLR filter removal and replacement packages
http://www.dslrastromod.co.uk
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w orchid
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/23/07
Posts: 879
Loc: Tampa, Fl
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Bob is correct there is no learning curve involved to utilize live view. You'll love it.
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Celestron C8 orange tube circa 1982
Stellarvue SV102ED
Celestron NS1100GPS
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n1toga
super member
Reged: 05/15/08
Posts: 197
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About Live View,
I have an XSi...is it ok to use live view to focus the moon ? Does the extra brightness pose a threat to the sensor? I recall reading that live view + sun is a no no...
Thanks
Rahul
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Muffin Research
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/28/07
Posts: 992
Loc: Belgium
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Quote:
Oh and get or make yourself a Bahtinov mask, indispensable if you value your setup time
Do you still need a mask with Liveview?
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www.myspace.com/1978recordingstudio : Ambient/Experimental/Electro
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cvedeler
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/20/05
Posts: 2194
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
About Live View,
I have an XSi...is it ok to use live view to focus the moon ? Does the extra brightness pose a threat to the sensor? I recall reading that live view + sun is a no no...
Thanks
Rahul
For critical focus on the moon it is still best to focus on a nearby star using a Bahtinov mask. The moon light will not hurt your sensor but the sun sure will on live view.
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Chris Vedeler
Astro-Physics 160EDF
Astro-Physics 900GTO
Q453HR / QHY8 CCD camera
Canon 450XSi
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www.aznightsky.com
Scottsdale, AZ
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cvedeler
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/20/05
Posts: 2194
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
Quote:
Oh and get or make yourself a Bahtinov mask, indispensable if you value your setup time
Do you still need a mask with Liveview?
You don't need one, but they sure make critical focus easier and more accurate even with live view. I'm amazed at how easy it is to get soft focus when I just judge the focus with my eye on the screen vs. the Bahtinov mask. A tiny fraction of a turn of the focus will not show up under live view alone, but will show up with a Bahtinov mask. The difference is the difference between slightly soft stars and pinpoint stars.
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Chris Vedeler
Astro-Physics 160EDF
Astro-Physics 900GTO
Q453HR / QHY8 CCD camera
Canon 450XSi
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www.aznightsky.com
Scottsdale, AZ
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Jerry3672
Vendor - Quantum Astronomy Products
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 498
Loc: Lexington NC
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Quote:
Update,
Well I went shopping today for the XS. I ended up with the XSi. I could not refuse the deal offered. Times must be tough because these guys were very willing to negotiate, something which I would not have considered years ago.
Either way, after speaking with the sales person/owner, and showing me the differences and discussing the potential noise issues in the XSi and that fact that my RC-1 wireless remote will work with the XSi I got it. I have yet to unpack it and try it out. Hopefully tomorrow night.
Question, using the PC to control the live view, is that a huge learning curve or straight forward?
Clear skies,
Good pick! The noise is a key issue. A couple of us from the Uwharrie Imaging Group tested our dark frames against each other. The XSi was a little better than the Xs and both were much better than an old 20D.
One thing we see on the XSi is a small bar across the bottom of the image of green noise. Stacking, dark subtraction, and flats take care of this.
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Meade LXD75-SN-8, SN-10, C11
DSI Pro
Canon XSi 450D unmod
www.spike-a.com Bahtinov Style Focus Mask
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