Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only)

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My journey with DSLRs began back in 2003 with the original Digital Rebel. DSLRs changed my photography for the better like nothing else. Five years and some 25,000 shots later, its still going strong. Along the way I upgraded to the Canon 30D, which is a fantastic camera as well. When the 40D was announced, I decided to wait until the 50D sometime in 2009, but wanted a newer backup/second body for my photography needs. So when the XSi/450D was announced, it sounded like a perfect fit for my needs. I got it from Amazon.com three days ago, and have given it a pretty good workout since then, having shot about 650 shots under a variety of shooting conditions and with a number of different Canon and third-party lenses. The following are my impressions. The build feels very good. The camera feels wonderfully light yet well built. Im 6ft tall with average size hands, and the camera feels good in my hand. The battery grip, to me, defeats the purpose of having a small, light DSLR, so I opted for a Hakuba/Opteka grip (its a plate that screws into the tripod socket that enables you to use the excellent Canon E1 hand strap with it) and I couldnt be happier. Im not a fan of neck straps, so this works well for me (see the uploaded photo for the configuration). Most of the menu buttons on the back feel different from the ones on the original Digital Rebel and the 30D; the XSi buttons feel more tactile and have a definite "click" to them when you press them. The exception are the Exposure Lock (*) and AF selector buttons, which have retained the deeper, softer feel of the older cameras. Just different, not better or worse, for me. The LCD is now 3" with 230K pixels. The playback images look great, and probably because of the higher resolution of the sensor, theres a very slight delay when you zoom in to 10x while the image loads and displays properly. People coming from other cameras or brands might not even notice it--I only did so because of the difference between it and my two other Canon DSLRs (which have lower resolution sensors). The viewing angle of the LCD screen (how clearly you can see the screen from side and up and down) is excellent; you can still see the screen holding the camera almost straight up for an overhead shot (more on this later). Id estimate the viewing angle is about 160-170 degrees both horizontally and vertically. The Digital Rebel has a separate status screen above the main LCD screen, and the 30D had one on top of the camera, so I wasnt sure if I was going to like the big LCD acting as the status screen and no top screen. Im happy to say that this arrangement works well, at least for me. The back screen makes it really easy to take all the settings at a glance. The viewfinder is much larger and brighter than that in the Digital Rebel. A humongously welcome feature for me is the always displayed ISO value in the viewfinder. The camera is only 1/2 of the image quality equation, the other being the lenses being used. Coupled with my favorite lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L telephoto lens, the XSi turns out fantastic images. The supplied kit lens is very light and compact for being an image stabilized lens, and turns out good performance. The IS is certainly very useful. Two features that used to be missing from the Digital Rebels and found in the more expensive DSLRs are now featured in the XSi: spot-metering and flash exposure compensation (these may have been available in the previous Digital Rebel model, the XTi, as well). The inclusion of those two features make the camera a much more complete and compelling photographic tool. The timer function now has a custom mode, where itll count down from 10 seconds then take a number of shots (specified by you) in succession. No more running back and forth to reset the timer after each shot! Theres also the traditional 2-second timer. Lets talk for a minute about sensor and the ISO values. XSi/450D has five ISO values you can choose: 100 (best image quality), 200, 400, 800, and 1600. Higher ISO increases the camera sensors sensitivity to light, thus you can achieve faster shutter speeeds for a given lighting condition. However, the trade-off is that the sensor "noise" (think grain for film photography) increases with higher ISO, so you get a degraded image quality in return for less blurred photos from hand shakes (thanks to faster shutter speed). This may come in handy in situations where flash photography is not permitted, such as a museum or a concert or theater. HOWEVER, compared to point-and-shoot digital cameras, the larger sensors of DSLRs, including the XSi, means that even at ISO 800 and 1600 you get very usable images right out of the camera. Running the images shot at those ISO settings through any number of third-party noise reduction software will improve them even further. This ties in to another very useful feature of the XSi/450D that makes