Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens - Black
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens - Black
Customer Review: Canon Rebel Xsi a camera for the serious enthusiast who knows how to shoot
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned the Canon Rebel Xsi now for almost two and half years. This has been by far one of the best camera's I have ever owned. This review is for those who are serious about shooting and will use the camera on a near-daily basis.
I got started in photography by taking a required art class in college at the University of Mobile. Since I cannot draw, paint, or sculpt , the logical choice for me was photography. While taking the photography 101 class I used my room mates Canon film camera that is over thirty years old. Oh, and I got an "A+" in the class. Yeah who cares right, yes I know I am just saying.
While shopping for my next serious camera I decided to go with Canon for several reason's. There are more professional photographer's who use CANON camera's than any other brand combined. I was first trained and taught on a CANON film camera. CANON offer's more lens to choose from than any other brand. You can use any kind of CANON lens you so desire. The best part is that the sensor buried deep inside of the camera is NOT a full-frame sensor. Unless you are a photographer shooting for an ad agency that puts up billboard signs you will most likely never need a full-frame sensor. It gets even better. Because the Xsi is not a full-frame sensor you are getting a .6 of a zoom in. This means that you are getting at least an extra half times zoom free just for buying a 1.6 size sensor!
Initially, I bought the Xsi because of the price and features offered. I am not going go into every feature, just what was and still is important to me. I really liked the huge 3 inch display on the back of the camera. The display in terms of color quality really is just that good. I initially bought the camera so I could see my settings on manual on the display screen. However I have recently been shooting so many concerts and events that happen at night that it is easier to just look through the viewfinder.
I have small fingers and I like how all of the buttons are on the right side of the body on the back of the camera. Keep in mind the back of the camera is where you will see most if not all of your buttons and functions. All of the buttons are easy to find in the dark and become second-nature should you invest the time to find the appropriate button and learn how to adjust settings on-the-fly. Ideally as a photographer you should be able to adjust all of your settings in the dark (school plays, concerts, firework displays)
Most of the professional series camera's have CF cards that hold all of the shots on the camera. I really like how the Xsi uses SD cards. I have found unless you are shooting high-speed photography (airshow, sports, etc.) a class 2 (known as classII) SD cards will always get the job done. However, if you shoot weddings, basketball games, soccer, hockey, concerts, airshows, etc.; you will most likely want to spring a little extra money for the Class III SD cards. Is it worth the money? In a word if you shoot all the time, yes by all means. I have taken my SD cards swimming in the ocean by accident and even forgot to remove said SD card from my shorts before drying a load of clothes! SD cards can take a beating and still perform flawlessly.
I have really become enamored with the menu button switch on the back of the camera. With this button I can select the file quality, AEB, Flash exposure, picture style, format cards, custom settings, etc.
The AEB stands for Automatic Exposure Bracketing. If you are in love with HDR photography , you can hit the AEB button, tell the camera how far apart you would like to set the exposure(s), and press the shutter once for 3 different shots taken without having to do any of the work. In other words, you press the shutter and 3 different shots are taken for you.
If you are still reading my review the file quality is there in case you need it. Serious photographers shoot in RAW and use Lightroom or photoshop to convert the images over to JPEG for saving to a PC and printing at a lab. The advantage with RAW is that RAW gives you way more control over the shot you took. In other words, let's say you took a shot and the flash did not go off. You can used RAW to pull more information about that image to bring out the natural lighting and color all in this same shot!
What's nice about this feature is if you need to dump tons of photo's onto someone's PC you do not need to convert the files!
White Balance is your ability to set the true color in any environment. Very few churches look the same on the inside. Likewise there are places that have crazy color's. An example are children's rooms, rooms that are completely covered with wood paneling, places where it is very dark, brightly colored rooms in orange, pink, purple and of course red. With white balance I can use a sheet of typing paper, or a white balance card. All I have to do is press the "WB" button take my white balance photo and we are done.
P stands for program. So, you do not want to shoot in auto because auto is for idiots right? Use P for professional.
Tv stands for time value. If you are shooting with a flash indoors at a wedding birthday party, etc use Tv at a setting of 1/125 of a second. If you are shooting in very low light you would use 1/13th of a second.
Aperture Priority is for the experts. No need to explain.
M for manual use for concert studio photography. This is also for those who are hard-core shooters.
