Need opinions on getting digital SLR camera from Airmiles

[Mckenzie]

Well I have been saving points for a while now and have enough for most of the SLR cameras on the airmiles website. They seem pretty decent but I literally know nothing of them except they take nice pictures.

I am leaning Cannon simply because I have an SD850is now and I love it and it is also the same number of points that I roughly have, but am open to suggestions. I would prefer not a sony and had bad luck with a Nikon years ago.

Here is the link

https://www.airmiles.ca/arrow/Reward...ryId=cat680132

Thanks for your suggestions.

[lint]

The canon xsi + 18-55 is is $700 at the camera store. 6500 air miles at 1 air mile/$20 is roughly $130000 in spending. So a $700 camera would be ~0.5% return.

Spend the air miles on a flight instead of the camera.

As far as cameras go, if you're used to canon, stick with canon. Can't really go wrong.

[Mckenzie]

Thanks Lint.

The gold card is 1/15 and I got a ton of it through putting work business trips on my card. I was just thinking it would be a nice toy for the airmiles. Also, I was looking at using it for flights but they changed the redemption program and I can no longer use the 1600 pts anywhere westjet flies now. I have no use for a flight right now but am in no hurry for a camera either.

[lint]

ah. Well your call. I've always found that redemptions for merchandise really kills your reward percentage.

For the camera, head down to the camera store and play around with the models listed. Give you a better feel for the camera in your hands. Personal opinion is to stick with canon or nikon, larger market for them so it's much easier to pick up second hand lenses and accessories.

Of the cameras in that link, the nikon doesn't come with a lens, and the panasonic isn't an slr

[Mckenzie]

Alright thanks for the advice Lint. Always need someone on the other shoulder to give me the other side.

I'm still like a little kid though and love electronics, especially ones I don't have to pay for.

[ianmcc]

We used our Airmiles to buy an Amplifi 2.1 Tabletop Sound System and BOSE In-Ear Headphones. We figured at the rate we were saving points and the points needed to fly four of us to Europe we would need another 10 years to have enough points. Plus Airmiles offers free shipping so for us it was a no-brainer.

[ExtraSlow]

One thing about getting things from air miles is that you can count on it taking way longer to arrive at your door than with a regular online store. Count on about 8 weeks so you aren't dissapointed.
I too get air miles from business spending, and since the flights are such a hassle, I prefer to get merchandise also. I've gotten gift cards, a kettle and a few smaller items.

[urban.one]

Gift cards are often the best bang per airmile. Getting a gift card for a gas station isnt as exciting as a new camera but it could get you a much higher return. Do a few calculations on the airmiles site about how much you end up paying in terms of airmiles/$ of merchandise.

[lewdvig]

The Futureshop gift cards are nice - do they still offer them?

Redeem for cards and then take advantage of sales to stretch your miles further - air miles online store is over-priced.

Then you can pick any brand you like - and maybe find an open box deal.

I just switched from Canon to Sony - I don't really have any brand loyalty, I go where the deals are.

Having said that, I think the Sony, Pentax and Olympus dSLRs all have their merits but Nikon and Canon are in a higher league.

The Canon XSI is a particularly nice camera. The slightly lower spec'ed Canon XS IS kit is running 500-550 right now too.

[Mckenzie]

Yeah I looked at the gift card route and here is what I came up with (no future shop or other electronic vendors)

Through Staples, i could get $722 in gift cards for 6500 miles.

HBC I could get $812 for 6500 in miles.

Shell I could get $742 for 6500 miles

That camera and lense is $779 + Tax 779 = $818

http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures/...0&ProductTab=3

Thanks for the opinions everyone- I ordered the camera last week and look forward to it arriving!