1100Dworth the extra over a 450D?

[Astropedro]

Hi and sorry if this sort of question has been asked before but i really REALLY need closure on this before I buy another DSLR......lol.

I have had a Canon 300D unmodded for the last 2 years which I have used with a Celestron First Scope, A Nexstar 5SE, a Skywatcher 90Mak and finally a Skywatcher 200P-EQ5 with dual axis motor kit.  I have achieved some pleasing images through all the scopes but more so with my current set up of course(The200P).

     When I first bought the 300D I was advised to get a 1000D so I could benefit from liveview.  I was strapped for cash at the time and ignored this advice and bought the 300D.  Im glad I did and have never ignored the fact that if I had held out for a more expensive camera I wouldnt have had so much fun and heartache imaging up till now.  The advice was sound, however, and focusing with a 300D for astro imaging is a real pain.

     So!  Down to the reason for this post.  I have my eye on a 450D here in Spain on a second hand web site.  The guy wants 150 euros including postage.  it comes with a manual focus 18-55 lens (not sure if its auto but none functioning), canon battery and charger.  Sounds cheap to me?  Tell me if you think Im wrong though please.  I have, however, read that the 1100D is slightly better for astro imaging.  Here comes the dilemma.  A 1100D here in Spain is unobtainable for less than 200 euros and rarely comes with anything other than a battery and charger.  So the question stands.

Is the 1100D worth the extra cash over the 450D in your opinion?

I would love to hear from people with experience imaging with either of these cameras.  If it helps, I will not be modding either Camera whether I buy a 450d or the 1100D.  I enjoy daylight photography too.

looking forward to your help and opinions.

[JB80]

I've never known second hand goods to hold their value so much as they do in Spain, people must not want to part with it that bad.

The 150 is a good price and if it arrives and everything works then without a doubt it's a good buy. Even if the autofocus doesn't work it's not a huge deal as I always use manual focusing anyway.

The 450D is a great choice for an astro camera because it's low in noise, so is the 1100D but it's borderline, you do get slightly better everything with the 1100D though and the ability to record videos but it's not enough to make me wish for one because I'm quite content with the 450D.

My only word of warning would be the usual buyer bewares that comes with purchasing second hand items, especially sight unseen.

I guess too at that price you have to start wondering how close it is to the end of it's shelf life, you can always email them to ask how many times the shutter has been used.

[Davey-T]

I have a 450d and wouldn't want to swap it for an 1100d, also seem to recall from Ginas modding posts if you want to go mad and debayer it the 450d is easier to mod.

Dave 

[Quatermass]

The 350d is smaller and lighter and I don't miss live view

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Astropedro]

Thanks for the advice and info guys.  I got in touch with him and he says it has taken 2700 photos.  Practically nothing in other words.  I will buy it if he assures me everything is in good working order other than the lense autofocus.  is the autofocus a problem with the lense or the camera? Or can it be both?

[Davey-T]

Could be either, guess the only way is to try another AF lens.

Dave

[JamesF]

I don't use autofocus on my 450D for astroimaging at all.  I do find the live view useful in APT for solar and lunar imaging.  I could probably live without it for DSO imaging.

James

[moxican]

Just a word.... I have them both. I deceded to mod the 450D after all. Pretty much all the differences come down to the ISO speeds (1100D has more) and on board processor (1100D has DIGIC 4). The sensor is exactly the same. But I had some problems with the 1100, as I always had some dark lines from the center of the bright stars on the image. I was told that it is common with that model on astrophotography. Modding the 450d was a better choice, it is better on noise also.

[Russe]

Just a word.... I have them both. I deceded to mod the 450D after all. Pretty much all the differences come down to the ISO speeds (1100D has more) and on board processor (1100D has DIGIC 4). The sensor is exactly the same. But I had some problems with the 1100, as I always had some dark lines from the center of the bright stars on the image. I was told that it is common with that model on astrophotography. Modding the 450d was a better choice, it is better on noise also.

How did you mod it? Did you do it yourself or did you send it to somebody who does this professionally? And did the mod only include IR/UV filter removal (or refitting) or as well de-bayering?

I'm really keen to mod my 450D...

