All controls and displays are right where you need them.

Canon Digital Rebel XT reviews (210) Best selling D-SLR series! Canon has fully redesigned the Digital Rebel XT series to make it lighter, smaller, better and even more feature loaded. Pro's, 1. Excellent image quality. 2. Faster than any P&S digicam out there. No perceptible shutter lag! 3. Can change your lens. That may not seem anything new to SLR folks but the P&S crowd has been buying gazillion-MP $500+ digicams with crappy fixed lens. 4. Large image sensor compared to 7MP Sony's or other XMP digicams. Gives you better picture quality and colors. 5. Priced right, unlike some overpriced D-SLR out there, probably because Canon sells many more units. 6. The menu on the Canon cameras is light years ahead of most other manufacturer's. Lots of manual options and image processing features. 7. LCD screen is bright and fluid, although it doesn't use any new technology like OLED etc. 8. Uses standard CF cards, unlike propretary memory cards like Memory Stick or xD card. You can buy 1GB for an affordable price. 9. Lots of lens & accessory options from Canon and other vendors. Con's, 1. The camera is still quite heavy and big. I guess that will remain so for most D-SLR's, for a while atleast. 2. Not for professional use, only prosumer quality. 3. Quite an expensive camera, out of reach of most people (unlike film SLR's). When other manufacturer's get it right, the price should fall significantly. 4. LCD screen could have been bigger for such a bulky camera. 5. Wish they come up with a way to show approximate picture for framing on LCD before shooting. Viewfinder is too cumbersome & old fashioned. I am almost sure Rebel XT will be THE best selling D-SLR of 2005, just like original Rebel in 2004. Ofcourse depending on your lens collection and requirements there are very good offerings from Nikon and Pentax too. But compared to original Rebel this a nice improvement and highly recommened. You can read more on professional camera review websites. Excellent Pictures Review in April 2006 I upgraded from Powershot G2 and very happy with the results. This is my first SLR camera so I have a lot to learn on using different features this camera offers but the so far the family pictures taken indoors are excellent. I can see a big difference in quality over G2. I read a lot of user reviews about this camera and I chose not to get the kit lens as suggested by many reviews at various sites. I got 50MM and 28-135 IS lenses to go with it and planning to get a 100-300 IS in the future to complete the set. Very Happy! Another stunning winner from the bright minds at Canon I spent three hours yesterday playing with the brand-new Canon Digital Rebel XT digital SLR camera, and man, was I impressed. I hadn't been too impressed with the original Digital Rebel, except for its revolutionarily low price (for a d-SLR), because it was slow and felt slimsy. The new DR XT is quite different. Even though it's 3 ounces lighter than the original DR -- mostly due to the use of a smaller battery; see below -- its smaller form factor actually makes it feel more solid and "real". In other word, unlike the original DR, this one feels professional, not toy-like at all. By now you probably already know Canon makes some of the best digital cameras in the world. Even though I'm a Nikon shooter when it comes to d-SLR (sorry, loyal Canon shooters!), I own a couple Canon compact digital cameras and love them, too. The DR XT's image quality is once again excellent. I took a few indoor shots with the camera, both with and without flash, and then the store clerk let me download them to their PC. The JPEG pictures (I didn't try RAW) looked excellent on the Sony LCD screen, on par with the more expensive EOS 20D d-SLR. Color tones were accurate and the resolution was really good. The improvement picture quality over the original DR ("DR Classic"? BTW it's now $200 cheaper) comes from both the 2 extra megapixels and the better color accuracy. BTW, the DR XT reportedly uses a tecchnically different CMOS sensor than the original DR, although I haven't been able to find out exactly how this one is better in technical terms than the old one (other than the two extra megapixels). No matter, my limited true-world testing showed the image quality is indeed better than the already-excellent image quality of the original DR. And, as in the past, Canon does a wonderful job at keeping noise low -- I considered noise acceptable up until ISO 800. The kit, which I recommend, comes with the same flimsy 3x EF-S lens (which won't work on regular film SLRs) as the original DR. You should most definitely get a better lens, although the kit lens works well as a "street zoom." I didn't get a chance to test the lens outdoors as the store wouldn't let me take it outside, but I have no doubt that this new model can only be better than the original DR, which was already very good even before you considered its low price. The DR XT is fast: at last, you can turn it on and start shooting without waiting several seconds like you had to with the original DR. The only downside compared to the original DR is the smaller, lighter battery in the DR XT also means shorter battery life. I highly recommend you get an extra battery or two. You won't be able to go through a full day of shooting on just one battery, even if you don't use flash much. (But all pros and pro-wannabes use fill-in flash, don't we?) I also recommend a good camera bag; I personally like Tamrac for that. In addition to the spare battery (batteries), bag and a better lens or two, also consider getting a tripod (Sunpak ones are cheap but ok quality), an external flash as well as filters -- esp. a high-qual circular polarizing filter. In summary, the Canon Digital Rebel XT is another stunning winner from Canon. It features faster speeds (start-up and shot-to-shot), excellent image quality, and terrific look-and-feel. Despite my personal preference for Nikon pro-level gear, I can recommend this Canon d-SLR to my friends without reservation. Feel free to e-mail me at gadgester @t hotmail with your questions and commends. My first SLR - a review of a different color I researched this camera and lenses online, and chose it for my first SLR. I have previously have a Nikon 900 and a Nikon 990, both used for web-product photography, currently I have a Nikon 8700. When I went in to buy the XT Rebel, they sold me a filter kit and said "with these you'll never need PhotoShop." That was amusing, since I'm not a photog (I'm a computer person) and I love PhotoShop. According to my online research, the filters can double as a lens protector, so I got them in case I ever felt the need to reach for them. This review is not a performance review of the XT Rebel because I don't know how to use the camera well enough to exercise all its features. What I do wish to convey are the differences between a Nikon 8700 type camera, "P&S" (point and shoot), versus my first SLR camera, this Canon XT Rebel. It took me a long time to realize that these constitute two entirely different kinds of cameras. Autofocus: this SLR has an autofocus capability on steroids. My Nikon takes great photos, on a tripod or if I'm sitting. But should I try something as simple as pointing it at one of the small furry creatures living here too, it generally won't (auto-) focus. And you can't focus it otherwise, really, because you can't tell through the viewfinder or LCD whether it's truly focused, as compared to viewing it on your computer. FINALLY with the XT Rebel I can point it, hold down the snapshot button halfway, and get an instant autofocus. It's like The Terminator locking in on whatever you're pointing at. I am so happy. A minor difference is that the LCD monitor on the XT Rebel cannot be used as a viewfinder for shooting, you MUST look through the viewfinder. That means smooshing your face up against the back of the camera. I think they sell little viewfinder hoodies to alleviate that. Memory: this type of camera allows many shots in quick succession, which I have no plans on using. But this is one of the major differences between the two camera types: this XLR has a large amount of memory in the camera body, else it would be impossible to take so many photos so quickly. It takes a while to load large photos onto a CF card. What I don't understand is why manufacturers and reviewers don't list (or figure out) how much memory is in the camera itself...this would seem like a fundamental spec, like the various levels of cache on different CPUs, even within the same product family. It would certainly have helped me catch on much earlier to the differences between the two camera types, if this spec had been waved around at all. I purchased a Sandisk 1 Gb Extreme III card, which supposedly has a 133X speed rating. But it seems like you don't need that speedy of a card, given the buffer memory in the body of the XT Rebel. You could just buy a cheap 4 Gb IBM microdrive, I think. Zoom: on my Nikon 8700 camera, you push a lever to zoom in or out, with an accompanying SHZZZZZ sound as the lens moves in or out, slowwwly. For the XT Rebel, you grab the zoom part of the lens and twist it. The other part of the lens that can be twisted is the focus part...I'll leave that to photogs. On this XT Rebel the lens does NOT MOVE to autofocus. An internal mechanism inside the lens does that, and very quickly too. The Canon lens can have a USM, Ultra Sonic Motor, which means that the internal focusing mechanism is damn fast. Although I bought the kit version in black with the EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, I haven't used it yet. It turns out the best Canon lenses have an "L" designation, so I bought a Canon EF 24-70/2.8 L USM (77MM). The first set of numbers, 24-70, means a zoom range (remember that I'm not a photog ;-), and the "2.8" means...well, it's complicated. It's called an "f-stop" and means how big the aperture is, or lens opening to feed the pixel sensor. A larger aperture is denoted by a smaller number, and it means the lens is better in low-light situations. This spec is also (annoyingly) called a "speed" setting. Indeed, I am annoyed at many of the specs being related to a 35mm film camera, a relic of the previous century. There is an apparent purpose though: as the prices keep coming down and the technology has moore oomph, the consumer digital cameras will finally match the historical ratings of film cameras in some way. That's why there's a "(77MM)" spec on that last lens, something to do with comparison to the old film cameras. The lens I bought, the EF 24-70/2.8 L USM, is heavy, 2.1 pounds. It totally dominates the camera body, and two hands must be used for a shot, one to grab the lens. The kit is much smaller and probably doesn't require two hands. The next lens I might buy is the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM Lens. The "IS" stands for Image Stabilization, which is within the lens itself, and can be toggled on/off. The thing about having 8 megapixel cameras is that the slightest movement when shooting might cause a blur. I've been able to hand-hold my new camera-lens for indoor shots with no problem though. The IS in the other lens will help fixup such a problem, like stabilization on a camcorder. Otherwise, use a tripod. Here are detail pages on the two lens: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-24-70mm-f-2.8-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-200mm-f-2.8-L-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx The second lens is so heavy that it is the lens that mounts onto a tripod, not the camera!!! This is an excellent site for a hard-core review of the XT Rebel / EOS 350D: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/canoneos350d/ The Canon Xt Rebel has effortlessly taken great pictures for me, indoors. It hasn't been outside yet. The download-directly using USB didn't work for me at first try. I am looking forward to getting that working because it means I won't have to pull the CF card in and out. To good to be true This is in response to the "to good to be true", if you think it is to good to be true, it probably is. Amazon should find a way to monitor these vendors cause they are going to rip you off. I don't know what the answer is but it is out there. E-mail one of these vendors, ask them why their prices are so low? You will most likely get a response about "my little secret", "direct form the factory", "very limited offer" - Sucker lines. Also notice that people selling these items are "just launched" with no reviews, and an e-mail address on yahoo or similar easy setup account. I would not trust a $500 purchase to a "just launched", mayby $5 but no more. In response to the Digital Rebel XT, I don't have mine yet, on order but have played around with one yesterday, positive details all over the web if you want a quality review. For the money it is a great buy, wont be perfect but if you want perfect you will need to spend $2000 plus, so all in all this is going to be a popular DSLR. My main point is spent the $1000 for the Drebel XT don't get suckered by some scam artist. Strong Camera with many improvements. Love it. I bought this camera about a week ago to replace my film-based Rebel G. My previous digital experience was with a 2MP Canon Powershot S100. I'm not a professional photographer, but I really like taking photographs (vs. snapshots). Canon has bundled a lot of goodies into a small, sturdy camera base that has proven iteself very capable to me. The contents of the package include a battery, the camera base, 3 CD with software and PDFs, a USB 2.0 connector, a video connector, a battery charger, a 18-55mm EF-S lens, a strap, and a manual. You'll need to provide your own CompactFlash card. I personally selected a 1GB Ultra II card, which will shoot about 70 RAW+JPEG images, or 275 Large JPEGS. The battery arrives already charged, so I could immediately take pictures. Kudos. That is a favor that I appreciate. I shot a hundred pictures before getting home. The Digital Rebel XT has the familiar basic mode and creative mode control dial on the top. They have added an "On/Off" switch, which was not present on my film-based Rebel G. The consistency in the controls made it possible for me to shoot my first pictures right away, though there are some features to read the manual for: the TTL flash metering discussion, the nuances of choosing the AF mode, and how the basic mode operation decides which ISO speed to use were the topics I found myself most interested in this week. Pictures look really sharp and colorful up to the ISO 400 setting. ISO 800 and 1600 can be safely used if you are looking for a particular effect, are shooting where a flash and tripod are not permittted, or in other very low light situations. It's going to be pretty grainy, but with the included software tools, it can be compensated for to a limited extent. The on-camera flash is not great, but it is very good for a built-in flash. In a pinch, it'll work, but serious picture taking will require an external flash. The included software products have both PC and Mac versions, a boon to Mac users. My Canon snapshot camera only included PC software. Canon bundles a RAW image editor that is handy if you shoot RAW. iPhoto's RAW "support" isn't adequate for adjusting photos. Otherwise, the included software isn't much better than the iLife suite, unless heavy image manipulation is required. In that case, Photoshop is a better choice anyhow. PC users will get some use out of the photo editing software, though. TIP: If you are loading pictures onto a newer Mac with iPhoto, set the Communication Method on the camera to PTP/Print, NOT PC Connection. Otherwise, the Mac won't find the camera. That detail doesn't appear anywhere in the manual, though PTP/Print is the default (but not the intuitive) setting. The lens is OK. It's a decent value for $100, but I wish it would mount to a film camera in addition to a digital EF-S mount. Remember the focal length multiplier when you plan to share your lenses between film and digital cameras. A 50mm all-around lens on a film camera is a 80mm moderate telephoto lens on the Rebel XT. The strap is lousy. You'll want a different strap unless ithcy, sweaty, rubberized material is your idea of a comfy strap. I decided not to use it. To sum up, this camera really impressed me. The resolution is great, the images are as good as I could reasonably expect from my camera skills, and the total paackage operates well together. Areas where Canon could improve the package include: 1. Ship it with an EF lens, not an EF-S 2. Ship it with better quality accessories. That strap is terrible. 3. Include a CF card. 4. Ditch the unnecessary tools from the bundle of software. Every OS has photo management software built in. If that's not adequate for someone, they've probably already bought a package that they use. Otherwise, I loved it. Followup 25-March-2005: This is a followup comment to my review on the Rebel XT. The reason I've decided to follow up is that I've seen a lot of people equating the Digital Rebel XT to the Canon 20d because it has similar features and resolution. The conclusion, then, that the 20D is not worth the extra $599 is what has me concerned. Take note: the Canon EOS 20D has an expected shutter life of 150,000 photographs. The Canon Digital Rebel XT has an expected shutter life of 50,000 photographs. What does this mean to you? Well, if your shutter dies after 50,000 pictures, even within the warranty period, it counts as normal wear and tear, and you have to pay to have it fixed. If your 20D quits after 50,000 snaps, you get a new shutter free of charge. It turns out that the cost to have a shutter repaired on an XT is about half of the price difference. So figuring in expected depreciation of the camera based on shutter life, the two cameras are similarly priced. Don't trust the guys with cheaper prices nor Amazon!!! In response to the post about buying from those 'new & used' sites, BEWARE! Make sure you do your homework and don't be drawn into something you can't easily undo (even if you're close to NY city they won't provide a real address). Likewise if you used, as I did, a search to find vendors outside Amazon. My suggestion is to get into Google and look up as much info as you can on a potential storefront or even a user. Last night I was considering buying from the one offering a Canon 20D for about $750! After checking them out, I discovered multiple complaints and nothing that indicated they were a legitimiate enterprise. Although I was torn between the XT and the 20D, I decided to place an order with Amazon for the XT. Now, I notice a post that says his delivery date for this item from Amazon is 2 months out! My order was immediately 'processed' so I can't change it, but you can bet I will do whatever it takes if I have to wait that long. The 20D was available for immediate shipment, so I may regret not ordering it. I'll update this post to share how this works out... Since my original post, I have sent Amazon 2 messages to try to cancel my Rebel XT order (and then order the 20D). I have heard nothing back in 2 days. Note that the Amazon order page for this item says 'you can cancel your order at any time'. Not true, as mine says it's being processed and no changes can be made. Yet, it has not actually shipped nor do I expect it to anytime soon. Ad also says 'first come, first served' 'as soon as it's available'. So why not let me change my order rather than place it in limbo where I now am stuck with whatever date they decide to ship it? Not good customer relations! Although I'm a big advocate of Amazon, I feel I'm getting screwed on this transaction. Hope someone is reading this as well as the 2 inquiries I have made... It's now Friday - 3 days since my order was locked in - and to my surprise the camera has just been shipped!!! I never received a reply to my customer service inquiries, so I'll now have to be content with this purchase. I'm sure this will be a great product but I'm still a bit miffed about the lack of flexibility in changing the order. The morale is to be sure you're absolutely sure about what you want before hitting the 'place order' button. Wow!! Spend the extra cash! I used a friends 10d a couple of weeks ago and was really impressed but was scared off with the price. I saw this come up and wanted to be able to use it for live action and just to take pictures and not wait for all the stuff like my 3.2 mp Olympus. I am not a Photog geek just a dad that had a wife that hated the other camera. I saw this come out and waited. It rocks, there are some nitpicks from web reviewers but this camera is cool! I will eventually get another lense probably the 135mm with IS. I am not a detail person as far as pro and cons go but fast recharge on the battery is great. I can only say it is the coolest thing with photography I have ever bought. I can take picture after picture with no problem or delay and delete want I want. Without paying for my mistakess. Live motion pictures not movies, are possible. It is for taking pictures. I have rambled but is it worth it. Amazon with their Prime is awesome beat Newegg.com on their Lexar 8x 1gb CF cards for their product including shipping!!! just right I'm an amature photographer and I've been using the Rebel XT for about a week. I've also used the Original Rebel and the Nikon D70. This is purely an anecdotal review..if you want techs and specs: go to www.dpreview.com First impressions: the XT is much smaller versus the rebel and D70. plastic body looks a little cheap. Even thought the D70 and Rebel are also plastic...they seem to have a better build quality and finish. ergonomics: feels a little uncomfortable at first to hold, maybe becuase it is so small. i don't know how balanced the camera wil be with a larger lens than the kit lens. performance: I feel the XT is better than original rebel and D70. Much faster and more responsive camera. instant power on, which the Rebel doesn't have. Good sized buffer for taking continuous shots. AF is fast and accurate. Controls are easy to access and logically laid out. The LCD however, is very difficult to see in sunlight as compared to the D70 which has a better qulity LCD. Picture quality: to the naked eye..the pictures are fantastic. On par with the 20D..but i'm sure if you look at more technical reviews, the XT falls short. overall, i like this camera alot. It's like a 20D but smaller and lighter! The Rebel XT is a joy to operate. As simple as a Point & Shoot when you want it to be, yet as advanced as a profesional level SLR when you NEED it to be! Now I know there are some features that the 20D has that this camera does not (ISO3200, and an extra 1fps) but thats all software controlled and hopefully will be unlocked soon buy our friends that brought us the Wasia hack for the original 300D Rebel. Buy this Camera! this is for Larry L Hoffman If you can't get Amazon to respond by e-mail, call them at 800.201.7575. They don't publicize the number, but they do answer the phone. :) Nice upgrade from old DIGITAL REBEL!!! This camera is awesome. I tried it last night at BestBuy. They had it for only $949.00 here in Idaho but no black body. BestBuy only acquired silver body only. Besides the point, this little DSLR is awesome in my opinion. Eventhough I love my old digital rebel with upgraded firmware, i think I want to add this to my canon collection rather than 20d. Since I do this for my wedding business, the one thing I was impress was is the E-TTL II function. Even if you point the camera for closed up picture, the flash from the camera will fire evenly. It didnt put it to one spot where it's focusing, which is great. I think it works like I-TTL balanced fill flash with Nikon D-70. Flash and wedding is a tough job to conquer. You think you know it, you have no idea that flash fotography is challenging. THat's why you we get paid thousands to have excellent picutres come up with $1k camera. hehehehe...... I only use a cheapo but wonderfully work Sigma EF-500 DG SUPER. Awesome flash!!! The camera just a little small to hold and a bit not looking pro at all. But i,m gonna add the battery grip BG-E3 for better grip and pro look to it expecially when i add that zoom lens. besides, the battery grip will accept 2 proprietary batteries or 6 AA which i love. only costing me $12.99 for 6 2100mah batteries at costco rather than spending $45 more each for specific battery, which i forget what it is. But all in all, the camera is awesome, will work magic to someone's wedding. You don't have to go 20D for extra $500.00. Stick with this one, only missing 2 extra focusing point and some software controlled functions and no PC sync. Other than that, Quality just as the same. Awesome camera. Good (and Bad) First DSLR Experience Pros: Nearly instant power-on. Extremely fast focusing with kit lens AND sharp pictures at all focal lengths. Fast multiple-frame shots (3 fps) even with slow (4x) CF card. Low image noise at high ISO settings (vs. non-SLR digital cameras). Cons: Full Auto Exposure setting predominantly uses ISO 400 (instead of ISO 100) even in bright sunlight. No ability to frame shot using LCD (major SLR shortcoming). Focus screen and mirror dirty after just 3 days use (major SLR shortcoming). Small LCD which is difficult to see in bright sunlight. No retaining strap on lens cover. Detailed Review: I purchased Canon Digital Rebel XT with kit lens and 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens a week ago and have shot a wide variety indoors and outside with both lenses - 350 pictures total. The ability to change lenses and low noise at high ISO settings were the primary reasons this long-time non-SLR digital camera user purchased his first DSLR. The very good reported user experiences with the original Canon Digital Rebel, the availability of the new 8.2 megapixel Rebel XT for US$999, and a reasonable total user package price of $1500 after adding an image-stabilized Canon 75-300mm USM telephoto lens clinched the deal. With these two lenses I can cover a 35mm equivalent focal range of 27mm to 480mm and shoot clear, hand-held outdoor shots over entire range at ISO 100-400. Indoor telephoto shots up to 480mm are possible without flash, but I find ISO must be increased to 800 or 1600 for sharp hand-held shots. Very happy with the image quality of kit 18-55mm EF-S lens and the very fast focus times of this non-USM lens. It is also very light weight. I have found I mostly use Program exposure mode, since I can control the ISO setting, white balance mode, etc. I'm not happy with Full Auto Exposure mode choosing ISO 400 for outdoor shots in full sunlight (and all other shots). Why not use ISO 100? Granted, there is no noise visible in outdoor ISO 400 shots until you zoom in on monitor-displayed image and the noise is not visible in 8x10 prints from my Canon i950 8-color printer except in shadows. Using ISO 100 in Program mode mostly eliminates this shadow noise. I have found the A-DEP exposure mode useful for ensuring wider depth of field and sharp exposures, especially for telephoto shots. I have experienced more than a few grossly underexposed indoor flash pictures under fluorescent lighting (5-15 foot range) in Full Auto Exposure mode. Not sure what the problem is. Overall, however, I have been very pleased with the quality of the majority of pictures taken so far including: macro shots, portraits, landscape photos, flash macro shots (no camera shadow), indoor flash pictures, and telephoto (all hand-held). Camera is ready-to-go the instant you turn it on. Can review pictures immediately on pressing review button and zoom in up to 10X. LCD can be hard to see (both pictures and camera settings) in bright sunlight. Increasing LCD brightness to maximum helps. Viewfinder is bright and clear (duh, it's TTL optical) with good eye relief for eyeglass wearers. After an hour of outdoor shooting in windy conditions yesterday, however, a major problem developed. The focus screen located inside the top of the camera body AND the internal mirror got contaminated with dust and yellow tree pollen. I only had the internal camera body exposed for maybe 90 seconds total during the course of 4 lens changes. I was able to get the mirror clean but I could not completely clean the focus screen - it's impossible to access with the dust blowers I have. If I cannot keep camera internals clean over course of 3 days, what will happen over 6 months or a year of use? What if the digital sensor gets dirty? Also, I find the inability to use the LCD to frame pictures BEFORE taking them to be a BIG negative. YES, I realize this is a "feature" of SLR cameras, but it still sucks. For these two reasons, and the small LCD that is nearly unusable outdoors in bright sunlight, the camera has been returned. Guess I'm not cut out for a digital SLR. For those that are - the Canon Digital Rebel XT is a fine camera, and I can highly recommend the 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM lens. I also advise "try it - before you buy it" if this is possible, and definitely don't buy from a store that does not allow "no-questions-asked" "no restocking fee" returns for some period of time after purchase (2-4 weeks). Well worth every penny. Bought the black body--which feels sturdy, solid, expensive and comfortable in my hands--with an EF 24-85 1:3.5-4.5 zoom lens. I love this, my first SLR, camera. It's fast, takes big bright sharp pictures and has more features than I can imagine using right now. