Customer Reviews:
 Strong Camera with many improvements. Love it. March 16, 2005
65 out of 72 found this review helpful
I bought this camera about a week ago to replace my film-based Rebel G. My previous digital experience was with a 2MP Canon Powershot S100. I'm not a professional photographer, but I really like taking photographs (vs. snapshots). Canon has bundled a lot of goodies into a small, sturdy camera base that has proven iteself very capable to me.
The contents of the package include a battery, the camera base, 3 CD with software and PDFs, a USB 2.0 connector, a video connector, a battery charger, a 18-55mm EF-S lens, a strap, and a manual. You'll need to provide your own CompactFlash card. I personally selected a 1GB Ultra II card, which will shoot about 70 RAW+JPEG images, or 275 Large JPEGS.
The battery arrives already charged, so I could immediately take pictures. Kudos. That is a favor that I appreciate. I shot a hundred pictures before getting home.
The Digital Rebel XT has the familiar basic mode and creative mode control dial on the top. They have added an "On/Off" switch, which was not present on my film-based Rebel G. The consistency in the controls made it possible for me to shoot my first pictures right away, though there are some features to read the manual for: the TTL flash metering discussion, the nuances of choosing the AF mode, and how the basic mode operation decides which ISO speed to use were the topics I found myself most interested in this week.
Pictures look really sharp and colorful up to the ISO 400 setting. ISO 800 and 1600 can be safely used if you are looking for a particular effect, are shooting where a flash and tripod are not permittted, or in other very low light situations. It's going to be pretty grainy, but with the included software tools, it can be compensated for to a limited extent.
The on-camera flash is not great, but it is very good for a built-in flash. In a pinch, it'll work, but serious picture taking will require an external flash.
The included software products have both PC and Mac versions, a boon to Mac users. My Canon snapshot camera only included PC software. Canon bundles a RAW image editor that is handy if you shoot RAW. iPhoto's RAW "support" isn't adequate for adjusting photos. Otherwise, the included software isn't much better than the iLife suite, unless heavy image manipulation is required. In that case, Photoshop is a better choice anyhow. PC users will get some use out of the photo editing software, though.
TIP: If you are loading pictures onto a newer Mac with iPhoto, set the Communication Method on the camera to PTP/Print, NOT PC Connection. Otherwise, the Mac won't find the camera. That detail doesn't appear anywhere in the manual, though PTP/Print is the default (but not the intuitive) setting.
The lens is OK. It's a decent value for $100, but I wish it would mount to a film camera in addition to a digital EF-S mount. Remember the focal length multiplier when you plan to share your lenses between film and digital cameras. A 50mm all-around lens on a film camera is a 80mm moderate telephoto lens on the Rebel XT.
The strap is lousy. You'll want a different strap unless ithcy, sweaty, rubberized material is your idea of a comfy strap. I decided not to use it.
To sum up, this camera really impressed me. The resolution is great, the images are as good as I could reasonably expect from my camera skills, and the total paackage operates well together. Areas where Canon could improve the package include:
1. Ship it with an EF lens, not an EF-S
2. Ship it with better quality accessories. That strap is terrible.
3. Include a CF card.
4. Ditch the unnecessary tools from the bundle of software. Every OS has photo management software built in. If that's not adequate for someone, they've probably already bought a package that they use.
Otherwise, I loved it.
Followup 25-March-2005:
This is a followup comment to my review on the Rebel XT. The reason I've decided to follow up is that I've seen a lot of people equating the Digital Rebel XT to the Canon 20d because it has similar features and resolution. The conclusion, then, that the 20D is not worth the extra $599 is what has me concerned.
Take note: the Canon EOS 20D has an expected shutter life of 150,000 photographs. The Canon Digital Rebel XT has an expected shutter life of 50,000 photographs. What does this mean to you? Well, if your shutter dies after 50,000 pictures, even within the warranty period, it counts as normal wear and tear, and you have to pay to have it fixed.
If your 20D quits after 50,000 snaps, you get a new shutter free of charge. It turns out that the cost to have a shutter repaired on an XT is about half of the price difference. So figuring in expected depreciation of the camera based on shutter life, the two cameras are similarly priced.
 Excellent Pictures March 16, 2005
Review in April 2006
I upgraded from Powershot G2 and very happy with the results. This is my first SLR camera so I have a lot to learn on using different features this camera offers but the so far the family pictures taken indoors are excellent. I can see a big difference in quality over G2.
I read a lot of user reviews about this camera and I chose not to get the kit lens as suggested by many reviews at various sites. I got 50MM and 28-135 IS lenses to go with it and planning to get a 100-300 IS in the future to complete the set. Very Happy!
Don't trust the guys with cheaper prices nor Amazon!!! March 16, 2005
25 out of 41 found this review helpful
In response to the post about buying from those 'new & used' sites, BEWARE! Make sure you do your homework and don't be drawn into something you can't easily undo (even if you're close to NY city they won't provide a real address). Likewise if you used, as I did, a search to find vendors outside Amazon.
