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Canon EOS 6.3MP Digital Rebel Camera with 18-55mm Lens
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 193
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 On: 2008-07-11
This camera has served me well in professional as well as hobbyist capacity. The ability to shoot in RAW format, shoot at a burst rate with no lag is awesome. Lens is same as Canon releases today on the XTi. Ive used telephoto lens from Canon and it works great on this camera. I have noticed that compared to my friends XTi, the DR requires more work from the user to get the same quality, specifically in full auto mode there is a difference. The small view finder and small metering display, as well as the flash are all a let down when comparing to newer DSLRs. But, if you find one of these it will be much cheaper and still very useful. Ive used this camera to place images into large 11X17 and larger movie posters and the images look superb. If you have 300 bucks dont hesitate, this camera is one of the best deals for the money. And the lens will still work for you when you upgrade to a pro model.
On: 2008-01-13
I purchased this camera January 2005, my first digital SLR. This camera works great most of the time, does everything it is suppose to for the price I paid for. The few times it didnt work is in focusing. Even though I know the camera is in focus, but the Digital Rebel just wouldnt take the photo kept zooming in and out of focus. So I either 1) switch to manual mode or 2) turn the camera off and turn it back on again. Either way, then it would immediately work like the camera it is suppose to. The battery does drain quite a bit if you leave it on or on a cold day. I shot a lot in darker, high speed sports related events. And this camera has performed pretty well considering it is a beginner digital SLR.
 On: 2007-10-09
I am a hard core Technology Driven kind of guy. I am the type who people come to for technical answers, Computers, Laptops, Printers, and even Digital Cameras. My first exposure (no pun intended) with this camera happened when my estranged father came back in to my life, and to overcompensate for being out of my life for many many years, he gave me this digital camera. After saying no for too many times, and I felt that I began to offend him, I took the camera. Let me sum this camera up in three little letters..... WOW! I can not believe how easy this camera is to operate. This camera will do two things for you. #1 it will draw you into the hobby of photography, and #2 it will make you feel like you missed your calling, and that you should have been a professional photographer. You will most likely find yourself entering photo contests! I have been blown away at the photos I have taken. I think to myself... "Did I really take that photo?" If you get the camera, make sure to get two batteries and multiple memory cards you will need them as you will find yourself taking so many pictures with this camera. I have used so many digital cameras, bit the bullet and get this one!
On: 2007-09-15
I had this camera for a little over a year. Takes wonderful pictures, is very easy to carry around. I upgraded to the Rebel XTI, I wanted to upgrade to the 40D but after Nikon announced the D300 I knew the Canon 40D is not worth the asking price. I settled for the XTI until a more fully featured semi pro Canon would be released at a reasonable price. If you want a camera under $600 then the 300D Rebel XT is a good choice. For almost the same price you should go with the new 400D Rebel XTI. I would personally purchase the body only and buy a good lens, the lens that come with these models are not the best.
On: 2007-08-27
Im a photography novice and this is my first SLR. Its been a great camera since I bought it 2 years ago; very easy to use and very powerful. I cant see wanting a better camera when youre starting out like I am. There are many better cameras but I cant justify the cost with how little I know about photography.
The software isnt great but it does the job. The only thing thats bad about the camera is that it makes you want to go out and start spending too much money on lenses and other equipment. Id say photography is a pretty healthy hobby though.. who doesnt want to go out and take great sunset pictures?
On: 2007-05-19
Im hoping for a Digic III chip before buying a new one, but for anyone looking for a camera they can learn and experiment at a cheaper price, the 300D is your best choice.
It offers the same basic usage as the newer canons; the 350 and 400Ds without the "fancy; seldom used" features.
If you can find a slightly used one, this will be a good choice to start before buying the more expensive ones. :)
 On: 2007-03-18
I bought my DigiReb in Feb. 2005 and have shot literally thousands of photos with it since then, with few problems. I added a Canon EF 28-105mm ultrasonic lens last year and have enjoyed the results, although I found early on that the new lens no longer allowed me the luxury of shooting on autofocus. Okay, so, necessity forced me to learn to love manual operation of the DigiReb.
Media cards - Generally, Ive used and sworn by SanDisk 512MB CF cards. Theyve never failed me, and have allowed me to reuse them many times over. About a year ago I bought a Hitachi 4GB Microdrive media card and while I loved the storage space, I found that the processing time was far slower than a simple 1GB SanDisk CF card I also purchased. Not so infrequently, when shooting with the Microdrive, I found that the card didnt record an image, but instead Id see the dreaded "Corrupted data" message on the LCD where Id hope to see an image.