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade to an SLR from a point and shoot. Obviously, a pro would be limited by this camera, but not, yet, a regular user like me. My only beef so far is a minor quibble: custom white balance is a 5 or 6 step process I haven't mastered yet. The best thing I've ever bought The XT is amazing. The battery comes partly charged so you can immedietly start using the camera (thank you Canon!) I've already shot about 200 pictures with it and the battery hasn't died yet. I can't give you a comparison between the XT and the 20D as I haven't owned a 20D, I can tell you a few things you may wish to know before buying. This camera, is TINY. Extremely tiny. I'm a woman in my early twenties and I have small hands. The camera fits just right in my hands, but honestly, I don't see how someone with bigger hands would be 100% comfortable holding this. If my hands were any larger, they would be slipping off the bottom. I had tried holding a 20D at a camera shop once and it felt too large in my hands to grip. The camera size is perfect for me, but just beware if you have larger hands. You may want to look into the battery grip, or test out holding the camera at a store before you order it. See the picture I uploaded above to get a size relation and how the camera fits in my hands. For anyone who is migrating to this camera from a standard point and shoot digital camera, you cannot frame the image you are about to take using the LCD screen on the back. You must look through the viewfinder. The LCD screen is soley for menu use and preview mode after the picture has been taken, nothing more. Something I've noticed is the camera makes a ratteling sound when moved around. I couldn't figure out what the heck it was, and then I finally reazlized it's the hinges from the pop-up flash. It sounds like they are loose when the flash is closed. I went to Best Buy and looked at their display model, and yep, it has the same problem. Well, it's not really a *problem* but frankly something ratteling around like that sounds cheaply made to me. My Canon film SLR doesn't make that sound. I use a 420EX Speedlite flash with my SLRs so the popup flash doesn't concern me, but it was something I noticed and thought I would share. I love that Canon gave the option to have a black finish over a silver one. The startup time is instantaneous which is absolutely wonderful. The burst mode is excellent with 3 fps. It's extremely quiet. The image quality is excellent. You can get photo quality prints at 20x30, and even then I bet you could push it further. I really can't elaborate more then what other reviews have said. If you are looking for a step into the digital SLR world, this is the ticket. Or you can even check out the newly reduced original Digital Rebel, but for the extra hundred bucks or so, I would just get the XT. You will not be sorry. Two upgrades I would make right away: Get a Speedlite flash and the Canon 28-135mm lens. Also, I don't know why people are submitting bad reviews grading Amazon on shipping for the Rebel XT. When I preordered the XT from Amazon (not from another 3rd party), it said it would be released March 20th. I got my Rebel XT in the mail yesterday (the 22nd) which if you ask me, is pretty darn good. Want something right away? Then walk into a store and buy it instead of ordering from the internet. Awesome Camera! Totally satisfied! I purchased this camera a few days ago, and I like it more and more with each passing day. When I first held the camera in the store, I did not like the smallness of the camera. I have average sized hands, but the camera still felt too small. I have the original Canon Rebel, which always felt good in my grip. I purchased the Xt despite the size (i am a megapixel junkie) and I am glad that I did. This camera is small, but mighty. It is fast, sleek and caputres colors and subtle shadows flawlessly. I settled on the silver finish, which looks classy and solid. The original Rebel, although comfortable to hold, always looked a bit cheap, and too plastic like. The new Xt does not. I have yet to make an enlargement, but I am confident that I can go up to 16x20 inches without feeling a loss of quality. I am a high school art teacher with a degree in photography, so I have developed an eye for color and texture over the years. I am very demanding of my photographic equipment. I know that I will not be dissappointed with the Rebel Xt. I use a 512K memory card, which is on the small size, but does not seem to slow down the camera at all. I am delighted with this purchase. Considering the price difference between the Rebel Xt, and the Canon 20D, it does not make sense to spend $500.00 more for 1/2 a megapixel difference. I wouldn't be surprised if the Xt out performs and out sells the 20D. So, my advice is BUY this camera. It is lightweight, fast, sleek and delivers impressive results. It Is Cool SLR! I bought this camera right after I have seen it is comming up 2 amazon. This is my first SLR. It is really good and I like it and I am glad to have it! I was really suprised how light is it! If you hold it in your hands.. it just fit really good! I use 1gb flash card II and I can fit about 262 pictures on standart Large size and 118 in RAW format. Thats, I think, pretty good. Camera is really quick. I like the flash (you can change the flash exposure) I like the parameters and b&w filters. You also can change the white balance in many different ways. AF mode and metering mode is good too! In automatic modes everything works properly. One night it was snowing and I wanted to take some pictures at night about treets with snow on but it didn't let me take picture because of snowing... It is lot of work to set everything correctly but if you know how the picture look really pretty!!! I am also fine with the battery. Some reviewers criticises it but I like it. I was taking lot of pictures outside all day (without flash) and my battery is still ok.. so I can not say anything bad. The thing I don't like the most is the strap. It is cheap and non comfortable! I also bought the EH18 case for this camera but I am very disapointed, such as I wrote in the review about it. It is really complicated to put the camera out of the case and then after that you have to put the case somewhere because it doesn't have any strap. Also the front lens cap. You have to put it somewhere because it is not connected to the camera by any string or something. I am really enjoying this SLR. Now I need other accesories... I would love the 17-88 zoom lens but is expensive! The price of this camera is ok. I found it today $50 cheaper then I payed but it is ok. Also tripod and better case is needed. In the end, I really like this brand New Digital Rebel XT SLR! Great Camera! After some 400 photos, I have mixed feelings about the camera. I've been using non-DSLRs for four years, and have owned 5 of these. All of the others allow more consistent results than the XT. However, I am relearning my old SLR ways (the hard way). I LOVE the viewfinder and the speed! The housing looks good, but scratches easily. As with all DSLRs, it is exceptionally easy to get dust on the CMOS sensor (and difficult to clean). Sure wish they'd fix this (couldn't they put a charge on the sensor to repel rather than attract dust?)! AWB mode yields varying results (looking at a series of daylight photos taken in different directions seconds apart, it's amazing that some are overexposed, some underexposed, and some have obviously better white balance than others). Wish the ISO extended to 3200. Until a smaller, better build camera comes out, this will be the one! do not buy this!! I have had an EOS Elan Canon SLR 35mm for years and was very excited to get the digital equivalent when the Rebel XT came out. I brought the camera with me to the desert in S. Calif during this past wildflower bloom. I figured it would be the perfect camera for the variety of colors on display now in the desert. I cannot describe my disappointment with the camera. First of all, the camera quickly got a small amount of dust on the sensor (even without removing the lens) and ruined most of my pictures. I could remove it with Photoshop, but I don't want to go through that for the nearly 2000 pics that I took. Additionally, the color was horrible. I get better color from my Canon s400 elph. I tried using AV,Program mode, manual, landscape....all of them were problematic. Also, many of the pics were washed out. The main problem is the stock lens that comes with the camera. it is a very slow f3.5 lens. junk. buying a faster lens adds another grand to the total price. other sources of irritation: cannot use lcd screen to take pics. results in using the viewfinder and your nose squished up against the lcd screen. I am returning this tomorrow. that last dude is an idiot first of all, i dont know of many (if any) dSLR's that can shoot using the LCD. second, you obviously don't know how to use the camera, b/c if you're getting "washed out" photo's, that's an easy thing to fix using the exposure control. Also, the color is great on canon dSLR's, you obviously don't know how to control custom WB/saturation (you need to take a photo of a white piece of paper or card at the location and then "set" it as yor custom WB). Next is the fact that you used the kit lens. Don't blame the body for a cheap lens (although I think its decent for the wideangle). Finally, the dust on the sensor is your fault. you obviously don't know how to check and clean your camera. if you want a sealed-tight dSLR, you have to spend thousands. My advice for you is to stick with point and shoot. You're not ready for dSLR. Disappointed with this camera I have played with the new Digital Rebel XT for a day now and I am growing more and more diappointed with it. I had a Powershot Pro1 and I thought the Rebel XT was going to be an upgrade from the Pro1. So far I have taken over two hundred pictures, side by side, using both the XT and the Pro1. For each picture I used the same settings within the choosable range for both cameras. I have taken pictures in the evening, in the night when the light is very dim, and in a sunny morning in the outside. I set the focal length at 200 mm on the Pro1 and 130 mm on the XT, which were almost exactly equivalent. After I took the pictures I came inside and open them with Microsoft Digital Image Pro to compare side by side the pictures of the same objects taken by the two cameras. Without fail, when auto focus was used for both cameras, the Pro1 produced much sharper images and a much better depth of field. When I switched to manual focus, though, the XT did produce razor sharp image with full details. I am impressed with the speed of the Rebel XT as compared to the Pro1. But I do not want to focus manually all the time. My decision is to stick with my Pro1 and return the XT tomorrow. One word to the Canon engineers, finally. You guys are idiots, wasting such a good camera with such a lousy auto focus accuracy. Digital focus processor needs some tuning.... The circle is now complete: I started with film SLRs about 35 years ago, used them professionally in my job, but for personal use, I had gone to point and shoot film and recently point and shoot digital. I have not been happy with the sharpness of the point and shoot cameras so I thought it might be time to try the digital SLRs for sharpness and higher resolution. I ordered the silver body Rebel XT camera as I like it better than a faux pro black camera (this is afterall not a pro camera), and black cameras look dirty or dusty all the time. It came rapidly from Amazon.com. I have had mostly good pictures with this camera, but there are a few things I would add to the other posters. Pro: compact, light, fast, good in outdoor daylight. Cons: in incandescent light the AWB is only fair. The picture color is better if you set this manually in a manual mode rather than using the AUTO mode. Sometimes the autofocus has a tough time figuring out where things are indoors, and sometimes there is severe hunting, with an occasional focus which is way off. You can fool this autofocus in situations where the subject is further back than foreground objects unless you set the focus point ahead of time, which is usually not what you think about on the spot. ISO speeds in AUTO mode is 400, and cannot be set higher. You can set this to 1600 with very little noise in the non-auto modes. Kit lens is a bit soft in my example, despite good reviews. I got in a Tamron lens (28-75) which seems sharper, but some say this lens has a yellowish cast, which I have not seen yet. One other thing pointed out by the professionals: you have to wait till the buffer has saved the picts to the CF card or they will be lost. So long as the little red led has stopped flashing you are OK. Overall I am happy with this camera. I wish it were a bit more user friendly and intuitive, and there was more control over the ISO and AWB in auto modes. You can't expect the kit lens to be very good considering the price it is, but I would rather have a better prime lense than a cheap zoom which you have to replace anyway. Next time round I will just get a body and forget about the kit lens. For those looking to step up from a point and shoot film camera or a lessor digital, this is the right direction. I do wonder if I should have got the 20D instead, but for the difference in price, I got my Tamron lens and I am happy I did it this way. Good luck and happy picture taking to you all... Edit 4/10/2005: before doing my 24-75 zoom Tamron lens rebate, I wanted to be absolutely sure there were no front focus issues with this lens in this camera. Some have said the Tamron lens might have a front focus issue, and I spent a lot of time yesterday and today specifically looking for front focus problems, and found none. I took dozens of pictures indoors and out, with flash and without, and found no consistent problem worth sending the lens or camera back for. As I said above the focus is sometimes off indoors, probably due to low light, but much more often than not it is good. Outdoors today I shot some sharp pictures which focussed spot on, and I am pleased with the Tamron len's performance in my Rebel XT. Better than I am Fabulous camera - incredibly fast and accurate. Pictures are really awe inspiring. Very good software interface as well. Highly recommended. Canon Kiss Digital N (Digital Rebel XT) I'm stationed overseas so most companies won't let me buy cool electronics like the Digital Rebel XT so I went out on the Japanese economy. This is my first digital SLR. I've struggled trying to capture great shots of my daughters playing soccer, basketball, running track..etc., with the "enthusiast" zoom cameras. The Kiss Digital N is made in Japan and has a few minor differences from the U.S. model. The kit zoom 18-55 lens for instance is USM. I bought it as a kit with another Canon lens as well, a 55-200 EF. It's light, cheap, and good enough as I'll get to in a minute. In the end it was between the Pentax istDS or the Digital Rebel XT. After completing all of my research on-line it came down to Canon picture quality, and technology. Am I happy? So far this camera is light years ahead of any digital that I've owned. It's fast, the pictures are sharp if you understand the limitations of the lens you are using, and it's easy. My wife can use it just fine and she doesn't have a digital clue. For the enthusiast, there is plenty of stuff to play with. The 8 megapixel CMOS sensor produces amazing results. The soccer pics tell the story for me. The 55-200 EF produced some incredible shots. It's USM and focuses fast and sharp. It's not an "L" lens but I don't even know what that means! This camera will sell like crazy. Eventually I plan on buying a 35mm EF prime F2.0 lens, the wireless remote, the battery grip, and Canon Flash. Highly recommended. Top Notch digital I bought this camera as soon as it was available on Amazon, and have had it for about a month now. The experience has been fantastic. The pictures are nothing less than stunning. Colors are great, resolution is amazing, and the software package is very complete and easy to use. Probably the best features are the number of modes that are available, and the ease of use. It can be set to a full program mode, and used as a point and click snapshot camera by anyone at all, or put into full manual mode for the more experienced. I do have a couple of suggestions. Order this body without the Canon lens. I upgraded to a Sigma 28-300 mm Macro Zoom for about the cost of the original lens, and now have one lens for virtually any situation. Also, get top notch compact flash card. I bought high speed, 1 GB Lexar 80x flash because I really wanted the ability to take high speed repetative pictures. I was not disappointed. You can either take one picture after another about as fast as you can hit the sutter, or put the camera into repeat-shot mode and hold the shutter button down. This is a great feature. Also order a spare battery or two. It takes a lot of pictures on a single charge, but seems to go from a full battery indication down to dead real fast, so there's not a lot of warning that you need to charge up. All in all, a very outstanding bit of technology. Awesome! What an amazing small compact SLR camera! I was originally thinking of purchased the 20D but I found it a bit too big for my taste. The Digital Rebel XT is small and compact and perfect for my wife and I. Although small, the battery can easily shoot 230 shots in a single charge (20% using flash). I highly recommend this camera it's perfect for amateur/professional photographers. This is an excellent upgrade from my previous Canon G2. If you are new to photography I would recommend the G6 before this camera. But the best next step would be this one. Also, with the $700 dollars that I saved getting this instead of the 20D, I purchased a new Tamron SP AF28-75/2.8 XR Di LD Lens. What an AMAZING lens! i would highly recommend this lens. There is no other lens equivalent to this lens for the money. An equivalent Canon L series lens would cost nearly $1200. Hope that this help! This is one awesome camera I bought from amazon after being let down by Dell. It arrived next day and on the weekend i gave it a good workout at a local airshow. I took just under 1000 photos and was amazed by how well the shots came out in sport mode. Very quick focus and spot on. excellent camera and well built , not small as some people have noted, works for me... Great dSLR especially for the money Got this camera after considering between this and the 20D. Was very impressed with the 20D, but the price difference could easily give me a very good lense, and the feature differences are minor, so Rebel XT it is. I am a photography enthuiast who wishes he had the budget for a canon 1D MarkII but instead have the budget of a mortal and have to pay for a personal camera out of his own pocket. I have been reading some other reviews on this site and other sites regarding digital SLR cameras in general. I had to admit, most of the reviewers really are better served with a point and shoot. This is a SLR camera, it will take great pictures in automatic modes, but if you use your camera in those modes, get something like the Canon Pro1. This camera is to be used in Av, Tv or Manual modes, maybe in Program in a pinch. It requires you to understand WB, depth of fields, exposure metering as well as other wide array of nuances that come with a SLR camera. If you don't want to spend some time to learn some details about photography, you will be better served with a point and shoot. If you decide to use the attached flash for in door portrait shots, you're probably better served with a point and shoot. If you need to frame your shot on the LCD, you're better served with a point and shoot (becasue the whole SLR concept of through the lense view of the scene, DOF checking, focus accuracy is completely lost by that opinion). Yes the sensor on dSLR's will get dirty and require maintenance. Some one mentioned why don't engineer design the sensor to have the opposite charge to rebel dust. Well, dusts don't have one single polarity in their charges, so 50% of the dust will be attracted to the sensor doesn't matter what polarity the sensor is charged with. Also, this is not a Canon 1Ds either, so it does have its limitations, but then again, people who will feel completely limited by this camera should have gotten a Canon 1D series camera anyway. The best merit for this camera is foremost image quality. It's extremely low in image noise all the way up to ISO 800. ISO 1600 is completely usable if you stay below 8x10 enlargement and don't mind photoshopping your image a little. Again, if you don't ever want to bother with photoshop adjustment of you pictures, you probably will be better served with a point and shoot. The kit lense is of decent quality again for the price, but you're definitely short changing yourself if that's the only lense you decide for have for this camera. If you want to buy the kit and had no intention to buy another lense, you shoud seriously be considering Canon Pro1, it's got a L glass and a good match between the lense and the body. Buying this camera will be at most 50% of your investment if you truly want to make it worthwhile, the other 50% will be needed for buying good lenses (get the Canon 17-40mm USM L lense, the 70-200 4L zoom, and the 28-135mm as a walk-around, the Tamron 28-74 is an excellent medium range lense as well and is probably a superior substitue for the Canon 28-135 USM). I would have to say lack of spot metering does give the Nikon D70 an advantage, but this camera does have a center metering mode with exposure lock, so it is not really a show-stopper. Compared to the D70, the Rebel XT has superior noise level performance. This is from my personal experience as well as photos from a wide variety of sites on the net. Low noise level is very important to me, so if this is on your priority list, you really can't go wrong with the Rebel XT at this price point. What I want to emphasize here is seriously consider your needs before buying this camera, to make this camera truly worth the money you spent, you need to spend a bit more of your money and a lot of more of your time on learning how to properly handle a piece of equipment like this. Otherwise, you guessed it, Canon Pro1 is a very very good candidate. Greeeaaat Camera !!! This camera makes photography more fun. All the positive things that have been said are true so I'll spend my time with some ideas for those who are on the "fence" or who are not sure if a DSLR is for them. If you are new to DSLRs and/or photography, this camera (and any dslr) takes more knowledge than a standard p&s camera. The biggest complaint I hear is it is not as sharp as my old P&S and the pictures are softer. DSLRs do not apply as much in camera sharpening so your images may not be as sharp straight from the camera (you can change that in the camera). Best results will always come if you do some post image processing (pp). If you do not like PP, this is a negative, however, you can set the in-camera options to apply pp to your liking. It is just better controlled in pp software. Knowledge of photographic concepts such as Depth of Field(dof) and exposure control are needed. People sometimes complain about the cameras soft images when in actuality it is user error due to the concept mistakes above. Plan to spend more money on lenses!!! The 18-55 is very good for the money ($80-$100 market) but is nowhere near the quality of other options that you have. Plan to spend more on at least 1-2 quality lenses for best results. There is really, really a noticeable difference. A few reasons I rated this camera 4 instead of 5: 1)The eyepiece view is a little smaller than other DSLRs. This makes composing a little more challenging, espec. for manual focus. 2) the viewfinder is too dim and gets washed out in the sun. In the end, image quality is king and the images from the 350D arethe kings crown. Not perfect, but a great camera This is my 2nd D-SLR, after the Pentax *ist D. I switched because more lenses are made for Canon, the lenses are easier to find, and Canon also has USM focusing available. I've had the camera for a little over a month, and don't regret buying it at all. It IS small, and light. The 20D looks better on paper and feels more solid, but it's also larger and heavier-about half a pound more than the Rebel XT. After using the Rebel XT for a few days the size didn't seem like a disadvantage anymore. It isn't weather-sealed, but neither is the 20D. Like others have noted, the LCD is hard to read in direct sunlight. Here is where we see the advantage of having most information (ISO level, etc) in the small grey LCD--it's readable in all lighting conditions, whereas the color LCD washes out in bright sunlight. The camera also rattles a little, due to the hinges on the pop-up flash. It doesn't sound broken or worrisome, but you are definitely aware that this isn't a professional-grade, durable camera. The XT doesn't feel as durable and substantial as the Pentax *ist D, or the Nikon D70, or some of the offerings from Minolta and Olympus. But at the same time, it doesn't feel cheap to me. Frequently the heft and density of cameras gives the illusion of quality. The Rebel XT, though it feels superficially a little flimsy, is much more of a camera than any point-and-shoot superzoom made by Sony, Canon, or anyone else. SLRs give you much faster focus, much better low-light performance, and the advantage of interchangeable lenses. That being said, you may be disappointed if you expect to get the Rebel XT and only the kit lens. The kit lens isn't a good indoors or low-light lens. If you absolutely don't want to spend any more money past the initial investment, stay away from SLRs. You'll still get some advantages, granted, such as the faster focus, but overall it might be a disappointing experience for you. I like the XT's kit lens, but it has its limitations. There is no one do-it-all-well perfect lens. If you shoot under good lighting conditions from f8-f11 you'll get good pictures with the kit lens and have nothing to worry about. In a dimly lit room you'll need either a faster lens or something with image stabilization, like the Canon 17-85mm. Overall, this is a great camera, and the kit lens is a perfectly serviceable beginning lens, which is also small and light enough for travel. I would prefer a more solid build, but I opted for the lighter weight and smaller size of the XT over the better build and durability of the 20D. Both take about equivalent pictures, though there are some specs that are different, like more frames per second and ISO 3200 capability on the 20D. Ultimately SLRS are more about lenses than the camera, and really all photography is more about the photographer than the equipment. The XT, with the right lenses, is as capable as anything else on the market. Unless you need ISO 3200, or 5 frames per second, or a heavier, sturdier build, I see little reason to opt for the 20D. Put the $500 difference into lenses instead, and you won't regret it. Best per buck - Excellent quality of photographs straight out of the box - Very fast in all departments - Intuitive (easy) menu system - Quiet operation I also experienced very good battery life (with preview turned off, which in my opinion for fast shooting should be off anyways) As a side note: no matter how big/small your hands may be: get the vertical grip (BG-E3). It's extremely well built, gives the whole set up nice heft without feeling too heavy. It also gives you a choice of power (rechargables - one or two, or AA batteries). Overall, I don't see anything else in this price range that's even remotely close to what the Rebel XT represents; in built quality and the actual photographic output. my switch to digital 1. Complete control over every aspect of the picture-taking process. You can pretty much override and alter any of the "default" settings with ease. One complaint: there should be a mode in which you set the aperture & shutter speed and the camera picks the optimal ISO; perhaps there is one -- I haven't found it yet. 2. The menu system scared me at first, but after about an hour of playing with it, it becomes remarkably intuitive. A little practice is all that's needed. 3. According to the gurus, 8 Mpix is enough resolution to easily beat out even the slowest film in terms of detail. It's not that digital has better resolution, it's that the "noise" is much lower. I'm used to medium format work, and I have no qualms about the switch. 4. Camera is small and light. I don't know what other people are talking about; I have big fat hands and have no problem manipulating all the controls, taking steady pictures, etc. Perhaps they are just used to larger cameras? In any case, there's no reason to be afraid of this guy because of the size. 5. Autofocus sometimes has to "hunt" a little in low-light conditions, and its possible to confuse the system. However, I can't cross-compare: this is the first system I've used with autofocus! Love-Hate Relationship I love the size and potiential of this camera. The fact that I could use my old lens was what caused me to only look at Canon Cameras. PROBLEM: White Balance was way off. When I took pictures, the blues did not come through. For example, I took one picture of a fortress in Corfu, Greece that had a background of a blue sky with a few white clouds with the new Canon XT and my wife's $300 5mp Sony. The Sony showed blue skies and white clouds and the Canon showed all grey skies. No distinction between the clouds and the sky. I shoot this in the automatic (green square) mode. I worked with the professional photogragher on our cruise ship and he agreed there was a problem. I returned the camera and obtained a refund. I was disappointed. One final comment: I am not a professional photographer so this could be pilot error! Sad story about Canon Digital Rebel XT fill-in flash failure I bought a Digital Rebel XT last april 2005 after taking a lot of information on this camera on internet websites and with retail stores. I chose up this Canon product for two major reasons, first Nikon D70 was not available at that time and second Digital Rebel XT + lense EF-S17-85mm IS USM seemed to be better and affordable choice. But 2 months and 24 days of use later, I feel very disappointed. When I tried to take pictures of my daughter receiving honors at her "gala meritas", the fill-in flash with loud clickety-clack noises refused stubbornly to pop up. It was impossible to take any pictures with flash even after the camera was shut off and reopened again. Each time an error message was appearing up in the viewfinder, blocking completely the use of the camera. And this is not the end of this sad story because Montreal Canon customer service is very slow to handle up my request of service, at least 4 weeks. And don't try to ask questions to a Canon technician. Only the retailer is able to get a few information and answer you to wait because you don't buy at least a $5000 camera to have the right to get faster service. Really, really frustrating buying experience... canon eos 350d i love photography and for a long time, i've been watching from the sidelines of the digital world using point and shoot cameras. when it came time to purchase a digital slr, however, it came down to either the 20d or the 350d by canon or nikon's d70. all three were entry level professional cameras, but i ended up going with the 350d--the digital rebel xt. i have not been disappointed with this camera. it does everything from landscapes to macro to portraits. i think a lot of the people giving it lower rankings haven't taken full advantage of the camera's abilities yet or tried out new lenses; they complain about how it fits their hands without trying a battery pack, or they complain about the range (i.e. zoom) when they're using a 18-55mm lens! they need to realize that this is not a point and shoot, this is a camera that requires either previous knowledge or the ability to learn hands on. if you want to do skyline photography, you should not expect the default kit lens to do a decent job; rather, you should buy a wide angeled or telephoto lens. in other words, it's a great camera and that's why i'm writing this review. i was seeing too many negative reviews from people who don't seem to totally get what a digital slr is and how much it requires; new lenses, new abilities, and a lot of time. Excellent Semi-Pro Digital Camera The Canon Digital Rebel XT is a great camera. I have been able to use all my Canon EF lenses, which was the main reason I purchased this jewel. The shots are absolutely stunning. It takes great shots in auto mode, but has the ability to let your creativity fly with manual and other program modes. If you have legacy EF lenses and you want to maximize that investment, this camera is definitely the way to shoot digitally. I love it! I received my new Canon Digital Rebel XT 2 weeks ago. It has performed excellent for me. I have already printed off some images..stunning quality. This camera is easy to use and produces wonderful results! Jam-packed and ready-to-go I've shot Canon cameras since the late '70s; literally 10's of thousands of frames of film. I've also shot as many frames through Nikon and Pentax cameras. So, naturally when I went to DSLR format I wanted something I was familiar with; something with credibility, too. I found that and a lot more in the Rebel XT 350D. A lot of camera in one small, very low-priced unit. I would recommend this camera to anyone wanting to