Svelte Canon Rebel XSi

Canon has announced the latest update to its sales-leading entry-level Rebel DSLR. The New Rebel XSi (called the 450D elsewhere) offers some major improvements over its already popular predecessor: a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor, larger (although lower resolution) LCD screen with live view, and spot metering (a first in an entry-level Canon). Although its prism is still a mirror-box, the viewfinder has much higher magnification, a much-needed improvement in our opinion. It's also the first Rebel to take SD cards, including the high-speed SDHC variety. Continuing a questionable Canon tradition, it is also available in a rather spectacularly tasteless silver plastic finish.

The new camera hits all the marks. The $800 asking price might seem a tad steep compared to the current cutthroat competition, but not to worry: the kit lens is the newish 18–55mm IS lens, which can be purchased for a mere $100 extra, a record-setting price for a lens with IS. (The lens is a bargain at its regular price of $200.) Nine hundred dollars isn't chicken feed, but the camera-lens kit combination gives you pretty much everything you could want to do really high-quality photography, circa early 2008—and there's also to be an auxiliary 55–250mm (~90-400mm-e) telephoto in case you'd like to do birds, critters, sports, or obsessive surveillance on your ex-wife.

It looks like the world's leading DSLR has been decidedly improved, the better to continue its winning ways.

___________________

Mike

Comments

[Carl Leonardi]

Price? This camera has better features then my 1Ds, that cost $8,000 + a few of those 1 gig $250 CF cards of 4 years ago.
The lens is also one of the best out there for the price, better then some costing 10 times as much.

[Tom]

Could you explain a viewfinder spec for me?

What is eyepoint? is 19mm better than 22mm or the other way around?

[Dennis]

Argh. Where are the Nikon announcements??

[Mike Johnston]

Tom,
"Eyepoint" is simply how far away from the eyepiece your eye can be and still see the whole frame in the viewfinder. Thus, a higher number is better, although this is seldom critical any more except for eyeglass wearers. I find that a good "standard" for eyepoint is 22mm.

For more, see here:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-03-03-16.shtml

Mike J.

[Christopher Lane]

Dennis,

As the new leader in the DSLR market and now a cutting edge innovator, Nikon, as well they should, is waiting for the very last minute to blow everyone else out of the water with that new FX format rangefinder. ;~)

Chris

[Andrew Yang]

I'm not sure if I've ever read that the 18-55 kit was comparable to lenses costing 10x as much. That would put it in the ballpark of the 16-35, and well beyond the 17-40, both of which would undoubtedly be considered better lenses. A bit of hyperbole can make the point that it is respectable for the price, but that nuance might be lost in a blog comment. Also, it seems the Nikon kit lenses are generally better regarded, even eschewing the Canon/Nikon biases.

[Jonathan]

Looks like a good step forward for Canon. Certainly puts some pressure on Nikon to get Live View into their entry-level models ASAP.

As for PMA announcements in general, just wake me up when Sigma shows the revised working-and-shipping-soon DP-1, Apple announces D3/D300 compatibility in an immediately-available Aperture 2, Voigtlander announces an M-mount digital rangefinder at just over $1000, and Nikon announces a D300 variant with a Bayer-less no-interpolation monochrome-optimized sensor.

I'll probably be getting a lot of sleep in the coming days. :)

[Tom V]

Andrew,

Apparently the 18-55 IS is a huge step forward from the previous Canon kit lens.

Check out SLRGear.com. As I read their tests it is comparable to the 17-40 and better than the 16-35 even stopped down to f/4.

That of course ignores build quality. The L lenses will last forever, the kit lens, not so much.

[Kelvin L.]

Ditto what Carl said. I get depressed when I realize that buying one of these modern 'consumer' SLRs would actually be a significant upgrade to my 1Ds. Waaaaah!

[Mike Johnston]

Kelvin L.,
But then, consider that your 1Ds probably has a lot more on-board computing power than your first computer had.

Mike J.

[XebastYan]

...the canon 450D is a nice camera. it's good that they come to spot-metering now in 2008, in times where Pentax is coming with a 60xSealed body in an entry-level DSLR (K200D) ;-)....

[David]

Heck, my cell phone has WAY more processing power (and a faster CPU clock rate) than my first "home" computer purchased in 1996. Not to mention more storage space. . .