life easier for the photographer: The Auto ISO function. By default, Auto ISO sets the ISO (the sensor sensitivity to light) between 100 and 800 (by using custom functions, this can be changed to 200-1600). If you are, for example, shooting your kids indoor basketball game and you know that you need a shutter speed of at least 1/200 sec to "freeze" the action, then you can set the camera to Tv (shutter priority mode) and set the value to 1/200, and set the camera to Auto ISO. Then the camera will match the aperture and the ISO to achieve proper exposure at that shutter speed. With my other DSLRs, setting the camera to shutter priority only allowed the camera to adjust the aperture value; ISO setting had to be adjusted manually. With the XSi/450D, the ability for the camera to adjust the ISO value automatically makes it one less thing for you the photographer to worry about. Ive only tested the Live View function to see how it works, but I can already see how useful its going to be in studio and macro shootings. Just a note, you cant half-press the shutter to autofocus while in Live View mode. You can either manual focus, or use one of the two autofocus methods, quick (the mirror flips up, the LCD goes dark for a short while, and flips down with focus locked) or live (the camera uses the LCDs contrast detection to achieve the focus--this method is slower than the quick method), both by pressing the exposure lock button (*) while in the Live View mode. Using either the RS-60E3 wired remote or RC-1 wireless remote in Live View mode will ONLY trigger the shutter, and has no bearing on focusing. Some people seem to be under the impression that the inclusion of the Live View feature will enable them to use the XSi/450D as they do point-and-shoot digital cameras, to compose their shots. That is not the case. You cant really make a functioning use of the Live View feature unless the cameras securely mounted on a tripod or on a flat surface. Both Live View focusing modes, while precise, are too slow to be used for hand-held shooting. Having said that, there is one use of Live View in hand-held shooting that Ive come to value. When shooting overhead or over an obstacle, I can, with the same hand holding the camera, trigger the Live View, compose the scene through the LCD monitor (even if its out of focus, its easy to get the general framing right), disable Live View, and take the photo normally. With a little practice, this can be accomplished very quickly. Very handy when youre just holding the camera overhead and hoping for the best. The Direct Print button thats been much ridiculed and maligned in most Canon cameras now double as the white balance menu button. The Set button in the middle of the four-direction arrow keys can be programmed for a number of different functions: Change image quality, flash exposure compensation, LCD monitor on/off (same as Display button, but can be triggered by the same hand holding the camera), and Menu display (again, can be triggered by the same hand holding the camera). There is a dedicated ISO button, which is also very welcome. It can easily be accessed during shooting with the right thumb, thereby minimizing the interruption to shooting. The battery life seems very good. Ive shot about 500+ shots on a single charge and the status monitor is still showing charge at full. Im using Transcend 8GB Class 6 SDHC card with it. At ISO 100, the camera reports it can fit 396 RAW+JPG (highest quality) on it, but in reality it can probably fit about 420-450 (the cameras always conservative when estimating). With RAW only, it can fit 507. With highest quality JPG, it can fit 1,822. Note that as ISO increases, so do the file sizes and thus you can store less images per card. For example, on ISO 1600, the same card can only hold 323 images, compared to 396 at ISO 100. My only gripe, and this is more about me than the camera, is the RAW+JPG buffer. I always shoot RAW+JPG, and the buffer will only hold four images at that speed (this is a limitation thats built into the cameras memory buffer system, and thus using a fast memory card doesnt help--see p.64 of the manual). When the buffers full, you can take two additional images at about a frame a second, then have to wait until the buffer empties (finishes writing to the memory card). When shooting RAW only, its 6 images. When shooting JPG only, then its no problem at more than 50 frames. Ive found myself switching the mode dial to Sports mode when Im shooting a fast-moving subject and the buffer simply cant keep up with it. Well, thats why Canon produces different grades and ranges of DSLRs. Ive uploaded some photos that I shot of the local wildlife. Most if not all of those were taken with the EF 70-200mm f/4 L lens. All in all, its a fantastic camera. Pretty amazing to see how far the entry-level DSLRs have come in just a few years in terms of features, interface, ergonomics, and quality. Im very pleased with my purchase and intend to have lots of fun shooting pictures with it.