My suggestion is to get into Google and look up as much info as you can on a potential storefront or even a user. Last night I was considering buying from the one offering a Canon 20D for about $750! After checking them out, I discovered multiple complaints and nothing that indicated they were a legitimiate enterprise.
Although I was torn between the XT and the 20D, I decided to place an order with Amazon for the XT. Now, I notice a post that says his delivery date for this item from Amazon is 2 months out! My order was immediately 'processed' so I can't change it, but you can bet I will do whatever it takes if I have to wait that long. The 20D was available for immediate shipment, so I may regret not ordering it.
I'll update this post to share how this works out...
Since my original post, I have sent Amazon 2 messages to try to cancel my Rebel XT order (and then order the 20D). I have heard nothing back in 2 days. Note that the Amazon order page for this item says 'you can cancel your order at any time'. Not true, as mine says it's being processed and no changes can be made. Yet, it has not actually shipped nor do I expect it to anytime soon. Ad also says 'first come, first served' 'as soon as it's available'. So why not let me change my order rather than place it in limbo where I now am stuck with whatever date they decide to ship it? Not good customer relations!
Although I'm a big advocate of Amazon, I feel I'm getting screwed on this transaction. Hope someone is reading this as well as the 2 inquiries I have made...
It's now Friday - 3 days since my order was locked in - and to my surprise the camera has just been shipped!!! I never received a reply to my customer service inquiries, so I'll now have to be content with this purchase. I'm sure this will be a great product but I'm still a bit miffed about the lack of flexibility in changing the order. The morale is to be sure you're absolutely sure about what you want before hitting the 'place order' button.
My first SLR - a review of a different color March 15, 2005
27 out of 32 found this review helpful
I researched this camera and lenses online, and chose it for my first SLR. I have previously have a Nikon 900 and a Nikon 990, both used for web-product photography, currently I have a Nikon 8700.
When I went in to buy the XT Rebel, they sold me a filter kit and said "with these you'll never need PhotoShop." That was amusing, since I'm not a photog (I'm a computer person) and I love PhotoShop. According to my online research, the filters can double as a lens protector, so I got them in case I ever felt the need to reach for them. This review is not a performance review of the XT Rebel because I don't know how to use the camera well enough to exercise all its features.
What I do wish to convey are the differences between a Nikon 8700 type camera, "P&S" (point and shoot), versus my first SLR camera, this Canon XT Rebel. It took me a long time to realize that these constitute two entirely different kinds of cameras.
Autofocus: this SLR has an autofocus capability on steroids. My Nikon takes great photos, on a tripod or if I'm sitting. But should I try something as simple as pointing it at one of the small furry creatures living here too, it generally won't (auto-) focus. And you can't focus it otherwise, really, because you can't tell through the viewfinder or LCD whether it's truly focused, as compared to viewing it on your computer. FINALLY with the XT Rebel I can point it, hold down the snapshot button halfway, and get an instant autofocus. It's like The Terminator locking in on whatever you're pointing at. I am so happy.
A minor difference is that the LCD monitor on the XT Rebel cannot be used as a viewfinder for shooting, you MUST look through the viewfinder. That means smooshing your face up against the back of the camera. I think they sell little viewfinder hoodies to alleviate that.
Memory: this type of camera allows many shots in quick succession, which I have no plans on using. But this is one of the major differences between the two camera types: this XLR has a large amount of memory in the camera body, else it would be impossible to take so many photos so quickly. It takes a while to load large photos onto a CF card. What I don't understand is why manufacturers and reviewers don't list (or figure out) how much memory is in the camera itself...this would seem like a fundamental spec, like the various levels of cache on different CPUs, even within the same product family. It would certainly have helped me catch on much earlier to the differences between the two camera types, if this spec had been waved around at all.
I purchased a Sandisk 1 Gb Extreme III card, which supposedly has a 133X speed rating. But it seems like you don't need that speedy of a card, given the buffer memory in the body of the XT Rebel. You could just buy a cheap 4 Gb IBM microdrive, I think.
Zoom: on my Nikon 8700 camera, you push a lever to zoom in or out, with an accompanying SHZZZZZ sound as the lens moves in or out, slowwwly. For the XT Rebel, you grab the zoom part of the lens and twist it. The other part of the lens that can be twisted is the focus part...I'll leave that to photogs. On this XT Rebel the lens does NOT MOVE to autofocus. An internal mechanism inside the lens does that, and very quickly too.
