Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi - Easy Digital Camera Review

The update to the popular Rebel XT ups the ante in the digital SLR market: for the impressive price of $599.99 for the body only (or $699.99 with an 18-55mm lens), the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi is the cheapest true digital SLR on the market at the moment. And it’s an impressive camera for the money: it shoots 10.1-megapixel images with accurate color and has an easy to use interface.

Like all SLR cameras, it is larger than your typical point-and-shoot camera; with the 18-55m kit lens, it weighs 18 oz, so you aren’t going to be able to fit it in a pocket. But it is somewhat smaller than most SLRs and fits comfortably into the hand, with the large grip on the right providing a firm handhold. The grip has a sandpaper-like texture that keeps it from slipping in a sweaty hand. But while the design is utilitarian, it is overly busy, lacking the clean lines of other Canon SLRs. The case also feels more fragile than other Canons, and there are some small gaps in the casing which could let in dust and dirt. However, the image sensor itself includes a self cleaning feature, where an ultrasonic vibration knocks dust from the sensor. This can be a big problem with SLRs, where dust can get into the camera body when you change lenses, so this self-cleaning feature is very useful.

The controls are well-placed, with the shutter and control dial falling under the index finger. Most buttons are labeled properly, and they do provide quick access to the settings. To change the ISO setting, for instance, you hold down the top button on the 4-way controller and turn the control dial; much simpler than having to dig through the on-screen menu. One nice physical feature is the “Display Off” sensor below the viewfinder; when users look through the viewfinder, the LCD screen turns off so extraneous light doesn’t enter the eye.

The 2.5-inch LCD screen is excellent: clear, bright and with a wide angle of view. It has decent resolution at 230,000 pixels, which is up to par with competitors’ monitors. Like most SLRs, you don’t get a live preview on the LCD; that only comes with the viewfinder. The XTi’s viewfinder is small, but is bright and accurate.

The pop-up flash unit casts good and even light, except at the widest angle setting of the kit lens. The Rebel XTi’s flash pops up automatically in the full auto and many scene modes. There is a basic selection of 6 scene modes, but most users will opt for the more manual modes: program, aperture and shutter priority modes, plus a full manual mode. This full manual mode is a little awkward; for instance, you have to hold down a button and twist a dial simultaneously to change the aperture. If you are planning on using manual mode a lot, you might want to consider a camera with two control dials, like the Nikon D80.

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi has the wide range of exposure settings that you would expect from an SLR: there’s an ISO range of 100-1600 and a shutter speed range of 1/4000-30 seconds. The included 18-55mm kit lens has an aperture range of f/3.5 (wide) and f/5.6(tele) to f/22. That’s not a great aperture range, but it underlines one of the benefits of the SLR: you can take the lens off and replace it with a better one.

The images that the XTi took were impressive; in the camera’s accurately named “faithful” color mode, the colors were reproduced almost perfectly. The images also had plenty of detail and minimal noise, which remained the case even up to the maximum ISO setting of 1600 – this is one of the XTi’s characteristics that makes it a tempting choice even when compared to more expensive models. The XTi also shot good-looking images with accurate colors in low light situations.

The Canon XTi was quick to respond: it was ready to start shooting just over half a second after powering up, and the lag between pressing the shutter and taking the image was a speedy 0.18 seconds. It could also shoot a lot of images quickly, capturing 69 images at a rate of 2.7 per second. This shows one of the advantages of SLRs: they focus and shoot quicker than compact cameras.

The Digital Rebel XTi is a great camera: it shoots sharp, attractive images and is easy to use. But it isn’t a point-and-shoot camera; it requires some thought and experimentation to get the most out of the XTi. Our only reservation is that the camera’s housing doesn’t feel robust; the gaps in the case could let in dust over time. But this is a minor reservation in a competitively priced camera that shoots great images and is very flexible.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi - THE BOTTOM LINE.... Rating: 601.75

Likes

- Takes high resolution, 10 megapixel images - $600 price tag for body only - Clear, bright LCD screen - Captures accurate colors with good detail - Feels comfortable in the hand - Takes good images in low light - Dust reduction system

Dislikes

- Case doesn’t feel robust; some gaps may let in dust - Limited selection of metering modes - Manual control is awkward - Included lens is cheap

Nikon D80 Rating: 601.83	Sony alpha DSLR-A100 Rating: 394.05	Olympus EVOLT E-330 Rating:340.86	Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 Rating:569.54	Fujifilm FinePix S9000 Rating:328.48
Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
- Stronger, more robust construction - 11 sensor auto focus mechanism - Two control dials make using full manual mode easier - Quicker to start up and shoot - Better overall image quality	- In-camera image stabilization - Eye sensor controls auto focus as well as display - Superior evaluative metering system - Images have more detail	- LCD screen can show live preview - Solid construction quality - 2.5-inch pivot-mounted LCD display	- Kit lens includes optical image stabilization - Fold out flash can be used to bounce light off roof	- Cheaper at around $400 - Can shoot movies - Long 10x optical zoom lens
Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal
- 10.2-megapixel image sensor - 2.5-inch LCD screen - Pop-up flash	- Ultrasonic vibration dust removal system - 2.5-inch LCD screen - Pop-up flash	- One control dial makes manual mode awkward - Pop-up flash	- 2.5-inch LCD screen	- Pop-up flash
Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse
- More expensive: $999 - No automatic sensor cleaning - More noise in images	- More expensive: $899 - Manual focus is awkward	- 7.5-megapixel sensor - More expensive at $1100 (with 14-45mm lens) - Images have lots of noise, even at low ISO settings - Menus are overly complex	-7.5-megapixel image sensor - More expensive at $1599	- Lens is fixed; you can’t swap it out for other lenses - 9-megapixel image sensor - 1.8-inch pivot mounted LCD display - Image quality is inferior to true SLR cameras