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iPhone nips at Rebel XTi's heels for most popular cam on Flickr
Yes, even the best cameraphones take crappy pictures by camera standards, but there's one thing phones will always have over their more optically-adept cousins: convenience. The fact that you always have your phone with you, it can often geotag, and it's got an always-on, always-available data connection for uploads to photo sharing sites are all factors giving handsets an edge in the fight to dominate Flickr. Add in the fact that we're approaching just-good-enough picture quality for everyday use on the upper end of the phone spectrum with the latest 5, 8, and 12 megapixel models, and, well... you've got a recipe for an upset. After briefly showing it having pulled ahead yesterday, Flickr's stats currently have the iPhone in all its flavors neck-and-neck with Canon's Digital Rebel XTi for upload popularity after a stark, sudden jump presumably spearheaded by the launch of the 3GS -- and given the trending we're seeing, it seems like it's just a matter of time before the iPhone pulls ahead for good. Granted, Flickr's pooling all iPhone models into a single stat, which isn't really fair -- philosophically, that's not much different from grouping every Digital Rebel together -- but the fact remains that this speaks volumes about the modern cameraphone's value as a serious photographic tool. [Via pocket-lint and Los Angeles Times]
Canon's EOS 400D / Rebel XTi DSLR reviewed
With the Rebel XT's popularity, it's understandable that Canon has made their XTi update plenty familiar to its predecessor, but they've also mixed in some snazzy enhancements that should suite the budget DSLR crowd quite well. Camera Labs was quick on the draw with their review, and they definitely seemed to like what they saw. For starters, the new 10.1 megapixel CCD surpasses Canon's own higher-end EOS 30D for resolution, but if you've already go a Rebel XT you probably won't notice the bump in resolution, and Camera Labs recommends perhaps springing for a new lens instead. The XTi continues its impersonation of the 30D with an identical nine-point auto focus system and easily readable 2.5-inch LCD, and again surpasses the pro-DSLR with its fairly extensive anti-dust features. There are notable differences, however, since the XTi maintains the relatively "cheap" and small feel of the XT, along with lacking a few other pro features. The new Rebel also lacks anti-shake of its arch-rival, the Sony Alpha A100 -- you'll need to spring for an expensive Image Stabilized lens to gain the feature. Overall the XTi brings speedy shooting, nice pics, low noise and a good price to a highly competitive budget DSLR market, and just might come out the winner.[Via Digital Photography Blog]