Lets also talk batteries. Ive noticed on cold days that the proprietary Canon lithium batteries for the Digital Rebel drain down quickly in cold temps - todays temps in DC were in the high-20s to low-30s. And I do think that you are hardpressed to get through one day of serious shutterbugging (say, traveling through Tuscany, where you could easily snap off 300 shots) without going through one lithium battery and half of another. Lets face it - when youre shooting on manual and trying to adjust for the light with a bright sky but a less than bright street scene, you want to check the LCD to see whether you need to adjust and take another shot. And that means youre going to go thru batteries.
Earlier today I went out for a hike at Great Falls Park, taking the camera along, with those frosty temps ready to drain the lone battery I took along. I was able to capture a few early shots, and while the battery power quickly went from reading full to less than half full, the camera continued to work...except that it simply took blank images - all black...! Battery was present, microdrive was loaded, lens cap was off, shutter depressed, photo seemed to have been taken, but nothing showed up on the LCD. Not even a "Corrupt Data" message. Only a dark screen.
So, this afternoon Ive purchased a SanDisk Extreme III 2GB CF card, have recharged my batteries and am indoors, with an ambient room temp in the low 70s. Fired up the DigiReb, shot a handful of images, and...Im still getting the black screen of death. The DigiReb and its flash are snapping away, but somethings missing. (Downloaded the images to my laptop - no dice, nothing, but black screens.)
If anyone else has encountered this problem, please let me know what you found out about the issue.
It would really reflect poorly on Canon for this product to give up the ghost after just two years of service...Thats why Im giving this product only 3 stars.
On: 2007-01-11
Im not an expert but it seems to be an outrageous camera.
It should come wiht a case....
On: 2006-11-21
I purchased my 300D in May 2005, when the XT was released and this 6.3 MP models price began falling. Id have to really pick this camera apart to tell you the downsides of it; disregard reviews by those who think this camera is not up to par -- of course its not comparable to the EOS 1-Series or a 5D, so dont expect the same features or capabilities. The right user, however, can get similar results.
That said, unless you are a professional photographer, I cannot imagine how the Digital Rebel could be inadequate for any amateur or semi-pro shooter. Its speed and megapixels have since been passed by, but its still, especially now, a great buy.
The kit lens will perform for you just fine, although most of my shots with the kit lens are at 18mm, landscape or just wide-angle shots. The flash works very well in most situations, even in extremely dark rooms. One guy complained his AF hunted in low light situations, even with flash...of course, what do you expect in a dark room? Use manual focus and grow up.
Quality is great from ISO 100-400, although 800 can be somewhat ugly at times, and 1600 is basically unusable, especially if youre not shooting at f/2.8 or bigger.
My main complaints: slow start-up time compared to the newer models (XT, 20D, etc) ... camera seems to be out of breath after continuous shooting; take 8 shots quickly and you may notice the camera needs to process info before it can shoot again. 2.5 frames/second is not very fast if youre shooting any sports.
Overall, this camera has been incredibly reliable for me; its gotten me front page shots on newspapers, magazine covers, calendars and websites. I used it so much that I blew out the shutter in 10 months; Canon fixed it at no charge and it works fine since. One minor problem: very rarely, it wont turn on unless I remove the battery and re-insert it.
Ive found the battery life to be fantastic. I can use it all day, even with flash, and still have some life at the end of the day. A backup battery in your bag should give you more than enough insurance for a day.
Ive printed at 11x17 with excellent results.
With some practice, its very easy to navigate. Menus and options are simple; changing the ISO or aperture is very easy despite what some have complained about. Its very reliable in fully-auto mode as well, especially if youre shooting with flash. A memory card reader is a must when uploading images.
Overall: its old news in the world of digital SLRs, but right now, a new or used model at such a good price is really is great value.
On: 2006-08-21
For its time and price (at the time), a fantastic camera. 6.3 MP is more than sufficient for most amateur and semi-pro (non-studio) work, and this camera works very well with what really matters: Canons fantastic lenses. Battery life on this camera is very good. The "shutter lag" (between when you depress the button and when the camera actually takes a photo) is fairly well non-existent, and the only real lag I have is when I am shooting multiple photos in RAW format. As most photographers know, the lens is almost more important than the body, and outside of Leica lenses, I dont think anything really competes with Canons line. The 18-55 lens that comes with this camera is sufficient for casual work...I used it at the beach, and on hikes with my dog, when I dont want to lug around my bigger, more expensive, higher-quality lenses. But for $75 or so, you can have a 50mm 1.8 EOS lens, which will supplement the 18-55 nicely, particularly for night photography.