The Xsi can be remotely fired with a remote for group shots (with yourself in it). The remote is $30 and is not a bad investment. You can use a small 5-6 foot cord to prevent shutter shake if your camera is placed on a tripod. The Xsi also has a several settings for a timer with a flashing light on the front to indicate time left before flash goes off. The mount for a tripod on this camera is just outstanding I have never had any issues with it.
ISO button can be slightly hard to reach but, I have found you will never need to see where it is located. It will almost always be bright enough for you to see. The ISO button has saved my behind so many times it is not even funny. ISO button is always of great importance when selecting a camera.
OK have you ever noticed how some of the pop-up flash(es) out there are really weak? Well with the Xsi you can dial up or down just how much power (light) the pop-up flash puts out. If you are shooting a wedding or some other high-profile event, the external flash can be controlled through your lens and your camera. This feature is called E-TTL II. It stands for electronic Through The Lens Light meter! Your sensor tells the flash when to go off how bright, flash duration, etc. In fact you can simply use the flash and forget that it's there; it simply works automatically. I have found with CANON flash systems however I like to set my flash exposure at 1 F stop greater than zero.
Now for the review of the 18-55mm AF IS lens. People who tells me this lens is a piece of garbage have no clue as to what garbage is. I am not sure what the fascination with zoom lens is. If I am shooting a ballet or a wedding I can expect a minimum of 4 or 5 people to ask me how well a 70-200mm lens works.
Getting back to the 18-55mm lens this is the lens to use for architecture, night scenes, fireworks, family photo's, landscape, vacations, etc. Just because there is very little zoom does not mean this lens sucks. It is great for which it is intended. If you wish to have greater zoom simply buy a lens that has greater zoom built in. A 17-85 IS AF lens is a great example and it is relatively cheaper than say a 24-105mm lens.
In a word will buying this camera make you a better photographer no! No camera out there can do that for you! Is this a great entry level camera to use? Heck Yeah! I did not mention the Live View function for good reason, it sucks. Live view is a useless feature that is useless on nearly every camera out there. While your friends are setting up their shots with their fancy 'lil purse pocket camera's you are long done with the shot.
The only thing I do not like about this camera is the body is made of plastic.
If you would like to see high-quality shots please visit my flickr site at
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Believe it or not the rules of photography have not changed, they have become even more important than ever before.
Customer Review: Great camera for an entry-level DSLR!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ah, the Canon EOS450d. (Or Digial Rebel XSi, for those who dislike model numbers) I've owned it for several months now, and have a lot of good experience with it.
I purchased the XSi with kit 18-55mm IS lens back in the end of February, before a week-long vacation in the Caribbean, thinking I could get some great shots. Now, I'm not going to say it was all perfect. I mean, this is my first DSLR to actually own, and to think I could learn the system that quickly was a little overzealous of me.
With that said, the camera and kit lens offered some great quality pictures, with very good color representation, and very good sharpness in most situations. Image stabilization, though I didn't realize it at first, does wonders. The IS on this lens did in fact enable me to shoot at about 2-stops slower shutter speeds than normal, pretty consistently.
The camera itself is great. The build feels quite solid, though not as much as the heavier, higher-level cameras. (50d, 5d II, etc.) The navigation is definitely an easy adjustment to make from a point-and-shoot (P&S) camera. I was easily able to scroll through menus using the directional buttons, for instance, as opposed to the wheel used in some other models of Canon DSLR. It isn't necessarily better, but it does make the system much more approachable for someone new to the DSLR game.
The screen is great--since February (about 5 months now) I've used the camera for thousands of pictures, and have only noticed an inability to see the screen clearly due to light on a handful of occasions, in extreme sunny conditions.
The flash, while not fantastic from a DSLR standpoint, is quite solid, and reaches a decent enough distance. However, with the built-in flash, you are limited to 1/200 shutter speed, at its fastest. The recharge time is also a bit longer than I'd like, in general, but it's nothing debilitating. If you need to be capturing any faster, you probably should have spent more money on a higher-end camera, anyway.
The menus are quite plain, but clearly laid out in such a way that they are easily navigable and can be learned quickly and simply. You may not even use most of the menus, if you're much like me--I rarely find the need to use bracketing for my exposure or flash, for instance, though they are simple to set up and use if desired.