get into serious digital photography. This camera will do just about anything you would or could get from another $2K or so. So, why spend it on the body when you can on the lenses. That's what I did. I would also recommend that you purchase the battery-grip as well. Not so much for the extra battery power -which is nice; especially on remote shootings - but for the balance and feel of the unit. It make a world of difference in the feel. NOTE: The very low-cost, yet extensive array of settings and adjustments (many found on the higher-end DSLRs) make this one of the best buys in Digital photography. ofieldstream Too small, and too little We were using a Digital Rebel 6.3MP and an old Sony 5.0 MP 7X optical when the Sony got wet and began working intermittently. Time to replace the Sony and move up a notch! Having been well-impressed with the Rebel 6.3 and the two lenses we'd added (EF 55-200 4.5-5.6 USM and the superb EF 700-200 2.8 with Canon's 2X extender bought used), we decided to jump on the Digital Rebel XT with the 18-55 lens. It arrived Thursday, and we sent it back Monday. Here's why. It was too small. Smaller is usually better, but the XT started to feel and look like a toy camera, or at least a point-and-shoot. My wife and I both have smallish hands, and the XT was bordering on being too small to be ergonomic for us. With the 70-200 lens attached, the Rebel XT disappeared. The second why is features. This is not a knock on the XT, which is a fine (excellent, really) camera with significant improvements over the original Digital Rebel. When we sent the XT back, we got Canon's 20D. Aha! you say. The XT and the 20D are basically the same camera. Not completely, and here's Canon's language comparing the two: "There are, of course, some very real differences between the EOS Digital Rebel XT digital camera and the more advanced EOS 20D. While the 20D SLR includes performance features such as faster continuous shooting speed (5 frames per second [fps] vs. 3 fps) with larger burst capability (23 frames vs. 14 frames) and custom function settings (18 vs. 9) that more than justify its heftier price tag, this new Rebel XT model was created for those dedicated SLR users who are migrating to digital for the first time and don't wish to give up the flexibility an SLR system offers." After using the Digital Rebel and three lenses (plus extender) we evolved from point-and-shoot to serious amateurs, and now we're knocking on the door of "prosumer." The 20D puts us there. It also uses the same batteries as the Digital Rebel, which is a plus. Like the Digital Rebel, the 20D is the size of a traditional SLR and easier to handle than the XT, even if it weighs a bit more. This is not a rip on the XT, but a word to the wise for folks like us who feel ready to move to the next level. We took some fine photos with the XT, which we aren't discarding just because we sent back the XT. A final note: If you get the XT (and that is not a bad thing), get the body only and a lens other than the 18-55 that comes standard in the Digital Rebel and XT kits. Again, this is a fine lens with good, middle-of-the-road capability. But if you're getting serious, you need all the lens you can afford, or even a little more than you can afford. The Canon EF-S 17-85 4.5-5.6 gives a lot of range and versatility and would be great with an XT if you're trying for really good photos while keeping life simple and your camera-lens package light. Even better is the EF-S 10-22 3.5-4.5. But the prize of our collection is the EF 24-70 2.8. It provides superb performance. Yes, the cheapest of those is about the price of an XT body. You get what you pay for. We were lucky enough to have fallen into a little cash and put it into a 20D and a great lens (24-70), a really good lens (10-22), and a relatively compact versatile lens that performs well in good light (17-85). If you're sitting on the fence as to your photographic future, I hope this helps. Very pleased I bought this camera at B and H Photo on Wed, 7/6/05, so I've owned it for less than a week. This Canon 350D is a digital replacement for my N75. My family loves Nikon and during my search for a digital camera it was difficult passing over the Nikon D70, but only initially. The size, weight, and feel of the Rebel XT is comparable to my N75. I have small hands and found the D70/D50 and even other Canon SLRs to be too large and quite heavy. I am the sort of person who enjoys bringing my camera everywhere; toss it in a bag or backpack and go. The only real difference in weight now is very minimal, even with the battery pack. I haven't read the manual yet. The controls are pretty intuitive and fun to play around with. Connection to my PC is pretty simple. I'm not too excited with the Zoom browser software. I'm going to kill it and remove it from my pc soon. It's just a silly interface and I really prefer the simplicity of XP's Explore browser which is sufficient. This camera has a USB 2 connection which I don't have yet. I've taken about 200 photos the past 3 days in large format and upload time hasn't been an issue using my 1.0 USB ports. My USB 2.0 PC card will arrive soon and I am looking forward to seeing the difference in speed. I will update my review then. I bought the body and lens kit. I thought I might be annoyed with the lens since I'm used to 28-80, but I find that it's an easy move to 18-55. As for a true critique in the quality of this particular lens, I am not qualified for I am an amateur photographer/hobbyist. (...) I hope my experience helps someone with their decision in the pursuit of purchasing a digital SLR regardless whether this is the choice or not. ---- Update 8/8/05 I had a month of shooting with this camer. I've taken over 600 shots all in large format without delay due to writing. I have a sandisk Ultra II 1Gb CF. A large percentage of these photos are images of people. There is no shutter delay; quick and responsive focusing to handle the most animated of my friends and even the family cat. I've had no problems shooting indoors in low lighting to a brifght sunny day outdoors. One thing: indoors the flash can be excessive and I tend to turn it off or go manual. Battery: Power is eaten up with viewfinder preview. I turn turn off that option. USB 2.0: Nice With all of the reviews I've read about folks manipulating their images after using their d-SLRs I was pretty apprehensive, but I've had no need to do this. Simply learn the different settings that should be used in different environments. There continues to be complaints regarding the size of this camera being too small. Before making a purchase and finding disappointment, go to a photo/electronics store and test it out. Get a feel for the size, weight and positioning of the buttons. Beware of marketplace scammers This is a great camera but be aware of the prices in marketplace that seem too low. They are. These people are just trying to scam you. DO NOT wire them money. a NYC Art Director's opinion... I've art directed my share of photo shoots in NYC and I'm also writing, designing and photographing my cookbook and this camera is perfect for me. Through my experience, I've seen some amazing photography but had never taken the photo. Now I can. It's the easiest camera to operate. I'm a total novice but the quality of the photography is phenomenal. I can't wait to see the photos when I know what I'm doing. For the curmudgeons that said it doesn't feel like a traditional camera, you're right. But that's a good thing. It's smaller, lighter, faster, sleeker and takes great pictures. I'm sure tradition cameras will copy the XT's design. You'll find that it's not too small. The XT is like a Mercedes and the Nikon is like a Cadillac. My favorite feature is how easily I was able to take pictures from my powerbook. The photos displayed on my screen almost immediately. Then I could change the aperture, ISO, and take another photo instantly. I don't even know what that stuff means but I was able to see the results and through trial and error take a decent photo. I had always seen photo grain in digital photography, even from high-end professional cameras, but my photos have almost no grain. It's really hard to believe. Digital photographs have always shown grain. Good product but too small - mine was defective- had to return it Hi.. I bought the Black XT the first week it started selling at Amazon. I researched for several months on which D-SLR to buy, at first I read a lot about avoiding bulky and heavy d-SLRs. So I decided for the XT because it is a newer generation product, seemed small a very light. The camera performed well but mine had a defective flash mechanism, I also noticed a soft focus problem (this has been mentioned in several forums). So I returned to amazon - they gave me a refund after 30 days and I decided not to buy the same product again. IT IS JUST TOO SMALL FOR MY HANDS, I couldnt get a good firm grip on it. So I went to a store and tried the Nikon d70...PERFECT Ergonomic design, so I bought it. Be careful, go to your local store and see if this camera feels good in your hands.. when buying a d-SLR, you will probably stick with the camera longer that a point-shoot camera, it is essential that you feel comfortable with it. I liked the d70 very much, also the quality of the Nikon kit lens is much more better than the canon kit lens, take that into consideration seriously, just do a search on google for the price of the Nikon 18-70mm lens v.s. the price for the Canon 18-55mm lens. When moving into SLR camera, in future years, you will probably stick with your lenses and just upgrade the body, lens technology does not change as camera bodies do. Battery life is also better on the d70. The XT is still a great camera and a good buy. d70 has a better body finish. So go to you local camera store and take a couple of sample shots with the different D-SLRs available before buying online. Rebel Indeed This camera deserves this description very well. It is a rebel in terms of its price-value ratio. Since nothing is perfect in this world, there's no point going on about what is missing in this camera. I found lots of things, including the 8.0 million pixel resolution, that made me happy from the very start. Picture write and read speed is fine, depending on the manufacturer of the card one uses. Focusing is done in a snap (and so far I haven't taken the camera outside from the dusk of my flat to see how it performs in better lighting). Even with the basic kit on, one can easily crop pictures taken at maximum resolution (RAW) to achieve a very good digital zoom (if you do not distinguish between the two types of zoom). Now, invest some money in people selling things for photographers:), and they'll let you have better lenses to take pictures from whatever distance your selected moose or stark naked woman on the beach feels comfortable with your presence.:)) The software that came with the camera, is easy to use. All functions are easy to learn and remember. If not, some reading of the manual and additional material concerning medium-level basics of photography will help settle this dispute between what the camera offers and what you have chosen to learn so far. I don't agree that the camera seems too small. Or is it that some of those complaining about this aspect would still prefer to use the first makes of cellular phones? I doubt that. Smaller buttons is an overall tendency for all types of electronic equipment nowadays. Learn to live and deal with this. No complaints whatsoever on my part. An entry level digital SLR that doesn't take entry level pictures! Perhaps the best quality of this camera is the image quality. Simply put, it is fantastic. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the quality of pictures taken with this camera equals that of the MUCH more expensive 20D. Image quality is also superior to the Nikon D70, both in terms of noise level and resolution (8MP vs 6.1MP). So while this camera may not have the metal body, substantial feel, and features of the above two cameras, it either equals or exceeds these two cameras in terms of image quality. And is image quality not perhaps the most important quality of a camera? I should also note that the Rebel XT is cheaper than EITHER of these cameras. Of course, this camera is not without some hitches. One is, of course, the lens. Many others have complained about this. Admittedly, it is not too bad in many situations. And perhaps I have not found all of its faults. But it has one SEVERE shortcoming I have painfully noticed - no numbers on the focusing ring. This is quite a problem if you like night photography. In such a situation, it is VERY hard to focus using the viewfinder. And an estimation of distance generally results in a better focus. Numbers would also make landscapes easier to focus on, as you often just go to infinity. Speaking of night photography, another annoyance I have found is a few errant bright pixels in dark areas. This is a particular problem with high ISO and/or long exposure times. And the noise reduction does little to nothing to deal with this. However, I do not know that another digital camera would do better in this area. These sorts of artifacts could very well represent a shortcoming of digital technology (vs film) which has not yet been overcome. Another issue is size. This camera is quite small. But this can be a good or bad thing. On one hand, it can make the camera more difficult to hold. But on the other hand, it makes it light and easy to carry with you. I guess it all boils down to what you are comfortable with. The bottom line: despite any shortcomings, a GREAT choice for your first digital SLR. It's inexpensive. And it takes pictures that WON'T leave you wishing you had spent more. Great camera Overall, very impressed with this camera. All my old lenses are compatible and picture quality is superb. My only complaint so far is that my old speedlight doesn't appear to be compatible. I am still experimenting with it, but so far i have had no luck. One of the things i have been most impressed with is the battery life of the camera. The sleep mode works very well and has no impact on the usability of the camera. Amazing quality and versatility What an amazing camera! I am just now moving into amateur/hobbyist photography. My setup: Rebel XT, 1GB SanDisk CF, 28-135mm/3.5-5.6 IS Canon, and 50mm/1.8 Canon (fixed) for low-light indoors shots. After printing several vacation shots on my Canon PIXMA iP5000, I cannot tell a difference from 35mm film even after close scrutiny. My choice was between Digital Rebel XT or Nikon D70. What sold me on the Canon was the lens selections, particularly the image stabilization feature. I concur with the other reviewers: the IS lenses are amazing. For example: outdoor night shot 1/5 sec at 100mm on ISO 400 and no tripod - NO BLUR. Don't ask me how this is possible, but it worked. I got some amazing nighttime photos of the city skyline in Nassau, Bahamas, long after the sun went down. Things I liked: - phenomenal picture quality, even in very low light - aesthetics. yes, i'm vain... - fast shutter response - good built-in flash - excellent lenses (esp. 28-135mm/3.5-5.6 IS!) - nice menu shortcut buttons on rear panel - ability to shoot RAW - 1GB CF holds ~260 finest JPEG photos Small complaints - brightest LCD setting still dark in sunlight - auto white balance gets it wrong once in a while - white balance modes are just so-so in my experience Unless you are an extremely discriminating photography professional, I cannot imagine you would be displeased with this camera. For the money, you'll probably not find a better camera. Happy shooting, I LOVE this camera I am not a professional photographer. I take the usual memoir-type photos, but in addition I am a flora/fauna enthusiast. This camera with the stock lens--off the shelf--is great for taking close-ups of flowers and insects. I had anticipated having to buy a more specialized macro lens (and I no doubt will, eventually) for this type of work but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could take better than expected closeups with the supplied kit lens. I also have aquariums and this camera is great for aqua-photography as well. Performance: My last digital camera was a Nikon CoolPix. From necessity I got used to the lag-times involved in actually capturing images. With this Canon model, however, that's not an issue. When you click, you get your photo, and you can take one after another, without delay and with that satisfying "click" you get from an SLR. With the Nikon, I was never sure when I had even taken a picture. This camera is outstanding. The only issue that may affect your decision is weight. If you're looking for a small, light-weight type of casual camera then go with something else. This camera is designed more for those who want the flexibility/options of the traditional SLR. It's got the heft of an "old-style" SLR, so if you want something less cumbersome this isn't the model for you. I SHOT TWO FORMER PRESIDENTS!!! With my camera of course. I am in the Navy as a photojournalist serving on board a ship. My job entails me to shoot a lot and I mean a lot of photos. I am actually using the 300D model of this particular SLR and have had nothing but fun shooting this camera. The shots that I have been able to produce have been nothing short of spectacular. The crisp vibrant colors and the many features on this camera have been amazing. I recommend this camera to anybody who wants to start out in the wonderful world of photography. I am looking forward to using this camera out in the civilian sector of my job. Oh by the way, if you are wondering which two presidents I have shot with this camera they were Presidents George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton while they came aboard to thank my many shipmates for our part in the humanitarian relief efforts that took place earlier this year to help the victims of the December 26th tsunamis. Canon D-Rebel XT, a great buy. I upgraded from the original Digital Rebel two months ago and am happy I did so. The original digiRebel was a very good camera but the XT is a great one for serious amateur photographers. The shutter is wonderful and the eight mp resolution is nice too, but the best feature might be the Digic II processer. While the 18 x 55 kit lens is shunned by photophiles, I found it to be okay, however I have recently upgraded to the EFS 17-85 IS USM. Great Buy Just recently purchased this camera to replace my old Canon 35mm SLR which had been sitting in storage for a couple of years since I bought my first digital. Already having Canon USM lenses I got the body only and am very impressed with the results so far. I can honestly say that the only photos that haven't come out the way I wanted them to were purely my fault. Gave it 4 stars for 2 reasons. 1. I am used to changing the focus from Single to Servo using a dial. Since I change this setting a lot I do not really like having to push buttons to do this. 2. They have made this camera a lot smaller than the 'traditional' Canon SLR. Mostly in the width...I did prefer the larger body size personally. 3. Having to push buttons to change the focus point really does annoy your subjects for portrait shots. (It takes some time) I know I should have bought another camera with Eye focusing if this was an issue for me, but it is just what you get used to I suppose. What a great camera! I have been dabbling in photography and astrophotography for a couple years now, and was looking for a good upgrade to my Coolpix 995. Boy, was I blown away by this camera! The XT is olidly constructed, has loads of manual features, and works well in the basic zones as well. I would have liked to have seen it bundled with a better lens, but that's just nitpicking -- the lens is a solid performer for its $100 street price. I highly, highly recommend this camera!!! Outstanding Quality and Versatility I've had my Digital Rebel XT for several months now, I've taken over ten thousand pictures with it, and it is without question the most versatile camera I've ever owned. It is also one of the easiest to use. With a simple turn of the dial, you can put it in point-and-shoot mode, specialized automatic modes for various situations, or any of the "artistic" modes, including fully manual. You'll want to shoot using the higher-end modes, because you can save your pictures in RAW format, allowing you to fix errors afterwards that cannot be corrected in a jpg. If you can afford it, get this camera body only, and skip the kit lens. Instead, fork over the $600 for the 17-85mm IS lens by Canon. The Image Stabilization is well worth it, and the lens is versatile enough that you don't have to change lenses at all for most shooting. Although I've not had any problems with dust, this is supposedly a weak spot for digital cameras, and not having to change lenses is a major plus. (In fact, the only other lens I use on this camera right now is a 600-1300mm zoom.) The camera's computer will automatically balance the lens IS feature in both automatic and "artistic" shooting. I also got the Canon speedlight 580 with this camera, and the camera's computer also accurately balances with the flash, syncing at up to 1/200th, I think. Outstanding. The only thing I wish this camera had that it doesn't was 1/8000th of a second. There have been some bright daylight shots in which I didn't have time to get the shot in, because 1/4000th wasn't enough, and the shot was gone before I could adjust everything to it. Shooting in RAW, however, I was able to correct most of it afterwards. I did lose some pictures by snapping the shot right before turning the camera off. If you do that, you will lose the shot. (It only takes about a second to save a shot, so you just have to not turn it off instantly after the shot.) All in all, I could not be happier with this camera. I've used it to shoot baseball and softball, both portraits and action, including action close-ups with a long zoom and both a tripod and monopod, several thousand wildlife shots, mostly with a long lens, several hundred outdoor scenery shots, and several thousand candids. It hasn't faltered once, and it has performed perfectly. Although it is easy to use right out of the box, it is WELL worth reading the manual. EOS XT Rebel or 350D is the valuable and best semi pro camera Canon EOS 350D is the most sophisticated gadget I ever have. Previously I have a 35 mm film camera and pocket Digital camera and this camera more valuable for the semi professional consumers. Start with the new look design (smaller then Nikon D 70s or D 50) and light then both of its. The feature it's rich. You can find this feature in professional camera also. The advantage of this gadget is you can set every scene manually or automatic from focus, white balance, aperture, speed, flash, ISO, metering etc. This is important for the professional photographer to have the best photo. Continues shooting feature is 3 times a second and starting time below a second. I just bought I month ago and I feel I already expert on using it. I try a many setting in manual shoot with set the aperture, white balance and aperture the result is very good that I never have a photo like it is before. The battery is good even I already shoot 100 times with maximum jpg files (8 m pixel) the batteries still function in good condition. The 350D can use any Canon mount lenses. I recommend this camera for the professional photographer beside the complete features this gadget has a valuable compare its price. You can have this Gadget with standard lens of EF-S 18-55 mm with only $800. You will be a professional shortly with this prosumer camera. A review for the Overview: Current equipment (recently purchased) Canon Digital Rebel XT (EOS 350D)w/Lens Kit Canon Digital Rebel XT "Starter Kit" w/Bag, extra battery, haze filter. Do NOT confuse this with the Digital Rebel (non-XT)starter kit, which is also for sale. Canon 420 EX Flash SanDisk CF Type II (1 GB) Canon Semi-hard Case (EH-18L) Canon Remote Controller (RC-1) Experience: Currently 34 years old, began taking pictures at age 10 with non-SLR type cameras. Previous cameras include Canon AE-1 Film SLR, Sony Mavica MVC-FD90, Sony Mavica MVC-CD250 and Sony Mavica MVC-CD400. I'd estimate that I've taken 10,000 pictures with film cameras over the years (non-SLR, AE-1, A-1 and F-1, the A-1 and F-1 being bodies owned by my father, who is a well regarded semi-professional photographer and former instructor at the local Community College on film photography)and an additional 10,000 pictures with various digital cameras. This is my first Digital SLR purchase. General Impressions; My FIRST recommendation to anyone thinking of purchasing this camera would be to download the owners manual from Canon, it's available via the Canon Website in .pdf format. Several hours of your time spent reviewing the actual manual should provide confidence that this camera can be used effectively by any level of photographer. If you're a novice, disregard the "Manual" sections of the manual and concentrate your attention on the "Automatic" sections. This camera is literally so easy to use a child can take an excellent photograph. I let my 9 year old daughter (with me giving her 2 minutes of advice and observing her carefully to protect the camera as she used it) take 25 photographs in the "Full Auto" mode, using only the pop-up flash unit. Out of 25 photos, I would rate 2 excellent on composition and the other 23 very poor (as expected), but the QUALITY of the images was outstanding. Every image was crisp and vibrant. My daughter is a TOTAL novice, other than using a few of the "disposable" pre-loaded cameras at a birthday party, these are the first 25 photos she's ever attempted. The 2 of excellent composition (of her little sister who's 2, and was in full "go" mode moving around) I sent to my father (who hardly passes out compliments on my photographic skills at a whim)with his response being "great photos". I've personally shot 300 frames with the camera in "Full Auto" mode, using no flash (even when one was needed), the pop-up flash unit and the 420 EX (approximately 100 frames each way)and have even tried to "fool" the camera by taking portrait type shots in "Sports" mode and etc. The camera is very intuitive and will save most users from common mistakes associated with trying to take Photographs as opposed to Snap Shots. The only limitation on the quality of the images you can expect mostly relates to your skills in composing the photographs. This camera can be used as a point and shoot camera or can be fine tuned to allow more creative/experienced photographers to push their limits. This is NOT a professional quality Digital SLR (or if it is, I can't imagine a pro using a digital camera, for high end photography this camera has SERIOUS limitations). Having said that, I would recommend this camera to anyone that is comfortable spending the money on it. This is not an inexpensive commitment. Initial outlay for a "basic" set-up will run you between 1200 and 1400 dollars, and additional lenses, filters, accessories will add 500 or more dollars (with your budget being the only limit on the "or more" amount). I've read reviews where users mention several "negative" issues with the camera. First, some reviewers mention that the battery cover "rattles". I can't speak to their experiences, but there is no "rattle" on my camera body at all, none. Very solid. Second, I've read complaints that the size is too small. I'm not a small man, and I have fairly large hands. I think the camera IS compact, but not uncomfortable to use. As a matter of fact, the smaller size keeps me mindfull of the fact that it's a precision instrument and that it takes a delicate touch on the shutter and a light "approach" to taking a great photo. Finally, I've noticed that some people think the camera has a "cheap" feel to it. I can only assume that they're used to camera bodies made of metal. This body is plastic and rubber, but again mine feels very solid in my hands, not "cheap" at all, unless I heft my AE-1 right after the fact. But that's comparing apples to oranges. Photo Quality: In the Large Fine Format, this camera will give you everything you expect in terms of image quality. Ease of Use: If my 9 year old can take pictures with it, anyone can. Value: Relative to the cost of other Digital SLR's (and having reviewed their owners manuals as well) I'd rate this as a very good value. 5 Star Items: Autofocus - Very Fast, haven't "stumped" it yet. Menu - Easy to understand/use Battery Life - Excellent Image Quality - Excellent Canon Engineering - Excellent, I'm biased probably, never had a problem with a Canon Film SLR, don't expect any with a Canon Digital. Speed - Excellent, this camera is FAST. Ready to go. Ergonomics - Very Very Good, but not perfect. 4 Star Items: Viewfinder - It's very good, the placement of the screen leaves a LOT to be desired, but not enough to downgrade the camera overall. CF Slot - Not overly easy to get the card in, but not HARD. Pop-up Flash Unit - Good for what it is, but nothing you want to rely on if you're planning on taking good photographs in every situation. Included Software - Very good, nothing earthshaking. Battery Charging - Very good, under 90 minutes to take a drained battery back to full charge. Changing Lenses - Very good, about what you'd expect. Owners Manual - Informative, but could have been better organized. 