Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)[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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only)

SO)CANON DIG REBEL XTI BLK BODY

Click here for more information about Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only)

Read More...

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My journey with DSLRs began back in 2003 with the original Digital Rebel. DSLRs changed my photography for the better like nothing else. Five years and some 25,000 shots later, it's still going strong. Along the way I upgraded to the Canon 30D, which is a fantastic camera as well. When the 40D was announced, I decided to wait until the 50D sometime in 2009, but wanted a newer backup/second body for my photography needs. So when the XSi/450D was announced, it sounded like a perfect fit for my needs.
I got it from Amazon.com three days ago, and have given it a pretty good workout since then, having shot about 650 shots under a variety of shooting conditions and with a number of different Canon and third-party lenses. The following are my impressions.
The build feels very good. The camera feels wonderfully light yet well built. I'm 6ft tall with average size hands, and the camera feels good in my hand. The battery grip, to me, defeats the purpose of having a small, light DSLR, so I opted for a Hakuba/Opteka grip (it's a plate that screws into the tripod socket that enables you to use the excellent Canon E1 hand strap with it) and I couldn't be happier. I'm not a fan of neck straps, so this works well for me (see the uploaded photo for the configuration).
Most of the menu buttons on the back feel different from the ones on the original Digital Rebel and the 30D; the XSi buttons feel more tactile and have a definite "click" to them when you press them. The exception are the Exposure Lock (*) and AF selector buttons, which have retained the deeper, softer feel of the older cameras. Just different, not better or worse, for me.
The LCD is now 3" with 230K pixels. The playback images look great, and probably because of the higher resolution of the sensor, there's a very slight delay when you zoom in to 10x while the image loads and displays properly. People coming from other cameras or brands might not even notice it--I only did so because of the difference between it and my two other Canon DSLRs (which have lower resolution sensors). The viewing angle of the LCD screen (how clearly you can see the screen from side and up and down) is excellent; you can still see the screen holding the camera almost straight up for an overhead shot (more on this later). I'd estimate the viewing angle is about 160-170 degrees both horizontally and vertically.
The Digital Rebel has a separate status screen above the main LCD screen, and the 30D had one on top of the camera, so I wasn't sure if I was going to like the big LCD acting as the status screen and no top screen. I'm happy to say that this arrangement works well, at least for me. The back screen makes it really easy to take all the settings at a glance. The viewfinder is much larger and brighter than that in the Digital Rebel. A humongously welcome feature for me is the always displayed ISO value in the viewfinder.
The camera is only 1/2 of the image quality equation, the other being the lenses being used. Coupled with my favorite lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L telephoto lens, the XSi turns out fantastic images. The supplied kit lens is very light and compact for being an image stabilized lens, and turns out good performance. The IS is certainly very useful.
Two features that used to be missing from the Digital Rebels and found in the more expensive DSLRs are now featured in the XSi: spot-metering and flash exposure compensation (these may have been available in the previous Digital Rebel model, the XTi, as well). The inclusion of those two features make the camera a much more complete and compelling photographic tool. The timer function now has a custom mode, where it'll count down from 10 seconds then take a number of shots (specified by you) in succession. No more running back and forth to reset the timer after each shot! There's also the traditional 2-second timer.
Let's talk for a minute about sensor and the ISO values. XSi/450D has five ISO values you can choose: 100 (best image quality), 200, 400, 800, and 1600. Higher ISO increases the camera sensor's sensitivity to light, thus you can achieve faster shutter speeeds for a given lighting condition. However, the trade-off is that the sensor "noise" (think grain for film photography) increases with higher ISO, so you get a degraded image quality in return for less blurred photos from hand shakes (thanks to faster shutter speed). This may come in handy in situations where flash photography is not permitted, such as a museum or a concert or theater. HOWEVER, compared to point-and-shoot digital cameras, the larger sensors of DSLRs, including the XSi, means that even at ISO 800 and 1600 you get very usable images right out of the camera. Running the images shot at those ISO settings through any number of third-party noise reduction software will improve them even further.