For a while, I was stuck in the mentality that it is only worth owning a DSLR if you intend to use manual mode. I'm beginning to learn that it isn't ALWAYS the case. I have found myself switching to Auto mode on more than one occasion, either to capture a shot more quickly, or just to see what settings the camera recommends, before re-adjusting in manual mode. Additionally, if you intend to shoot in RAW format, you cannot use Auto. RAW, for those who don't know, is a format not compatible with computers, digital frames, etc. You must first convert RAW to some format like JPG,(don't worry, Canon includes software which you can use for this) which can then be printed or viewed at your leisure. RAW does allow more flexibility with editing your photo, but might be a bit over the heads of some people. In either case, it is worth noting that you CANNOT SHOOT RAW IN AUTO MODE! I frequently use RAW mode and touch up areas of the photo that would otherwise come out poorly. But auto mode is friendly enough for my girlfriend to use the camera, so it makes our lives quite a bit easier when she needs to take over the camera briefly.
Live view mode is a fantastic addition, in my opinion. Many have told me that Live View is really a mode made for P&S'ers who aren't quite ready for DSLR. I have to respectfully disagree. That might be the case on occasion, but honestly, for some shots, I've found that when the focus hunts a bit, and I need to manually focus, the Live View mode is absolutely great for getting the sharpest image possible. I tend to use 10x magnification, and rotate the focus ring slightly until I find the "sweet spot" and focus is tack-sharp. It has saved my photos on more than one occasion, though for a quick or speedy subject (fast sports, energetic children, pets, etc.) obviously this is a bit more limited in its viability. I would also like to note that YOU CANNOT USE LIVE VIEW WHILE IN AUTO MODE!!! You have to make adjustments to shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on your own when using Live View, so it does still have a bit of challenge with it.
On the software side, I honestly prefer the use of Photoshop, so I have only used Canon RAW and the rest of the photo editing/managing software a little bit. With that said, if you don't feel like shelling out the extra cash for Photoshop, which I completely understand, Canon RAW is very good for its purposes. You can adjust all the RAW settings as needed, convert to JPG, or anything else you need to do. The other software I'd like to point out is Gimpshop, with the RAW editor plugin. (ufraw is the name, if I recall correctly).
With all that out of the way, i'd like to say that I was definitely one of those people who debated if I should start low, or advance myself to a higher (possibly older, for the price) model to start with. Sometimes I still wish I had purchased the 40D at a comparable price. But I am quite happy I started with the XSi, because it's a very reasonably priced camera and lens for its capabilities, and is very easy to use for a beginner with a DSLR--though it's still capable of most mid-level features, making it quite a good camera.
Some have looked into the new Digital Rebel, with video. That might be an option, but before spending the extra cash, ask yourself how often you'd use the video camera feature--if you would use it, by all means go ahead. I considered the option, and found that it wasn't worth the extra cash. Nor is the megapixel upgrade--for most amateurs, you won't be blowing any images up, so while a ~15mp camera is technically "better" than a ~12mp camera, you won't see a difference until you blow it up to the size of a computer sheet or greater--how many photos do you have of that size in your home?
I strongly recommend this camera for any beginner working their way to better photography using a DSLR. If you do decide to take the plunge, don't expect your photos to magically be better--learning the capabilities (and limitations) of DSLR is extremely important as well, or your pictures might wind up coming out WORSE than your P&S photos. Happy photography, everyone!
Customer Review: WOW. Great camera for serious beginners or back up camera for pros
Summary: 5 Stars
I am new to SLR photography and I recognize that this is not considered a true "professional" dSLR but I don't think you can get much closer to one for under $1000.
Why isn't this considered a true professional dSLR? Well one big reason is the sensor size. It has what is called a APS-C sized sensor, while the professional ones have a full frame sensor like the 5D (check out the 5D Mark II, I've read great things about it). Another I think is the buffer size in the camera might not be as large so it won't take as many shots in burst mode before needing to stop to save as the professional ones. But other than that, you will basically get all of the important functions that make dSLR cameras so great.
First of all, don't get sucked into the megapixel wars. There are several point-and-shoot digital cameras that advertise higher megapixels than 12.2 that might cost less. What people often don't realize is that picture quality has little to do with the megapixels and more to do with the sensor and image processor. The megapixel number is simply the resolution of the image. A crappy image recorded in a very high resolution is just as crappy. Point and shoot cameras have smaller sensor sizes than dSLR cameras. Especially the compact cameras, that's why even when I was using P&S cameras I never bought a compact camera. They are more popular simply because they "look" sleeker and more stylish. The picture quality is obviously lower than that of a regular non-compact P&S camera AND they cost more, so there's really no real reason to buy them other than for the looks and the convenience. Although I've been able to carry my Canon Powershot A580 in my pocket without a problem...
