Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)
Customer Review: Nice upgrade of the popular Digital Rebel Series!
Summary: 5 Stars
The new Digital Rebel XTi camera should appeal to a wide variety of users: those wishing to upgrade from a point & shoot digital, or those wishing to improve upon their first generation digital SLRs. Features and value make this a 5-star camera, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Compared to the previous Digital Rebel XT, important improvements are:
1) 10.1 megapixels. In digital camera circles, this is like saying a car has more horsepower than an older car. While this alone doesn't mean "better" pictures, in reality, combined with other improvements in hardware & software, the results typically are better.;
2) 2.5" LCD panel. This alone has more than one advantage. The obvious first one is that our pictures look larger in review. The second, and for someone approaching 50 (like myself), is that the LCD is now used for all the camera's data (shutter speed, aperture, shots left, etc.). It's much easier to read than the small LCD typically located on the top of the cameras. It might use up the batteries quicker, but, heck, if you can see the info this much easier, then so be it. One complaint, it does not appear that the data rotates when you do verticals (like the Sony Alpha 100).;
3) 9-point AF. The number of points are improved from 7, but the real key here is that it's the system from the 30D, which had a much higher degree of accuracy than the previous Rebels.;
4) Picture Styles. I didn't really appreciate them at first, but simply put, this is like the days of film, when we could use a "portrait" film or "landscape" film. For those that don't like to do a lot of computer work, these can be VERY handy in getting the right look in the camera.;
5) Dust cleaning system. OK, I think the dust problem will probably be a little overblown, now that Canon offers a solution, but it is a real, if not great, threat. Additionally, the way Canon has implemented it is second to none. The first is through hardware. An ultrasonic filter can simply shake the dust off. Second is through software. If you spot a nasty piece that won't shake off, you can do a reference shot, and have the dust removed by software on your computer.;
6)The grip has been improved a little. The rubber on the grip is improved, and an anti-slip strip has been placed on the back where the right thumb goes.
Most all other things Canon is know for still exists. The camera focus fast and quietly. Camera operations are quick and easy to locate and use. Pictures look great.
Now for the other side. This is an unusual time in that all the big players are comming out with a 10 megapixel camera at the same time, so the Canon has some stiff competition. Here goes a simple comparison.
1) Compared to the other two cameras already available, the Sony A100 and Nikon D80 (both also 5-star cameras), the XTi is considerably smaller, and somewhat lighter. Some will like this, even some with medium to medium-large hands. But most people with larger, and some with somewhat smaller hands may prefer the other two choices.;
2) The battery is somewhat smaller than its rival's, and may drain a bit faster due to the LCD being used for info all the time.;
3) Functionally, the rear LCD is not as nice as the Sony's. The Sony's rotates, can be set to enlarged type (50+ user again), and the system that turns it off as your eye approaches also starts the AF on the Sony. [Although many like the top LCD, the Nikon way of needing to push a button on the back, then peak over the top to see what you're setting is not as nice].;
4) No in camera stabalization. The A100 can shift the sensor to help eliminate camera shake. Nikon and Canon require you to purchase rather expensive lenses to get the anti-shake.;
Also, soon to be added to the competion will be the Pentax K10D. Specs are sketchy right now, but it appears to be enter the competition as a 10 megapixel camera with built-in anti-shake (much like their K100D).
Of these 3 currently on the market, the Canon is the least expensive; therefore, it's up to the other 2 to show they are worth more, a very difficult task, indeed.
Customer Review: Back in the SLR world
Summary: 5 Stars
Having been in the SLR world back in the 90s, I knew how much control you could have over your imagery, but I forgot just how great and fun it really is. Digital makes it even better. I wanted to give a quick run down of things I really am happy about vs. a point and shoot camera and maybe that will help people make the dive into SLR. The XTi is a really great camera to take that dive with.
Instant shutter release - I can't tell you how many good pictures I probably lost waiting for my Canon Digital Elph (had a SD110 and a SD700IS) to finally take the picture. With the XTi, you press the button and it takes the picture right away. In low light conditions, you might have to wait a second or two, but its still much faster. And with the sports setting, you are more likely to get a sharp image when there is lots of motion. You can take that picture of someone hitting a baseball right when it makes contact.
Multiple pictures per second - This is the frames per second rating. Not only does it take the picture fast, you can take a few pictures in a second. This allows you to just hold down the shutter release button and snap away, allowing you to ensure that you get action shots at the right moment. Recently I took my daughter to the zoo and took a picture of her feeding a giraffe. Because I was able to take multiple pictures per second, I was able to capture all the right moments of the event. I've actually taken this feature to the extreme by making some time lapse videos using 6000 frames of 4 fps pictures taken in 1.5 hours.
Quality of image - The 2nd picture I ever took with this camera was one of the best pictures I've ever taken of my daughter. And I was just playing around. Colors look better, lighting looks better. Its not about megapixels, its about lens quality.
Settings wheel - Having the wheel on top to control the settings of the camera is invaluable. You can instantly change between a portrait shot and a sports shot, macro and landscape, etc. On Point and shoot cameras, this often involves navigating a menu, which is time consuming and prevents or discourages you from taking certain types of pictures.