The Canon lens can have a USM, Ultra Sonic Motor, which means that the internal focusing mechanism is damn fast. Although I bought the kit version in black with the EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, I haven't used it yet. It turns out the best Canon lenses have an "L" designation, so I bought a Canon EF 24-70/2.8 L USM (77MM). The first set of numbers, 24-70, means a zoom range (remember that I'm not a photog ;-), and the "2.8" means...well, it's complicated. It's called an "f-stop" and means how big the aperture is, or lens opening to feed the pixel sensor. A larger aperture is denoted by a smaller number, and it means the lens is better in low-light situations. This spec is also (annoyingly) called a "speed" setting. Indeed, I am annoyed at many of the specs being related to a 35mm film camera, a relic of the previous century. There is an apparent purpose though: as the prices keep coming down and the technology has moore oomph, the consumer digital cameras will finally match the historical ratings of film cameras in some way. That's why there's a "(77MM)" spec on that last lens, something to do with comparison to the old film cameras.
The lens I bought, the EF 24-70/2.8 L USM, is heavy, 2.1 pounds. It totally dominates the camera body, and two hands must be used for a shot, one to grab the lens. The kit is much smaller and probably doesn't require two hands. The next lens I might buy is the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM Lens. The "IS" stands for Image Stabilization, which is within the lens itself, and can be toggled on/off.
The thing about having 8 megapixel cameras is that the slightest movement when shooting might cause a blur. I've been able to hand-hold my new camera-lens for indoor shots with no problem though. The IS in the other lens will help fixup such a problem, like stabilization on a camcorder. Otherwise, use a tripod.
Here are detail pages on the two lens:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-24-70mm-f-2.8-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-200mm-f-2.8-L-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
The second lens is so heavy that it is the lens that mounts onto a tripod, not the camera!!!
This is an excellent site for a hard-core review of the XT Rebel / EOS 350D:
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/canoneos350d/
The Canon Xt Rebel has effortlessly taken great pictures for me, indoors. It hasn't been outside yet.
The download-directly using USB didn't work for me at first try. I am looking forward to getting that working because it means I won't have to pull the CF card in and out.
Another stunning winner from the bright minds at Canon March 15, 2005
723 out of 761 found this review helpful
I spent three hours yesterday playing with the brand-new Canon Digital Rebel XT digital SLR camera, and man, was I impressed.
I hadn't been too impressed with the original Digital Rebel, except for its revolutionarily low price (for a d-SLR), because it was slow and felt slimsy. The new DR XT is quite different. Even though it's 3 ounces lighter than the original DR -- mostly due to the use of a smaller battery; see below -- its smaller form factor actually makes it feel more solid and "real". In other word, unlike the original DR, this one feels professional, not toy-like at all.
By now you probably already know Canon makes some of the best digital cameras in the world. Even though I'm a Nikon shooter when it comes to d-SLR (sorry, loyal Canon shooters!), I own a couple Canon compact digital cameras and love them, too. The DR XT's image quality is once again excellent. I took a few indoor shots with the camera, both with and without flash, and then the store clerk let me download them to their PC. The JPEG pictures (I didn't try RAW) looked excellent on the Sony LCD screen, on par with the more expensive EOS 20D d-SLR. Color tones were accurate and the resolution was really good. The improvement picture quality over the original DR ("DR Classic"? BTW it's now $200 cheaper) comes from both the 2 extra megapixels and the better color accuracy. BTW, the DR XT reportedly uses a tecchnically different CMOS sensor than the original DR, although I haven't been able to find out exactly how this one is better in technical terms than the old one (other than the two extra megapixels). No matter, my limited true-world testing showed the image quality is indeed better than the already-excellent image quality of the original DR. And, as in the past, Canon does a wonderful job at keeping noise low -- I considered noise acceptable up until ISO 800.
The kit, which I recommend, comes with the same flimsy 3x EF-S lens (which won't work on regular film SLRs) as the original DR. You should most definitely get a better lens, although the kit lens works well as a "street zoom." I didn't get a chance to test the lens outdoors as the store wouldn't let me take it outside, but I have no doubt that this new model can only be better than the original DR, which was already very good even before you considered its low price.
The DR XT is fast: at last, you can turn it on and start shooting without waiting several seconds like you had to with the original DR. The only downside compared to the original DR is the smaller, lighter battery in the DR XT also means shorter battery life. I highly recommend you get an extra battery or two. You won't be able to go through a full day of shooting on just one battery, even if you don't use flash much. (But all pros and pro-wannabes use fill-in flash, don't we?) I also recommend a good camera bag; I personally like Tamrac for that. In addition to the spare battery (batteries), bag and a better lens or two, also consider getting a tripod (Sunpak ones are cheap but ok quality), an external flash as well as filters -- esp. a high-qual circular polarizing filter.
In summary, the Canon Digital Rebel XT is another stunning winner from Canon. It features faster speeds (start-up and shot-to-shot), excellent image quality, and terrific look-and-feel. Despite my personal preference for Nikon pro-level gear, I can recommend this Canon d-SLR to my friends without reservation.
Feel free to e-mail me at gadgester @t hotmail with your questions and commends.
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