Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)

3 Responses to “Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)”

1. Hiram Grant "just call me Sam" says:

   February 5, 2012 at 8:46 am

   1,202 of 1,216 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Nice upgrade of the popular Digital Rebel Series!, September 12, 2006

   By 

   Hiram Grant “just call me Sam” –

   This review is from: Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only) (Electronics)

   [This is the same review I posted for the kit. If you're getting the body because you don't like the 18-55 lens, keep in mind that some dealers offer this camera in a kit with the much nicer 17-85 USM IS (image stabalization) zoom.]

   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.

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2. I. Wan says:

   February 5, 2012 at 9:08 am

   1,181 of 1,202 people found the following review helpful:

   
   If you’re coming from Point and Shoot Cameras, September 19, 2006

   By 

   I. Wan (Los Angeles, CA) –
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black) (Electronics)

   You’ll find plenty of technical reviews on the web regarding features and specs for this camera.

   The best thing I think I can provide is my short experience with this camera, so if you used to have a high end P&S camera and is looking to dive into the DSLR world, you are where I was a few weeks ago.

   I owned a Sony F717 which I really loved, but honestly, all I did was set it to Auto and take good pictures. The problem was that I had a toddler at home that doesn’t really like to wait till the camera took a few secs to focus and take the pic. I was missing those smiles and moments just because the Sony couldn’t take pics fast enough.

   I decided to look into newer cameras… Initially my budget was around $400 and I was looking to buy the Canon S3. But after spending several weeks online reading reviews (like you probably are right now), I decided that I wanted a DSLR (you’ll find plenty of technical reasons in the web and other reviews). I was then ready to buy the Canon Xt (But the Xti was just around the corner, so I decided to wait a couple more weeks and when the Xti was finally released on Sep 1st, I went to Best Buy and got mine)

   It’s my third week with the camera, and I’m loving it. I can take pictures of my son faster than he can say “bugga bugga bugga”. While I’m still learning how to use the camera to its potential (I’ve been trying to learn how to shoot pictures in manual mode instead of full automatic), I’ve been fully satisfied with the results so far.

   If you’re doing what I did last month, you’re probably reading tons of reviews of this camera, the Canon Xt, Nikon D50, Nikon D70, Nikon D80, etc. Don’t waste your time on the details.. They’re all excellent cameras, and if you’re coming from P&S, any of these cameras will be an awesome one for you to learn.

   I warn you though. The biggest danger of buying this camera is that you’ll soon be lusting after lenses… Now I spend hours on the web checking reviews of Canon, Sigma and Tamron lenses, and believe it or not, it’s much harder to buy lenses than to buy a camera.

   PS: A Great book I I got was “Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson. I actually got the book before the camera, and it was one of the main deciding factors that got me into DSLR instead of a pro P&S. The pictures that Bryan shows in this book are amazing and you need control. Now I’m paranoid with getting the smallest Depth of Field possible in my son’s pictures (You’ll understand this if you get this book or any other that explains concepts of Exposure)

   Update (10/04): After weeks digging forums and reviews, I decided to purchase 2 lenses… The canon 50 f1.8 and the canon 70-300 IS. I’m not going to go over the details for these lenses in this review, but wanted to let you guys know that deciding which camera was the easy part. Deciding the lenses is where all the pain resides.

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3. Brian Koch "Aspiring Photographer" says:

   February 5, 2012 at 9:31 am

   398 of 407 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Difficult Decision (30D vs. XTi), November 10, 2006

   By 

   Brian Koch “Aspiring Photographer” (MI United States) –
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only) (Electronics)

   I had the Rebel XT and about 8 lenses and was thinking of getting an upgraded second camera body. So when it came out the 30D was a logical choice, but it was not really much of an upgrade from the 20D, which I resisted, so I was not really sure what to do. Then I had all but decided to just take the plunge and get the 30D when I heard the first rumblings about the XTi.

   Then I started to learn the details about the XTi, more mega pixels, same auto focus, same screen, picture styles, dust cleaning! The only areas that the 30D won in my opinion were build quality, spot meter, and estimated shutter life. Those 3 categories were not enough to convince me that the 30D was worth $300-$400 more than the XTi especially since the XTi had won or tied in most categories. The way I look at it is that the camera bodies are not nearly as important as the lenses, they change so fast that it is not worth it to me to spend more for longevity when it will be outdated in a year anyway. Spend $1,500 on a lens, use it for a lifetime, spend $1,500 on a camera body, regret it in a year. I fully expect the upgrade to the 30D to be released within a year, and now that I have saved by getting the XTi I will have all that much more to put towards it when it comes out.

   So basically what I am saying is that, in my opinion, the XTi is just as good, if not better than the semi-pro 30D, so why pay more? Switching from the XT to the XTi was very simple, I can use them both now without any problems. The batteries, battery grips, remote shutter release, and most of the other accessories are also compatible with both, which is nice to keep the amount of gear you need to carry to a minimum.

   Unless you want to move up to a full frame sensor, I can’t see any reasons why you would not want to go with this camera. If you read books on photography from just 1 or 2 years ago you will realize that this “entry level” camera has features that were not even available on top of the line ($5,000+) camera bodies. With the speed that camera bodies advance you might as well buy the entry level body every year instead of making a huge investment in the pro level bodies and then being shown up by something 10% of that price in a year or two. Not that there are not reasons to buy one of those bodies, I just don’t seem have any of them.

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