3 Star Items: Neck Strap - Poor, not comfortable. Plan on buying a replacment. Included Lens - Average. Meets the "general" purpose shooting requirements for most situations, about what you would expect from a $100.00 lens. Plan on upgrading the lens, but I still recommend buying the full "kit" with Lens, instead of body only. Overall, I gave the camera a 4 star rating, because nothing is perfect, but personally I'm very pleased with my purchase and would recommend this camera to anyone that isn't attempting TRUE professional quality photography. Recommended purchases; 2nd Battery, 2nd CF Card (recommend Type II), Additional Lenses, Camera Bag, Remote Control, Filters, Flash Unit (420 EX, is cost effective and gives good results, EH-18L Body Case and Tripod. Potential worthy purchases; Battery Grip (BG-E3) AC Adapter Kit (ACK 700) Also, I bought my items directly from Amazon.com, got a good price and everything was delivered on time and in good condition. Just to echo some other reviews, if they price is "too good" be wary, as always you get what you pay for. Hope this was helpful information. Why do people unjustly ruin the rating of a product? Why do people ruin the rating of a product??? When their problem is with a seller (and not even Amazon). I do own this camera but did not purchase it from this site. So I thought I would do just to the excellent DR XT and give it 5 Stars here to help counter at least one of the "PRODUCT" Reviews that are actually reviewing a bad experience with a failed purchase. Please do state your purchase experience and warn others of your mishap but it is not necessary to give the "PRODUCT" itself a bad rating and downplay the overall score. Unfortunately, some people only look at the overall (average) rating of a product and will not even see why your "BAD REVIEW" was given. Why not start your review with something like: ***WARNING*** ***WARNING*** ***WARNING*** And, then state your message warning others about your purchase experience. You can do this and still give the actual product the a rating in comparison with previous other actual product reviews that were written previously. This way you are not misrepresenting the product itself. Just my two cents while doing my part to help justify the product rating. Excellent digital SLR It is remarkable to consider that the single-lens reflex camera has been around since the 1970s and, despite the transition away from 35mm film to digital, this type of camera remains one of the best you can purchase. The Canon Digital Rebel XT was my choice as I have always been satisfied with Canon and the quality of their cameras. The camera is aimed at the serious amateur photographer, and priced at under $1000. So onto my impressions of it. The first thoughts on the camera after opening its box is the size, it is one of the more compact SLRs on the market. Some may dislike this, but for me it is a positive feature of the camera. The aesthetics of the camera are good; I choose the model with the silver body. The first minus is the lack of a supplied compact flash card. Canon are a little mean in this regard, and even with their point-and-shoot digital cameras only supply a small (32 MB or so) CF card. I would recommend purchasing at least 1 GB CF card for this camera. For the price Canon really should try and do better. The rest of the review is very positive. Computer support is good (Mac and PC) with the bundled CD applications, though it isn't good enough to tempt me away from Editing in Photoshop. The camera interface is straight forward, and the auto-focus will allow many to use this camera and produce great quality images without the need to change the settings. AT 8 MP, image quality and definition are very high. The manual and supporting documentation is very good and detailed, so without too much effort you can easily learn how to adjust the image settings to produce exactly the picture you wish. The user-interface and LCD is good and easy to work with, and I find Battery life is good. All-in-all an excellent package. One of the best SLR cameras of its type on the market, and you don't have to be a "pro" to take excellent pictures with it. If you don't have one then definitely order a case for the camera, a good quality photo printer, and longer term you will probably want to invest in a tripod and extra lenses. Canon continues to maintain their record of excellence in their SLR cameras. Awesome Camera Just received this camera as an anniversary present. I love it!! It is replacing my Canon Rebel 2000 film camera. The XT is extremely easy to use, fast, and takes incredible pictures! I photographed a painting on our living room wall from quite a distance. When printed on 4x6 photo paper, I could still even read the signature on the painting. As others have stated, there is almost no shutter lag at all--even with a standard 512mb Compact Flash card to record the images. The menus are very easy to understand, and the features are easy to choose and set. The Black and White capabilities are awesome! The ability create and set custom parameters is wonderful. The camera accepts my lenses from the Rebel 2000; however, it does not particularly like my Quantaray 70-300mm zoom lens. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I get an error code 99. It prefers original Canon lenses. (Just means I have a new item for my Christmas wish list.) I am a short person and have no issue with the size of the camera at all. (Some have stated that it is too small.) This is perfect for me and the feel of the camera in my hand is quite "hefty." I recommend a screen cover for the LCD because it is smudged by the nose while taking pictures. I plan to get one right away. This is a great camera for those wanting to switch to a digital SLR, but do not have the extra $$$$$ for the Canon 20D or some of the other choices out there. It has all of the features you could want as an advanced beginner for setting the creative zones for personalized photography. I think it will even work for the novice who just wants to use it in the automatic zone, too!! Awww, why not say it---even some "pros" will probably find this one great addition to their camera collection. This may just be the camera you have always dreamed of having--it is for me!! It really is a good camera Let me say at the outset that I am an amateur photographer but I decided to buy this camera as a gift to myself from last year's salary bonus after previously owning a Canon 35mm SLR and the digital Canon G2. I wanted a camera that I could use for the next 5 years. I also went ahead and bought the recommended telephoto lens, the external flash and a 1GB flash card. I have been using the camera for about 1 year now and I can say that I'm reasonably satisfied with it. I did read all the reviews about it before purchase so I was aware that it had a 'problem' with under exposed shots when the flash is used at night. I thought I could live with that, as I was told that setting the White Balance (WB) to the appropriate setting would eliminate the underexposure. I have not found that to be the case and this has made me very wary about taking shots with the flash at night. I constantly have to check to see if the shot looks ok before the subjects move away. I think I need some guidance as to how to correct this issue once and for all. One thing which surprised me was the filesize. Being an 8 megapixel camera, the smallest filesize still approaches half a megabyte. Trying to e-mail photos to my friends quickly fills up their inbox and often I have to zip and send files multiple times to send all the required files. The other thing which surprised me was that I had to use the viewfinder to take the pictures. Being an SLR, you can't use the LCD when taking shots. The LCD is used for review only. I was not aware of that having been acustomed to my G2 but that was more my ignorance than a fault of the camera. I would still recommend this camera, I have already done so to one of my close associates who have also gone ahead and bought the camera. I can't afford another camera for sometime to come. Great Camera.. I'm no pro, but I just wanted to improve my good eye for photography with a SLR that could help me "feel it more". This is my first SLR, I upgraded from a Sony DSC 717 which is a great prosumer camera. However, I wanted to feel the freedom of a SLR in which I can use some different lenses and flashes to add a more professional look to my photos. I have had this one for one month now and have taken like 500 pics. It's incredibly quick to start and it feels way too god. I think that the black body is a huge improvement because it eliminates the cheap feel of the previous 300D. No complaints until now. Software is good but not a replacement for PhotoShop. A good camera for beginners, but flimsy construction The good aspects of the Canon Rebel series are easy to rattle off: the cameras are affordable, they're compatible with a large variety of Canon's incredible lenses, they can be set on full auto or fully manual (so you can grow into it), and they're compact and light. For someone unfamiliar with SLRs, this is a good starting camera. The downside is equally simple: Canon Rebels don't last forever. I don't find it much fun to hold a camera with a plastic body, and it may be nerve-wracking to know that one minor drop could render your camera broken and useless. Canon makes many genuinely awesome cameras; the bottom-of-the-line Rebel is good, but not nearly so much as some of their others. Call me vain, but... I initially bought this camera because of it's "ease of use", and the compact travel size afforded for an SLR. But after a trip to NYC I completely changed my mind and upgraded to the 20D. First was the size: This camera is an ergonomic catastrophy. I did love its light weight feel while slung around my neck, but if you put any other lense on this camera, you will soon find that it will completely off-balance the camera itself and make for an abnormal feel. The case is just too small for me for an SLR. I also couldn't stand the cheap feel of the casing. Hold it next to a 20D and you'll see what I mean. For anyone getting into digital SLR photography I would recommend paying the extra $500 for the model above the XT...20D. Its just as easy to use as the XT, but with MUCH MORE POTENTIAL! Why buy a camera with limited capabilities, even if you are a beginner? By the way, we all know its the LENSE that takes the picture, the camera just processes the information. You will never be sorry buying good L line lenses over the cheap stuff with so-so reviews. I used the 17-40mm L with the XT and it took unbelievable pictures, no question. I'm for sure keeping the lense. In summary; the camera has good but limited features, and with the L lense took amazing pictures, but the petite size and cheap feel didn't work for me. Great camera at an accessible price Having used the pocket Canon S110 for the past three years, and already owning a Canon EOS Elan 35 mm camera, I've long been a fan of Canon. I'd held off on buying a digital SLR due mainly to price. Finally, with the Digital Rebel XT, I could buy for less than $1,000 the quality that pros paid $7,000 for just a few years ago. Likes: - Size and feel: it's about as small as you're going to get for an SLR, yet it still feels good in your hands, with all controls pretty accessible. - Speed: having spent three years cursing shutter lag on my point-n-shoot S110, it's amazing to be able to get off 2 or 3 frames per second. You'll quickly find that you shoot 3-4x as many shots in a day, just because you can get them off quickly. - Battery life - I purchased a second battery but have yet to have to use it. I can shoot 200+ shots and the battery is still going strong. - automatic modes (portrait, action, etc) with options to override focus mode - Basic 18-55mm EF-S lens is a solid, well-performing lens Dislikes: No strong complaints overall. It's taking me a little longer than I expected to learn all of the control options on the menu. Also, in bright daylight, the menu's not that easy to see on the LCD. All in all, the combination of high picture quality (equal to that of the 20D) and virtually no shutter lag makes this a fantastic entry level digital SLR. The ability to change lenses, use filters and modify settings as you would in the 35mm world changes the whole realm of digital photography. I have a feeling my 160 GB hard drive may not support me for long... Buy this camera! I owned the first Digital Rebel and it was quite remarkable at the time. The Rebel XT takes all the great features of the original and improves it in every way. I am a professional photographer and I own a Canon 20D as well. The XT is a great second camera for me as it has most all the features of the 20D and is MUCH lighter. 8 megapixels and the RAW + Jpeg mode are new as is a faster start-up and a greater image buffer for when you are shooting action. Using PhotoShop CS2, I can take the RAW files and turn them into 70 meg files with amazing quality and clarity. I recommend the external power grip as it adds a vertical grip and also the ability to use AA batteries or 2 lithiums! Consider also adding the 420EX flash if you plan to do a lot of flash photography. The 420EX will allow you to save the camera's battery and also give you a more powerful flash that syncs at ALL shutterspeeds in Program, TV and AV modes. The lens is optically sound but not much of a zoom. Consider the 75 - 300mm USM. AWESOME Bought this camera after reviewing it against the Nikon D50. Although the D50 felt more comfortable in my hand (the grip), the Canon was lighter and a 8.1 vs 6.1 megapixel. I took the Canon to Maui and it took INCREDIBLE pictures. I bought it to get into the hobby of photography - but have only used the auto features. AMAZING battery life compared to other cameras I've had. Surprising small for a DSLR. Read the reviews and not just the overall rating!!! Hi, I have had this camera for a week and it totally rocks. [...] Thank you! p.s. this camera is smoking HOT Great, Flexible Camera I selected this Canon d-SLR camera because of the DigicII processor capturing images at 8 megapixels. So far I have been shooting in only two formats-RAW and high-res JPG. After two weeks of shooting, I'm starting to get used to the different options. I like shooting in black and white in RAW format, but it is nice to also be able to reprocess these images back into full color with the software that comes packaged with the camera. The camera is so good that it is forcing me to buy a new photo printer to do it justice. I bought the standard "kit" lens with the 18-55mm zoom. It is a good lens for the price. I just wish it were just a little faster than f3.5-5.6. I do, have the option,however, of buying about four more Canon EF-S lenses (offered as of 9/2005) that are made especially for the camera's sensor dimensions as well as many EF lenses. Flexibility, ease of use, small learning curve, great photos, and a concise but well organized owner's manual all make the Canon Rebel XT (350D) a great digital camera to own. So far, it's great I haven't had a chance to use all the features yet, but I've yet to find anything about this camera not to like. It's easy to learn, with most settings being very intuitive. A great camera for someone who's fairly accompliched with shooting film with an SLR who wants to move to digital. Autofocus poor I've been waiting for a SLR digital that's affordable ($1,000 or less) and which can handle high ISOs well. I enjoy shooting without a flash, and am used to Fuji 800 film which has some beautiful grain, and I didn't want to loose that experience with my "upgrade" to digital". The HUGE dissapointment is the focus appears very poor. I've seen other poeple say the same thing on user groups, including some people suggesting it's only a problem in the "creative zones". Either way, I've ended up with more out of focus pictures in 2 months than I've gotten in 2 years. Until Cannon fixes this problem, I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase it. It's really frusturating to have dozens of great compositions that are out of focus. CANON REBEL XT Wow! Got this camera just before my Hawaii vacation. Although I still haven't finished all the instruction, I did learn enough to take fantastic pictures in all kinds of different lighting. Time exposures at night were superb. High resolution results with the SLR camera cannot compare to digital instamatics with those tiny lens aperatures. Recommend this for any enthusiast who lkie to control their on settings. Good body not so good lens This is a great entry level (or for those like myself who are going from film to digital) camera. I took 30 or 40 shots with the kit lens and they were not real good. I then purchased the EF 100mm f2.8 Macro and the picture quality improved big time. I use this lens for both everyday and macro photography. It is quieter when in AF mode not to mention faster. The best way to buy this camera is body only and then buy a good lens. My upgrade from Point & Shoot 4 stars because of VERY minor niggles, otherwise I would have given 5 stars: 1) No ISO display in view finder 2) View finder could be bigger 3) kit lens (18-55) not great (for this reason I had to buy body only and bought Sigma 18-200mm instead) I have had this camera since July 2005 and love it and no regret over my previous Canon powershot S1. I was thinking about upgrading from S1 to S2 but decided I should go straight into DSLR instead of another Point & shoot (P&S) camera which I will outgrow it and eventually need a DSLR anyway. To be honest, it was my third 350D after two failed on me! The full story and comparison to P&S can be read here in my website: http://www.theteh.com/html/p_s_vs_dslr.html Initially I was disappointed with the poor quality control that one could get faulty camera from Canon. I put of buying the 350D after two failed on me until after 3 months, my urge for a DSLR could not stop me from getting my 3rd 350D! There was no other better DSLR at that time (and still is now as of Sept 2005). I personally think that 350D is still better than the Nikon counter part D70/D50 despite that they have a better lens (18-70mm). Here is my review of my 3rd 350D: http://www.theteh.com/html/my_3rd_350d_xt.html There are many sample photos taken with 350D in my website (check out links under 'Resources') if you are interested. The first travel photos with my 350D (with Sigma 18-200mm and Sigma 30mm f1.4) was the Croatia gallery: http://www.theteh.com/html/croatia.html DSLR is 'FAST' and P&S is 'SLOW' to me. This is the single factor that made me chose the 350D instead of another P&S. Second is the shallow Depth of field (DOF) produced by large aperture lenses (eg the Sigma 30mm f1.4, a truly fantastic lens). If speed and shallow DOF are not what you are after, there is no reason to get a DSLR. See pic was taken with the Sigma 30mm at f1.4 to get shallow DOF: http://www.theteh.com/html/borough_market_18.html Hope this review helps you to decided! Rebel XT for beginners and for pro's I had a Canon film camera (elan 7e) for a while and i decided its time for a digital. I held off for as long as I could. This meant not getting the original Rebel. Which of course turned out for the better. The Rebel XT is a nice step up from the original Rebel. With its 0.2 second start up time its alot faster than the original rebel which had around a much longer time of roughly 2-3 seconds. It also has a larger buffer and increased framerate. The original rebel would take a few shots of RAW at 1.5 Frames per second where the rebel XT takes 3 FPS for 6-7 RAW files and of course even more when shooting JPEG. There are alot of features on this camera which are nice to have even if you don't need them. It's a great camera all around. The smaller size is nice too. There are alot of people who say its way to small.. I'm 6'4" and my hands aren't small either. It fits nicely. And with the grip no one can complain. I would recommend getting a wireless remote for the camera also. top lens recommendations for the money Canon 18-55 ( not a bad starter lens when stopped down) Canon 70-200 f/4L Canon 17-85 EFS IS USM CS_112 FDT2 Expected more from this camera After using the Canon A85 Powershot 4.0 megapixel camera for almost a year, I decided to upgrade to a high quality digital camera and chose the Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP. I was disappointed from the first picture. The autofocus was extremely poor. Virtually every photo taken in a variety of settings, lighting and speeds were soft or blatantly out of focus. The manual focus has no focus guide, either. Other professional photographers also tried their hand at this camera, only to yield the same results. I've been taking photos for almost 20 years, and have used a variety of digital cameras through friends and associates over the past few years to get an idea of what non-film cameras can produce. This camera caused more disappointment than all the other ones I've tried, combined. I took about 300 pictures, trying every avenue to produce a picture that looked like it was taken by a 8.0 MP semi-professional camera, to no avail. I found that my Canon A85 took consistently sharper images at 4x6 print size when shooting side-by-side. I returned the Digital Rebel after one week, and the search for a decent digital one continues... great digital slr camera We had researched this item and found it well recommended. It is simply a great digital camera at a reasonable price. By getting it without the lense we were able to select the one we wanted. Canon Rebel Digital SLR Provides Amazing Photos Using the Digital SLR is having the best of both worlds. You get to set your depth of field and focus like an SLR but you know you've got your shot with the digital technology. The only thing I found in shooting primarily landscapes at this point is in autofocus mode the image seems slightly out of focus. The camera itself is comfortable in the hand. You can feel the quality in the placement of the controls and the ease of use. Overall it is a camera for the hobbist or pro and I love my birthday present!!!! Great camera but instructions are weak and NO FLASH CARD???!?!? This is a great camera, but it is a REAL frustration to spend north of $800 and not have something work out of the box because it has no memory card. At first I figured I'd lost it so I spend a half hour looking through the garbage before emailing customer service. They seemed to think some advice on where to buy a flash card would suffice. The instruction manual is no work of art either With all that said, it is an excellent camera with an easy interface to the computer. Top notch camera I love this camera. I'm an amateur photographer who was looking to supplement my Canon AE-1 with a digital camera. I looked at digital point and shoots, mostly because of the cost difference between them and the SLRs. I first bought the Canon Powershot S2. I thought that was a decent camera, but after using it for a couple of days, it was obvious that in 6 months I would want more horsepower. So I returned it and bought the Digital Rebel XT (otherwise known as the 350D). It was definitely the right decision. I won't go into many technical details as so many people already have, but instead would like to inform anybody on the fence between point and shoots and SLRs to definitely go with the SLR. The 350D is worth every penny. It is a joy to be able to grab the camera, flick it on (0.2 second startup) and shoot. At 3 frames per second with a good memory buffer, you will be all set to capture your shots at a moment's notice. That is something that point and shoots simply cannot do. I don't know about you, but I value the ability to flip on my camera and instantly get a shot. The 350D was the highest rated digital SLR in the recent Consumer Reports magazine too. Everybody I know who has one loves it. From the camera startup, to shooting, to uploading the images on my PC, the 350D performs excellently. The menu system is well designed, the buttons are accessible. The more I use the camera, the more I like it. This is a much lighter camera than Canon's next in line 20D. The 20D is made of metal and is about $500 more. The 350D has a plastic body (but it's quality, sturdy and has a very solid feel). Best of all, the camera is LIGHT. You can barely feel it hanging on your shoulder. The 350D kit (as opposed to just the body) comes with an 18-55 lens. This is an economical lens, about $100 retail, but I think it's very good quality for its price. The 350D, as well as the 20D, can use all of Canon's "EF" series lenses (the world's largest assortment of interchangeable lenses). This means that if you want to invest in lenses, you can do so with confidence because when it's time to upgrade the camera body, all of your lenses will fit. So, yeah, this camera is fantastic. It's light, versatile and powerful. Because of this, barriers to usage are minimal. What I mean is that if you want to go somewhere, it is easier than ever before to bring your camera along. Its size, weight and ability to respond quickly to real life photographic situations make it a pleasure to use. A Great Beginner's Camera, Still Doesn't Replace Film But Close.... Here's the problem. You can take good photos with anything, if you are careful, hold the camera steady or use a tripod and know how to make a photograph interesting. Years ago, I bought an Agfa ePhoto 1680. The lens on this camera was wonderful. I have 8x10's that are grainless and perfect which were taken at the equivilent of 1.8 megapixels. No one would ever think they were made with a digital camera. I was careful not to exceed the contrast range of the sensor and the camera was on a tripod. It's not resolution that makes a great picture, it's the picture that makes a good picture. It's the technique and equipment that fade into the background to go unnoticed when a photograph is well executed. OK, back to the Rebel XT. Mine arrived and could not deliver a sharp image. I tried everything but the camera was somehow malfunctioning. I sent it back to Canon and 2 weeks later I recieved it back... fixed. Now the images are sharp. Decided to compare this to film, used my EOS A2E with Kodachrome 64 to photograph landscapes on a beautiful summer day. Soft light, tripod, beautiful conditions a sky filled with small puffy clouds, perfect. I made six exposures then switched cameras to the Rebel XT. Same 6, carefully exposed and checked. I had chromes back in 3 days, decided to print one at a local lab. I made a 16x20. I then sent a raw file from the Rebel XT to a well known mail order lab and also received a 16x20 of the same basic exposure. Two friends come over, I show the first the digital print. They were impressed, it came from a digital camera and didn't look "digital" what ever that means. Then I pulled out the K print, silence... "wow." I asked what the difference was, they couldn't articulate what that was. I studied the two as carefully as possible, I think I can explain it. In the smallest branches and twigs, the digital broke up, couldn't handle the detail. The Kodachrome handled the detail with ease. Here's what I think. Digital cameras are wonderful for making photos without film. Yet film is good at high resolution down to the size of silver halide crystals. Theoretically, 12 megapixels is about where you reach the limit of film. When you get to 18 megapixels, you are able to deliver medium format quality, that's where it really starts getting interesting. Trashed after 5 weeks This summer, I took a 5 wk old 8MP Digital Rebel, purchased through Amazon, on vacation to British Columbia in July. On a hike in the Canadian Glacier National Park, on a drizzly day, I would take the camera out of the case, take a shot or two, put it away, wipe it off every now and then. Towards the end of the day, I powered it down and it never came back on. Tried the "dry it out" regimen in the user's guide, no luck. It became "luggage" for the rest of the trip. Used my trusty 4.1MP Sony DSC-S85 after that. I'm sure its my fault, but ... you know ... I didn't handle it with any less care than 5 other cameras I've owned. Sent it to Canon for repair ... they said moisture exposure is not covered under the warantee. Gave me a $MANY estimate to repair. Grumble, grumble. Sent it to Sanford Camera Repair for a second opinion and they said could not be fixed. Thinking of buying one? Think "fair weather camera". Good for birthday parties in the back yard, maybe, (if no pool ... or sprinklers ... or drooling golden retrievers.) Unbelievable... I have owned 3 Canon digital cameras and thought my S1 was the bomb. It is, however, this thing is unbelievable. It is so responsive and fast that I could hardly believe how quickly I could shoot photo after photo at the highest resolution. I got the all black and some say they feel cheap when you hold them. I think it feels awesome...but I have small hands and it fits perfectly. The quality of the photos are fantastic, even with the stock lense. I love this camera...the performance is incredible and it is a blast to use. My poor S1 is gonna get lonely. Student Review The new Canon EOS "Digital Rebel" XT offers many of the same exposure features and improvements as the 10D, but slightly scaled back to keep costs under control. The Canon EOS "Digital Rebel" XT provides a slightly re-engineered CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor - Another imaging system used by digicams. It is not as popular as CCD but the future promises us even better digicams based on CMOS sensors due to the lower amount of power consumption versus the typical CCD device) sensor very similar to that on the Canon EOS 10D, as well as most of the same exposure features. The main differences lie in the design of the body. The Canon EOS "Digital Rebel" XT makes much greater use of plastic, it has less control over focus or metering modes, also does not have a Custom settings menu, and a handful of other minor changes. The Canon EOS "Digital Rebel" XT is an exceptionally small and lightweight camera designed for amateur Digital SLR owners, but it delivers the responsiveness and image quality you'd expect from a semipro model. What's new is a specially designed Canon EF-S lens, designed only for the Digital Rebel, and sold only as part of the Digital Rebel kit. This new lens takes advantage of the size difference between the Rebel's sensor and a normal 35mm film frame to reduce the back-focus distance, shrink the image circle, and shed quite a bit of size, weight, and cost in the process. The biggest draw for the Digital XT is that it offers much of the same functionality as the wildly popular 10D model, but at a much lower price. After personally owning the Canon EOS "Digital Rebel" XT for four months, I have found it more useful than a normal pocket digital camera and normal SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. This camera is the pinnacle of camera production. We have the capability to create SLR camera media and quality into digital media at your finger tips, with quality results, editable right then and there, and all the while providing the reliability that a normal SLR camera would come with. This camera has also offered up incomparable quality and functionality. It is versatile; with the various lens compatibility it holds there is no end to the possibilities and the creativity. digital rebel xy review I previously owned the Canon Digital Rebel so this camera was a jump up in megapixels. The camera is smaller than the first Rebel, but I added the battery grip which gave it a better feel in my hands. I bought the 70-300 zoom lens with image stabilization. I took pictures in very low lighting without a tripod with very good results. The 420 flash is also a nice add on. I use the Canon pixma I9990 printer which is pictbridge compatible for amazing 13x19 photos. Canon is the only company that I would do commercials for. Incredible digiSLR for the price! I just got back from taking this camera to Ireland with me...wow!! Friends and family both have said the quality is amazing, suitable for poster-size prints. Being new to SLRs, I had to really find some organized way to run through the auto modes and creative modes to figure out what was going on, but it didn't take long. You just have to take photos of the same subject with the same light through each mode to identify the characteristics of each. I'm now starting to really enjoy the range of possibilities with the creative modes. I'm glad I upgraded to the Canon 17-85mm IS USM lens, because the kit lens didn't seem good enough for this camera. But the quality of colors and resolution is simply unbelievable! I highly recommend this camera for anyone wanting to get into SLRs for a very good price and almost unlimited expandability. Great Specs, but too small This is a really nice Digital SLR, but if you are upgrading from the original Digital Rebel be warned that this is a MUCH smaller body. It does not have the same high quality feel as the first and it is actually pretty hard to use if you have large hands. To me it is almost worth paying the $450 more for the 20d just to get the larger body. Great camera overall--can't go wrong with it! Hi, I got this camera in the mail recently and all I can say is that I'm utterly impressed. Don't listen to those pro/photosnubs who lambast this very powerful camera. Don't feel envy or inferior than this camera's "bigger" sister (the D20) because it offers, by far, pretty much the same specs. This camera feels solid, very easy to handle and get around of. The plethora of Canon lenses you can attach to this camera is big