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I bought this camera used so got it for a very good price. I was previously using an advanced point and shoot and this SLR is much easier to use than that was. You can print what you need from an online manual. The thing I love most is that the lens can be set to automatically adjust, so you dont have to focus or decide what length you want, it will automatically do it once you press the shutter button halfway.

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I had given a Canon 40D to my granddaughter who uses it for school sports photography. Unfortunately, she was devastated to discover that it had been stolen from her backpack. I decided to look on Amazon to see what a replacement would cost. I decided that this camera was within the price range and quality level that would be suitable for her. She was not aware that I had made the purchase until I showed up at her house and presented it to her. I have seen many photos from her. I am in the photo business and print all of the important images for her. It has been an excellent purchase for a wide variety of reasons. She is completely satisfied with the quality, the ease of operation. She is now considering becoming a professional photographer. She is definitely a Canon girl forever.

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It arrived pretty much like new, came with the body, lens & a neck strap. I wish it came with an instruction Manual as a complete beginner but after a few fiddling I was instantly taking some good photos & I later found a site which had all the info & tips needed to start using this professionally.

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I wish I hadnt dithered so long about purchasing a digital SLR. I dont have a photography background and had been using point-and-shoot digital models. I was afraid that the learning curve would be too steep for an SLR. I gave in and after a bit of research, opted for the Rebel XSI and I wish I had done it years earlier. If youre like me, and hesitating about upgrading from a point-and-shoot because you dont think you know enough about photography, youll be comforted to know that there is a whole host of automatic settings for this camera, making it the functional equivalent of a point-and-shoot -- except the pictures are infinitely better. I have had great success using the auto settings for all sorts of shots, from close-up portraits to flowers to beach scenes to no-flash school shots. I heartily wish I had had this camera when my children were babies. At the same time, I have learned a great deal about the cameras manual settings just by trial and error, and reading on-line articles & books about it. I have a small business in the craft field and accurate close-up shots are critical to my business. I have learned how to use various settings to take amazing close-up shots, shots that have been complimented by professional photographer friends & graphic designers. I recommend purchasing the camera body only, and ordering a separate lens. I ordered a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens, which has been very versatile and more than enough for my needs in the first year-and-a-half of using the camera. I think it was a better lens for the money than the one that comes in the packages. I also recommend ordering an extra battery and charger to have on hand, so that you can always have a freshly-charged battery with you. I realize that my review will not be technical enough for real shutterbugs, but I really love this camera, and feel it is an excellent choice for folks like me who want to move into digital SLR photography but arent quite sure where to start or whether they have sufficient knowledge to use an SLR camera.

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Bought this camera about a month ago on feb. 17, 2017 and if anyone was wondering if its quality still competes in this year then I can tell you that yes it does.

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The XSi is my first DSLR camera. I have, for many years, been shooting with point-and-shoot (also called "compact") cameras, so I have a lot of experience with point-and-shoot cameras. But the image quality of the XSi simply blew me away! The images captured on the XSi are much, much, much sharper than the ones from a point-and-shoot camera! If youre looking at the XSi, youre probably a budding photographer like myself. The XSi is, debatably, the best entry-level DSLR camera, next to the Canon EOS Rebel T1i/500D . Highlights ---------- - 18mm - 55mm "Kit" Lens Included The Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens alone sells for [...]. You have everything you need to get started right away with taking great-looking pictures! - Phenomenal Images Alas, Im unable to show you the images Ive captured with the XSi here. But theres alway sample images uploaded by customers on the product page. Alternatively, you can go to the Canon site and see for yourself the official sample images. These images are pretty representative of the quality of images you can expect from this camera in optimal conditions. - Auto Mode Okay, so youre not quite prepared to tinker with the bells and whistles on the XSi. No matter, theres always a fully "auto" mode (green rectangle on the selection dial) you can fall back on. In this mode, you would be using the XSi just as you would a point-and-shoot camera. The auto mode will stifle your creativity, but it will help you take great pictures nonetheless. - Incredible Battery Life I must have taken hundreds of pictures of pictures and the battery indicator bar still shows full battery capacity (thats with image preview disabled- which is, if Im not mistaken, the default/factory setting). In sum, the XSi does everything your point-and-shoot does, only BETTER. If, like lot of people, you are in a quandary deciding between the T1i and the Xsi/450D, here are the major improvements of the T1i over the XSi (at least on paper) to help you make a decision: - 15.1 MP Resolution - Full HD video at 20 Frames Per Second - ISO range of 100 to 3200 - 920,000 dots VGA monitor vs. the XSi: - 12.2 MP Resolution - No video capability - ISO range of 100 to 1600 - 230,000 dots VGA monitor * T1i vs XSi * - Resolution: 15.1 MP vs. 12.2 MP When it comes to megapixels (MP), I would have to subscribe to the mantra that megapixels isnt everything. Since the T1i has the same sensor size as the XSi (APS-C size: 22.2 x 14.8mm), a higher number of megapixels would mean more pixels packed into same sensor area. Keep in mind that as a general rule, the higher number of megapixels that are packed into a given sensor area, the more "noise" (or graniness) will result in a picture taken in low light conditions. (I want to be fair, however, and say that I have not noticed perceptible differences in image quality between the two cameras, even in moderately lit or low light conditions.) - HD Video The T1i frame rate is 20 frames per second (fps), which is low compared to even the low-end camcorders, most of which are capable of 30 fps in Full HD. The XSi has no video mode. - ISO: 3200 vs. 1600 Like they say, theres no such thing as a free lunch. A higher ISO *will* result in more noise in a captured image. As a rule of thumb, set your ISO to the lowest practicable ISO setting. The lower upper range for the XSi isnt, in my opinion, a big restriction. - LCD Resolution: 920,000 vs 230,000 dots There is absolutely no refuting that the LCD on the T1i *is* better than the one on the XSi. The images displayed on the T1i LCD is unquestionably sharper than the images on the XSi LCD. Based on the above factors, you will have to be the one who ultimately decides what works better for you. There are, of course, other considerations, the most glaringly obviously of which is - you guessed it - the price. The price of the XSi is has dropped like a rock since I purchased it a couple of months back. If youre on a tight budget, the XSi is definitely the way to go. --- The image quality from the XSi is simply phenomenal. It is very affordably priced (it has gotten much cheaper than what it sold for originally when it debuted in 2008). If youre on a budget, the XSi is, in my opinion, the best DSLR camera to get.