This ties in to another very useful feature of the XSi/450D that makes life easier for the photographer: The Auto ISO function. By default, Auto ISO sets the ISO (the sensor sensitivity to light) between 100 and 800 (by using custom functions, this can be changed to 200-1600). If you are, for example, shooting your kid's indoor basketball game and you know that you need a shutter speed of at least 1/200 sec to "freeze" the action, then you can set the camera to Tv (shutter priority mode) and set the value to 1/200, and set the camera to Auto ISO. Then the camera will match the aperture and the ISO to achieve proper exposure at that shutter speed. With my other DSLRs, setting the camera to shutter priority only allowed the camera to adjust the aperture value; ISO setting had to be adjusted manually. With the XSi/450D, the ability for the camera to adjust the ISO value automatically makes it one less thing for you the photographer to worry about.
I've only tested the Live View function to see how it works, but I can already see how useful it's going to be in studio and macro shootings. Just a note, you can't half-press the shutter to autofocus while in Live View mode. You can either manual focus, or use one of the two autofocus methods, quick (the mirror flips up, the LCD goes dark for a short while, and flips down with focus locked) or live (the camera uses the LCD's contrast detection to achieve the focus--this method is slower than the quick method), both by pressing the exposure lock button (*) while in the Live View mode. Using either the RS-60E3 wired remote or RC-1 wireless remote in Live View mode will ONLY trigger the shutter, and has no bearing on focusing.
Some people seem to be under the impression that the inclusion of the Live View feature will enable them to use the XSi/450D as they do point-and-shoot digital cameras, to compose their shots. That is not the case. You can't really make a functioning use of the Live View feature unless the camera's securely mounted on a tripod or on a flat surface. Both Live View focusing modes, while precise, are too slow to be used for hand-held shooting.
Having said that, there is one use of Live View in hand-held shooting that I've come to value. When shooting overhead or over an obstacle, I can, with the same hand holding the camera, trigger the Live View, compose the scene through the LCD monitor (even if it's out of focus, it's easy to get the general framing right), disable Live View, and take the photo normally. With a little practice, this can be accomplished very quickly. Very handy when you're just holding the camera overhead and hoping for the best.
The Direct Print button that's been much ridiculed and maligned in most Canon cameras now double as the white balance menu button. The Set button in the middle of the four-direction arrow keys can be programmed for a number of different functions: Change image quality, flash exposure compensation, LCD monitor on/off (same as Display button, but can be triggered by the same hand holding the camera), and Menu display (again, can be triggered by the same hand holding the camera).
There is a dedicated ISO button, which is also very welcome. It can easily be accessed during shooting with the right thumb, thereby minimizing the interruption to shooting.
The battery life seems very good. I've shot about 500+ shots on a single charge and the status monitor is still showing charge at full.
I'm using Transcend 8GB Class 6 SDHC card with it. At ISO 100, the camera reports it can fit 396 RAW+JPG (highest quality) on it, but in reality it can probably fit about 420-450 (the camera's always conservative when estimating). With RAW only, it can fit 507. With highest quality JPG, it can fit 1,822. Note that as ISO increases, so do the file sizes and thus you can store less images per card. For example, on ISO 1600, the same card can only hold 323 images, compared to 396 at ISO 100.
My only gripe, and this is more about me than the camera, is the RAW+JPG buffer. I always shoot RAW+JPG, and the buffer will only hold four images at that speed (this is a limitation that's built into the camera's memory buffer system, and thus using a fast memory card doesn't help--see p.64 of the manual). When the buffer's full, you can take two additional images at about a frame a second, then have to wait until the buffer empties (finishes writing to the memory card). When shooting RAW only, it's 6 images. When shooting JPG only, then it's no problem at more than 50 frames. I've found myself switching the mode dial to Sports mode when I'm shooting a fast-moving subject and the buffer simply can't keep up with it. Well, that's why Canon produces different grades and ranges of DSLRs.
I've uploaded some photos that I shot of the local wildlife. Most if not all of those were taken with the EF...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Get 5% OFF

