Canon's Rebel XSi turns up in retail spy shot

You know that Rebel XSi we saw pop up on Amazon? Well thanks to a tipster, we now know it's appearing in more than one location. That photo above shows one of these babies fresh out of a shipping crate at Best Buy -- so if you've been saving your pennies, they could find their way into the hands of a blue-shirted sales associate any day now.

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 11th 2008 10:48AM]

I have a theory why these shots are always so blurry.

The employees in all these places are afraid their manager will catch them and fire them if caught taking picutres of products, especially if they are not officially supposed to be released.

Or customers take quick shots for fear that they will be thrown out the store.

Or its the same malfunctioning camera with a busted lens focus mechanism that's been passed from person to person over the last 15 years whenever a tech photo opportunity comes up.

[Brodie @ Apr 11th 2008 11:01AM]

I think that same camera is also passed around to take pictures of Big Foot, The Loch Ness Monster and UFOs...

[Aashish Jain @ Apr 11th 2008 11:02AM]

Maybe they should've unleashed the rebel and used it to shoot the box?

[linkbeat @ Apr 11th 2008 12:12PM]

My theory was that these photos are taken by people who bust out their cell phone w/ camera from their crumb infested pocket. Unless of course I'm completely unaware that everyone carries a point and shoot camera whereever they go.

[Tinu @ Apr 11th 2008 3:23PM]

Actually, once these product shots are taken, they are passed through a mandatory "Photoshop Blur" filter. Thats all. :-D :-D.

[Chris @ Apr 11th 2008 10:49AM]

Haven't these been out in europe for a few weeks?

[Husar @ Apr 11th 2008 11:55AM]

yeah same in AUS, couple o weeks though its called 450D here

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Apr 11th 2008 10:51AM]

if it would land in best buys hands, wouldn't they just have the geek squad to break them all and blame the consumers? That's really how it is sadly though...

[Janvier @ Apr 11th 2008 10:51AM]

Wow, that box is pretty cheesy, straight out of the 80s.

[Hotrod @ Apr 11th 2008 12:37PM]

For real. Even Canons point and shoot cameras have way nicer packaging. If my a200 came in a similar box, I'd have been a little hesitant at the cash register.

[daaper @ Apr 11th 2008 3:25PM]

I honestly thought it was another segment of "keepin' it real fake" after looking at that box...

[Lupo @ Apr 12th 2008 1:42AM]

i like it, it tells everyone around me i resist authority with photography

[hrt @ Apr 11th 2008 10:55AM]

Is that "sunburst" in on the box part of the logo, or just the flash? It's not down on the bottom right logo, so I certainly hope not...

[Colin Nowra @ Apr 11th 2008 11:03AM]

I can easily buy it here in Montreal. Just realized that the release date is later this month.

It was the same with the 40D when it came out.

[Meldon @ Apr 11th 2008 11:21AM]

Where in Montreal can I buy it?

[Colin Nowra @ Apr 11th 2008 11:29AM]

There is a store called Black's at the Fairview mall, I buy all my camera equipment from them.

[FNG @ Apr 11th 2008 11:09AM]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8794691&st=8794691&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1205537713445

[Lloyd Frisbee @ Apr 11th 2008 11:16AM]

No image stablization either?

[Sukhminder @ Apr 11th 2008 11:50AM]

IS is found in the lense, not the camera.

[dexter fillmore @ Apr 11th 2008 2:45PM]

not always; sony's alpha has ccd based IS.

[amitagarwal @ Apr 11th 2008 11:16AM]

What's the big deal? This thing has already been out a few weeks here in Toronto. Henry's had them since the end of March.

[Dirkus @ Apr 11th 2008 2:34PM]

This is no big deal, I'm not sure why people get all worked up about it. "OMG OMG OMG THEY'RE SHIPPING A CAMERA THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO SHIP! QUICK! GET FUZZY CELLPHONE SPY SSHOTS OF THE BOX AND MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT!!!!11"

I've been playing with one for the past week at work. I like it well enough, though I personally liked having the ISO button on the back and the drive mode button on the top myself. High ISO noise in the images is nonexistent at normal ISO's, and still quite bearable even at ISO 1600. Some of the new features are kinda gadgety though... if I ever see someone shooting pictures with live view on an SLR as if they had a point-n-shoot, I'd be hard pressed to suppress the urge to beat them within an inch of their life with their own camera.

My rating? Good piece of kit, decent backup for a pro, great camera for the advanced amateur, I'd buy one today if I had the cash to spend on it. If you're more of a Joe Consumer, do yourself a favor and buy a point-n-shoot instead, I'd suggest the Canon S5-IS.

[Mike D @ Apr 11th 2008 11:20AM]

you can clearly see that the date on that picture has been modified.. obviously this picture is from the future

[roach @ Apr 11th 2008 11:32AM]

waaaaiiiiiit whhhaaaattttt?

shows April 10th for me... It's the 11th today....