Cest la vie!

Along those lines, though, the best advice I ever got with regards to tech purchases (including digital cameras) was to wait until the last minute before you need a tech item, buy what you need, and don't ever worry about what comes out tomorrow! Easier said than done, but still words to live by.

[Emery Ku]

Hi Andrew,

I have to echo Tom V's statement-- everything I've read does suggest that the new kit lens is remarkably sharp. Another detailed report is available on Photozone--

http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/Canon%20EOS%20Lens%20Tests/45-canon-eos-aps-c/181-canon-ef-s-18-55mm-f35-56-is-test-report--review

Of course it has flaws, but for the price, it can't really be beat. I currently own the 55-250mm IS, which I've been very happy with so far. I'll probably pick up the 18-55mm IS to replace my Sigma 17-70, if I can find a decent deal being abroad :)

[Kelvin L.]

Such is progress Mike! I used to have this amazing camera that had a sensor you could upgrade every 36 shots, with built-in dust removal and full frame. For some reason, people aren't interested in it any more....

[Dennis]

"I used to have this amazing camera that had a sensor you could upgrade every 36 shots"

Maybe you could *change* it every 36 shots, but upgrades were whenever Kodak/Fuji got around to them. Far less frequent than sensors. (You could also change your ISO once every 36 shots ;)

"built-in dust removal"

Maybe on the sensor itself, but then for some odd reason, image files from those cameras used to get dust & scratches on them between printings !

[Hugh Crawford]

I have a 1DS , a Sony R1 , and a Pentax K10D.
I keep switching back and forth between the R1 and the K10D. The R1 has by far the best lens, better than anything I have ever put on the Canon.
The K10D is nice and small and I like taking half second hand-held photos and so forth, although at the wide end the R1 is usable hand held at a half second or slower if you hang it off a neck strap and lean against something

The 1DS sits in a drawer. In theory it's my portraits and foul weather camera , and I keep meaning to try a lens baby on it, but I really ought to sell it I guess.

"Full frame 35mm" isn't really big enough to get the sort of focus control you get with medium or large format, and the thing feels like you are hauling around a speed graphic.

[Ron]

"Continuing a questionable Canon tradition, it is also available in a rather spectacularly tasteless silver plastic finish."

SLR's have always come in silver. All the big camera makers sold silver bodies well into the 1980's. At the time I bought my silver rebel XTi body in Dec. 06, it sold for $50 less then the black body. As far as I can tell, it takes the same great pix and 50 bucks is 50 bucks! When I'm out shooting, I'm concentrating on the shot. The camera body could be chartreuse for all I know.

[Richard Alan Fox]

I agree totally with the above poster regarding the R1, my 20D sits unused, I switch between my FZ8 and the R1.

[Nimnar]

Any way you slice it it's still a cheap camera. My pet theory is that eventually all digital DSLR cameras will cost what their film counterparts cost. So if an EOS 3 costs $1000 once that's the price for a 3D with a pentaprism, a rear control wheel, a long lasting shutter, minimal weather seals, etc....

[Adam Lanigan]

Hey, does anyone know where I can find the expiration date on my XTi? I figured it would be printed on the inside of the CF or battery door, but no luck. Thanks! *deftly removes tongue from cheek*

[John]

Adam - I think the expiration date for the XTi is the same as the release date for the XSi ...

[Eolake Stobblehouse]

"SLR's have always come in silver. All the big camera makers sold silver bodies well into the 1980's."

Yes, and I love and miss those, because they were actual metal. The "silver"-look plastic is abominable.

The 450D looks very interesting. The light weight, high quality and IS with the kit lens has my ears very perky.

[amin]

The small pixel pitch and highlight tone priority make this a very appealing camera for photography of distant birds in flight. The Xsi and 400/5.6L should make a formidable combination for this application at a price point achievable for many enthuasiasts.

[Greg Smith]

Well. I for one am underwhelmed by this year's PMA announcements. Hooray for the Rebel 400XSi.
The naming in the Rebel line reminds me of when radial tires first appeared, but I do love mine and use it daily. I won't be upgrading from Ti to Si: I want an upgraded 5D (5E?); that could coax out a creditcard without much more provocation