Click here for more information about Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Read More...

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Reading reviews is a crap shoot. You know nothing about the reviewer or the use of the product. That said, I am assuming you are not a struggling professional trying to shoot a high quality, tight-budget job. You are a user looking for one lens to carry to cover a wide range of service.
I'm a pro. I have a many bodies and L lenses to use.
I carry an XSI with THIS Sigma 18-200mm non OS lens just about everywhere I go. It is a great vacation tool, where most pix are shown in a digital frame or are never going to be more than 4x6.
Yes, the MTF is not great (simply: contrast across the lens), there is some chromatic fringing and watch out! the lens hood will cause vignetting and shadows with a flash at wide angle. I've been using this lens since it was released in early '05.
It's a $300 lens. Does it compare to a $1500 L lens? Yeah - very badly. So what? The first rule of photography is get the picture. Missing the shot while changing lenses is not photography. Is this the preferred lens in my arsenal? No. But for general non-client, daylight, non-sports shooting, it's the one I'll probably be using. I prefer the non-optical stabilzed version - less complexity.
To help you weigh this review: I use five professional (5D, 1D) and several prosumer (40D, 50D, XTI, XSI) bodies and nine L lenses, plus a slew of others.
Photo tip: night shooting of foreground against backround (done a lot with this lens!): typical situation: girl on beach in front of sunset. Manually set exposure to flash shutter speed, aperature & ISO to get background. Turn flash on to expose and meter foreground. You'll get some great "how did you do that?" pix. All the MTF, abberetion and linearity issues will mean nothing, because you got a picture no one else could and th L doesn't really add anything, because you want depth of field here.
Thanks for reading my review.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Click here for more information about Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Read More...

Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Body Only) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had the T1i for about almost week now and after some extensive use, here are my thoughts:
1. 15.1 megapixel sensor. Yes, the high megapixel count is impressive, but keep in mind that, as you approach higher resolutions, you need to ensure the lens on the SLR can resolve that much detail. Sadly, the included 18-55mm IS lens is functional, but the high resolution really shows the so-so quality of the lens. Even if taken at the proper focus, pictures can appear soft with this kit lens. Shots I have taken with Canon EF-S 17-85mm and EF 70-200mm L lenses are crisp. I don't have any gripes on image quality. There are some issues with noise on the higher ISOs that don't seem to show up on the Nikon digitals, but overall, the quality is amazing for the price. Skin tones, textures, colors are reproduced very accurately.
2. Digic 4. The Digic 4 processor appears to process/save the 15 megapixel images in the same time (if not faster) than the Digic III processor on the XSi (even in RAW+Jpg mode). I have also noticed that at higher ISOs, the sensor and the Digic 4 produce images with less overall noise compared with its predecessors.
3. LCD. The 920,000 pixel LCD screen is large (3"), crisp, vibrant and fully visible even in bright sunlight. In comparison, the Canon XSi SLR (which the T1i replaces), also has a 3" LCD, but with 230,000 pixels. The viewing angle is great as well and the LCD can easily be seen nearly 180 degrees around.
4. ISO 12800. Canon and Amazon are correctly identifying that the T1i maxes out at ISO 3200. Some less reputable dealers are listing an ISO 12800, which you should disregard. The ISO 6400 and 12800 settings are expanded ISO settings. The pictures taken on these two settings are ISO 3200 images pushed to ISO 6400 or 12800 by the Digic 4 chip before saving to the memory card. These pictures are extremely grainy and contain a lot of noise to the point of only being usable as for snapshots or adding an artistic effect to certain compositions.
5. Penta-mirror. That Canon is still using one in the T1i is disappointing. The penta-mirror viewfinder image is functional, but still noticeably darker than that of the penta-prism viewfinder in the Nikon D90 (which is the T1i's main competitor). I really would have preferred if Canon had kept the XSi's 12.2 megapixel sensor, forgone 1080p video altogether, and maybe upped the cost of the camera slightly to cover the production cost of using a penta-prism in the T1i. Honestly, unless you are massively cropping your images, or creating large photos, the difference between 12.2 and 15.1 megapixels really is negligible.
6. Size. This is the same body as the XSi, and therefore a bit on the smaller side compared to other digital SLRs. I have small hands, so the T1i is comfortable for me. If you have big hands, I can see this being a very difficult camera to use over an extended period of time. If you haven't handled a Canon XT, XTi or XSi, I would suggest you go to a store and hold the T1i yourself before purchasing it online. (I will upload a picture of the T1i in my hands to the user gallery for a size reference.)
7. HD Video. Yes, the Canon marketing department made a horrible marketing decision and pushed the T1i onto shelves limiting the 1080p recording to 20fps (frames per second). Recognize this as a marketing gimmick that allows them put a 1080p sticker on the camera box. The 1080p @ 20fps is fine most times, but seems a choppy if you have a lot of action in the frame or are panning quickly. The T1i's 720p video is recorded at 30fps and is clean, smooth, and sufficient for all but the most discerning consumers. One major criticism though is that the sound is recorded in mono, AND there is NO input for an external microphone.
A lot of pre-production reviews of the T1i criticize its inability to automatically autofocus while recording. I wouldn't put much weight in this criticism, mostly because neither of the other two SLR cameras with HD recording capabilities (Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D90) can automatically autofocus while recording either. What you can do with the T1i is pan/zoom the lens and then press the AE lock (*) button to make the camera autofocus on the new subject (all while recording). A problem with using the AE lock button to have the camera autofocus is that the microphone for the camera is on the front upper left of the body near the lens mount. Therefore, the lens motor noise is picked up just as much as ambient sounds. Even with my quietest Canon USM (ultasonic motor) lenses, this lens motor sound is pretty loud in video playback. Although, remember, you can always manually turn the focusing ring on the lens to get your subject back into focus. It's not easy, but after a little practice, it's not all too hard, either.
Ultimately, you shouldn't let the HD recording limitations sway you one way or the other. This is an SLR camera -- not a video camera. The HD video is a great feature, but if you're looking for something primarily to take video, look elsewhere. There are much better, cheaper VIDEO cameras out there which can record true 1080p.
8. Record button. For some reason, the record video button is next to the LCD screen (the same button used for direct printing). The first few times you take video, you'll intuitively find yourself using the shutter release button used to take pictures. The reason for this switch is that you can take a still picture while recording video, although, doing so will interrupt the recording.
9. Battery life. My first fully charged battery only lasted about 250 shots (no flash), but all charges since have given me in the range of 500-700 shots per charge. I'm guessing the first charge had such a short life because I spent quite a bit of time learning the camera, its menus, and settings.
10. Live View. I honestly can't review this as I haven't used it too much yet -- I prefer using the viewfinder. One feature I can say is nice is that, on the LCD, you can digitally zoom in (up to 10x) on a section of your shot to ensure it is properly focused. This, and the fine focusing, can really help if you're into macro-photography.
11. HDMI cable. The T1i has an HDMI Type C output on the body to allow you to directly display pictures and video on an HDTV. A minor criticism is that the HDMI Type C cable is not included in the box. You have to buy it separately. It would have been nice if it were included, as it's not an expensive cable.
Conclusion. The T1i is a bit on the light end, yet the construction still feels solid. For the camera's price point, you'd be hard pressed to find any digital SLR out there which gives you all the capabilities and growth range of the Canon T1i. The camera is intuitive enough for those new to photography to pick and learn easily, yet configurable enough for advanced amateurs. If video is not a big deal for you, then get the Canon XSi. There is very little the T1i has (other than ISO 3200 and a sharper screen) that the XSi doesn't. Plus, with the release of the T1i, you can probably pick up a used XSi for a great price on eBay. My wife recently gave birth, and I'm not looking to record endless (never to be watched) tapes of video footage of our son, but I do want several minute clips of him as he grows through the years. I've always been more inclined towards photography, so this camera gives me a very versatile digital SLR that I need with the wonderful capability of recording HD video that I want.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Body Only)


