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Canon EOS Rebel XSi Review

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  1. Kerry •  May 9, 2008
    Rating: 2.5/5

    I needed to replace my older Digital Rebel and tried the XSi. It takes great pics from sporting events (speed cap mode) and from the race tracks. Good light adjustments and balance. I like the manual configs similar to my older rebel. Also excellent lens system. Would recommend for the pro shooter, or midlevel shooter. Great for beginners if you understand basics of camera operation, or are willing to learn. Does have auto feature to take the guess work out of shooting.

    Rating: 5 :: 1 out of 1 people found this user review helpful.

  2. KC George •  May 15, 2008
    Rating: 4/5

    I couldn’t buy a Pentax K20D in India: so I went for Canon 450D.

    1) I wish it had better, scientifically designed lugs for the strap — I am used to my Leica M7′s lugs.

    2) Maybe 450D would have looked better and more compact and felt firmer in hands if there was not built-in flash.

    3) The 18-55 IS kit lens did not have a lens hood. This is unpardonable. I couldn’t buy it elsewhere either, nor a hood for my 50mm 1.8 Canon lens. Canon India couldn’t help me either. Canon India’s service was awful: I had to waste a lot of my time, energy and money to get my camera registered. For one thing, my camera’s serial number was not in Canon India’s data bank. Anyway….

    4) Maybe a multiple-exposure capability would have been in order.

    Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 2 people found this user review helpful.

  3. hlchai •  June 23, 2008
    Rating: 5/5

    I have a few digital point and shoot, but none is fast enough to capture the priceless baby moments with my first kid. With another kid coming, we’re sure not to miss any more.

    Easy enough for a novice, yet has enough features for more serious amateurs. Perfect combination for me.
    Pros: fast shutter release; easy to use, yet many features to for experimentation
    Cons: would prefer to have the mode wheel

    Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

  4. Michael Quarrell •  September 11, 2008
    Rating: 5/5

    First I would like to clear up that although the above comment by kc george says multiple exposure capability isn’t possible it is, the camera has a very capable aeb (auto exposure bracketing) mode.

    Ok… so i have had this camera for about a month now and already am very impressed with the quality of the images it produces, the colours are spot on and the kit lens is quite sufficient for general use. One downfall with the kit lens I found is it is a little soft, not quite the sharpness with some other lenses, I also have a 50mm f1.8 and 100mm f2.8 macro lens and they both produce quite shaper images, but as a kit lens it more than meets its need.

    I can’t say there are many downfalls with this camera, it might be slightly on the light side, but what do you expect for the money? It more than makes up for it in lots of other areas. I would recommend this camera to anyone.

    Rating: 10 :: 2 out of 3 people found this user review helpful.

  5. soxfans •  July 25, 2009
    Rating: 5/5

    I bought this camera after comparing its sensor and other features with those of the models before and after it. The 12.3 megapixel sensor is almost perfect for taking low noise images, just like the XTi before it. I do not need video function on a DSLR, therefore T1i with its larger sensor is not for me. The Xsi is much lighter and smaller that 40D and 50D, making it easier to carry and hold in hand for long use. It has most of the features that photo enthusiasts need, such as depth of field and exposure bracketing. Live view works well, and the 3″ screen is bright. The battery life is quite long as well. Mine is still full after 430 shots. This camera has the resolution that the kit lens often cannot match, so it makes sense to buy a body and then some good lens.

    Cons:
    The hand grip is longer than in XTi, but still not as comfortable in hand as with a D40/D60. Some functions, such as deleting an image, takes too many steps (3 pushes involving 3 different buttons). Custom white balance also takes a few steps. I’d prefer the one-step custom WB in SD880 IS (using a programmable button). However these are just minor things.
    Pros: Image quality, fast response, light weight, 12 megapixels
    Cons: Hand grip still too small; too many steps to get into some functions

    Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

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