[Mehul @ Apr 11th 2008 11:41AM]

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Canon-EOS-Rebel-XSi-12-2-Megapixel-DSLR-Camera-with-18-55mm-f-3-5-5-6-IS-Lens-Black-REBELXSI1855K/sem/rpsm/oid/205977/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Its ready to be ordered and available in most Circuit City's.

[rifter @ Apr 11th 2008 11:41AM]

The XSi uses in-lense stabalization, instead of in-camera stabalization.

[RCL1221 @ Apr 11th 2008 11:45AM]

cool?

[Leejin @ Apr 11th 2008 11:53AM]

The photo was taken with my poopy xv6700's camera.

Why so many haters?
Canada=Lame

It does come with a true IS Lens though.

A freaking steal at only $899.99

[Matt @ Apr 11th 2008 12:07PM]

The Best Buy I work at got two in yesterday as well. All stores should see them by the next merch kit. They are street dated for 4/20 though.

[Scott @ Apr 11th 2008 12:16PM]

I hope they weren't using the XSi for that picture.

[Ben Griffiths @ Apr 11th 2008 12:30PM]

The flash seems to be conveniently over the XS (this bit)

Could just be a T

[kyle @ Apr 11th 2008 2:24PM]

yeah, that definitely looks like it says XSt. however, a quick google shows that there is no such thing as a canon rebel xst, so it must just be a trick of the light.

[Alex @ Apr 11th 2008 1:03PM]

Picked one up at my local camera store here in San Francisco last night. They're slowly showing up, and are definitely in warehouses.

[eduvilanova @ Apr 11th 2008 1:13PM]

Hi, I'm from barcelona, and the european model (eos 450d) is out on sale (in fact from end of march). I bought it a week ago with the default lens 18-55 IS for 749 EUR. It's really well built and the photo quality is stunning.

You can read some opinions from the owners at http://www.canonistas.com/foros/forumdisplay.php?f=87

[Jon Doe. @ Apr 11th 2008 2:19PM]

Dear Canon,

Love your hardware...but please drop the Rebel name and go with the more professional name xxxD. At minimum it makes google searches 10x easier because there is a single device name. Rebel is a vestige of yesteryear that needs to be dropped.

[Frejole Breeze @ Apr 11th 2008 2:28PM]

I got one!!!! Circuit City near the Galaria in Houston...had 3, I got number 3. Woo hoo!!

[LilBigKahuna @ Apr 12th 2008 1:47AM]

Haha, hey Frejole I got one of the other two from CC at the galleria ... you did know about the 10% coupon online though right? It knocked the price down to $810

[Aaron @ Apr 11th 2008 2:59PM]

Blacks Photography has had them for a few weeks. I love to play with it at work :)

[gozer @ Apr 11th 2008 4:53PM]

absolutely.

been eyeing one at yorkdale for a few days now.

[KorruptioN @ Apr 13th 2008 9:20AM]

The Black's Photography in the Eaton Centre (downtown Toronto) have one as well, confirmed.

[Dean Gray @ Apr 11th 2008 3:02PM]

I've had a go of one of these when they came out over here in the UK and i have to say, they're very overpriced.
They're a good step up from the 400d, but for around the same money, you can get a 40d, which is a proper camera.

[t.readyroc @ Apr 11th 2008 3:26PM]

a quick pricegrabber search turns up the xsi in more than one u.s. e-tailer...

[Evan @ Apr 11th 2008 3:35PM]

I just put mine out at Best Buy. It is nice. I don't know why canon has xti, xsi, xt or names.... the euro names are so much easier.....

[luke @ Apr 11th 2008 4:32PM]

if this was taken at bestbuy, why is there a stack of soda-pop bottles in the background?

ive never seen a pop machine at my local best buys...

[casey @ Apr 12th 2008 5:49AM]

Every store has drinks stocked up in the back to refill the fridges at the front lanes.

[Leo Bricker @ Apr 11th 2008 5:15PM]

I was at Best Buy picking up the 2008 Streets and Trips and saw the XSi in the DSLR display.

[hybridvigor88 @ Apr 11th 2008 5:34PM]

they arrived yesterday at circuit city in paramus i think theres one left...

[Kyle Heon @ Apr 11th 2008 5:51PM]

It's true. I just picked mine up at the Portsmouth, NH Best Buy around 5PM. They don't have them out on display or anything but if you ask, they probably will have some in stock.

[adam dubinsky @ Apr 11th 2008 6:08PM]

Got mine in the burbs of Chicago today, cannot wait to get home and play!

[casey @ Apr 12th 2008 5:48AM]

The Best Buy I work at in Houston received a couple XSis on the Wednesday truck. We sold out of them by 1:30 pm on Thursday...