Lens can be changed - This is probably the most obvious feature. You know those great close up pictures of birds, flowers, insects and stuff? Those weren't taken with digital zoom, they used a real zoom lens. The difference in quality is enormous and digital zoom is a poor substitute for having a real 300mm lens. This camera doesn't come with a 300mm lens, but can buy a cheap 70mm-300mm Canon lens for a couple hundred dollars and take much better pictures than on any point and shoot camera.
Accessories - There is a whole world of accessories that are geared towards SLR cameras, you really don't know it until you start looking. So far I've bought a 70-300mm zoom lens, a UV filter, a polarizing filter, IR remote trigger and a remote timer.
Some things to be mindful of:
Get a UV protective filter to protect your lens. They are only like $10.
The screen is not a viewfinder - I didn't realize this either until after I bought it, but I understand why this is the case, you want to be looking through the lens. Honestly, this isn't as big of an issue as you might think it is. You still get to review your pictures on the screen and there is lots of helpful information about your settings.
Learn about photography - As great as this camera is, pictures still don't compose and take themselves, you should learn at least the basics of good photography. You don't have to spend a fortune or take a lot of time either, you can just get a short and small book that explains things like depth of field, composition, etc.
Customer Review: Great first Digital SLR
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first digital SLR. I have owned digital point and shoot cameras by Nikon, canon and Pentax. I have owned three different Pentax 35mm SLR cameras and this already out does them all.
This review is not written by an expert photographer. I am just writing about what I like and dislike and a few options to add to the camera to help the dislikes.
Firstly, you can't beat the download speed and review of all pictures on your computer with a digital camera and the software included. The editing software could be better but you can find better pretty easy online.
Secondly, the lens it comes with is good and it works great for day to day use considering you will want others and this one you could bang up a little. If you are looking for a telephoto lens with macro then get the Tamron AF 70-300mm tele-macro on Amazon you can't beat its price and it takes some great shots. The only downfall of the Canon is the EF and EF-S mounts that you can get from a few different retailers that are made for only the newer Canon cameras. The downfall is unlike Pentax and Nikon where you can use almost all of their older SLR lenses for the digital SLR you have to buy new lenses for the canon. But like I stated you can find lenses they are not in short supply.
Thirdly, if you know nothing about using SLR this is a great teacher if you have the time to learn. You can change the settings and review the shot so quickly that you can improve quickly. The shooting options are as good as the old Pentax SLRs of the 70s and 80s and as good as the newer Pentax SLRs of the 90's. The direction book could be a little easier to follow as it makes you jump around a bit instead of flowing from one page to the next.
Fourth, you need a tripod as your shots are not going to be as fuzzy as a point and shoot but the case itself feels cheap and fragile in your hands especially if you have big hands. Get the battery grip or a skin, not unlike the ipod rubber skins.
Fifth, you can use the battery for about 2 hours straight, and I don't mean turning it on and off taking a shot or two an hour, I mean leaving it on and taking 20-40 multiple shots a minute. I literally took shots in continuous mode for an hour and still had enough battery to use the flash for an hour. I think I came out with 500 to 700 shots before the battery needed to be recharged, which took two hours. :( Get an extra battery or the battery grip with two batteries and optional 6 AA battery cell.
Sixth, the LCD screen is huge. It shuts off when you get close to it to save your eye for focusing is low light but turns right back on when you back away and blinds you in the dark. The fix is simple it shuts off, which is cool if you remember and saves the battery. You also can review the picture taken for a few seconds by changing the display time which is nice or you can, like all point and shoots, press the play button and look at each shot.
Among the negatives are the cheap feel of the casing and the flash options. The flash is automatic in the green square automatic shot mode, whether you want it or not. On the other hand you have an automatic setting that has the flash off too; it would be easier and quicker if the flash button changed that instead of dialing it in. On the other hand the "P" setting is versatile. You can shoot in almost any mode like the Automatic, you can change all settings and if you want it to flash you open the flash and if you don't you close it.
Anyway have fun with it and upgrade when you learn more in this model.
Customer Review: The Rebel in me .....
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently purchased a Canon Rebel Xti, EOS 10.1 MP SLR. It was an upgrade for me from a Minolta 35mm and a digital Nikon Coolpix. I found that I could not get the shots I wanted with the point and shoot cameras¡K the shutter speed was too slow and the aperture too narrow. By the time the shutter closed, my children were long gone from the image and so I got lots of blur. My point and shoots NEVER survived in low light¡Kneedless to say I have fallen in love with my ¡§Rebel¡¨ and according to my husband, spend way too much time with ¡§her¡¨ º
In my search for a good SLR that matched my budget, I chose the Canon Rebel Xti. I also chose Rebel based on other customer reviews. I researched the camera to make sure it was the ¡§right¡¨ one for me. My neighbor has an XT and she loved it. I got to see the feel of it and how it worked.
