Hands-on with the Canon EOS Rebel XSi DSLR
By Steven Kim 
posted Jan 31st 2008 2:10AM
posted Jan 31st 2008 2:10AM
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I know this adds little to the content of this site - but I LOVE Canon cams.
I find it amusing that the blurriest picture was the one showing the image stabilizer :)
Will Buy.
taking pictures of cameras is ironic.
Taking BAD pictures of GOOD cameras is what's ironic.
I don't think that 13th pic is the XSi.
you guys obviously need one of those, you among the people who will really need it
what?
my point was that the pictures they posted were crappy and that if somebody should buy a dslr for a useful use it would be engadget
And how would buying a better camera increase their skills? That's like saying buying a better pan or knife makes you a better chef. Or buying a better bike makes you a better bicycler. Or buying a better horse makes you a better equestrian. Or buying a better computer makes you a better gamer. Etc.
Damn it just bought the xti, very cheap tho, hehe now I know why
I was not going to update my Rebel XT till the new 5D replacement comes.... but looking at the price and features of this baby I am having second thoughts about it now...
1) Pic 13 is a Nikon, I can tell by the power switch and hideous button layout. 2) Speaking of buttons, there's a new one on the XSI between the shooting mode dial and the jog dial... But the silkscreening is obstructed in all your shots... WHAT DOES THE BUTTON DO?!?! :P
Actually you are right about the button layout but not about the camera brand. It is actually a Fuji SLR who use Nikon SLR bodies. I can tell from the SP1 SP2 etc. options on the dial.
Still definitely NOT a Canon though :)
And thank god for no 5D replacement as I would hate for my invesment to be obsolete :)
Never need to leave seems a little overstated.
Does it have better than a tiny toy tunnel of an eye piece yet....
When I looked at canon before, the pictures it produced were fine.
But, the handling was like an ungainly fisher price toy, with crappy little tunnel of an eyepiece.
Better handling and attention to such details definitely led me to pentax at the time.
Or does the new feature of live view now mean that the eye piece will become ignored in this level of cameras too?
I hope not... that would be a crying shame.
I wonder how everyone is accomplishing there live view ... prism I guess... funny how for the past several years, the company lines were all about not corrupting the light path with such shenanigans.. but now that the low end dslr market has bled into the prosumer camera space... all the cams have to have the live view!
Might be handy at times... but is almost surely a trade off in image quality.
It's all too bad as well, because it certainly leaves all the players free to slack off in relation to not improving the eye pieces, which were already very, very, very, very horribly sickly cousins of the often excellent eye pieces which were available on even lower end 35mm slrs back in the day.
And it's hard to get a good image, when you can't properly see if it is in focus or not.
- Mike
p.s. Having optically stabilized systems (or chip stabilized), while at the same time forcing people to try to hold a camera stable a foot or more in front of their face is one of the great ironic tragedies of modern camera design.
This is another BIG reason I hope the new gotta-have dslr feature of live view doesn't promote declining design interest in the eye piece.
But... I know it will. I just know it.
Oh.. feeeewwwie.
- Mike
No prism involved in the Xsi live-view. It's a feed straight from the image sensor. The viewfinder is also supposedly vastly improved from the Xti. Not as bright as say a 40D, but they say about the same size.
AFAIK the EOS 450D / XSi got no prism at all. The viewfinder is built from mirrors.
So you touched it and took some horrible, redundant photos.. anything else? What is this post for?
for lulz, obviously!
I have the XTi and provided the image quality is still there I will pick one of these up at release. I got the first XTi from the store I used to work at and hopefully my ex-boss can get me the first XSi too.
Larger LCD, larger viewfinder, Digic III, SD, better grip, improved auto focus, new CMOS sensor which supposedly helps decrease noise, Live View, sounds like a winner.
And while a lot of pros and pro wannabes talk trash about live view, only an idiot would say it has no use whatsoever. Some of these people would rather crawl around on their belly in the mud to compose a shot than admit that they use live view like "normal" people.
I've been in situations with my XTi where I can't physically get my head behind the camera, be it in a corner, or down low, or up above my head. In all of these situations I've had to shoot blind and hope for the best, often missing important shots. While practice might make perfect, I'd rather be able to glance at the LCD even at an extreme angle, to make sure I'm at least pointed at the subject.