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The XSi is a great digital body, and should probably be bought that way (i.e., without a lens), so that you can save the money you would have spent on a barely-adequate kit lens to put towards something far better, such as the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens . While this Rebel has been superceded by the newer Canon EOS Rebel T1i , this model still provides excellent bang for the buck, and even exceeds the performance of the T1i in some respects. Others have written at length and in great detail about the features and performance of this camera, so Ill just touch on a few highlights and some important distinctions between this and the newer model, the T1i. This model uses the same size digital sensor (APS-C) with fewer megapixels than the newer body. This fact, together with the less agressive noise-reduction implemented by the older DIGIC III processor in this camera, means that the XSi can provide lower noise in lower-light situations than the T1i, while still providing more than enough pixels to print even cropped sections of your photos up to 11x14. By foregoing the video recording mode, DIGIC IV processor and high-resolution screen found on the T1i, the XSi body leaves more room in your budget for some important accessories, such as the 17-55 f/2.8 lens mentioned above, and one of the must-have Speedlite flashes, such as the top-of-the-line Canon Speedlite 580EX II or the still-very-much-worth-having Canon Speedlite 430EX II . Basically, if you want a compact digital camera body that accepts EF-S lenses and dont want to blow your whole budget before you even get to buy a lens or a flash, the XSi is right in the sweet spot of great performance for a reasonable price.