My one complaint about this camera is its ability to meter light adequately in dark settings. When I shoot RAW this isnt such a big problem, because I can fix it in Photoshop, but most everything I shoot inside, unless I manually mess with the white balance every time, has an orange tint that is interesting for the first 200 shots, and then is annoying after. I think the more advanced EOS models that have come out since 2004 or so fix this color problem, and also help a bit with the lag between the RAW shots...but for the money, this camera is excellent, and far, far superior to, for example, Olympus digital exquivalent (for a similar price). The difference, as far as Im concerned, is in the absolute advantage Canon has in lens quality. You can use a high-end consumer body like this one, use a professional piece of Canon glass (lens) and take excellent photos. I wouldnt invest in a system that doesnt also boast excellent lens quality.
On: 2006-04-11
I have had this camera a little over a year and I still cant put it down. It is wonderful. I have two little boys on the move and this camera takes their picture with hardly any delay. Just snap and go. I bought my dad the XP in March and he loves it too.
by: vibinc On: 2005-12-11
I have had this camera since Jan 05 and have so far taken approximately 10,000 shots while on trips and at weddings.
Dont expect much from it and you will be happy. As an entry level DSLR it does what its supposed to do in ideal conditions. I find its strength is in taking people photographs in bright light, provided that they are not moving.
Cons:
In landscape photography this camera is lacking - both due to inadequate megapixels and its inability to capture the natural blues and greens very well.
Battery dies FAST. The battery I got with it hardly lasts a whole day of shooting, especially when shooting in RAW mode. I have yet to fill up a 1Gig card when shooting in RAW mode(Approx 150 shots) before the battery dies. Surprisingly when shooting jpegs, I get more shots per charge(Over 300) but hardly enough to last a day. I cannot tell you the number of times the battery has died on me while I was out on a hike. So I always carry a backup film camera (my trusty Elan 7).
The viewfinder is very dim. When I look through my Elan 7 and then through the 300D, it is painfully obvious how dark the image is through the 300Ds viewfinder. In indoor situations with low light this becomes a handicap, especially when having to resort to manual focus.
Autofocus in low light for the 300d is terrible. When shooting indoors, the autofocus hunts and ends up focusing on something behind your intended subject. I have lots of beautiful photos of walls and sconces in the background in sharp focus while the people standing in front in the middle of the frame are an out of focus blur. This is despite having a 420Ex Flash on my camera that uses an infrared beam to assist with the focus.
The 420EX flash is supposed to "talk" to the camera and adjust the power in order to ensure the subjects are not over or under exposed. However, with the 300d, this is a crap shoot at best and many of my indoor shots are over/under exposed.
After about five months, the shutter button started sticking. I would click it and then it would remain depressed. The shutter button would only pop back up after I jiggled it a little.
Another annoying thing about the camera is that the settings are displayed on the rear of the camera and not on the top beside the shutter button. And since there is only one thumbwheel, it is not easy to change aperature and shutter speed. For example, if you use the thumbwheel to change the aperature, then to change the shutter speed you would have to press another button while at the same time turning the thumbwheel. When you take thousands of shots over the life of the camera, this is a real annoyance.
So would I recommend this camera:
If you are a casual point and shoot person, its an affordable entry into DSLRs that produces decent photos. But if you plan on shooting a lot indoors or want to take landscape photographs that can actually convey the colors accurately, look elsewhere.
On: 2005-08-15
An incredible piece of equipment at an almost give away price. I have no complaints and this camera surpasses what I expected.
by: bunny_fund On: 2005-07-27
I had an Olympus 5MP point-n-shoot Camedia camera I was pretty happy with for portraits. I was annoyed w/ the fixed lens that prevented me from taking good photos of wildlife. I have hummingbird feeders in my backyard and unless youve had the opportunity to work with hummingbird families for years, the sweet, tiny animals are skittish and dont often pose for you when you get too close. When my point-n-shoot stopped focusing, I took advantage of this situation by rationalizing this bigger purchase.