enough to let your imagination do its work (limited only by the depth of your pockets). *Image quality is bar-none. *Noise @ relatively high ISOs (400-800) is negligible. *Battery life is decent (buy an additional battery). *The auto focus is blazing fast (with canon lenses). *Start-up time is unreal! *Menus and configuration settings of the camera are well thought-out and designed. *Very versatile; in fact, extremelly versatile. Just as it can work for those new to SLRs, it can work for advanced amateurs and semi-pro photographers as well. Things you need to (must) do and buy to make the most of this camera: * Ditch the kit lens...leave it as a "just-in-case-of-doomsday" lens. * Buy at least 2 more lenses one for wide-angle shots and one tele-foto (zoom). I recommend buying Canon's as they perform the best with their cameras (though if you're on a tight budget, you can get Sigma's). * Tripod. * External Flash (if you plan to use it in less-than-ideal light conditions). * Carrying case. * Filters. * Insurance!!! Yes, I know that buying all of the above will set you back $1700-2K (camera inclusive), but in this field is more true than anywhere else, "you get what you pay for." If your hands are big and don't feel very comfortable with this camera, you might then try a D20 (or buy the external battery grip for the Rebebel XT). In short, very good camera, good price, good upgrade options, and reliable service from Canon. The best value in the DSLR market today--period! Excellent Camera This is a very good DSRL camera for the price. I have a Canon 20D which only produces the same picture quality. Amazon.com has great service which allows you to return the product within 30 days without any restocking fee. This is one of the reasons why I love shopping from Amazon.com Go Canon EOS and never look back A year ago I sold my Digital Rebel on eBay and purchased the 20D. I have since not looked back. This camera has brought nothing but joy to myself and others. The sharpness and colors from the famed Canon sensor are true to their reputation. Friends and family all love the pictures that come out of this camera. After selling my Rebel, I debated upgrading to the new Rebel XT or the 20D, which I'm sure many of you might be having right now before pulling the trigger. I held both in my hand and played with them at the PMA tradeshow where the XT was introduced. It was very light and felt very small in my hands. I don't have exceptionally large hands, but the XT felt like it was designed for smaller hands. That being said, it is a great travel partner to have being so compact and light-weight. The only other drawback, however, is that the user interface is quite different from the 20D. Although it may seem like a trivial feature, the dial navigation on the 20D has been immensely more convenient and practical when shooting compared to pressing the buttons on the Rebel or the XT. I didn't like having to navigate through the ISO or other changes to white balance via the LCD screen. I definitely think there's a reason why the 20D is more expensive beyond the fact that it has the solid magnesium alloy body. The user interface for me was worth the extra money as well. The more you take photos, the more you will realize the freedom that comes with controlling your aperture, shutter speed, white balance and more with the 20D interface versus the XT. That being said, it is still several hundred dollars more expensive and the sensors are practically the same (the XT has 0.2 fewer megapixels). But the XT will give you the same stunning results because the differences are mainly external. The XT is not for everyone just as the 20D is not for everyone. I suggest strongly considering and weighing the differences between the two camera bodies before purchasing and prioritizing what's most important to you between size, weight, and UI. If you travel a lot and don't want to lug around a heavy camera...then without a doubt get the XT. It's the same bang for less buck and for the price the XT package can't be beat. I highly recommend getting the kit lens with either camera. For an additional 100 or so bucks it is well worth it just for the range and it has pretty decent quality results. Bang for your buck it can't be beat. Make sure you pick up a EF 50mm f/1.8 II USM lens for another 80 bucks. This is a powerful little lens at a great price. I have had so many friends ask me about my camera and my pictures, that I decided to create a site called eosrebels.com that you might find helpful in making your decision and learning about the basics of digital SLR photography. It's specifically for owners of the Canon EOS digital SLRs. Check it out for useful tips and research that will help you get started on this rewarding journey of digital photography! Either way you won't regret your purchase. It would make an incredible gift, not only for Christmas or a birthday, but for life. It sure did change mine. Don't hesitate to buy this camera today! Use in other than auto I just returned from an Italy tour wherein I was confronted with personnel at the Vatican and other museums demanding no photos to be taken. Not just flash but no photos at all. When I got to the statue of David, I was not leaving until I got a picture. With the camera set on AV priority I politely took a seat on a bench as though I was tired, and with a little care in positioning and being very still I clicked off nearly half a dozen shots. Out of those I did find one that was not blurred and was reasonably composed. The exposure was perfect and what little camera noise there was, was negligble. As a matter of fact, I was not disappointed with any of the pictures I had to take without flash. There were a number of instances during daylight where the camera would flip up the flash. I could not understand this until I tried to bypass the electronics by switching to manual and found the picture was much better with the flash than without. On top of this, all my old Cannon SLR lenses fit right on the camera without an adapter. Cannon, I love you for making this camera. Made for Small Hands I am an 18 month user of the original digital rebel, and I love it. I've been looking at the feature upgrades of the XT for some time and finally decided to sell my old camera and buy this one. After one day of use I sent to back and cancelled selling my old one: Con: This is made for very tiny hands. I wear a men's medium glove because they are too small for the "one size fits all". I was shocked at how small your hands need to be to comfortably hold the unit. My wife was equally disappointed. I tried 2 approaches: It is comfortable with 2 hands. This is how I shoot when I have my heavy lenses and external flash installed. However I only sport this at events I know I will shoot a lot. When I am at home or take the kids out, I want my light lens and shoot with only one hand (corralling the kids with the other). Use one hand. There are 2 positions this will work, my grip was strong when I slid my thumb far to the left to "create shorter fingers" but I found it difficult to press the trigger. In a normal position my grip was loose and I tended to droop the camera counter-clockwise. Pros: Everything else you've read is true. The body is slightly more professional, the burst rate is noticeably faster and the buffer is larger. The higher ISO quality is amazing. Choosing the ISO/WB is not much more tedious, but I agree that in sunlight this is a chore. I do also notice the LCD is more blurry since I got used to reading it straight on using the original, you need to hold it at an angle. The menus are just as intuitive as the original. FEC is a big win. It is clear to me that the original Rebel neutered features via Firmware to upsell the equivalent quality 10D and this time the grip is the incentive to buy the 20D. A few tips on focusing There are many good reviews on this camera on amazon and elsewhere. I'm partial to an eclectic review I wrote on my blog -- if you want to read it Google on [Gordon's Tech Digital Rebel XT review] and you'll find it. (Amazon does not allow one to put URLs in a review). I won't repeat the full review here; instead I'll focus on ... getting sharp images. The negative reviews on Amazon complain about out-of-focus images. I think I can help. If you've used a consumer digital camera with a tiny CCD sensor, you've gotten used to great depth of field. The APS-sized (2x3 aspect ratio btw, not 3x4!) sensor on this camera is big enough that depth of field is back. When I use my 50mm Canon 1.8 (equivalent of 80mm on 35mm camera) the depth of focus is inches. That's not much to work with. Also, the 'smart' 8 point focus tends to fail for me. I got much better results when I switched to a single focus point and started using focus lock. Lastly, the default built-in flash settings favors an odd combination of flash and long exposures (so one gets the background exposed) along with wide open lens and ISO 400 sensitivity (to reduce power drain?). Bad choices for most of us. You can fix the flash behavior. Read the manual carefully, there's an esoteric setting that fixes the shutter speed to 1/200 sec with Av flash pictures. Use that setting and use Aperture priority for flash images, set your lens to f 4 or better, ISO to 200 and you can expect sharp flash pictures. I think this is a solid camera, despite the annoying rattle in the flash unit "arms". I think we'll eventually move beyond SLR technology, but for now the power consumption of these larger more light efficient sensors requires that they be embedded in an SLR body. Capable of very good results Background: began photography in 1979 using a K1000 developing in the school darkroom. I've used a T90 since they were introduced in 1986, added a Hasselblad in 1999 for landscapes and a Sony point and shoot in 2002 for "walking around". I found I was using the Sony for all our holiday and travel shots, and the Hasselblad just for my recreational landscapes, the T90 not at all. I began to want the creative control I had with 35mm but with the convenience of digital, and decided that a DSLR was the answer. Here's how I use my Rebel XT: With a 24mm EOS as the ultimate "carry around" camera, it's very compact and light, has outstanding battery life and gets plenty of shots on a 1Gig card. Perfect for "point and click" type shooting. Switch to the outstanding 17-40 f4L and add the battery grip for more "serious" out and about shooting. This is my typical vacation configuration. The battery grip provides a very comfortable holding position, and I can probably manage over 1,000 shots without recharging when using two batteries. The 17-40 f4L is a beautiful lens with outstanding color rendition and resolving power, it also has very good environmental seals that keep moisture out of the lens and the body. I've had the surface of an umbrella in Scotland dumped on the camera in this configuration and it survived fine. For motorsports photography I use the 70-200 f4L and a monopod. I've had prints made at 24"x36" from these sessions that are simply stunning. For closeups I use a set of fully automatic tubes and a 50mm 1.8, a great lens for very little money. Observations: Be prepared to do more work in post-processing than with a point and shoot, the Rebel XT does not pump up the colors or sharpening as much in camera as the strictly "consumer" cameras - but used properly the results can be much better. Control focus points yourself. I think many focus problems stem either from not noticing that the camera has picked the wrong point for you, or not paying attention to the aperture picked if using one of the more "programmed" modes. I use Speed priority or Aperture priority only, just as I always did with the T90. I tend to configure auto focus so that only the centre sensor is used and use focus hold to pick the spot and then re-frame. I initially had some disappointing results until I took more control of the process myself. Above all enjoy! We need more than 5 stars Ok so it's canon, you know it's going to be good, but everything about this camera is great. It's lightweight, compact (for an SLR) and takes amazingly great pictures. I cannot wait to get out and take some photos at the US Figure Skating National championships with this camera. The manual is also easy to read and understand, and the tech support--if ever you need it--is user friendly! Buy this camera, and be ready to never look back! Great but Not Perfect. 4.5 Stars. After a long and detailed due diligence on a mid-level professional digital cameras, my search ended between Nikon (D70/D50) and Canon (20D/350D). I finally decided on 350D for its balance of a great value and a huge variety of after-market accessories and web-based support and advice. I recently received this camera from Amazon and, though my expectation was rather high and the camera did not blow me away, I'm very happy with the purchase. PROS: - Light, compact, and ergonomically designed. - The camera does NOT feel plasticky at all. It feels solid and radiates the craftsmanship of a prosumer product. - Easy to use. Take the camera out of the box and start snapping away. - The bundled software is useful if not professional quality. - Amazing flash performance. Pictures taken in total dark comes out looking professionally lit. - Quiet when snapping pictures. Fast startup time. Very good batter life. - For a fan of Canon, add to the inventory of other Canon products, from camera to lenses to printers to photo paper. CONS: - The EF-S zoom lens that comes with it is rather slow and a bit disappointing in picture quality. - The camera - as many reviewers complained - is ergonomic but does not feel very well balanced. It's very awkward to take a picture with only one hand holding the camera - you need two hands. No matter how I tried, my grip on the camera never feels comfortable. - Documentation is buggy and uneven. Some of the step-by-step instructions simply do not work, and I had to figure out the correct steps by playing with the controls myself. (...)Amazon double-boxed the package, which arrived without a dent. Digital Rebel XT is fantastic I bought my 8 megapixel Digital Rebel XT in August. I'm in love with it. If you're looking for a manually operated slr, you won't go wrong with this. It's lightning fast when you turn it on and it can take shots rapidly. I've taken some great pictures with this camera -- and I'm just learning. It can be used in automatic mode (like a point and shoot) or you can set it manually. It is physically smaller than the 300D, but it has many more features. GREAT CAMERA! Amazing. This camera is amazing. It, however, as all digital SLRs have, has a steep learning curve. If you just want to take pictures of the family, you won't be impressed. However if you are interested in other realms of photography, such as macro, nature, landscape, artistic, this is the perfect camera. Perfect Camera If you are a photographer who wants to get more out of your dSLR, this is definattely the one.. So far here is what I think from it: PROS> 1. REALLY FAST CAMERA !! 2. Has many functions that will push your photography techniques to the edge. 3. Quality of Images, Sensor and NOISELESS photos, even at high ISO (at 1600 almost none at all)!! 4. This is the Camera to have it, and we talking about a ALMOST Pro one.. CONS> 1. The only thing that might be drawback on it would be the size of the Grip at the camera, if you happen to have a big hand. In this case... Might be worth to get the Grip (which I have done !!) As you can see, this is a 5 star camera and you will not regret it. But if you are looking for a camera for just "point and shoot", better get another one, otherwise you might be driving a FERRARI just to go around the block !! Canon Lover's know that this is definatelly a Great Camera. ;-) CANON "Takes The Cake" (In High-End Digital Photography) With The Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Camera! Look No Further! This is a case where I can't wait to write a review about a product that I love and believe in with all of my heart and soul! You can rest assured in knowing that there is no possibe way to go wrong if you're considering the purchase of one of the most intelligent and powerful high-end digital cameras on the market. The Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera, that comes complete with an awesome Canon EF-S 18-55mm (f3.3-5.6) lens, is the highest performing high-end digital camera that I have ever used. If you read nothing more-know that you are making a sound purchase and if you're purchasing as a gift-you simply couldn't be more thoughtful or generous! With so many brands on the market and so many choices, where does one begin to find the right camera for their personal and professional needs? Where does a photographer or the average enthusiast start to isolate the camera that they want to buy for themselves or as a gift? Do I just need to focus on the impressive 8 Megapixels technology or is there more I need to consider? If you're either new to digital photography or new to Canon, you should feel very confident that this Canon Digital Rebel XT is one of the best digital cameras ever produced. I really do hope that this personal and honest review will help you narrow your search and help you develop more faith in what you're buying. I'm assuming that you probably have a good deal of experience with photography or you're a person that appreciates great photography. So if you're looking for an outstanding digital camera at a Professional Level, you've found it with this monumental digital camera from Canon. This is a VERY dependable camera, clearly at the top of the almost all the reviews I've thoroughly researched while doing my homework for this important review. If you're a photographer, you know how great it feels to put a great machine in your hands. Your confidence as a photographer immediately improves with a camera that offers an awesome array of important performance features. The Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens is as sturdy and comfortable as they make them! And with 8MP quality and a fantastic Canon 18-55mm lens, you have a complete camera package that only lacks someone to take the photographs! This Canon Rebel XT (Digital 8MP) camera will always take incredible color-rich and vivid photos for you-even if you make a slight mistake or move your hands just a tiny bit when photographing. It actually has a great deal of technology that is built-in and designed to compensate for anyone who might be in a poor lighting situation or someone who forgets to focus well before shooting the picture. Don't worry if you are a bit unsteady as the technology will help to compensate for any small movements. I typically use the function that allows the camera to call all the shots. At first I wasn't comfortable in doing that, but soon learned that Canon's technology has far surpassed my own abilities-for the most part. However, even though you can have the Rebel "Call All The Shots", you are always abled to manually handle absolutely any function that you might want to adjust. What more could anyone ask? I'll never forget how impressed I was with the first set of photos I had printed. I was in a hurry and had no time to make any adjustments with the incredible software that is included with the Canon package. When I went to pick up the photos, which only took about 30 minutes, I could not believe how "perfect" the photos looked to me. Canon Digital Cameras are pretty hard to compare with others in the this high-end digital arena. I've had Powershots for a long time and I've taken over five thousand photos with them-they stand up against my accidental drops or drops of rain when I've exposed the camera to water. This Rebel XT Digital Camera is a couple notches well above the Powershots and is perfect for anyone. Aside for requiring powerful batteries that use a good amount of power, there is no downside to this incredible digital camera from a great digital camera maker. I've been able to have these photographs enlarged to poster size and found them to be as vivid (even close up) as I could ever have imagined. With 8 Megapixels, sizes like 8x10's are not even a concern when enlarging. Canon was in the camera business decades before digital cameras were even on the market and they've really pushed the digital envelope with this camera. If you're looking for a gift for someone who is an avid photographer, or a professional, and likes digital photography, you've found it in the Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens. You can stop looking and place your order now. Your recipient will be extrememly satisfied with the ease of use and the high quality of this great camera. If you are an avid photographer, like myself, and wish to have a great camera for digital shots-this is the baby you'll want to buy! If you're looking to take photographs that you will likely enlarge to 5x7's, 8x10's or larger, this camera has enough power and technology to do the job without looking like a digital photograph. Often my framed digital prints look better than my photographs taken with film-something I never thought would happen! There is a great deal of information that you can read about this camera on the Canon website and other review sites online. You can compare the camera with others in the same category. You might find some slightly better deals with other brands that might offer even larger amounts of Megapixels. That really is NOT what you should be looking for. Often the number of Megapixels is only possible with the use of special software to inerpolate the photographs. You don't want to have to worry about all of that. You are set with the Canon that truly delivers 8.0 VIVID Megapixels! Canon puts together an entire Kit or Package when you buy the Digital Rebel XT. I wanted to also let you know that the software that's included with the camera package is fantastic and is literally worth the price of the camera in itself. However, you're getting a super package with this deal and a camera that can depend on for as long as you want to own the camera. I've exposed it mine to rain about 10 different times, and I've not EVER had any even a small incidental problem. reminds me of the Energizer Bunny-It just keeps on Going and Going and Going and never stops! You will NOT be disappointed with your purchase and with the warranty from Canon. I hope that this honest review was of some help to you as it was a pleasure to write it for you. Pete Cannice from Phoenix, Arizona. Horsepete@aol.com Great Camera Easy to use "rattle" is probably not a flaw Regarding the highlighted review by L. Wimberley: The Digital Rebel XT is equipped to detect whether you're shooting horizontally or vertically. To do so, there may be a free-hanging piece within the camera to detect which way is up as you hold the camera. This may be what's making the rattling sound. The sensor is handy, as the camera uses this data to auto-rotate images in the viewfinder for you when they were shot vertically. Buy and never look back! This is a short review to let you know what you need to know about this camera: "buy it, and never look back!" Old photgraphers will tell you that top take good pictures, just take a lot of them and 1 in 50 will be great. Unfortunatly that is expensive with film. With digital, you can "throw away" for free any pictures you don't like. But, digital can be sloooooow. The Canon Rebel XT shoots three frames a second. Do you know what it was like at Christmas this year to be firing away at all the crazy kids and not missing a single moment? You know how you "see" a shot, and then a person moves before the digital camera catches it? Not with my Rebel! It is on in 1/5 of a second and I can fire a picture in the remaining part of that second.. and then keep clicking away with its powerful flash keeping up to speed. Sure, the price reflects all the myriad professional adjustments you can make to it. You say you are just an amatuer and don't need 'em? Put it in full auto and it sets up the shots for you! I think its choices based on lighting and focusing were comparable (maybe even better than mine!) YOU WILL GET GREAT SHOTS OUT OF THIS CAMERA. Please, choke up the price, and you may never need another camera again. Best Digital Camera for the money Read every review I could find while searching for a new DSLR. Decided the Canon Rebel XT was the best for the money. It has all the important features a serious amateur would want and then some. Well, I received the camera over a week ago and I can't believe how good this camera is. Been a long time 35mm SLR user and a Digicam user since 2001. This camera is the closest to film you will get for the price and with all the advantages digital has to offer (technically speaking, a DSLR would have to be 12 megapixels to exactly match 35mm film quality). My only reservation is it's small size but that is a very minor complaint. A friend of mine has a Canon 20D and it is a better camera, but only slightly and costs $500.00 more. Save your money or spend it on a better lens, I bought the Canon EFS 17-85mm and it performs beautifully. By the way, don't believe all the critics that say megapixels aren't important and 6 megapixels are enough - that is not true. Even though most people are not printing large 8X10 or larger prints, many photos are indeed cropped and the more megapixel per photo there is the sharper the photo will remain. This is one area Canon seems to beat all of its competitors in this price range. $100 tip learned the hard way I can't say enough about this camera. I won't launch into superlatives you can read in all the other reviews other than to agree that it is the best thing this amateur has ever bought. If the XT is going to someone that will only use it 5-10 times a year, the kit lens is fine. My advice for those like me that are trying to step up into taking photographs rather than pictures? Buy the camera as a body only, spend [...] dollars on the 50mm 1.8 prime lens, and another [...] on the remote. You will still come out [...] cheaper than if you buy the XT with a kit lens AND have an amazing, fast lens that gets raving reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. Check the lens reviews for yourself, especially if you're not familiar with prime vs. zoom lenses. The tiny remote is handy too! I'm betting you will eventually buy at least one more lens than what you start with to explore the capabilities of the XT. This is true whether you start out with the kit or the 1.8. I use the 28-135 IS and the 1.8. The kit lens is in a box in my garage somewhere, so I could have saved myself [...] if someone had suggested to me what I am to you. Great Camera I recieved this camera for Christmas this year. This is my very first digital camera after years of using a 30 year old minolta SRT-200 and SRT-202. I must say I am very impressed with the image quality. It takes very sharp pictures with 8 megapixels! especially with the flash. Continous shooting mode for me is extremely impressive. With at least 3 shots per second. Some people say 3 frames is lousy but its all I need for taking sports pictures for our school yearbook. Red eye reduction you dont really need to use it. I've been taking pictures and not one has had red eye so far big win for me. But its always good to have it just in case. The flash pops up automaticaly in auto mode so you dont have to autofocus, take a reading and then see if it needs it and then manualy pop up the flash. Quick and easy. As long as you have enough money it makes a great present for anyone who's been into the film age much too long. Get into digital and don't ever go back. A knockout I had a $400 credit and 10 percent off coupon at a national chain store and bought one of these for my wife for Christmas. She is a talented amateur that's had training behind the camera so she knows what she's doing. She may use this to have another career after retirement. All her gear from her 35MM Canon camera works on this one. This comes with a lot of software that allows you to do just about anything to make your pictures perfect, if they weren't already perfect when you shot them. Unlike those tiny little digitals, this one is full size and has a full size viewfinder and all the other technical gadgetry featured in the product description. One small drawback: the unit does not come with a memory stick. You'll have to get one elsewhere. The 8.0 megapixels of power bring outstanding results for a first time or 1000th time user. I bought my wife's camera for $419, the most outstanding bargain I've gotten this century. Even if you pay full price or close to it for yours, you will never regret your decision. Handles Great, Autofocus just not there First, a couple of things. I wanted this camera to be great. I researched all the consumer dSLRs and decided on the XT Rebel 350 because of it's size and 8MP CCD, plus, I'd had two Canon point and shoot digitals that were fantastic. I've been taking pictures on a semi-professtional level for thirty years and I attended Brooks Institute of Photography, so I sort of know what I'm doing. Bought the Rebel XT at a local store in San Francisco, along with the Canon 28-200 Zoom. Immediately went up to Chinatown to shoot pictures of the Festival of the Harvest Moon with my wife, who was using her Nikon D70 with the Nikon 28-200. Shot pictures all day, and absolutely loved the way the XT handled. It was very intuitive, fast, had a bright viewfinder -- I couldn't have been happier. Then, we got home and looked at the pictures. I'd shot mostly on automatic, or shutter priority all day, with shutter speeds above 250th of a second. Bottom line, my wife's pictures were crystal clear, popped really, and mine of the same or similar subjects were just a tad fuzzy. You couldn't tell at 5x7 or so, but when you brought it up to 8x10 or above the difference was obvious. I checked the historgram on the shots, and they were made at nearly the same settings. Couldn't be, right? After all, the Nikon is only 6 MP, the Canon 8MP. So I put both cameras on a tripod, pointed them at a brick wall with a sign about 100 feet away, set everything the same on the cameras, and low and behold, same fuzziness. I took the Canon back the next day and traded it in on a D70. Now, maybe I got a bad lense, or a camera where the auto-focus was tweaked, but I couldn't afford the time to test it out again and again. I knew the Nikon would work, and it did (and does). Since then, I've talked to friends, professionals, who say that the XT is known to have auto-focus "issues". This seems to be inconsistent, with some reviewers being delighted by the camera, others having a little problem. As I said above, the camera handles really well, intuitively, and I actually like the compact size (some SLR users like a heavier camera). I may have gotten a lemon, but if you are going to need to depend on getting sharp pictures and can't go back for reshoots, I'd step up to the Canon D20 or go with a Nikon dSLR. What an amazing camera!!! Also: Comparison b/w NIKON D70 and Rebel XT. I've been using this camera for a few months now and I can't say anything but praise. I've transitioned from using point and shoot cameras to the SLR. I just can't believe the difference. The quality of the photos is truly amazing. I was actually debating between the Nikon D70 and the XT. I had been preferring the D70 b/c of the "better" kit lens. But I actually went to Best Buy and took pictures with both cameras, side by side, at different settings including full auto. I then printed out prints to compare the two. The XT was ablt to pick up small shows and detail in the back of the store that the D70 just showed as a blur. All different settings looked better with the XT. The pictures were much, much clearer and crisper and the color was much more like actual colors in the store. Also, the D70 wasn't as easy to use as the XT. The menus were not as clear as the XT. Needless to say, I stopped looking into the D70. Now, over 7500 photos later, I'm totally happy with my choice. I have actually zoomed in on portraits using my desktop and was able to see the tear ducts in my daughter's eyes. The camera is also simple enough for my wife to take great photos. Pros: 3 pics per second - super fast. Great price for a dig SLR. Easy to use menus. Great indoor photos. Battery charges in less than 2 hrs and lasts forever. Many great Canon lenses to choose from. Manual and auto focus lens is great. Great clarity photos. 