[RikM]

I would go with the 450D over the 1100D. I have an 1100D and don't like it for astro use. I have seen lots and lots of good pictures from the 450D.

[JemC]

I've never known second hand goods to hold their value so much as they do in Spain, people must not want to part with it that bad.

The 150 is a good price and if it arrives and everything works then without a doubt it's a good buy. Even if the autofocus doesn't work it's not a huge deal as I always use manual focusing anyway.

The 450D is a great choice for an astro camera because it's low in noise, so is the 1100D but it's borderline, you do get slightly better everything with the 1100D though and the ability to record videos but it's not enough to make me wish for one because I'm quite content with the 450D.

My only word of warning would be the usual buyer bewares that comes with purchasing second hand items, especially sight unseen.

I guess too at that price you have to start wondering how close it is to the end of it's shelf life, you can always email them to ask how many times the shutter has been used.

Hi

I know this thread is a couple of months old, but I was looking through the forums for info on the canon 450d as I own one and was/am trying to find info on whether the ccd/video capture on these would produce good results if used for imaging?, I know they do not have a video function as such like some of the newer cameras, or even produce images the same as dedicated astro cameras, however as long as you have the 450d tethered to you laptop you can actually record videos, so my question is does anyone know if it would be decent quality?

Regards

JemC

[Steve Ward]

Either a 450D or a 1000D will be a better bet than the 1100D in my opinion.

I use the 1000D , recently "upgraded" to the 1100 as a back-up body , did not like it at all , especially for my Solar work , returned it the next day and traded for another 1000D.

The extra ISO is largely unusable for astro , ISO 800 is rarely exceeded , and the video function is of no use either , I had intended using it for planetary dabbling but you cannot download video straight to a laptop , you have to fill an SD card then load from that , very annoying.

For whitelight solar there is no doubt that the 1000D wins hands down , this I know for sure.

[RikM]

I know other people will have different opinions, but I'm with Steve on this one.

I have a 1000D and bought an 1100D for use at work. Tried it out for astro a few time (obviously ) But I just don't get the same results with it. It is okay for macro product shots (which is what I bought it for) but 1000D all the way for astro. EOS Movie record worked okay for lunar shots with the 1000D but file conversion was a pain. The planetary panel in APT  saves the live view feed as a series of jpgs which can be stacked in much the same way as avi's for solar system imaging. That would be my recommendation.

[Steve Ward]

And which ever one you go for , make sure you get all the CDs containing DigitalPhotoProfessional and CanonEosUtilities . 

[JamesF]

I had the impression that the 1100D had lower read noise than the 1000D, but I've never owned a 1000D and don't use my wife's 1100D for astroimaging so I can't speak from experience.

I believe all the software is downloadable from Canon's website, but you have to tell them the serial number of your camera to be able to download it.  As I didn't have a camera to hand last time I did that I just googled for "canon 450d serial number" or something like that and put in whatever number google found.  Worked for me

James

[Luke]

I have an 1100D and 450D but sadly have hardly used the 1100D yet for DSO's. From the little bit I have used it, I didn't get the impression that the 450D was better, but I need much, much more imaging time with it to see how it fares for me.

I still have the 450D so can switch back to that if it works out it's better, the idea was to get another astro camera ready and start using that, with the long-serving 450D as a backup!

I'm hardly getting any DSO shots these days, though. Would be nice to get a good clear weekend when the Moon has a night off!

[JamesF]

My vague recollection is that the 1100D has slightly better sensitivity than the 450D at the cost of slightly more read noise.  The 450D uses the DIGIC III whereas the 1100D is DIGIC IV.  Otherwise I don't think there's much to split them.

Gary Honis did some tests that didn't initially include the 1100D, but now I've found his website again (it appears his original hosting company has gone out of business so many of the links to his site are broken) it looks as though he's added it.  See http://dslrmodifications.com/rebelmod550duncooledcomparison.html  The 1100D test has been added near the bottom of the page.

James

[dph1nm]

I had the impression that the 1100D had lower read noise than the 1000D

Sensorgen claims half the read noise. So if you are doing short exposures the 1100D should be much better.

NigelM