What a joy it has been to use this camera. The 6.3MP is a significant improvement over 5 and the ability to take photos in manual mode cannot be understated. With the fixed point-n-shoot, the camera refused to shoot if it didnt "feel" that it was in focus... so it was impossible to shoot sunsets, lightning or other natural beauties in the "infinity" range of the focal length.
The Rebel makes use of Compact Flash - the oldest, yet still the best technology for taking fast, high-quality photos in digital cameras.
My less than perfect rating is due to the small memory buffer. You can take up to 3fps very easily, but if you click-click-click the shutter, it doesnt matter if Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and Elvis start doing a little soft-shoe right in front of you, by the time the Rebel finishes writing the recent 3 quick shots to the CF card, the shot of the century has already slithered back into the swamp by the time the camera is ready to be used again.
If youre taking portraits, not a problem. A click here and there and youll never notice the lack of memory buffer... but if youre shooting at a ball game or other quick moving objects, youre going to get frustrated very quickly.
The flash is decent, but you really need a good flash like the 580 in the hot-shoe if you want a better even spread and avoidance of red-eye. A lot of folks shrug about red-eye since most affordable or free programs like iPhoto or Photoshop Elements have built-in correction for red-eye - but red-eye correction by one click is only available for humans. If youre shooting wildlife, forget about any software that has a one-click (or a million clicks!) solution for blue-eye in dogs, yellow-eye in cats, flaming-demon eye in bunnies or the variety of odd reflections you will get bouncing off retinas of various species. The best way to circumvent this problem is to avoid bouncing flash directly into the retinas of your subjects from the get-go. No more glare or odd reflections when you use a better flash.
The ability to upgrade to better lenses is the crux of SLR ownership. The sky is the limit. Get a good wide-angle and a good, fast telephoto and youve got yourself set for some great shots. This camera isnt going to take advantage of CF cards faster than 40x, so you can save money by buying the slightly slower CF cards, but I invested in the 80x cards so I can use them when I upgrade cameras.
This Rebel has gotten me back into photography after a decade-long hiatus. The camera automatically detects vertical shots and turns them 90 degrees for you in the LCD window. It is quick and easy to adjust the ISO to "push" the film (so to speak) to take advantage of low-light situations, but you get the same grainy effects as you do when you push real film.
With an ISO of 100 and using a 512MB CF card, you have 157 photos at your disposal - if you push it all the way to 1600, 104 shots on the same card. At 400, your shots are already compromized regarding print quality... but if Sasquatch comes-a-knockin in the wee hours, youll still get decent proof if you shoot at 1600.
Having a background in film photography spanning 2 decades, I didnt even have to consult the manual for this camera to use it fresh out of the box. It handles in many ways like a professional film SLR, and unlike the point-n-shoots, there arent cryptic settings that have no film parallel.
For sunny days and outdoor shots, this camera is a sheer joy to use.
On: 2005-07-17
I have owned a Canon EOS Digital Rebel 6.3mp for several weeks now and love it. Fantastic pictures & features. I worked with SLRs for many years. Figured it was time to "move up" to the digital SLR and glad I did. This camera has plenty of features available, or you can just set it for "auto" and that works fine, too. Though an optional flash is not needed for most photography I wanted one for far shots and such. Canon makes several models dedicated to this camera, but I find them weak (220EX) or costly. Shop carefully in trying to find a compatible flash. It needs to be "dedicated" to the digital Rebels. One that will work with AF (auto focus) or the SLR (film) Rebel may not work right. I also received conflicting information from Ritz Camera, both on-line and in the stores. Bottom line, if you need a flash, shop carefully and ask all the right questions. Personally I have held off buying one hoping more models at a lower price come out. The camera does already have a small pop-up flash. BTW, the Tamron AF 70-300 Macro 1:2 zoom is a nice lens to buy with it, and priced nicely at Beach Camera.
On: 2005-06-19
This review will be really two parts: one for the amateur who has been using point and shoots, or has experience with film based SLRs; the other one for the prosumer or advanced amateur who is either going to digital from film Canon EOS bodies or is getting into pro-level digital shooting on the low end. For the former, the camera is pretty much all you need; for the latter, it is lacking key functionality, but IS workable.
