Canon's Digital Rebel XTi is Top in Class

Canon's newest digital SLR camera, the EOS Rebel XTi, mixes an easy to use platform with Canon's industry-leading digital image quality. Stepping up from its older brother, the Canon EOS 350D, the Rebel XTi offer shutterbugs incredible 10 mega pixel resolution for under $1000.

I was using a very limited point and shoot Sony digital camera and started to look around for a DSLR. Nikon released the D80, and Canon the Rebel XTi last autumn. After much research I selected the Canon. Nikon or Canon is an endless debate in photography circles, and not an easy decision to make. Once you pick you are virtually married to the company. So far, my relationship with the Canon EOS Rebel XTi has been a good one.

The camera offers a full automatic mode, similar to a point-and-shoot models. The camera processes light conditions and adjusts to take the best photo possible. A built-in pop-up flash is automatically brought into play in low-light conditions. A number of preset modes, for portraits, landscapes, and sports, are also available, and allow newer users to focus on composing their photographs without having to worry about exposure settings.

For the serious amateur the Rebel XTi offers an assisted programmable mode, and a fully manual mode, as well as aperture priority and shutter priority settings. ISO settings range for 100 to 1600. White balance settings for six common situations are preset, with an option to program your own. The auto focus on the Rebel XTi is the same 9-point system used on Canon's more costly EOS 30D DSLR.

The Rebel XTi's ability to shoot a burst of continuous shots is very useful in a number of photographic situations. Up to 27 JPEG or 10 RAW images can be recorded in a single burst, at 3 frames per second. The 2.5 inch LCD on the body's back allows for large previews of taken shot and the ability to quickly change camera settings.

Canon has integrated a dust reduction system into the Rebel XTi. The EOS Integrated Cleaning System. An auto-cleaning is performed to shake dust from a special filter, to keep your photos unmarred. The inside of the Rebel XTi was constructed with materials less likely to produce dust, and an anti-static coating has been added to the sensor.

The Canon software included with the Rebel XTi kit is a great way to download and manage your photographs. The Digital Picture Professional application allows you to make a number of changes to the sharpness and saturation of your images, as well as edit and convert RAW format images to JPEG.

One of the great benefits of the Rebel XTi is the huge number of accessories available. The Rebel XTi can use Canon EF-S and EF lenses. This gives you the power to change lenses depending on your creative vision and circumstances. While most Rebel XTi kits ships with a 18-55 f/3.5-5/.6 lens, many wide-angle and telephoto zooms lens, by Canon, and other manufacturers, are available for the camera.

The Rebel XTi weighs in at 19.6 ounces. If you are using a small point-and-shoot camera you may find the weight uncomfortable. The smaller body of the XTi can be difficult to grip for someone with large hands. If you were going to hand-hold the camera for an extended period I would suggest investing in the extra battery pack with handstrap to alleviate the problem. The 18-55 zoom lens supplied with the Rebel XTi kit is far from perfect. Serious shutterbugs would be better to buy the camera body without lens and purchase a better lens separately.

I have used the Rebel XTi with several lens and Canon Speedlite flash units, and had it perform well in every situation. It's all I hoped it would be.

For under $1000 Canon has produced a great DSLR. It's small in size but long on features. Anyone interested in jumping from point and shoots to DSLRs should seriously consider adding the Rebel XTi to their photographic arsenal.