Canon Digital Rebel XTi

There are two basic types of digital cameras. There’s the point and shoot camera for your average person and then there is the single-lens reflex ( or SLR) cameras for the people who demand more out of their cameras.

Digital SLR cameras produce far better pictures than your point and shoot camera, but cost a lot more as well. We’ve reviewed a couple SLR’s at Digit Geek like the Nikon D40 and the baby brother of todays review, the Canon Digital Rebel XT.

The Canon Digital Rebel XTi (also known as the EOS 400D) improves on its brother, the Rebel XT, by including a larger LCD screen, a higher resolution sensor and a number of smaller, less noticeable improvements. The XTi has an impressive specification list including a 10.1 MP sensor, an integrated cleaning system and a large 2.5″ LCD screen.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Rebel XTi:

• Street Price: $699.99
• Resolution: 10.1MP
• Continuous shooting: 27 shots @ 3 fps
• Selectable metering: Yes
• ISO range: 100-1600
• Custom functions: Yes, 9
• Interface: USB 2.0

Things I like
The Canon Digital Rebel XTi has an impressive feature list. The 10.1MP sensor will give you enough detail to blow your pictures up to basically any size you’d ever need. I think the thing I like most about the XTi is the fact that it has a self cleaning sensor unit. This low pass filter cleans itself automatically with ultrasonic vibrations, removing dust from the sensor assembly. Dust that has been missed by the Integrated Self Cleaning Sensor Unit can also be erased with software included with the XTi.

I also like the fact that the XTi can now take up to 27 continuous shots. The Rebel XT could only take 14 and this was kind of frustrating if you wanted to take more (like a sequence at a sports game). The overall design of the XTi has stayed consistent with the XT (which I liked), so that’s also a plus.

The final thing I like about the XTi is that all of the shooting information is displayed on the LCD (which seems a lot bigger than the XT’s). This information is nice to have on the LCD because it’s easier to see than before.

Things I don’t like
The only thing I don’t like about the XTi is the feel of it. For me, when I’m holding the XTi it seems that my right hand is positioned awkwardly. This may just be due to the size of my hand but I do not care for the feel of the XTi. Other than this however, the camera really has no flaws from my standpoint.

Pros:

• High resoultioin
• Self cleaning sensor unit
• Longer continuous shooting
• Large LCD with more information displayed

Cons:

• Awkward grip

Final Thoughts
The Canon Digital Rebel XTi has pretty much replaced its little brother, the XT. If you’re in the market for a new low-end Digital SLR I 100% recommend the XTi, it’s a great camera and you really can’t go wrong.

Rating: 4.8 / 5