This camera takes amazing photos, even with the kit lens, which I highly recommend if you're on a budget BTW. My mother has a friend that is the wife of a pro-photographer. So when I was in the market for a dSLR, my mother referred me to talk with her. Her first suggestion is to not get the kit lens but instead spend more for the 17-85mm ef-s lens. Well, I'm glad I didn't take her advice and went with the kit lens because I just read a review of the lens where the pro-photographer writing the review specifically compared it to that very lens and have said that the cheap kit lens is actually a bit better than the more expensive 17-85mm lens in terms of chromatic aberration problems which is where high contrast areas show a weird color outline due to the lens not focusing all the color wavelengths correctly. Although my main reason for going with the kit lens was financial, and was because of all of the positive reviews I've read about it. But it still turned out very well.
So don't let some pro's or semi-pro's discourage you from getting the kit. They're not wrong though, the kit lenses that came with Canon dSLR's in the past have been pretty bad, it's this specific kit lens that is the exception so be confident in buying it. You can always keep using this while you save up your money for better lenses later. A good addition to it would be the 55-250mm ef-s lens. I recommend that over the 75-300mm lens for several reasons. I've read worse reviews for the 75-300mm lens in terms of image quality, and because with the 55-250mm, you don't have a gap in focal lengths. Along with the 18-55mm kit lens, you basically have an uninterrupted range of 18-250mm.
One area where the quality of the sensor really shows is in low light shots with high ISO speeds. I haven't had the need to use any high ISO numbers yet, so I can't say personally, but from what I've read from many professionals who have reviews this camera, that even at the highest ISO setting of 1600, there isn't too much noise. Which is a very good thing.
One complaint I've read a lot about the previous compact dSLR's such as the XTi is the size and shape of the grip not being comfortable. Some say the grip on the right side was too close to the lens and caused their fingers to feel cramped against the lens. Well, let me tell you that isn't a problem with the XSi. I know they redesigned it for this very reason, and from my experience, it doesn't feel very cramped at all. The camera is indeed very light weight and compact compared to the more professional dSLR's so it's a great camera to bring with you on vacations or long hikes or whatever. I find all of the controls to be easy to reach and the settings are real easy to change on the fly.
The menu system is great too, it comes with a very useful feature called "My Menu" where you can actually pick any 6 functions you feel you will use the most and put them into this one menu and you can arrange it any way you want. Then you can make it the default menu so instead of it going to the last menu you were looking at when you hit the menu button, it goes straight to this customized menu of yours. It's a great feature and makes accessing special functions like mirror lock up, AEB, flash exposure compensation, etc. etc. very fast and easy.
I would highly recommend anyone looking to buy a sub $1000 dSLR camera to buy this camera with the kit lens. So far the only thing I found that I think needs to be added is interchangeable focus screens. I would have liked to have grid lines in my view finder to make composition faster and less of a guessing game when trying to apply little rules like the rule of thirds or keeping the horizon line straight.
I highly recommend reading Ben Long's The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion if you buy this camera. It will "show you the ropes" so you can use this camera to its maximum potential. Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure is a very good book to understand the proper use of shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. And when you open the package, within the manual and other cards and what-not, there is a blank white card. Don't discard this, keep it in your camera case, it's a simple tool to use for custom white balance. Read about it in the manual or book if you don't know what that is. It's an essential tool if you plan on taking any photos indoors without a flash.
Now stop reading these reviews and buy one of these cameras already, you won't be disappointed.
Customer Review: The next/best thing from Canon
Summary: 5 Stars
We'll start with what this camera is NOT:
1) It's NOT a full-frame camera. That means it's smaller, lighter, and the resulting 1.6x crop factor is important to remember if you have EF lenses already. But because it's smaller it offers less features making it easier to use at the expense of being slightly less functional. These are, for the most part, obscure features nobody will ever use anyway. Also, because it doesn't have features like 6.5 fps, a pentaprism, and Flash Exposure Bracketing, it is less expensive than the x0D series.