8 megapixal is awesome. Prints great 8x10's. (I also just got the Canon MP500 printer AIO. Only 150 w/ free S/H) Cons: only uses CF media (and doesn't come w/ a card) - I like CF though b/c you can buy the larger CF type 2 cards - I got the 6GB card - can take about 1500 pics on highest quality. SD or other types of media are more limited on size of cards. Overall - GREAT Camera. I totally recommend for regular home use or professional use. Great price. Can't go wrong with this one. I'm in love with my camera! It's great! This is my first SLR camera. I was about to buy a 20D, but I took my friends recommentation (who has a 20D) and bought the Rebel XT instead. It is much smaller and lighter than 20D. I saved the price difference between Rebel and 20D to buy extra lenses. If you want a good and complete comparison of Rebel and 20D visit: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/eos_digital_rebel_xt_vs_20d.html I have been using it for 2 months now, and I have taken great shots with it. For more info visit: http://www.bobatkins.com/. I found it very useful. Not quite perfect I bought this camera after doing a lot of internet research. It won out over a similar Olympus model because of immediate availability. I was preparing for a trip to Rome and I needed the camera right away. It came just a few days before my trip so I had little time to get acquainted with all the features. In spite of that, it worked flawlessly during my week in Rome and I came back with hundreds of beautiful shots. Now that I have had a little time with the camera, I've found that there are a number of handy features I didn't initially notice. I'm just an amateur photographer, so I can't give a professional perspective, but from an amateur standpoint it is a superb camera that gives excellent results. Time exposures can be done automatically and come out great. Auto exposure usually works well, and it easy to override for special conditions. As with any digital camera, you can review the results immediately and make adjustments if needed. I only purchased mine with two lenses, to cover a wide variety of focal lengths, but as soon as I have the money, there are numerous available accessories I would love to have. As you can tell, I'm "sold" on this camera. Awesome DSLR! I had a tough time deciding between the Canon XT and some of the other DLSRs in the market, spcifically the Nikon models; and after 2 months of insomnia, I decided on the XT. And I am very very happy with this decision. The clinchers were: 1) Mirrror lockup, which is not avaiable in the Nikons. This feature is particularly important for macro and superzoom. 2) Exceptionally low noise levels in comparison to other DSLRs, even at 1600 ISO and long exposures. 3) Smaller size 4) larger range of Canon compatible lenses to choose from when I might need them Great feel in hands and quick shutter This is my first DSLR, but not my first SLR. I've owned the Prowershot Pro70 and the G3, and the Rebel XT is a great value in the DSLR range of products. The basic lens that comes in the kit is adequate and will suit most beginners, but I suggest getting the body and spending some extra money on a decent lens for those who are familiar with SLR's. Great camera, and I'm sure it will last me for a couple of years while I brush up on my photography skills. great camera, buy only from amazon I love my new digital rebel XT. Takes great pictures especially with the EF 50mm f1.8 lens I got for it. The kit lens is fine for an amateur like me. BUT, I would hesitate to order from any of the other merchants listed here, except for Amazon. I got my camera from Adorama, and they sent me a torn up reciept in the box. I needed the reciept for my rebate and they would NOT return my emails requesting a new copy of me receipt. From now on, I only order directly through Amazon. I Hate This Camera In my opinion, this camera suffers from a couple of serious problems that makes it an extremely poor choice for anyone looking for a professional-level DSLR: 1). It's trying to be too many things to too many levels of photographer. Canon is clearly going for the consumer/semi-professional/professional market. In my opinion it turns a potentially great camera into an expensive gadget. Too many features, too many menu options, too many automatic modes--in short, too much of everything. Imagine buying a car that has manual AND automatic transmission and is a combination hard-top/rag-top convertible with disc and drum brakes front and back, an AM/FM radio, CD player, cassette player, 8-track tape player, reel-to-reel player, record player, and a 16-track digital recording studio. "Cool!" you say? Buy this camera right now. I'm looking for a good quality DSLR to replace my standard SLR. This camera has way too many gee-whiz features designed to appeal to the consumer market. It makes it a pain in the arse to use--unless you want those features, of course. I don't. 2). You can't use the display as a viewfinder. This is a huge deal-killer, in my opinion. One of the great advantages of a digital camera is the ability to use the onscreen display for setting up your shots. I understand they're trying to maximize battery life, but a digital camera where you CAN NOT use the display while you're shooting is absurd. 3). Terrible macro mode. Not just average. Terrible. You definitely need an optional macro lens in order to take decent macro photos with this camera. Otherwise, you're going to be stuck with Canon's bizarre decision to force the use of flash in macro mode (you get to choose between no flash mode or macro mode in the auto settings (but not both(?)) or manual mode with an optional lens). Buying a closeup lens for a high-end camera is reasonable to expect, I suppose, except that I've never run into this problem with ANY other digital camera I've used. Most are great for quick-and-dirty macro photography right out of the box. 4). The dumbest manual white-balance procedure I've ever seen in my life. Use it. I dare you. 5). Incredibly lousy manual. Standard feature for ALL cameras these days, I know. Doesn't excuse the fact, however. Don't get me wrong, this is a GREAT camera that takes excellent pictures and works as advertised. It just not anywhere close to what I was looking for. Canon could have skipped 80% of the features and simplified a few others and I would have kept this camera. For now, I'll stick to my Sony DSC-H1 for snaps and my trusty old Nikon and Canon F-1 for the rest. Coudln't be more pleased A while back I sold my other camera on eBay and scored the XT. I couldn't be more pleased and have never thought of another. This camera's given my friends and I the ability to capture our good times together. The sharpness and colors from the famed Canon sensor's definitely true to it's rep. It's a great travel companion and hasn't failed me yet. My only beef's the user interface in that it's different from my other camera. But that's really trivial feature. I just don't care much for having to work my way through the ISO. Other than that it's been nothing but smooth sailing. Do yourselves a favor and try this out. It's a snap to use After recieving my EOS I was alittle overwhelmed by all the buttons and gadgets, but after using it for awhile it became a snap to use. The amazing way it handles taking multi pictures in succession was very impressive. The picture quality is near that of a film camera. I was very satisfied with the price and the delivery time after I ordered my EOS Rebel XT. I got the camera and lens combination, extra battery, gadget bag, and a tele-zoom lens for the price of just the body at most retail outlets. Thanks Amazon for the oppertunity to upgrade. Fantastic! What a great camera! - this is well suited to either begginers or the more advanced users, i was a user of slr's many years ago and have recently looked to getting back into photography a bit more seriously than just 'point and shot'. This camera has plenty of basic pre programmed modes to ease people into the cameras capability, then plenty of user programmable modes once you are more familiar witht he camera and want to get the best out of it. Many people have commented on the small size of the camera - this just comes down to personal preference, go try it out in a store first and see if you are comfortable with it, and the same with its plastic body. - thanks canon!! Budget DSLRs have arrived Bob, I have to take exception to your review. Firstly, the feature set on this camera is fantastic. For anybody who has the patience to learn how to use a dslr, you won't be hampered by this body. It even has AI-Servo mode, which was a good enough reason for me to upgrade from my Digital Rebel alone, as I shoot ice hockey when I can. Conversely, I don't think it's overladen with features. It lacks a spot meter for example. Bob, do us all a favour and never pick up a professional camera, as you'll moan about "too many features" for weeks. Secondly, of course you can't use the lcd as a viewfinder! It's an SLR! There's a great big mirror in the way! Macro mode? You claim to have used an SLR before? Surely with all your experience you're using aperture priority and mirror-lock up at the very least with your macro photos? The macro performance is based purely on the lens you use and its close-focusing distance. The tiny lenses you find on compact digitals are suited to macro photography due to their tiny focal length and hence large depth of field. An SLR lens will never be able to focus as close, unless it's designed for macro work. It seems to me that you're not very experienced and don't understand how your camera works, nor the differences between compact and slr cameras. This is a fantastic camera, packed with useful features for all levels of photographer. The image quality is fantastic especially at high ISOs, and I can't recommend it enough. Just The Best Camera EVER!!! This camera is amazing! It is my fourth digital camera in the last 8 years. First I had an Olympus 1.3MP (D320L) that took great pictures, but had poor resolution for printing and literally ate my batteries! However, I traveled around the world with it and was perfect! Also, it was pretty fast compared to the two digital cameras that I bought after. Then I bought a Nikon CoolPix 775, 2.1 MP. I was kind of dissapointed because my previous camera took better and more colorful pictures. Also, this camera took very bad pictures with flash, many faces came out just white. However, the battery lasted much longer and the resolution was OK for printing, so I kept it for a while. My third camera was a Sony DSCP150, a powerful 7.2 MP camera, in which you could see the blurriest pictures ever! It was terrible! Also, it was so slow, even with Sony Memory Stick cards, that if you tried to catch a baby making a funny face, probably you would get him gone to highschool or married! I had it for a few months and the decided to buy the Canon Rebel XT... the best choice I've made in these 8 years! The camera is just perfect, great pictures, great resolution, can be as automatic as you want, but also with the flexibility of a SLR camera. Also, not less important, the software that comes with the camera is useful and easy to use, nothig to do with the terrible "picture manager" of Sony, the worst software ever! I'm very happy with this camera. For those that are concerned about the size, compared to a pocket camera, I can only say that the extra size is nothing compared to the great feeling that you will have taking pictures with this camera! digital rebel xt i owned a plain digital rebel and upgraded to the xt. i am just getting used to the new one now. my pictures are much better (8mps)vs 6 i have noticed that my file size is much larger when i switch from RAW to TIF. i had to do al lot of work to get canon's camera raw to work in my photoshop application. when i called canon they were absolutely no help. i finally went onto the adobe site and got a plug-in to enable me to use the camera's cr2 files in photoshop. i'll be frank, i don't know why the camera manufacturers are not using a standard camera raw. photoshop wants me to save everything in their dng type file, but my favorite sharpening program(Dx0 pro optics 3.5)can handle the canon raw but not the adobe dng. so i don't know what to do except to save my canon cr2, adobe dng, and my DxO raw files. i spend more time than i should erasing files from my system. Very capable camera Since I've received this camera, I have had a great time shooting pictures. The camera is very capable, yet small unit. I just ordered a Canon telephoto lense for it today, can't wait to see how well it works. The reason I purchased this camera was due to the price point and all the great reviews it has. This camera was good for me as an amatuer getting back into photography. I'm sure even the pro's could use this as a backup camera (especially since its so small for a dslr) The kit lens EFS18-55 is actually quite useful as a walkabout lens. It is like having two lenses in one. (Macro + Telezoom) The reason for 4 stars was due to the fact that you can't give 1/2 stars. The only thing you can ding this package for is that it doesn't come with any compact flash, Even a starter 256MB card would've been nice, without jacking up the price so far. Overall, I am completely satisfied with the camera. I will likely upgrade to a better Canon model in the future, whats even more nice is that you only need to buy the good expensive lenses once! sophisticated features Since my last digital camera was a Kodak 2MP camera, this was a huge step for me. I am pretty savvy with computers etc. Still getting used to the varied functions. Exploring and taking alot of pictures. For me its more a general understanding of aperture/ISO etc than the camera itself. The pictures i have taken in the basic mode are excellent. The creative mode needs some work. It is hard to keep a 5 year old , 3 year old kid still while you are trying to figure out the camera though! great for amateurs I use the camera to shoot pics of the family and anything else that interests me, but mainly for family. I have 2 very active kids, 6 and 8. I've had the camera for a few months and love it! The biggest advantage to me is that I can fire away at the kids continuously, and dump the bad pics, which is a significant percentage! I have caught far better pics than ever before with my previous camera. The first set of prints I ordered online are wonderful. For action shots this camera is perfect. The advantage of the SLR is that you don't have the delay found in the majority of point-and-shoot cameras marketed to people like me, and the burst rate is more than an amateur like me would need. I found that the P&S type of camera caused me to miss the good shot more frequently than getting the good shot. Make sure to get a big memory Compact Flash card. I've found good deals for 2 gig cards with rebates, which can hold 500+ pics in JPEG format, and still a few hundred even if you shoot in the RAW format. I have not found problems with the 40X write speed. The battery life is very reasonable, allowing at least 250 shots before recharging in my exerience. I also recommend shopping for extra batteries, which can be found for a very good deal for the non Canon brand. I have not noticed any problems with the lower priced battery. I purchased the optional battery pack, not really for extended battery life (it holds two batteries), but because I wanted a larger grip area and the pack has extra controls and shutter button for vertical shooting, which I find to be a huge advantage. The software that comes with the camera is reasonable at doing basic photo editing (red eye reduction, etc.), but those who are more into it probably would be happier getting 3rd party software for in depth editing. I also bought the Lowepro 100 Slingshot pack to carry the camera. It just fits this model with room to spare for accessories. For those amateurs who are willing to spend some extra cash to get these advantages, I believe the camera is well worth it, especially if you're a family man and those kids will only be this age a short time! Canon Digital Rebel XT masterpiece I've had this camera for some time now and it continues to impress! I go to car shows, sporting events, races, etc. and this camera can handle it all awesome. It may be a little pricey for some, but you get what you pay for. I have a 6GB card with it and went to the Detroit Auto Show and didn't even use hardly any of the memory on the card(and I took well over 450 pics). The pics are very clear with minimal or no distortion at all. I've been reviewing pics of the auto show all over the internet and my pics still seem clearer and more vibrant than any I've seen from any professional or otherwise that have them posted online. This thing is THE best camera I've ever used and I would strongly recommend it any day! Still the best deal on the market - but don't buy the kit lens I've had mine for about 9 months now, and have worked with it enough to use most of the features without the manual. It's not overly complex, but there's a lot to know, and much of it isn't intuitive. Overall, I'd give their user-interface design a rating of 3. With the right settings and a good lens, it takes terrific pictures, and the various program modes are well thought out and executed. I have to work pretty hard to take better pictures in manual mode than the camera will select automatically. I thoroughly enjoy the various degrees of manual intervention that are available, though...you can control as few or as many elements as you like, and let the camera make decisions on those elements you don't want to think about. As another reviewer stated...the custom white balance process is pretty awkward, although once you get used to it, you can do it quickly. Basically, you have to take a picture of something white, then use the picture file to set the WB. It would be much easier to do it in a single step without taking a picture...just by pointing the camera at the white reference. It is very small compared to other DSLR's, and that suits me just fine (although there are folks that don't like it, including a buddy of mine who's a Nikon fan). As a result, it DOES look more like a consumer camera than a pro, but that's not a big deal for me...I'd rather have the convenience that the small size offers. My only REAL beef is the kit lens...it's barely passable, and feels very cheap. Manual focus is difficult, because the focusing ring isn't "tight" enough to be accurate, It focuses just fine in auto mode, although this is NOT a terribly sharp lens. I've borrowed better Canon lenses from a few friends, and they make HUGE differences in the quality of photos. At the moment, I'm saving my pennies to buy the Canon EF 24-70 USM zoom...it's a lot more money, but ultimately worth the investment. awesome camera I love this camera! For the price, it is the best dslr you can buy. Budget dSLR - Great for beginners This is my first SLR of any type and it was an excellent purchase. I bought my Rebel XT approx. six months ago and I'm still learning new things everyday. I've since purchased the 430EX flash, Sigma 18-200, Tomron 28-300 lens, Kinko 2X extender (cheap lens), Battery Grip, and a second battery. I love the manual settings for low-light work and taking several servo speed shots. I'm not familiar yet with taking RAW photo shots instead of JPEG, but I'm still researching this. I thought I would want the teleophoto lens most, but now I realize I'm more interested in the wide lens and I'm seriously looking at the Sigma 10-20mm lens. I still like the telephoto lens for the long distance shots, but I find I'm taking more photos either indoors or of large buildings and monuments where I want to get the whole object in the picture without being far away (where more obstacles block a clear sight). Essential gear is probably a large memory card!! I found an Ultra II 2GB CF card for $85 on another website - I had purchased about three 512MB cards and now I don't have to switch out so much for the high JPEG setting. A Tripod is needed for any serious telephoto, low-light, or any shot with long shutter speed. The battery grip is needed for those that think the camera is too small or want to at least look like a pro. I know I'm a rookie, but I love walking around Europe snapping shots anywhere I can. This camera has certainly peaked my interest in the other "full-frame" dSLR cameras, but I probably won't spend too much more money unless I can make some money with it. Hope this helps!! Very Pleased I've had the Rebel XT about a month and I'm very pleased with it. I've probably shot at least 1,500 shots getting familiar with it. I have been very happy with both the A70 and A95 Canon cameras I also own, but the picture quality is really several cuts above the "A" series. The fact that they all use the Compact Flash format cards sure doesn't hurt either. I've read how some think the camera is a bit small in the hands, but I find it very comfortable. I already have a couple of Canon film SLR's, so I was happy to be able to use my existing lenses. However, one Canon film Rebel-compatible Quantaray lense does NOT work with the Digital Rebel XT. The other Quantaray lense I have does. Go figure! Also, the external flash units are NOT interchangable with the film versions. AND some Canon DSLR-compatible flash units do not work with the Rebel XT. Read the fine print to be sure before you buy! I think it's really worth it to invest in a decent external flash and a good one doesn't have to cost an obscene amount. I've had no second thoughts about buying this camera. The RAW format capability seems to draw out the very best in it, so make sure you have enough Compact Flash card capacity! Just the camera I've been looking for My first camera years ago was a Canon TLb. Then Canon A-1, then Minolta and finally a Nikon N60. Never had the great pictures with anything else than the Canon's. My first digtal was a 3 megapixel Olympus C-3020. Love the pictures BUT hate the wait to focus/capture the picture. Grandkids don't wait for the camera. I wanted something that would take a picture at the same speed as a film camera and but excellent quality. With the XT, when I press the shutter, I take the picture, and can take pictures even when the grandkids are moving. I coupled this XT with a Canon 28-135 IS zoom lens. Great combo. A great camera Long battery life, crisp digital previews, and of course, great pictures. The shutter is FAST, especially if you are used to a fully-digital device. The transistion from automatic to manual focus is simple. If you are a serious gearhead and you want intuitive full manual control in a digital SLR, get the upgrade - this camera is great for the amateur shutterbug. Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera I went from a D60 to this new body, the Rebel XT. The body itself is a bit flimsy feeling to me, but the IMAGE quality if outstanding. I compared it to the 20D, and decided the Rebel XT was just as good, perhaps even a tad better. I do feel the camera body is a bit small for my hands, so I bought the Opteka Battery Pack Grip (from Amazon), and now the camera feels much more substantial & robust in my hand. All in all, I think the Rebel XT (350D) is an outstanding camera, especially image quality, and a FANTASTIC value. excellent for its purpose I have been using the canon rebel xt (aka 350D) for almost two months now. I have been nothing but impressed with its results. The image quality, correctly exposed, is very good. I have made many 8x10 prints with no discernable noise, with extremely smooth color tone. The range of useable ISOs (100-1600) provides a lot of flexability, and noise is restrained even to 1600. The controls provide quick and easy changes using the four keys on the back, and the shutter lag time is very short. Combined with a good lens, this camera will provide you the tools to make semi-professional work with ease. My only complaint is the lack of spot-metering, which can yield some inconsistant readings (i.e. concert or uneven lighting). However, the inclusion of mirror lockup and flash compensation is more than enough to make up for this. I heartily recommend this camera to any consumer/semi-professional. There really is no reason to spend all the extra money on a 20D or 30D, when you can get equal results with a xt. Use the extra cash to buy lenses (like the new EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 thats coming soon. I can't wait). Samples of my work can be seen at adeoimages.blogspot.com The focal length multiplier is the only down side Amazing pictures. Rich colors, practically no noise, sharp and full of detail. The A-DEP mode is my favorite feature for those arty shots. The instant response makes for much better photos than a compact digital camera. For me, the killer feature of the Canon over other DSLRs and high end all-in-one cameras is the usable ISO 1600. Yes, there's noise, but only about as much as my old PowerShot S100 produced all the time. Put a cheap 50mm f/1.8 lens on, and you can take handheld photos indoors without flash. In old churches, even. The only downside with the camera is that your 50mm lens becomes an 80mm, and it's very expensive to get anything equivalent to a wide angle lens on a film SLR because you need it to be a 20mm or less. If you like wide angle shots, you might want to hold off for a full frame sensor. Great for a novice. I ordered the camera because I owned a Canon film camera and I wanted the ability to use the lenses I already owned. They work great with the camera. It is very easy to take outstanding photos. Size it good for a man or a woman. Easy enough for the kids to use as well. Great all around digital SLR I've loved using my Rebel XT since I purchased it 3 months ago. I've been able to capture some great shots with ease. So far no problems and it's kept up with my travels well. I recommend it to all! Extra Info *** If it where weather sealed (dust), it would be Pro Quality! With the included software, you can connect this camera with your PC and shoot photo's directly to your PC. I used two 5ft USB extection cables along with the included USB cable, and had no trouble shooting 81 photo's so far. Initial battery charge lasted 76 RAW shots @ 96% flash usage. (stock flash & 18-55mm kit lense). Opteka Battery Pack Grip is a good option at half the street price of Canons Battery Grip (same product). The kit lense is worth the small price, if you'll ever get into a dusty situation that you wouldn't want to use a more expensive lense in. (In my opinion.) RAW images have averaged 6.44MB, and (for example) one image saved as RAW + JPEG == 6.88MB RAW and 6.45MB jpg === 13.33MB total. (This is just one image example, but it gives you an idea of what memory cards to get -> 1-2GB) Type II Compact Flash is the reccomended memory card. Anything faster will not improve camera speed... only "download to PC speed". Self timer is 10 seconds, and I cannot change it to 2 seconds, although you can change setting to "Mirror Lockup: On" which will then give a "2 second delay" while using the self timer function. Adorama Camera shipped my Canon Rebel XT w/ kit lense FASTER than Amazon shipped my 75-300mm USM lense. Don't be affraid to order from them though Amazon. I almost was, but am glad I did. That's why I shot direct to my PC... waiting for memory card, lense, hood, and Cannon UV Haze Filter. Read the manual. I LOVE this camera!!! Wow! I had debated for some time wheter or not I wanted to jump in to the DSLR fray or just stick with a well featured point and shoot. Let me start off by saying I started shooting digital back in 1997 with an old Sony. I graduated to a 2MP Olympus, followed by the Canon S50...all of these cameras left me in the stone age compared to DSLR cameras! The control I have with the Canon Digital Rebel 350XT is amazing, and the results it produses is amazing!!! I opted to buy the body only and purchased additional lenses...it has taked some time to get used to but man it has been wrth every minute and dime spent! Great Camera. After the sad demise of my Film based EOS I have been waiting for a while to see whats what before jumping back into the SLR market. In the meantime I have been using one of Canons point and shoot digitals and was quite impressed with the picture quality in the main, but thats a nother story. So now jumped back into SLR's with the Digital Rebel XT, what a great camera, easy to use for anyone who has used any EOS before, quick as you can basically turn it on and shoot, extremely light, maybe a little too light but still great for most uses. Must admit the kit lens feels a little on the flimsy side but as I splahed out on some other lenses this should not be a big issue. The pictures and I must say the software that comes with the camera have proven to be great, great clarity, good colour reproduction and easy to play witht he photos on my PC anyway. All in all a great deal of performance for the money. Accessories for beginners and first timers This is my first SLR camera and I'm very impressed how much it performs like a film camera rather than the delay that I've grown used to with normal digital cameras. Just a quick skim over the manual and I was off on my way. The power of this camera will come when I take the time to RTFM (Read the fine manual). The two pictures that I took where the main subject was blurry were due to my not understanding how the camera works, but all of the items in the background were clear. Pictures taken in a very dark room came out perfect. I snapped 43 pictures yesterday and look forward to taking many more. I purchased a lot of accessories with mine and purchased some more today due to not fully understanding all of the parts that I received. I originally purchased the Canon EH-18L Semi-Hard Case. This case is fine when you're out and about with the camera taking pictures, but does not hold anything other than the camera with lens. Today I purchased the Canon Accessory Starter Kit for Digital Rebel XT (Includes 200DG Bag, NB-2LH Battery & 58mm Haze Filter) This way I can put my battery charger, the Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip, spare batteries and lenses all in the same place. XT, the Gateway to Great Things Before this camera I had only used point and shoot digital and 35mm cameras. Now I can never go back, my pass-time turned into an addiction. The features, lenses, quality, and ease of use that this camera offers are astonishing. I started out just buying the 60mm macro lens and the 70-300mm zoom when I originally got this camera. Now I have more lenses and equipment than I ever thought possible. I