Is the Rebel XSi suitable for taking photos for the high school camera club?

Answer 1

There is no question the Canon Rebel XSi is a superb camera. And you're going to make a wonderful president of your club! But as president, it's well if you remember that it's not the camera, it's the mind and eye behind it. You can literally use any camera, even the simplest single use disposable. Simple cameras sometimes limit what you can do, but that's not always a bad thing. There used to be an advertisement for a camera that featured a professional photographer with the tagline, "You may not have my eye, but you can have my camera." The point, as old pros all knew (we used to laugh) was that the camera is only a tool,like a hammer. If you know how to use a hammer you can drive a nail. But often the first time we pick up a hammer we hit our own thumb. The world's greatest camera (and what that is, is a matter for spirited argument) will not take the world's greatest picture by itself. It has to have vision behind it, and that usually takes training and practice. Don't make the mistake of thinking that Photography is about cameras. Photography is about seeing. Try this: drop by your hardware store and look at the hammers. How many are there? How much do they cost? But - Will they all drive a nail?