2) The XSi is NOT a point-and-shoot digicam. Don't expect it to do videos, sound, or to incorporate all kinds of convenient uber-automation. While 'cool', this automation usually just keeps you from controlling what you want to do yourself. Most of the time, this camera will stay in "P" or "program mode" for me. There is a green setting for point-and-shoot operation, but all this does is disable most of the features that you buy the camera for.
2a) Live View is NOT the same as the LCD viewfinder on point-and-shoot digicams. Don't expect it to focus fast or provide the same functionality. Live View is intended for a camera mounted on a tripod or held steady. It is a GREAT way to get perfect focus when you need it. You just zoom in to 10x magnification and manually focus or let the contrast detection do it for you. But, it is NOT an LCD viewfinder. As long as you don't think it will be (I was stupid enough to think that way) then you know before you buy.
The bad: (in all fairness, these are true of most modern DSLR's)
1) The battery is improved, yes, but it's REALLY expensive. I bought a generic battery for a backup. Keeping the Canon battery fully charged, of course, and only using the generic when the Canon is charging.
2) The LCD screen is right where my nose and cheek go. You can't avoid getting the glass all dirty and that gets annoying. And if the S5 can have an articulated 2.5" screen, why can't the XSi?
3) A cheesy rubber cover. I like that all of the inputs are on the side, but I just hate these cheesy rubber covers. I would prefer a sliding cover or, better yet, use the space next to the SD slot.
4) Battery door on the bottom. On my tripod, I can't access the battery without removing the camera from the tripod. This was also an issue with my first two digital Rebels.
Now, we'll do a reality check:
1) To those who say, "It's only 12mp," they're right. But, understand that unless you're printing bigger than 8x10", this resolution is better than adequate. In fact, the majority of the lenses out there don't have sufficient resolution to go above 12 megapixels. What I mean is that you can have a 100 megapixel camera but your lens is only really pushing out 10mp worth of quality resolution, what's the point? Many point-and-shoots have too much resolution for their lenses. Just try blowing up a typical 10mp p-&-s image to 8x10 and see what you get. Chances are, the 8mp sensor from the Digital Rebel XT did better.
2) Some will say "It feels flimsy." I completely disagree. It feels solid and durable to me. Now, if you don't know this already, the plastic is actually a covering and environmental seal. Underneath, there is a stainless steel frame that holds everything solid. Your strap attaches to the frame directly as does the lens mount, tripod mount, and sensor. The plastic isn't structural so however it might FEEL to you, the camera is, in reality, stronger than you might think. Now, I can understand if you're used to tough magnesium shells that you might be prejudiced against the plastic, however this camera costs hundreds less. One cannot justify criticizing the Rebel series if they aren't willing to pay the extra for the x0D series.
3) Critics say that APS-C is going to be obsolete. That's absurd! Remember that there are now scores of APS-C lenses from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina and those numbers continue to grow. Further, APS-C cameras are selling like hotcakes without any sign of slowing down. These people are the same ones that kept their Reel-to-Reel players because they were higher quality. Higher quality, yes, but you can't say that CD's aren't going to sell well because reel-to-reel is higher quality. APS-C is becoming the DSLR equivalent of what 35mm film was. Meanwhile, so-called "full-frame" sensor cameras are going the way of older 6x7 and 645 film cameras. They are limited to professionals and high-end enthusiasts. Why? Film was limited and topped out at resolution long ago. To get higher resolution, you needed bigger film. Not true with digital sensors. APS-C has not maxed out on resolution yet. Smaller sensors haven't even hit their stride. There is no reason sensors cannot hit 20-30 megapixels in an APS-C in the near future, but why? The lenses are still the limiting factor. In fact, it might be true soon that SMALLER will be better. As sensors get better, they can get smaller. It's cheaper to make a four-thirds or APS-C than a full-frame of the same quality level.
Here's where I get to play designer... what does the XSi need?
1) Articulating LCD. Like I said earlier, if Canon can add the articulating 2.5" screen to their S5 camera for $350 total, why in the world can't they put it on their best-selling DSLR?
2) Sliding door for the inputs. Cheesy rubber covers are not as cool as designers think they are. Why can't Canon just put one environmentally sealed door for the battery, SD card, and all the inputs? And, hey, why not put it on the side so you can access it while the camera is on the tripod?
3) Why all the inputs? Just have one USB slot to connect to the computer, to the TV, and use the same USB port for a DC input?
4) One dial? Why not two? The Pentax K20D allows you instant access to the aperature with one dial, shutter with the other. Cool.