am up to about 15,000 pictures and going strong without any problems and it just keeps getting better. If you are looking for a great camera to get you into SLR photography this is it. I am considering upgrading to the 30D soon, but I plan to keep my XT as a backup and to use with a wide angle lens while keeping the longer telephoto lens mounted on the second camera body. For the price though, you would be hard-pressed to find a better deal. Not Perfect, but... Generally speaking Canon Rebel XT/350D is a very capable camera, it's far beyond the realm of an entry-level dSLR. However, it's not without flaws, some are fairly significant. Pros: Speed, speed, and speed... Low-priced and feature-packed camera that worth every penny Excellent Burst Mode, up to 9 shots at highest JPEG resolution Compact design, solid construction, though small grip takes time to get use to User-friendly interface Great low-lighting AF capability Sharp image with vibrant color and contrast at default setting (parameter 1) Possibly best free bundled software on the market Cons: Evaluative Metering often performs poorly; Center-Weighted Average is a better choice for normal shooting No true Spot-Metering. Only Partial-Metering instead ...works ok though Auto AF point selection often misses intended target. Manual AF point selector helps but annoying to use AI Servo AF does not work well as advertised, must accompanied with high ISO and shutter speed (1/500th sec or faster) Relatively weak onboard flash, often needs positive compensation to get the job done Below average Auto White-Balance performance High ISO performance is not as good as some professional reviews. Noticeable noise at 800 and above The bottom line, Canon Rebel XT/350D is like a well-put-together high-tech toy that invites you to play every time you put your hands on. It's not camera for someone just wants to do point and shoot. To get the best of out this camera requires some learning and adequate accessory...at least one decent lens ($400 and up) and a high capacity/high speed CF card (minimum 1GB and 40x) are absolute necessities. One also must be willing to explore various options this camera provides...ISO setting, Exposure Compensation, White-Balance adjustment, Depth of Field, Creative-Zone photography and RAW shooting are just a few areas worth spending time on. I really love this camera I've always been a fan of digital. I like the idea of previewing my photos before paying for the processing. I'm also a fan of Canon. I started with their powershot series digitals and then wanted something where I could play with lenses. I bought the first 6mp digital rebel and loved that one. Took crisp, quick photos. The only downside to that camera was it was quite heavy and it was silver (my lenses were all black). So when the XT came out I was excited. Initially I was expecting to see an improvement in performance, but when you go from 6MP to 8MP you're really not improving on the resolution (roughly the square root of the MPs). This camera still gives quick, sharp photos. Plus it's smaller and lighter than the 6mp digital rebel. I also found that the XT felt more solid and less like plastic. The setting dial is made of metal instead of plastic. I also found that the batteries seem to last for a really long time on this camera. So I don't really worry about switching out when I want to get a shot. Overall I'm really glad I purchased this camera. It was a little more than the 6mp (and if price is an issue you can easily get away with the 6mp) but I'm very happy I bought it. Wonderful Starter DSLR Received the Rebel XT as a bday present and here are my impressions after a couple of weeks. Note: I had a 35mm Rebel SLR, so I did not need to purchase lenses. Pros: Granted my previous digital is a 2.1 MP point and shoot, but the Rebel is insanely fast. Near instantanous start up, and can shoot 3 shots/second. I purchased a 1 GB Sandisk high speed CF card to make sure the speed kept up. Canon's website has an extensive tuitoral about the Rebel, and from it I have found that Aperture priority (AV) mode works best in most situations. I am really a beginner with advanced modes, but have easily found setting that make the photos come out well. Other settings I have been playing with include the B/W and filter modes. The auto-focus works great in all situations I've tried. I haven't needed to recharge the battery in 2 weeks. Cons: Camera is slighly compact, which is slightly uncomfortable in large hands. I have Paint Shop Pro already, so the included software (Photobrowser, ArcSoft Photo Editor and Canon Photo Professional) are mostly useless to me, with the exception of Canon Photo being the only software I have to process RAW images. The camera is still a work in progress, as I still have a lot of paces to put it through. Excellent Camera with a Tough, Durable Body A few reviewers have purchased the Canon 20D rather than the Rebel XT (350D), because the Canon 20D's body is covered with a magnesium alloy and the Rebel XT's body is mainly plastic. However, one should not discount the Rebel's plastic body. It's made of polycarbonate. I did a little research on this material and found that it is virtually unbreakable and in laminated form is used to make "bullet-resistant glass." Of course, no matter how tough the body is, something else will break, such as the lens or the internal workings, if the camera is dropped on a hard surface. That's why I always place the camera's strap around my neck before handling it. Although a couple of reviewers stated that the camera feels too light, I've found that it has plenty of heft with my 28-135mm lens. The Rebel XT is an excellent camera. My only complaint is that I tend to smudge the LCD screen when I look through the camera's view finder. How a simple sensor cleaning ended up in a nightmare. About four months ago I purchased the Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera. Additionally I bought two professional zoom lenses. The basic EF-S 18-55mm that came with the camera was not sufficient for me to fully utilize the camera. After the first time use I noticed a stain on the pictures. Changing different lenses can cause dust in the sensor area. The instructions for use suggested the sensor cleaning procedure. So I did but the stain did not go away. Furthermore the stain did not seem to be dust but an oil stain of some sort. I contacted the Canon service department and they told me that sensor cleaning warranty was only within the first six months after the date of purchase. I decided not to mail the camera but bring the camera myself to a Canon service centre. At the Canon service centre I learned how to clean the sensor myself but I also learned that my little stain was a serious problem. Somehow during the manufacturing process an oil stain accumulated between the filter and the sensor. Thus the camera had to stay at the Canon service centre and would be mailed to me after it was repaired. The Canon service centre promised to prioritize the repair. After one week I received a box in the mail and I was surprised that expensive and sensitive SLR cameras were shipped in tinny single layer boxes. My surprise was even bigger when I discovered that my camera was not even in the box. The Canon service centre has send me a Powershot instead that belonged to another customer. What happened to my SLR camera is a mystery and I am still waiting to receive a new camera. My recommendation do not buy this end-of live Canon Digital Rebel XT8MP until Canon takes more care in customer service and in particular in case warranty is claimed. Just Works I'd gotten away from SLRs in favor of small pocket sized digitals, but decided I wanted higher quality for blowups for my trip to Ireland. After much online research and several sessions flipping a quarter, I ordered the Canon EOS 8MP digital Rebel from Amazon. Although lugging it around Ireland for 2 weeks was something of a challenge, it exceeded my expectations from a photographic standpoint. The photos are perfect, 8X11 enlargements are crisp and detailed, the colors are true... I almost got my whole trip on one 2G CF card which beats my past experiences of coming home with 24 exposed roles of film! I use the free Picassa photo software from Google and can do pretty much everything I want to in post-production work. A couple of downers: the leather case is cumbersome to open and close and sometimes falls off when you are taking pictures; the 'battery grip' which I bought is hardly necessary--it holds two batteries but I never needed more than one during a typical day. I also had trouble trying to use fill-in flash... For the price, this is a great camera! Fantastic Camera - Everything I expected it to be I have been looking forward to getting a digital SLR for a long time. This camera was everything I expected it to be, and more. It starts up quickly and can easily take 2-3 pictures a second. I have small children who don't tend to sit still too long, so that was a big plus for me. The quality is awesome. The other aspect that I'm extremely impressed with is the battery life. There's not much more I can say that hasn't already been said. I highly recommend this camera. Better off with IS Just a few words on my first impression. The weight of autofocus lenses (at least my USM 28-105 3.5) makes for a challenging hold to maintain a rock-steady posture to take crisply sharp photos, especially at higher magnifications. I'm inclined to trade it in for an IS lense (yes, it is an additional $200+), but may be a virtual necessity. The extra cost in going SLR to me isn't worth comprising what your objective is in going from darn good point and shoot resolution (at least from my Olympus 4000)to the quality one expects from this upgrade. This rating doesn't reflect on the camera, just the photos taken without IS (yes, it is subjective). The camera itself has much potential. simply great! i spent weeks reviewing the canon rebel xt and nikon d70s. often shuffling and swaying towards either, till i finally made the choice based on the capability of the rebl xt to shoot in bw mode. and its been just awesome.if u like to click in bw, go for the rebel without further thoughts (thats comparing it with the nikon) the option of using the filters and further changing them in post processing lets u get a hang of exactly how colors vary with each filter. also the gr8 part is that the image being in raw can still be convereted to color if you want! i m impressed! Great Camera - Terrible Software Ok, by now you already know you want this camera. It is a great camera and everyone loves it. It has a ton of features. I bought this camera and here are a few things that I didn't easily find out when researching it that you may find helpful. 1. You cannot see an image on the LCD before you take you picture. So you look through the eyepiece like a regular camera. At first I didn't like this since I was used to the Sony 828 model. But now I am used to it and don't mind it at all. 2. You can take pictures considerably faster than similar cameras like the Sony 828. If you have the faster memory card you can take pictures nearly as fast as a regular camera. This is one of the first things Sony owners noticed when using my camera. 3. This camera is more complicated than a Sony model. Having knowledge of photography and settings is extremely helpful. 4. The flash on this camera compared to the Sony 828 doesn't seem to be as good. 5. The software that comes with this camera is EXTREMELY bulky. Just getting the images off my camera to my computer is a major chore. Many times it starts to download them but then hangs etc. I need to have a full battery usually to get a few hundreds pictures transferred. The software is a real drag. There are some cool features of the software, but overall since it is so bulky and slow it really would make me consider a different camera in the future. I would recommend buying a memory card reader if you buy this camera. So basically this is a great camera that takes great pictures. It is very responsive and works as it says. It is upgradeable with lenses and is probably the closest thing you can get to a real camera. But Canon really has to spend some more time making their software responsive and work better. I give a 4 star rating only because of the software given with this camera. The Sony 828 when hooked up to a computer will show up like a drive and you can easily copy the pictures to your hard drive. You can not do this with the Canon unless you install their drivers. Canon Digital Rebel is the best I feel like a professional using this camera. Although it's a big and bulky, but the photo's quality is amazing. The details, the focus, the lights, everything! I will need a bigger memory card. Super zoom for long distance object. It is such a great camera, so worth it! I would recommend this! Very Pleased I have been a dedicated Canon Elan II owner/user for about 10 years and taken thousands of photos. When digital cameras started advancing I was convinced I would never switch over. However I started with a Kodak Z7590 and began pointing and clicking and clicking. A few hundred photos later, I was sold on the digital age. So I saved my pennies waited a bit and purchased the Canon XT. Most of the things I fear it would not do that my Elan does were quickly cast aside. I purchased a 28-200 Canon Lens and have yet to be disappointed. It has a surprisingly fast shutter speed, all those controls that look confusing are actually easy to use, the manual has a simple straight forward explaination for each, the battery last for an amazing amount of time. I took over 500 photos at large jpg resolution and the battery still had a charge at the end of two days, with low light it pulls in more than you would think-with fast action subjects it does go for the lighting not the action, this may be caused by user still learning, and it is compact and easy to carry. I purchased an additional Canon battery and currently have 2 1GB cards. With digital you just keep clicking hoping for the perfect shot or taking a variety of the same shot without the worry of using up film. I photograph events , and the developing of proof prints was hiting the checkbook hard, now I print my own proofs at home and provide them to the clubs I work with, if they don't buy I'm not out the developing costs, and few sheets of photo paper and ink are easy to make up when it comes down to custom orders. Sold! Recommended. If you are considering going digital go for it, especially if you are tired of high cost developing and a lot of times poor quality. The endless shooting is a must for the shutterbug! Lens-spend the extra to buy a quality lens. Cheaper lens are just that, they will work but...If you have older non compatible lens-try ebay to sell so you can up grade. Awesome camera I love this baby. The Canon Rebel XT 8MP SLR won't let you down. Highly recommended! Amendment: I realize this review gives no information regarding the technical aspects and varied features of this camera, and I must apologize for this. But I'm not a technie, and make no claims to the moniker. All I can tell you at this juncture is that my husband and I are having fun with the thing, and that the results are quite lovely--great resolution, bells and whistles that allow for creativity. But we are still learning to use the Canon Digital Rebel XT (it's our very first digital!), and can affirm to its being very user-friendly. First time DSLR The Canon Rebel XT has made me a digital true beliver. Canon has delivered once again. The auto/manual options allow me to point & shoot or fidget until the cows come into focus....Kudo Canon, you've done it again. Outstanding camera for the price! This little camera is amazing for it's price. The picture quality rivals cameras that cost 10-20% more and its small form factor is impressive. Coupled with a Canon Image Stabilization lens, this camera can do some amazing things. Performance for the dollar, this is the best digital SLR camera I have come across. For those that need a serious boost, you may need to jump out of this price range and go for a pro camera. Body - 5 stars, Lens - 3 stars The Rebel XT is a great camera, but the kit lens (18-55, 3.5-5.6) is just average. The only negative thing I've seen in reviews about this body is that it's small and doesn't feel comfortable in your hand...to me the size is one of the main advantages. I'm not a professional so the size enbles me to take it places like vacation, the zoo and birthday parties and not have to worry about the camera that I'm carrying dominating the experience. This camera feels fine in my normal size hands. As for the lens, If I could do it over again I would buy the body only and spend $300 on the 50mm f1.4 lens or for the same price as the kit you could get the body and spend less than $100 on the 50mm f1.8 lens and that would get you started until you could invest in the more expensive, high quality zoom lenses. Good value This upgrade from the original Digital Rebel adds two megapixels and some valuable features that make this a good first digicam for anyone looking for flexibility and lots of capabilities. Easy to use This is the kind of camera you can pull out of the box, pop in the memory card and battery and start taking photos. The menus and various buttons are obvious and easy to figure out. It's also sturdy (albeit heavy). I especially enjoy being able to take rapid sequence photos without an irritating lag between photos. best camera ever This camera is amazing, don't have much time to write a review. Takes outstanding pictures and has tons of settings. i'm not much of a critic because i like it so much. WOW When looking for a d-SLR for a class at school i desided on this Canon. i was amazed at how easy it was to use and how nice the pictures turned out for my class. This camera comes with an ok lens it gets the job done and is even lighter then the film camera i have. Most of the pictures i took with this camera and basic len did not even have to be adjusted in a photo program the color and contrast was already great. i also know someone with the orignal Rebel and the hand grip is a bit large and easier to hold but is by far heavier. so great camera for the price and package but would recomend getting the case and extra battery and maybe another lens. Recommend 100% Modes are easy to use. Camera set-up is easy. The screen is a good size. The menu choices are good. The weight is light. The crispness of the images are incredible at the Largest file. The download of images is easy from camera to computer. Be sure to read about the camera and add software that is included with the camera, for this makes the camera easy to use and it offers so much more than I have written above. Professional quality photos at a compact camera price I was struggling with the decision to buy the Canon S3 vs. the Rebel XT for several weeks. I ended up returning the S3 to buy the Rebel XT and I'm very happy with it. Many people compare the S3 with this SLR model, but the optical quality is a world apart. Because of physics, you simply cannot get the same quality with the S3 zoom lens that covers the entire range. The Rebel XT snaps the pictures almost immediately when you press the shutter button. The accessories on this camera, such as the battery charger, feel closer to professional grade. If you are struggling with the same decision, I think you will be very happy to leave the compact-consumer grade cameras and enter the SLR world, with many more creative photo taking possibilities. Compact, affordable, improved w some great unique features The first thing that impressed me about this camera was how well thought out it was in terms of size, position of controls and practicality. I purchased the version with the 18-55 mm EFS zoom lens and was impressed how light the whole unit was without seeming flimsy. I'm also 6"0" tall and have fairly large hands, but I don't find this camera to small to handle at all. I don't want to repeat a lot of the things other reviewers have said, so I'll make some additional observations that will hopefully add value to what others have said. One of these is a comment about the fact that the camera is faster than the original Rebel due to the 8 MP CMOS and DIGIC II processing image. This gives it higher resolution, faster recovery time between shots and almost instant startup time when compared with the original Rebel. I found the camera overall to be a bargain considering its performance and the fact that they included a good lens. Two modes that I appreciated were the While Balance Bracketing and monochrome mode for working with black and white photography. The bracketing allows you to automatically take three images for every shot with different white balancing settings. Given that I can erase the pictures I don't like, I think this is a great feature. I also like that I can experiment with black and white photography. Another interesting feature of the camera is the CloseUp mode. It works at wide angle settings and at 55 mm as well. When you use it at 55 mm it magnifies the image and you can focus in as close as 6 inches in order to capture detail in flowers or whatever your subject is. This opens up a lot of possibilities for some interesting shots that would otherwise be difficult. In short, this is a lot of camera for the price. I am very pleased with my purchase and pictures can be blown up very large at 8 MP resolution. While I haven't tried it yet, I'm interested in experimenting with some astrophotography using this camera. Given its light weight, small size and accessible controls, I think it might be excellent for some astronomy applications where you need to piggy back a camera on a telescope. Great SLR for any Price I purchased the Digital Rebel XT for a trip to Italy because it used the lenses I purchased for my Canon Rebel TI. It was a great buy with more features than I could ever want. It is as easy to use as the Rebel TI and including Canon rebates, I got it for a steal. Unless I break it, I don't forsee needing another camera in the distant future. The camera is capable of a resolution that would allow you to print anything shy of a full-wall mural. Lots of fun, get a zoom lense if you don't have one. I used it with a Kensington 2GB Compact Flash card. I took about 700 pictures at Medium/Fine resolution and had room for 300-400 more pictures. Some of the button placement takes some getting used to for quick shots... but no real complaints. Download a manual if you don't believe me regarding the features. Some of the higher-end models have better in-camera sorting/folder options for your pictures, but that little feature is perhaps the only thing I could say I almost missed. Well done cannon Great camera, great for someone who is starting to get serious about photography. This camera offers several "point and shoot" options, but also gives you a ton of creative control. I would highly recommend this product for designers, artists, and anyone who loves photography. Well done cannon. About the dead pixels of this camera's CMOS sensor Lots of people have points out the advantages of this camera, So there is no need for me to repead. I just wanna mention that the drawbacks of CANON REBEL XT,which is the reason that I do give five stars. I just bought this camera for not so a long time, in fact, less than one month, and right after the camera arrive, I made a test, to find that how is the condition of this camera's CMOS sensor with regarding to dead pixels and hot pixels, I took several totally dark pictures, and then check on my laptop, and found with my naked eyes that there are several bright points in the picture, however I changed the shooting parameters, than some bright points are at the fixed position of the pictures, which implied that they are dead pixel. and I also used the software "Dead/Hot Pixel Test", found that the testing result made me unhappy with this camera. also, this camera has some problem with focus, the focus some times deviate from the target you want! anyway, you deserve what you pay, the price of this camera is lower than the counterpart of other brands, i.e. NIKON D70S, therefore, it is not so suprise about the problems I mentions above. Think careful about it before you buy it Outstanding purchase. We purchased this camera about 2 months ago and have been nothing but pleased with its performance thus far. What you have in this Canon Rebel XT is all of the function, expandability, and speed of your standard SLR teamed with the convenience and flexibility of digital photography with Canon Quality. I don't think you can beat the quality to price ratio on this Camera - it's the sort of investment that we won't be kicking ourselves for 3 years down the road. The Pros: 1. As stated, function, expandability, and speed of an SLR built into a digital Camera. 2. The camera is built to last for quite some time - it's durable in its construction and the 8MP capability will produce super prints for years to come. 3. The battery: The life has been phenomenal so far - I don't think that I've seen the meter drop below "full," while taking photographs, and that's at taking over 400 photos at a time (not all at once though, of course). Plus, it's rechargeable - Kudos to Canon for their forward thinking 4. Speed, Speed, Speed. The camera acts just like a 35mm which means that it has a pretty fast processor. 5. Cost - a very economical choice considering what you have in this camera. The Cons: 1. Expect it to be heavy, because it is. 2. There's no built in memory. So buy a compact flash card when you buy this camera as you will need it. 3. Related to the above: A good compact flash card is not necessarily "cheap." Altogether, this camera is worth it. Buy a 1GB Compact flash and you'll be able to take more pictures at one time than most will need. [...] Great quality photos The camera comes with a comprehensive and easy-to-follow instruction manual for people (like me) who don't have too much experience with a Canon SLR. It comes with its own battery charger, so there's no need to buy another one unless you want to keep a spare someplace. The camera was a little heavier than I anticipated since I was used to the weight of the 35mm Rebel. From other reviews, I thought the camera would be quite small, however it's a pretty good size. I do agree with others that the size is more suited for smaller hands. The shutter noise was also much louder than I expected, so I won't be taking any photos in quiet, public settings (the reason I gave 4/5 stars). However, the quality of the photos you get is excellent. I chose to get the EF-S 17-85mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM and theEF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM lenses. Both are great lenses for beginners without having to sacrifice picture quality. There are many examples of photos taken with those lenses from dpreview. nice camera during the day... Having bought my camera through the superior service of Amazon.com and having a 28-300mm lens and 580ex flash the only real problem I am having is shooting at night. Not that the camera doesn't work but it is hard to see the buttons on the camera. I mean pushing the button too take a picture is easy, no doubt but as an example i was trying to take pictures on the 4th. of July at night of fire works at the Columbus, Indiana campus of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and I couldn't see the buttons on my camera to change my manual settings. The screen on the back of the camera was well illuminated but the support buttons were not visible at all. While fireworks were blazing i was trying "fumbling" to changer my shutter speed and ISO. What canon needs to do to improve this is illuminate all of the buttons on the rebel xt and all of it's cameras so all of the buttons can be seen at night. It would also be handy to have a on/off switch for these lights for battery conservation when they are not needed. but make the conservation of light button big and easy to use. aside from the night lighting it is an excellent camera and i would highly recommend it. All that I had imagined... This is my first SLR (a digital one nonetheless) and it is spectacular. I rarely go anywhere without it. The packaged lense is superb, as are the resolution of my chrystal clear photographs and the user friendly controls. I am an avid backpacker and enjoy taking photographs of the scenery. The light weight of this camera is a must when ounces count, however, quality is in no way sacrificed for this featherlight DSLR. My only gripe would be with the relatively small LCD screen size. To add balance to the world, you are able to zoom in a great deal to pick up those subtle little naunces that could turn your photo-fresco into a photo-fiasco. Overall, this is one DSLR that is a must have. Thanks Canon. :) Great Digital SLR I've been using the Rebel XT for over 6 months, taken literally 1000's of pictures and it's been great. Loved my old manual 35mm Nikon SLR, have been using digital point-n-clicks but wanted the control of an SLR again--no major complaints with the Rebel XT. Overall: if you're shopping for a solid DSLR, I'd definitely recommend it. Pros: + Fast. I had a miserable time capturing action with my Canon S50 (a digital point-n-click)--response time made for hit-or-miss photos. The XT takes something like 3+ shots/second, a feature I've been happily using for action sequences I could never pull off before. + Great depth of field. This was something I really missed from the old SLRs--you just don't get much depth with point-n-clicks even in those portait modes. The XT is great for isolating subjects in the shot. + Battery lasts far longer than any other digital cameras I've had (I suspect b/c it lacks the preview window). As a bonus, the XT uses the same form factor as my Canon S50 so I only need one charger when I travel. + Auto-focus is v. fast. I know I mentioned speed before but it's worth mentioning again. I hate waiting for other digital cameras to analyze a scene and take a shot--no delays with the XT. + Starts up instantly. I didn't think I'd care about this but it's been great--you see a shot, you flick it on and before you can even raise the camera to your eye, it's ready to fire away. + Software is better than I expected--it's actually usable as compared to some other software I've received with other cameras like Kodak. Cons: - The kit lens isn't terrible but isn't great. The manual focus ring is narrow and oddly positioned right at the tip of the lens; and you have to turn-off autofocus to use it (unlike most Canon lenses you can buy). It's also noisy. Aesthetics aside, the optics are ok and the range (from wide-angle to zoom) is hard to find in other Canon lenses (I've found that I've needed separate lenses to get the same wide-angle to zoom range). - One thing I didn't fully realize when I purchased was the impact of the 1.6 cropping factor of the EF-S lens form factor. The XT can take both EF-S and EF lenses. If you throw on an EF lens (the majority of Canon EOS lenses and what I've purchased for my zoom and primes), the scene is magnified by 1.6 (or you could say the edges are cropped). As I understand it, it allows for a smaller camera. The problem is that you really can't use an EF wide-angle lens since it loses it's wide-angle--you'll need to buy an EF-S wide-angle lens and there aren't many choices (I have the 10mm-22m). My concern is that I'm not sure whether Canon will support the EF-S form factor long-term and I hate investing in lenses only to have