The Rebel comes with an 18-55mm zoom lens, which is great for almost all photos. The clarity on this lens however is not ¡§top notch¡¨ and neither is the sharpness. The downside to moving to the SLR is that it is ¡§in the way¡¨ around my neck¡Khits the kids in the face when I bend down and not as easy to ¡§lug¡¨ around. Otherwise, I did not find it cumbersome to travel with. The cumbersome item was the tripod I carried in my hands. It is worth it though considering the HUGE difference in capability.
Specifications for 18-55 mm ¡V comes with camera
Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6
Lens Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups (1 aspheric element)
Diagonal Angle of View: 75¢X 20' - 27¢X 50'
Focus Adjustment: Inner focusing system with MM
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.28m / 0.92 ft. to infinity
Zoom System: Rotating Type
Filter Size: 58mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 2.7" x 2.6", 6.7oz. / 69mm x 66.2mm, 190g
My photographic mentor encouraged me to purchase a 50mm f1.8, as I enjoy doing portraiture, flowers, and photos in the sanctuary at church. I have had the 55 mm for about 2 weeks and shot about 700 photos with it. I paid $75.00 for it. It is made by Canon. I really like this lens because the lens produces a nice bokeh on wide aperture shots. The lens is very fast and snaps that shot before the subject has a chance to move. I took some great photos of some geese in the UK and at f.8 1/100 I captured the movement of the birds¡¦ wings and froze them in time. I have 3 words for this lens, sharp, fast and crisp.
There are some downsides to the 50mm¡Kyour legs are the zoom. When you look through the viewfinder your subject is right in your face. Sometimes I struggle fitting everything into the viewfinder. I find this lens most appropriate for close ups and low light shooting¡K I have used it for landscapes, etc., but it is not my lens of preference for that¡K. I like the zoom lens for those shots.
Specifications on the 50mm f1.8
This is the lightest EF lens of all at a mere 4.6 oz. (130g). Compact and high-performance, standard lens. Its Gaussian optics provide sharp delineation from near to far focusing distances. The color balance is excellent for a standard lens.
Construction 5 groups / 6 elements
Angle of view 46¢X
F stop range 1.8-22
Closest Focusing Distance 0.45m / 1.5 ft.
Maximum Magnification 1:6.66
Filter Size 52mm
Dimensions (Length x Diameter) 2.7" x 1.6" / 68.2 x 41.0mm
Weight 4.6 oz. / 130g
Customer Review: Mother of two finds a serious upgrade to the point and shoot! Fabulous and Fast
Summary: 5 Stars
After taking thousands of pics of my two year old and my new born with my HP point and shoot, I finally gave up. None of the pictures were of the 'moment' or 'expression' I was trying to capture. I was always taking pictures of their backs or their looking away or xxx. Anything but what I wanted. Then the quality of the pictures were never quite right unless I took the picture in full blown day light.
Finally decided to splurge. After extensive research on the Canon XTi vs the Nikon, I ultimately opted for the Canon. I bought it along with the portrait EF 50mm that seems to be highly rated by many. I later purchased the EF 28-105mm. Upon receiving the camera, I went to town taking pics of my little ones. What I found:
Pros:
- Fast. Very fast. Wow. I've yet to miss a shot.
- Outstanding pics. Pics with the EF28-105 good. Pics with the EF 50mm, outstanding. Many look like they were taken by a pro. Trust me. I am no pro. I'm a working mom looking for some good pics to put on their website and send to Grandma and Grandpa. On average, with my point and shoot, I'd get 1 out 20 that were worthy of that. Now, I average 5-6 out of 10 at a higher bar of course.
- Versitile. I can play around with different settings and Canon lenses. Fun but expensive.
- Battery charges fast. Battery life outstanding. I honestly don't think I've had to charge the batteries but 2-3 times since I bought it five months ago and have taken thousands of pics.
- The 4GB SD card keeps more pics than I could ever want.
Cons.
If you are a working kind of mom like I am and just want an awesome camera to take awesome pics, you've found it. However, there is one big downside: it's bigger...way bigger than a point and shoot. It's not as easy to throw in your purse and go out for a splash day. I have found myself leaving it behind because I just didn't want to lug it along with the diaper bag, a toddler and an infant...car seat, snacks, toys, bottles, wipes...etc. The bag is heavy enough. But, those pics are priceless as far as I am concerned and will sacrifice more often than not and find myself glad for having done so.
LENSES. This took me longer to figure out than which camera to buy. I searched for a month before I committed. Given the affordability of the 50mm and its reviews, I opted to do without the kit lens.
Admittedly, I regretted it at first. What!? No zoom. As you can tell, I'm a serious amatuer and didn't know what I was getting into. But, despite the one time I wanted to take a group pic that required me to step clear to the other side of the house to get them in, 99% of the time, I'm trying to get a good close up of my kids...many pics by default at this age tend to be close ups. Then, there is a subtle difference between the pictures I have taken with this lens and the 28-105--crisper, cleaner and outright beautiful color.
The 28-105 is actually not bad especially if you use it with the hood. The zoom is about what I figure I will need at ball games and ballerina recitals when I don't have to worry about lugging a diaper bag and keeping after a climbing/crawling baby. For the price, I figure it's doable.
There you have it, Amazon shopping Moms. I hope this Review was helpful. I found many of the reviews targeting semi-pros so it took a while to sift through it all!