5) Where did FEB go? Flash Exposure Bracketing? They had it on the XTi. Why did they take it away from me?
Customer Review: Love the Canon XSi!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a frequent user of point and shoots (Canon), and knew I wanted to upgrade. First I thought about the Canon SX200, switched to the Nikon P80, but then realized that I truly wanted to upgrade and become the best amateur photographer I could be!!!
I purchased this camera out of a local electronics department in April--surprisingly on sale cheaper than Amazon!!! I knew before purchasing that the zoom on the kit lens wouldn't be enough for me, so I had the Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC AF OS (Optical Stabilizer) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras on it's way to me from eBay and also the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens that everyone touts on the digital photo forums. I sold the kit lens to offset the costs. Rule #1 to upgrading to SLRs: Once you learn the excellence of SLRs, be ready to spend, spend, spend!
The Canon XSi helps me on my journey big time. Upon purchasing this camera, I had no idea what f-stop meant, why exposure was so important and what the heck was bokeh and DoF. While pondering what in the world I had gotten myself into, I went out and started snapping away. This camera, while intimidating at first easily let me transition from the Auto quickness of P&S into careful planning with Digital SLRs.
New to SLRs, I had to learn that "live view" was something that I as a P&S consumer had gotten used to, not something that truly belonged on a camera. I had no problem whatsoever transitioning to looking in the peephole. Taking pictures gets addicting with this camera. It has an easy-to-understand manual, and tons of digital photo forums/reviews to get one into the groove of using this camera. I mentioned earlier that I tossed the kit lens, but that doesn't mean it's a bad lens. I've seen photos of the kit lens, and I've seen photos of L lens. Depending on the photographer, they are excellent photos!
I first started taking photos on the "P" mode, not really understanding what it stood for, but just knowing that I could use that mode w/o enabling the flash (more of the flash later). The "TV" and "A" modes are also good to use, but for me it's mainly P or Manual.
I've attempted to use live view a couple of times, but for me it just gets in the way of trying to take a good photo. I'd rather take a few test shots and then tweak the settings.
One thing I've learned on photography is that the actual camera is only a tiny percentage of taking a good picture. Depending on who you ask, it can vary from 1% to 10%. For me, it's about 20% because of my amateur skills. The rest of a good picture depends on the lens used and most importantly, the actual picture taker! That said, potential new Canon XSi (D-SLR) users, please do not purchase this camera thinking you'll become a pro overnight. If you take the time to understand the elements of basic photography (exposure, depth, etc.), then you will most likely be fine with whatever you're using now. If you want to boost your skills and know for a fact that you are limited with P&S, then you are ready to upgrade and the XSi is a likely candidate.
A note on equipment. Before you go spending countless dollars on lenses and equipment, figure out what you are going to be using your camera for and what the majority of your photo subjects are. Do your research on the forums and all the reviews and then make your decisions. If you take tons of photos of your babes and are frustrated with the blurriness of low light or washing them out with the built in a flash, then a faster lens is for you along with an external flash.
The built-in flash is not great. I plan on adding a tripod and the Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras to my setup. Most of my pics are taken during the day or where plenty of light is because of that very reason. Also, because of the lack of a good flash, the few night shots I do take come out extremely grainy because I have to increase the iso way high. Cool for some photos, but not for every single night shot.
I can go on about this camera, but my star rating says it all. I don't plan on upgrading until they come out with another SLR comparable to the Canon 40D that uses SD cards (my memory of choice), so it may be a while. Until then, the XSi will be my new photo road dog. That along with my two lenses, makes this camera the ultimate in beginner SLR photography.
Some other good equipment to add to your camera bag (if you're a true beginner):
A good intro or how-to digital photo book like Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1 and 2 (Includes The Digital Photography Book Volume 1 and The Digital Photography Book Volume 2) (Careful of the "humor" in this one. The author doesn't get it that it isn't really funny.)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (Mac)
For photo management:
Apple Aperture 2.1.1 (Mac)
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 (PC)
Sandisk 8GB EXTREME III SDHC SD Card Class 6 (SDSDX3-8192, Plastic Case) I currently use the 4GB and can get 850 odd photos on the highest resolution in JPEG and about 300 photos shooting RAW+JPEG.
A good tripod.
A good photo bag. Right now I use a certain bag if I'm at work and just an old purse if I'm out and I want to be stylish. I do not prefer camera bags that look like camera bags.