But I'm not a pro so what do I know? I just want my camera to be a tool that is easy and fun to use.
Yes, you're right. Live view has its uses. I think the new Sony designs are quite smart to have an articulating/swiveling screen to really take advantage of it.
My point was that where all the talk used to be about it corrupting the dslr, now everyone has it.
My second point was that it is no substitute for a good eye piece, like it has been treated on pocket cameras.
And I hope its presence does not lave the manufacturers feeling as though the eye piece doesn't need attention too. I however, think that is just what will happen. And that is much to the detriment of these cameras if it does.
Live view makes precise focus often more difficult than with a good eye piece, and it also promotes holding the camera in a much less stable fashion.
It surely has its uses, but if I could only have live view or a decent eyepiece and not both.. I'd take the eyepiece without a moments thought.
That all being said, even the high end dslr eyepieces aren't very good by old slr standards.
- Mike
Please Canon, drop the 'xxi' or '###d' naming convention and make it a simple unique worldwide denomination...
At least the non-US name should be mentionned: Canon EOS 450D
No CF = no sale.
I don't get the switch in low-end SLR's to SD. It's not like the xsi is any smaller than the xti (nor should it be - the Rebels have always been a bit too small to really hold properly).
Well, maybe Canon's trying to push CF users to the higher-end bodies... and they'll probably succeed in my case.
As someone who's looking into getting a 'proper' SLR after having a powershot to muck about with for the past five years, I prefer SD cards for many reasons. Firstly; I can shove the card in my Wii for a quick slideshow. Secondly; they're getting really cheap. £15 seems to be the going rate for 4gb cards, so they're level with compact flash or slightly cheaper. They're also faster, comsume less power, and leave more space in the camera for more important things, such as a bigger battery.
I can understand if you've built up quite a collection of CF cards that you'd be peeved, though.
Yeah, I don't see the problem with SD either. My understanding is that it is physically a more robust design. And sizes/prices are certainly reasonable enough.
More and more common to get a built in SD slot on notebooks and stuff too.
I think compact flash has more or less seen its day.
- mike
Having worked with SD and CF cards quite a bit, I can tell you from experience that SD is neither "faster" nor "more physically robust" than CF cards. CF cards have the ability to be faster than SD cards, as well as being more durable.
Can it do video?
I want this SOOO bad.
Oh, and here's a review of the (relatively) new glass that seems to come as a kit with the camera;
http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/Canon%20EOS%20Lens%20Tests/181-canon-ef-s-18-55mm-f35-56-is-test-report--review
Tasty and cheap, basically.
Who has 2 thumbs and just got an XTi for christmas... THIS GUY...
So disappointing that a better camera is released within 1 month of my gift.
My real question is whether the XSi will have the same XTi flash issue - unable to take more than 20 photos on the built in flash in fast succession. I know for true quality and to dismiss the issue you should have a speedflash, but sometimes you just have no reason to lug one of those around.
If no flash issue, the additions to the XSi make it such a dramatically better camera at such a mildly elevated price point, it makes XTi recent buyers feel totally and completely screwed with a big rubber one.
Addition of 2mpxls, no big deal
Addition of: live view, Image stabilization lens, SD, ALL big deals for just a $200-300 increase at price point.
Even Speedlights and other flashes have a recycle capacity limit. the XSi likely has the same limit that our XTi's have.
Personally, Live View and 2MP arn't worth considering an upgrade for me, SD is a downgrade from CF, and if I really want IS on a cheap lens, I could pick up the same 18-55 IS for around $200, but I'd rather have the 17-55 f/2.8 IS.
Meant to reply to this. See my comments below.
Crap. Quotes arn't working right.
your comment system is busted...
Not bad, for a vacation camera.
Just to be anal - the XTi had the 9 point autofocus.
this is a pretty sweet deal... bit pricier than the XTi, but Canon did a great job updating. Everyone should take a look at Nikon's "new" D60- not much going on there for the same bloody price! I'll definately be looking into one of these once I get the funds.