them obsolete in a year. Will see what happens. Something to consider since you'll probably be purchasing lenses to go with this camera. - Get ready to clean the camera more. I'm admittedly rough on my equipment (used the XT in the desert and the jungle). Problem is whereas point-n-clicks are sealed and the old 35mm SLRs would simply capture dust/dirt on single frame, getting a speck on the sensor on the XT (and probably most DSLRs) causes a blob on every shot you take until you notice it during reviews and clean it. I use a hand air pump--takes seconds but just be prepared. - One final note: be wary of suntan lotion and other lotions when using Canon cameras--I've managed to rub off the decals from two camera bodies so far--the ink or whatever is used to print the icons simply disolves. I consider these minor issues given the purpose of the camera is to help you take great shots and the Rebel XT definitely does this. Extended support in Aperture an additional plus This is an excellent SLR for a very affordable price. If you are a Mac user, you will love the extended support for the Rebel's RAW files in Aperture. My only real concern is which EF-S wide-angle lens to choose. I've still got to make up my mind. If you don't need a wide-angle lens, don't bother to think twice. It's worth it. A very good camera I ended up with an XT when Best Buy gave me a "loaner" (that I had to pay for) while my warrantied 20d was in repair for three months. They are finally replacing my 20d with the new 30d - but that's another story. As an aside, I don't believe the problem was with the 20d as much as it was the company that Best Buy contracted with to do the repairs. Anyways, on to the review. I gave a rating of 4 stars because it is a good camera in its own right. But after owning a 20d for almost two years, I was much, much happier with the 20d than with the Rebel XT. But don't get me wrong, the XT is still a very good camera for the money. The picture quality is superb, with crystal clear pictures. I did notice a difference in color rendering with the XT, but a lot of that could have been my lack of experience with the XT as the the controls are somewhat different than on the 20d. Another major difference between the two cameras is size. If you have large hands, you will definitely appreciate the larger 20d. The XT is much smaller and feels more like a toy in my hands. Its plastic body (as opposed to the magnesium alloy body of the 20d and 30d) made me a little nervous as well. Although I've never dropped my camera (knock on wood), I think the added ruggedness of the magnesium body adds a bit of insurance to your investment. One other major difference is the focusing. I noticed that the XT doesn't auto focus nearly as well as the 20d. It tended to focus on the wrong point more often than I would have liked. All in all, the XT is a very good camera and is a smart purchase if your budget pushes the 20d or 30d out of reach. However, if you can afford to spend the extra money, I think the added features are definitely worth it. Excellent Camera for the $$ I've owned this camera for about six months now. As my first DSLR, I was slightly intimidated by learning all the manual features, but the XT is very easy to learn, and I find myself never ever using the auto modes. My pictures almost always turn out perfect, and if they don't it's my fault due to still learning. I was also a little worried about the reviews that say so much has to be done in photo editing, but I don't find this to be the case. I spend only minutes on some pictures, and others I don't have to change anything, save for erasing some dust spots. My only complaints are these; The view finder is very small... Being near-sighted, it makes it a very slow process for me at times to do manual focus, though I do it anyway. However after a day of shooting I find my eyes hurting from the strain. This is where the 20D or 30D win. I played with a 20D at the camera shop, and was so happy that it only took me a split second to do manual focus with it. And then there is the small LCD screen. I thought I lived with it on my point and shoot, I can live with it here, however I can't. It makes it very hard to make sure your shot turned out as sharp as you were going for with such a small LCD, or it may just be my eyes. This is where the 30D wins. (if you can't tell, I just ordered a 30D, though I will still use my XT as often as I use my 30D) Here is a tip that many have handed out. Skip the Kit lens. I bought it thinking "Well, they might not use it, but I will" .. I used it maybe once at the most. Save your money there, and put it towards better glass. A great starter, if the 18-55mm range appeals to you is the 17-85mm f/4-5.6 USM w/IS. My first SLR Digital Camera & It's Great!! This is a great starter camera for those amateur photographers like me. I wanted a camera that was user friendly for a great price & found this one. I was recommended by a friend to get this camera. I like it because not only does it come in black but it is such a light weight camera. Goody, Goody! I love my new camera, and am snapping so many more pictures than I did with my old Canon SLR, which was too heavy to carry around with me. All the hype about the camera being difficult to hold without the battery pack just isn't true, unless you're a guy with big hands. My hands are far from tiny, and the camera is perfectly comfy to hold. I am very happy with the quality of the pictures, even in "point 'n shoot" modes. Absolutely love this camera! - My First SLR I feel very strongly that if this is going to be your first digital SLR purchase that you should stop reading reviews and go buy this camera. Why? Because its absolutely astonishing what this camera can do. It's just a wonderful camera. The detail is incredible. You won't be dissapointed. I could just keep going on, but I won't. I just wanted to chime in that I love it. Great camera for the price I debated buying the 30D to step up to a nice prosumer camera, but decided to save the money and spend it on a nice lens. My brother has the same camera and he and his wife both love it. With the Canon lens, it takes great shots and although I've owned other digital cameras, this is the first SLR camera and it is great to have so much control and instant review of the photo. With the 2 GIG card, I can take over 500 shots before the card fills up and it allows you to take shots you might not take if it were film. Since electronics has become a part of the camera age, I decided on the RebelXT that would be fine for now and then upgrade to later technology in a few years and STILL have a great lens to use with it. Good buy, and the lens that came with it takes good pictures, but I can tell the difference in quality from my other lens. Still, worth the money. Fantastic! The last time I was into photography was back in the early 80's; I had a Canon AE-1 (still have it packed away somewhere). The hobby got away from me somewhere in the early 90's. Now that I have a new baby running around the house, I thought it would be a good time to invest in new technology again. I read everything I could about the various pro/consumer cameras out there; many articles supported the Rebel XT as a solid bet. I went back to what I knew from history - Canon. My new Rebel XT is - simply put - Fantastic! Great quality/performance to price ratio. Very foregiving for amateurs like me. Produces amazing results under just about any lighting conditions, and has fast performance characteristics which allows me to capture multiple pictures of fast moving subjects like my 14 month old boy as he runs around the house, splashes in the pool or plays at the park. You will really enjoy this camera. Love The Rebel Easy to use and very versitile. Combines the best of both worlds.(Digital and SLR) The manual is a little overwhelming at first, but once you start working your way through the menu you'll realize that it's not as difficult as it appears to be. I've never had an auto pop-up flash, so it took a little getting used to. I love the fact that you can change the wide range of ISO settings. Light weight and durable. Dennis Excellent Quality I'm just a beginner with this camera (and Canon period) so it's taking a little while to figure out how to use all the extras (which there are plenty of). It's not the easiest camera to just pick up and use, but the pictures I have taken have really good quality to them. Not backwards flash compatible I have used a Canon (Model 630) SLR for over 15 years. I purchased this camera because it was compatible with my existing lenses and accessories. It performs well. Mode settings are familiar. Controls are predictable. If you want RAW files you have to remember to use the non-Auto modes. The battery takes several charges cycles to maintain full power. Unfortunately the flash is not backwards compatible with the film camera versions. This is a disappointment. I can find no place on Canon"s, Sunpak's, or Amazon's websites that note this. I also cannot find any information about a possible adapter. Having spent ~$200 in flash equipment, I was hoping for more. information. Nothing better... this is the best camera I have owned. Flat out awesome. The advanced features are easy to get used to if you used film in the past. The basic modes are awesome. This is a pick it up and use it camera as well as a having advanced features to learn and take stunning photos, not just snapshots. This camera captures it all vs the compact digital soul stealer cameras that take great snapshots. Excellent DSLR for enthusiasts I was researching to buy a good DSLR since 4-5 months and finally zeroed upon Canon Digital Rebel XT / 350D. This camera is one of the smallest sized DSLRs...feels good in hands (compared to Nikon D70S, etc). The image quality is excellent. Ameatures and pro-enthusiasts would find the camera amazingly easy to use. The autofocus of the kit lens works very well. People who are planning to buy this, make sure to buy at least a 2GB CF card (stores about 550 photos). Smaller cards will run out of storage space in no time!! Canon Rebel XT Good Value for money I purchased the Rebel XT with reservations regarding its plastic body. I was worried about scratches and durability. I've used this camera and find that some of the shots I've taken were far better quality than I've been able to obtain with other digitals, The only exception is my 30 year old Canon SLR. I like the quality, but find that the lenses will cost about the same as the camera. Altogether this is a pretty good camera for the cost. the weight is very light and with some care, this should last quite a few years. This is good for an intermediate user who'd lilke to move from the traditional SLR to the digital. This camera has room for growth. I like it and would recommend it to friends. Very Capable Digital SLR This Canon is my first digital SLR. I had tried some others, but I really liked, and still like, the way this camera feels. The image quality is excellent, the kit lens that comes with the camera is certainly better than most people lead you to believe, and the speed is fantastic, in both start up and burst. It's hard to say what the one best feature of this camera is because there really are more "best" features than one. Like I said, I really like the weight and feel of the camera. I believe it's still the lightest digital SLR on the market. Some have complained that it's too small. I disagree. For me, this camera fits me very well. The start up speed is very good, if not excellent. Once I turn on the camera, it's ready to shoot long before I am. The battery life is phenomenal. While I haven't recorded exactly how many shots can be taken on a battery charge, I can say that it's hundreds. I personally have never run out of battery. Of course, I purchased a second battery for back up and simply cycle between them after each long shoot. The speed that the camera writes to CF is astonishing as well, as is the ability to take several pictures in a row. This comes in handy when shooting moving objects, as it's hard to get that "one shot" that makes the day worthwhile. As I said before, the image quality is brilliant. I shoot in RAW+JPG mode, and doing so doesn't appreciably slow down the camera or the writing of the files to the CF card and the clarity and trueness of the image really is captured in RAW. I cannot say enough about this camera. It is a steal at any advertised price. Lovin' it! I actually picked out this camera from perk points I had through work. i enjoy photography as a hobby using a Nikon N65 SLR film. I wanted to take my shots up a notch & really experiment so I decided to dive into the work it digital. This camera is phenomenal. The depth of colors is definitely different w/o even adjusting or using special filters. It's easy to use & adjust your shutter speed & aperture, even if you just use the presets for macro, night, portrait, etc. you get fantastic shots. Would definitely buy over again. An Amazing Camera So yeah this was my First Digital SLR and I would have to say there is no better place to start. Anyone with a serious interest in photography will love this camera. It's a high quality camera for the price, and it comes from what I would say is the best company in the Business. I love all Canon's products, and this one is no different. A truly amazing Camera. The Best Camera I've ever owned... ... with the constant advances in technology, however, the latest camera you buy will tend to be the best ever. This is one great camera for the price. i tried the Nikon D50, Olympus E500, Pentax *ist, and went for the Rebel XT. They all had features that I liked but the Canon stood above the rest. If you like shooting in available light, Canon is head and shoulders above the competition. The speed of the camera is very impressive as well. I'm not going to get into all the specs of the camera since they have already been covered. You can't go wrong with the Rebel XT. Excellent I couldn't ask for anything more in a camera. I love to do landscape and macro photography.. This camera is perfect. Everything from the size of the camera to the quality of the photos.. it's just the best camera ever! XT (EOS 350D) vs XTi (EOS 400D) After 1.5 years in the market, garnering a series of awards and praises, Digital Rebel XT (aka EOS 350D) has been replaced by Digital Rebel XTi (aka EOS 400D). For about one to two hundred dollars more, XTi offers some compelling benefits, such as: - New 3-point ultrasound dust removal system that cleans image sensor area; included software maps dust stuck in low pass area and electronically masks them. - 10.1 MP APS-C CMOS image sensor (3888 by 2592) vs. 8 MP (3456 by 2304) that improves resolution by 20% while maintaining dynamic range and noise level. - Faster image processing. In continuous shooting mode, it captures the same 3 frames per second but up to 27 JPEG or 10 RAW vs. 14 JPEG or 4 RAW. - Significantly improved 9-point TTL auto focus from EOS 30D vs. 7-point. - Brighter 2.5" 230,000 pixel LCD vs. 1.8" 115,000 pixel LCD. - Updated user interface. - Picture styles and RGB histogram. - More durable leathery paint finish. Of course, there are some losses, too. Most notably, XTi eschews dedicated LCD info display (integrated into main LCD now) and yields lower battery life (500 vs. 600 shots). All that worth extra dough? If all you want is to take great photos for less money, XT is still a great camera. I've used XT for almost a year now and it's capable of some amazing pictures, provided you use better than the crummy kit lens (although kit lens can be an affordable intro to the world of DSLR). If you can stretch your budget, XTi operates significantly faster with much nicer auto focus system. Higher resolution sensor, larger LCD with enhanced UI, and self image sensor cleaning system can be very beneficial to many as well. Happiness right out of the box After all the lament, all the salivating and frustration in walking by camera stores and dropping in on websites, I now have in my hands MY VERY OWN BNEW CANON EOS 350D!!! I love the way it re-orients the picture, I love the way the separate monochrome LCD can be lit up to show camera exposure settings in the dark, I love the way the camera handles, and I love the way it responds when I use it with my strobes. I used it yesterday on a paid shoot (I do dabble in these things sometimes) and geeee whiz!!! I think my photography had been suddenly bumped up to another level...like way up there kinda level. It was like "the artist had been freed". I love the way I can select which focusing point to use and the way the picture files store info on which focusing point was used to take the shot. I love the software that came with it - it was like all my organizing and picture sorting wish list was suddenly exhausted. I love the resolution and how the colors came out. I am particularly impressed on how the built-in flash handles. It illuminates the scene like a genius. If it can do that with the flash, heck, I can only begin to imagine what other impressive things it can do. I also love the way how fast it responds to my commands and I feel as if no emotion or spontaneous going on can go by me without me capturing it. There are just so much to love about this camera guys. It was designed so well that you can start using it and benefiting from its more advanced features right out of the box! Who needs the manual eh? I have a feeling that I will be very happy with this camera in the years to come. If I can sum up what I think about this camera: it is happiness straight from the box. =b Very Pleased!! I am a severe novice at photography and do not know much on the subject but I really wanted to take better pictures of my boyfreind who does freetstyle motocross. I was having a hard time getting the timing down and getting a good zoom with my old camera and with this camera I have been getting some amazing pictures. At first when reading the manual I became extremely overwhelmed and scared that I made a bad decision. I still do not know what the fancy functions are and how to use them. But I did find that it is very user friendly if you just go with the automatic shooting modes. I'm very excited about the wonderful picture quality I've been getting. Some of his sponsors are even using my shots for their advertisements! I highly recommend this camera!!! Great Camera Have had this camera for nearly a month now, and I have to say it is truly great for the following reasons: 1. Small size. I'm [....] years old and it's still slighty "too" small (although that is not a problem because I still have no problem gripping it). 2. Great for every situation. In the month I've had it, I've done everything from ISO 1600 to ISO 100, used and not used flash, telephoto lens action shots at the race track, wide angle abstract stills, manual & autofocus and it has still exceeded all my expectations. * I'd say I only have 2 very, very minor complaints: 1. Slightly heavy (especially with telephoto lens). Now this may not be a problem for adults, but given this is the "kids" section I will say that it was a little heavy at first, but I got used to it in 2 or 3 days. If you absolutely can't stand slightly heavy cameras then you may want to settle for a point & shoot or a film SLR (my film SLR is slightly larger but definantly a lot more lightweight). Or you could get a tri-pod. Either way. 2. The settings dial is a little TOO shiny. Yes, that doesn't sound like a problem and I didn't think it was either but a few days after recieving it I was out photographing in the backyard and the dial reflected the sunlight in a sort of intensified beam and shined directly into my eye (very bad eye pain for the next 20 minutes). My advice: Avoid looking at the settings dial directy on a sunny day. * Other than that, I would say if you're looking for a camera, I would very, very very higly recommend this one. WM Great Camera I have had digital cameras for about 5 years and still own an Olympus 5 megapixel, and a Casio 7 megapixel. Seems like Megamixels alone just don't cut it for me. I read about the rebel XT in a magazine and looked up the user reviews here on Amazon. I decided to go and buy one and though I am really a novice, I am extremely impressed. I have never seen such stunning quality or realistic colors from a Point & Shoot. I started with the basic settings and love the results.I am slowly progressing to more advanced settings and am getting better everyday. Even a novice who just wants stunning photography will be amazed with this camera. I also bought a Tamron 75-300 Autofocus zoom lens (look for it here on Amazon.com) and after lots of practice, have been able to take some great pictures. I have a brother in the UK who is also into digital photography, and after seeing some (full reso) photos I sent him, he rushed out and bought the XTi (called the EOS 400D across the pond)and is amazed with it. I still have a lot to learn but really cannot fault this camera. The included software is also excellent. For the record, some reviews seem to think it is too small to hold, I have big hands and don't have any problems at all. I admit though this is the first SLR I have ever owned. I will still keep a point and shoot to keep in my travel bag for spontaneous photography but I am in love with my Rebel XT!! This camera costs quite chunk of change but I think it is well worth it and I do recommend it to everyone. Expanding the great Canon Digital SLR line I already had a digital rebel and was able to sell it to a co-worker and use the proceeds for my new rebel xt. Faster, lighter, better. Simple review. It took everything that was great about my digital rebel and made it better. Some complain that it feels "too light"...OK...it that's your thing. To me, it's still solid and the pictures speak for themselves. Now, with the addition of the 10 MP rebel xt, I'll bet the original xt can be purchased for an even better price. No downsides that I can think of... This is a great camera When I bought this camera the sales people tried to get me to buy another battery. They said the one that came with it would only be good for about 20 minutes. Now I have bought alot of items in my lifetime, a 20 min battery on a camera just doesnt seem like a very good "business" choice. So I said no. So I got the camera, charged the battery until the light went green (which sucked because I wanted to play with it right when i got it) and started taking pictures (oh I also got a 2G CF) worked great....so I planned to go up a mountain and take soem scenery shots. Keeping in mind what the sales person had told me I pocketed the charger just incase. Well, 6000', 300 pictures, and 5 hours later the camera is still running strong, still have 200 shots left for the trip home, battery life indicator hasnt budged off of the full button. So all in all, I think the battery life is great, now i can see if your taking say thousands of pictures all in a row you may need another but for just going on a trip and shooting a few pictures at every stop point, the original will work fine. as for the quality of photos.....i love them. It's everything I needed I had 2 Rebel cameras so it just made sense for me to pick up this digital camera and attach my old lenses. While I had owned other digitals I keep going back to my old Rebel, until now. We got the back up battery pack. My husband and I love it. Canon EOS Rebel SLR Camera It is extremely easy to use. Hard to figure out the menu, but once that is done there is no problem. Takes beautiful pictures. Great for action shots as well. Seldom find a blurry photo as it has a stabelizer built in. Wonderful Camera - but I love the new digital Canon. The only problem is it's not nearly as tough as it's film twin. I had the camera less than a month when the pop-up flash quit working. The Canon people have been great, and very helpful, but I'd rather not have had to send a brand new camera back to the factory. The photos, however, are wonderful. Film quality for the most part - printable and enlargable. (It would probably be better to use the camera with a tripod when using the 300mm telephoto but I hike with it, so just remember to steady it before taking wildlife photos.) WOW Camera This Camera is excellent one!! really when you compare its price and its results and the level of quality you get you will know why this is the best in its category, I'm getting a very professional results using it with a lot of styles.. Highly recommended Can't get any better than this.. I am 67 years old and started out in photography as a kid with a contact printer and a box camera. I have had all types of cameras over the years, mostly 35mm film Canon slr's. I too bought all sorts of these 5-7 MP point and shoot digital cameras before returning to my true love, SLR's. I have had my digital Canon Rebel XT about a month now and I can't keep my hands off of it. It lacks nothing. Although the kit lense is good, I bought a 28-135 Canon zoom lense with image stabilizion and have produced stunning photo's with it. I love the way you can use the 7 points to focus, I mainly use only the center point with focus lock and never get an out of focus picture. I guess the nicest thing for me is that I now don't have the urge to buy every point and shoot camera that is paraded out on QVC or HSN that has a "wonderful" new feature like "low light or non-shake." This Canon has every good feature in the known universe and you can't outgrow it. Its a camera that will let you be as good as you can be, it won't hold you back. The battery life is great, the built in flash is good but I bought a 430EX and that's even better. I never figure I'm wasting money buying accessories for this camera as it will be my main squeeze for many years to come. I always missed my 35mm Canon slr's and now feel that I have an old friend back again, only much much better. Believe me, you can't go wrong getting this camera, its beyond description.... WOW I am new to SLRs and I cant belive how good this camera is. This camera is worth every penny for the amazing quality it produces. I always thot my old digital pics with point and shoot were excellent, but looking back, they look terrible compared to this. Excellent camera! I almost didn't buy this camera simply because of the plastic body (I'm used to a Praktica MTL3 film camera, which is built like a tank). However, I'm glad I overlooked that because the camera is top-notch in terms of robust features and the quality it provides. Startup time is very quick and making adjustments to shutter speed and aperture is intuitive. If you get the bundle with the kit lens, I highly recommend complimenting it with the very affordable Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens, especially if you are a big fan of DOF and do a lot of available-light / low-light photography. Great camera I purchased this camera a year ago (summer 05). Definitely a great upgrade over the original rebel, although the new xti has a larger screen which is the one aspect of this camera that is not perfect. There are other sites that will perform more comprehensive reviews of this camera, but after a year mine is still working perfectly! Another amazing Canon product The Digital Rebel is the most amazing camera i've ever owned. My previous camera was a Canon A90 and I loved using all the features on it [great camera!]. I decided recently that maybe I should graduate to a SLR because I was starting to get more creative with my photography. I spent a great deal of time researching cameras and finally decided on the Digital Rebel. After a few months of owning it I still am amazed. The image quality is fantastic, it's quick and responsive, and every day using it I learn a little more. It's the perfect intro SLR camera for me because everything makes sense and it's easy to learn. I've gotten amazing shots that I could never dream of getting with a point and shoot. If you are finding yourself wanting a little more than a point and shoot, go for this camera, you wont be sorry. Just perfect! This camera it's amazing, I've been usign for a long time a canon EOS 300 film camera, that's really a great camera, and now this digital rebel. Does everything like a professional camera. The DR-XT kit is a good start, whatsoever more lenses fron EF are available to complete the photo equipment. Bottom line, this is so far the best camera I've ever used. Canon Digital Rebel: The beginning of the future for Photography I bought this a few years ago and can't believe I haven't written about this before. As a photographer I've always stuck with Canon's camera's as they are durable and they make the best camera for sharing life's memories. The 1st best thing about it is that it is compatible with Canon's film SLR EOS Camera lenses!! This alone makes it a great value!! All of the lenses I have fit and didn't have to spend additional funds for it. I spent the extra though for the standard Digital 18-55mm lens package and it is a nice lense but remember it is for the Digital Rebel only. The picture quality is also great!! You can set the settings for how well you want your resolutions and that means alot. This camera captures photos on a CF card. The camera has software included for editing and viewing your photos on the computer. But on the back of the Rebel is a viewscreen for viewing photos right after taking the photo as well as review. It is definately a plus having this feature. You also get a cord for transferring your photos onto your PC as well. I've been able to fit over 1000+ photos on my 1GB CF card. If your looking for a great deal and a great investment into digital photography, you found it with the Digital Rebel. Exceptionally Great If you are like me: 1. Who is thinking of buying his next camera. 2. Have never used SLR before. 3. Wonder if it is really worth it to spend extra for Rebel, instead of a good point-n-shoot from Canon (for half the price?). Well, Yes it is worth it, even the complete automatic mode is much better than best in the class point and shoot. And as you try other semi-automatic modes (like sports, night, portrait, closeup), you will realize it was all worth it. I have recently promoted myself to using Av/Tv mode and took picture at very less light, without flash. They look so natural compared to generic point and shoot. I love my Rebel! A beautiful camera that takes stunning photos! The Rebel XT allows me to work in my "dumb" mode, taking over most of the work when I am too busy to fiddle with settings. It also allows me to be wonderfully creative with its Aperture and Time priority modes. my favorites pre-setting allows me to use the flash, but keep then shutter open to allow backgrounds to show up more realistically. Great when snapping pix of the marching band at a football game or a downtown night scene. The camera's zoom setting lets me get closeup into photos I have shot. And a camera-to-TV cable that lets me shows pics immediately. The Rebel XT is very intuitive with features that I plan to grow into. It's a terrific camera all around that lets me focus on composition, especially at family events when it's about the celebration -- not the camera! I love it! Digital Rebel XT I have put my XT thorugh the works as I shoot a ton of photos. I bought it in JUly 2005 and I'd have to say I'm closing in on 40 to 50,000 photos taken. I wish it had a counter on it that I could check so that I could keep an eye on it. I am waiting to replace it with the up-grade version to the 30D. It still keeps clicking away though and I've had no problems or malfunction errors yet.