Im in the latter category. Ive done freelance photo work in the past, but not since the digital age began to take off in the late 90s. Ive been shooting EOS cameras since the early 90s, and added medium format in the late 90s for wedding and portrait work. Ill be honest: I didnt like the idea of digital at first. Sure, the workflow improvements over film sounded great, but I wasnt seeing the quality of digital vs. film. I still am very much a believer that, at least for prints, especially big prints, film delivers a better overall picture quality. But the quality of digital SLRs since the release of the Digital Rebel is so good, the workflow advantages trump film in all but rare situations. Ill still use my medium format equipment for landscape and outdoor pics Ill print large and frame, but other than a pocket 35mm, I cant see using film much at all in that category, after seeing what I can do with the DReb.
If you are primarily an amateur who is either used to using a Point and Shoot (film or digital) or who has used a consumer film SLR, youll find this camera easy to operate and use to the extent you used your other cameras. I bought this without the lens, as I have other lenses and the packaged one didnt offer me anything, but for those without Canon glass, you get a surprisingly good lens with the kit. Remember, though, that the lens will only fit on the Digital Rebel, its successors, and possibly the 10/20D line of Canon EOS bodies.
Shooting is pretty simple. Charge the battery, which is easy -- the charger blinks depending upon its charge. You can look at the charger with the battery on there and see where you are, charge wise. It doesnt take very long to charge the battery fully. Once you have the battery in the camera, youll need a Compact Flash card. I recommend SanDisk Ultra II cards. You wont experience any write time problems over an above this cameras natural limitations. Then, set the ISO value (100-1600), set either the pre-programed mode on one side of the dial, or the traditional Program/Shutter Priority/Apeture Priority settings on the other side, and you are ready to rock. Remember that unlike many digital cameras, the LED on the back of the camers DOES NOT function as a viewfinder. Aside from displaying various camera options, it shows what you shot after shooting.
If you want to use this as an advanced amateur/pro setup, you can, but know its limitations. I bought this in March and have been shooting all sports with it. Im using a Canon L USM lens, and have gotten some terrific shots. But Ive also missed some that have led me to decide to sell this camera and pick up a 20D. The problem I get into is focusing speed and zones. The 2.5 fps with only a 4 frame burst isnt as big a problem as it sounds. I can still get good action in the burst mode, but admittedly 5 fps with 22 or 25 (20D) bursts is much better. If you want to use this to shoot something like concerts or indoor events, you wont have the same focusing issues. You will have to deal with any flash limitations, but for that information, you will have to read another review. Im not a camera flash guy under any definition.
The only real problem Ive had with this camera is that my shots are consistently underexposed by about .5-.7 of a stop. I shoot exclusively RAW mode (never shot JPG on this one other than first dozen or so shots) and it has been correctable when I convert the images. This is more of a minor irritation, and may not be noticable in JPEG shots. Ive seen others using this camera complain of it as well.
This camera is as good of a consumer camera as you will find. If a pro, or semi-pro, can make something function for his or her needs, you know the consumer can get everything they need out of this. Ive been shooting since I was 8 or so, have owned umpteen cameras, and this one fills its market niche as good as any of them.
On: 2005-06-16
There are already tons of reviews on the EOS 300d (Digital Rebel) but I do want to share my experience with the camera, so I will keep this short. I bought this camera about 5 months ago and I am in love with. I was not new to photography or to SLRs, but new to the world of digital SLR. I had previously used an ancient Minolta x-570, a "pro-sumer" 35mm film slr with a Vivitar 35-105 standard zoom lens. First and foremost this camera takes excellent pictures, very high quality and no distortion that I have seen. This camera is particularly good as a beginners dSLR because there are so many options to use and learn. But until you are ready to take advantage of all the featues, you can use this just like a point and shoot. Battery life has been excellent so far: thought I would suggest getting an extra to have as a backup for long days of taking photos. I have also been quite happy with the kit lens, which I wasnt sure I would like since it is not as versatile as the lens I had been using on my Minolta. But the kit lens has proved to be a great learning tool: I have been able to take some great shots, while also learning what kinds of other, better lenses I would like to add to my setup.
**The only issue I have had was a problem with a Sandisk 2gb CF card. After about 300 shots, the camera froze and stopped responding to that card. I was able to salvage most of the photos after the fact, but dont risk it. If youre serious enough to spend this kind of money on a camera, spend a little extra money on the Sandisk Ultra II line of high-speed cards.
On: 2005-06-15
I have had 5 digital point and shoot cameras all a little bigger and better than the last. This is my first SLR and I am not in the least disappointed. This camera meets or exceeded everything I expected from it. Very easy to learn, read the manual and use the web site tuturial and when the battery is charged your ready to go take pictures. I highly recommend this camera.