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Ah, the Canon EOS450d. (Or Digial Rebel XSi, for those who dislike model numbers) Ive owned it for several months now, and have a lot of good experience with it. I purchased the XSi with kit 18-55mm IS lens back in the end of February, before a week-long vacation in the Caribbean, thinking I could get some great shots. Now, Im not going to say it was all perfect. I mean, this is my first DSLR to actually own, and to think I could learn the system that quickly was a little overzealous of me. With that said, the camera and kit lens offered some great quality pictures, with very good color representation, and very good sharpness in most situations. Image stabilization, though I didnt realize it at first, does wonders. The IS on this lens did in fact enable me to shoot at about 2-stops slower shutter speeds than normal, pretty consistently. The camera itself is great. The build feels quite solid, though not as much as the heavier, higher-level cameras. (50d, 5d II, etc.) The navigation is definitely an easy adjustment to make from a point-and-shoot (P&S) camera. I was easily able to scroll through menus using the directional buttons, for instance, as opposed to the wheel used in some other models of Canon DSLR. It isnt necessarily better, but it does make the system much more approachable for someone new to the DSLR game. The screen is great--since February (about 5 months now) Ive used the camera for thousands of pictures, and have only noticed an inability to see the screen clearly due to light on a handful of occasions, in extreme sunny conditions. The flash, while not fantastic from a DSLR standpoint, is quite solid, and reaches a decent enough distance. However, with the built-in flash, you are limited to 1/200 shutter speed, at its fastest. The recharge time is also a bit longer than Id like, in general, but its nothing debilitating. If you need to be capturing any faster, you probably should have spent more money on a higher-end camera, anyway. The menus are quite plain, but clearly laid out in such a way that they are easily navigable and can be learned quickly and simply. You may not even use most of the menus, if youre much like me--I rarely find the need to use bracketing for my exposure or flash, for instance, though they are simple to set up and use if desired. For a while, I was stuck in the mentality that it is only worth owning a DSLR if you intend to use manual mode. Im beginning to learn that it isnt ALWAYS the case. I have found myself switching to Auto mode on more than one occasion, either to capture a shot more quickly, or just to see what settings the camera recommends, before re-adjusting in manual mode. Additionally, if you intend to shoot in RAW format, you cannot use Auto. RAW, for those who dont know, is a format not compatible with computers, digital frames, etc. You must first convert RAW to some format like JPG,(dont worry, Canon includes software which you can use for this) which can then be printed or viewed at your leisure. RAW does allow more flexibility with editing your photo, but might be a bit over the heads of some people. In either case, it is worth noting that you CANNOT SHOOT RAW IN AUTO MODE! I frequently use RAW mode and touch up areas of the photo that would otherwise come out poorly. But auto mode is friendly enough for my girlfriend to use the camera, so it makes our lives quite a bit easier when she needs to take over the camera briefly. Live view mode is a fantastic addition, in my opinion. Many have told me that Live View is really a mode made for P&Sers who arent quite ready for DSLR. I have to respectfully disagree. That might be the case on occasion, but honestly, for some shots, Ive found that when the focus hunts a bit, and I need to manually focus, the Live View mode is absolutely great for getting the sharpest image possible. I tend to use 10x magnification, and rotate the focus ring slightly until I find the "sweet spot" and focus is tack-sharp. It has saved my photos on more than one occasion, though for a quick or speedy subject (fast sports, energetic children, pets, etc.) obviously this is a bit more limited in its viability. I would also like to note that YOU CANNOT USE LIVE VIEW WHILE IN AUTO MODE!!! You have to make adjustments to shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on your own when using Live View, so it does still have a bit of challenge with it. On the software side, I honestly prefer the use of Photoshop, so I have only used Canon RAW and the rest of the photo editing/managing software a little bit. With that said, if you dont feel like shelling out the extra cash for Photoshop, which I completely understand, Canon RAW is very good for its purposes. You can adjust all the RAW settings as needed, convert to JPG, or anything else you need to do. The other software Id like to point out is Gimpshop, with the RAW editor plugin. (ufraw is the name, if I recall correctly). With all that out of the way, id like to say that I was definitely one of those people who debated if I should start low, or advance myself to a higher (possibly older, for the price) model to start with. Sometimes I still wish I had purchased the 40D at a comparable price. But I am quite happy I started with the XSi, because its a very reasonably priced camera and lens for its capabilities, and is very easy to use for a beginner with a DSLR--though its still capable of most mid-level features, making it quite a good camera. Some have looked into the new Digital Rebel, with video. That might be an option, but before spending the extra cash, ask yourself how often youd use the video camera feature--if you would use it, by all means go ahead. I considered the option, and found that it wasnt worth the extra cash. Nor is the megapixel upgrade--for most amateurs, you wont be blowing any images up, so while a ~15mp camera is technically "better" than a ~12mp camera, you wont see a difference until you blow it up to the size of a computer sheet or greater--how many photos do you have of that size in your home? I strongly recommend this camera for any beginner working their way to better photography using a DSLR. If you do decide to take the plunge, dont expect your photos to magically be better--learning the capabilities (and limitations) of DSLR is extremely important as well, or your pictures might wind up coming out WORSE than your P&S photos. Happy photography, everyone!

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Been a while since I bought this camera. It is rugged. All the features you need and more. I say more because I havent tried out all of the features. Im still learning. If you by this camera look for a kit with a couple of lenses. The one lens I got with it just doesnt allow the full use of the functions of the camera. Buy it again? Yes. But todays new models are what I would buy now.

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