15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor Captures high-resolution images up to 4752 x 3168 for images with exceptional clarity and tonal range.
3" color Live View LCD monitor With auto lighting, 920,000 pixels, 170° viewing angles and approximately 100% coverage. 7 levels of brightness adjustment for viewing in bright sunshine.
DIGIC 4 image processor With 14-bit A/D conversion for faster processing of fine detail, smooth color tones and gradations and natural color reproduction.
Eye-level pentamirror viewfinder With fixed, precision matte focusing for clear viewing.
Wide-range ISO settings Adjust from 100-3200 ISO, with expansion options to 6400 and 12800 for stunning image capture, even in low light.
Face detection technology Isolates subjects in-frame and optimizes conditions to take the best pictures of friends and family.
TTL full-aperture metering exposure controls With auto, manual, program, shutter- and aperture-priority, depth-of-field AE and E-TTL II auto flash modes.
9-point autofocus With auto and manual point selection.
Flash modes Include auto, red-eye reduction on/off, flash sync, flash-on and flash-off. Retractable, auto pop-up flash with E-TTL II autoflash metering.
White balance options Include auto, daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten light, white fluorescent light, flash, custom, WB-BKT and white balance correction for natural tones in different lighting conditions.
Movie mode Captures full high-definition video up to 1920 x 1080 with sound.
Media slot Supports Secure Digital and S

Click here for more information about Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Body Only)

Read More...