On: 2005-06-11
This is a quality starter camera for DSLR use. I bought mine approx. 8 months ago, and since then have moved up to almost 9,000 photos taken. The image quality still competes with newer models, but noise is definitely a weakness. Also unfortunate is the buffer size of 4 pics in either JPEG or RAW mode. Even without shooting in rapid-fire mode, its pretty easy to fill it up, and leave you stuck waiting for pictures to write to the card. Other than that, it works just fine.
by: mikiehorn On: 2005-06-09
One of the first to purchase this camera - Ive used it over 22 months and really LIKE my decision. Purchased as a 35mm replacement - I was wary of this - my first Digital Camera. The stock "kit lens" is a more than an adequate performer. Coupled with a Canon "L" series telephoto, a battery grip and a 420EX and 580EX Speedlight that couples nicely with the dRebel - I was in absolute photo heaven!
Rich color - astoundingly sharp pictures and manual controls to handle almost every situation - Ive taken this camera around the world two times as a defense contractor. This camera exceeded my expectations in every department except the built in flash - which should be supplanted with the one of the previously mentioned Canon speedlights. These flash units couple seamlessly thru E-TTL on the Canon hotshoe or hotshoe extender cord for stunning flash pictures.
With the purchase of a speedlight bracket - and diffuser hood - Ive taken over 3,000 portraits at charity events and have had nary an unsatisfied customer. The BG-1 battery grip allows a second battery to couple with the first - never - never had I had or have to worry about camera power.
Things Id like to see improve:
1) Tighter sealing on the internals - middle east dust has had to be taken out of portions of the camera I did not know existed. A more expensive and tightly sealed metal framed camera would probably prevent this.
2) A much better pop-up flash unit.
3) A 2.0 USB port - instead of 1.1 for faster computer up and down loading from the camera.
4. Apparently - there is a shutter life limit (determined by picture count) that is NOT covered under warranty - shorter than the more expensive professional series Canon Cameras. May be cause for concern...
My experience with this early model dRebel has been overwhelmingly positive. Have upgraded camera software from the Canon website and avoided problem operations others have experienced. Many improvements have been made in the Rebel XT an 8.0 MP camera - which also deserves a close look. If you want to make the leap from high level 35 SLR to Digital - come and join the fun!
On: 2005-06-08
I am new to digital photograhy and received this camera as a gift. It is so easy to use with all the automatic features. The first picture I took was a close up shot and it came out phenomenal. It looks professional. Ive taken many photos since and am really impressed with the quality and resolution of the automatic settings. Ive taken photos of my friends children, matted and framed the photos and they made wonderful gifts. I look forward to learning how to use the advanced features.
On: 2005-05-31
I am pleased with this camera. I understand that the Rebel XT is clearly better but for the difference in price I thought I could make due with the original rebel. I was right. The rebel takes great pictures, the color saturation is perfect, there is virtually no shutter lag at all, as compared to my other digital compacts. The continuous shooting modes work much better than any of the cameras I have used so far. The battery life is excellent, and the auto focus is usually right on. For those instances when I want to focus on a specific thing, other than what the camera does, the manual focus couldnt be eisier! I have a website page with the pictures I have taken with this camera and the others mentioned below.
http://www.pbase.com/markcas
Previous camera experience: Olympus C-765, Kodak DX7630, Fujifilm 550, Olympus D-580, and Casio Z4U
On: 2005-04-25
I did quite some extensive research before commiting to the Digital Rebel. I wanted a digital SLR mostly for family photos but also for Astrophotography. I signed in a lot of forums were this camera was the most recommended in digital astrophotography (non-CCD) as well as the best cost-benefit as all purpose camera.
I have intentions to modify this camera to take best advantage in astrophography. This means that I will carefully remove the included IR-filter in order to get better astrophotos. This means I wont be able to take terrestrial (all purpose) pictures as the photos will result redish looking without the IR-filter. As a consequence, I will probably get the Digital Rebel XT for family pictures.
On: 2005-04-04
This really is a great camera and to really appreciate it you have to understand its target audience. It seems clear that Canon has aimed this camera primarily at novices. Its point and shoot are as simple as you will find on any consumer compact digicam. Its creative setting should offer enough control and flexibility to keep most intermediate and advance photographers happy. First though lets go over some of the complaints people are writing about the camera.
1). I cant set up my photo through the LCD-----No you surely cant. SLRs are designed specifically to direct the light and image from the lens to the view finder. To the best of my knowledge, there is not a true digital SLR which allows you to do this. And there shouldnt be. You can keep the camera a lot more steady and get a much better view of what your image will look like through the view finder then you ever could looking at an LCD six to eight inches from your body.
2). Complaint number two is just as silly. Canon does not include a CF card with the camera. Ive yet to see a digital SLR manufacturer that includes any media with the camera. Also when you consider that about the only card they could include without affecting the price much is a 128mb card with is next to useless in a camera like this.
Now to some more reasonable complaints
1). This camera is slow to start up (compared to many current DSLRs by Canon and Nikon). There really was not much that Canon could have done about that. It uses the same first generation DIGIC processing chip and same 6.3mp CMOS as the Canon D10. The D10 has similar short comings. If you cant live with this (about 3 seconds from power up till you can take a photo) you might want to consider the new Rebel XT or D20. Youll also have to decide if the extra responsiveness is worth an extra 200-300.00 bucks.
2). For continuous shooting you only get 2.5PFS and 4 frame bursts. Much of this is also do to the DIGIC. The D10 isnt much faster (though it does have a larger buffer (the images are stored in the buffer before they can be written to your media) which does allow it to continue shooting while the dRebel is catching its breath. I was very much aware of this "Shortcoming" before I bought the camera and understand it as a cost cutting method (larger buffers cost more money) and decided to accept this short coming rather then pay an extra 200-300. bucks.
3). Canon has crippled the camera by removing many manual control features(through software-The camera is physically able to carry out many of these functions but Canon removed the ability by programing the DIGIC chip (the firmware) to disallow these features. Clearly a business decision and one that make some sense. You really would not want to release a low cost camera with all the same features as your higher end camera. On the other hand, I really wished they would have kept some of the features they removed (like the ability for the user to adust the flash settings).
4). I cant shoot RAW images in the automatic settings. I can understand this. Most of the people using the fully automatic settings are probably novices. RAW images cannot be printed from the camera directly to a printer. RAW images require quite a bit of post shooting work before theyre usable. If some one that really does not know much about photography were to shoot a couple of hundred RAW images they would be pretty upset when they found out they could not print their images and didnt know how to change that.
5). The Nikon D70 supports higher ISOs then the Canon. The ISO adjusts the cameras sensitivity to light (on film cameras its the film speed). My answer to that is that the D70 does not support an ISO of 100 and the dRebel does. Personally, I would much rather have an ISO range of 100-1600 like the dRebel then an ISO range of 200-3200. The higher the ISO setting the more digital noise youre likely to get and an ISO of 3200 would seem to affect youre quality considerably. On the other hand, Canons 100 ISO is perfect for bright sunny days.
Im sure I missed some other complaints though Im not sure what they are. To sum it up, this is a very easy camera to use even for a novice. The controls to adjust your camera settings and image quality are very easy to use and very intuitive. If you do understand photo editing are really want to shoot RAW images but dont want to have to manually set all the camera settings (aperture, shutter speed etc.), the P-AE mode only requires that you set the ISO which is very simple (keep it as low as light conditions allow while retaining a high shutter speed). My main complaint is lack of documentation for include software (particularly the File viewer App which is required for converting RAW images). Granted downloading the PDFs from Canons web site is not a problem but it should not be necessary.
Overall, an excellent camera for its intended consumer. The camera has all the image quality that the pros have come to expect from Canons digital SLRs. The auto focus is very fast and accurate (especially compare to compact point and shoot cameras). The shutter lag is virtually non existent so when you press the shutter release it pretty much instantly shoots so you wont miss the shot (again unlike the vast majority of compact P&S which seem to take forever from the time you depress the shutter from the time it actually goes. One quick piece of advise whether you get this camera or the Rebel XT. Get the 18-55mm lens. For the money this is an excellent wide a angle lens, and it is only available with the camera.
Edit to review. I wanted to add that I was incorrect concerning lack of documentation for the software suite included with the camera. The camera does indeed come with full and complete documentation. In addition, for those interested in shooting RAW, Canons File Viewer which is included with the camera is less then stellar. If, like me, you cant afford or justify the cost for Photoshop CS or the any number of RAW converters out there (most that cost over 100.00) you can head over to Canons website and download Canons new Digital Photo Professional. This is the RAW converter included with Canons high-end cameras (and the dRebel XT). It is a free download and is vastly superior to File Viewer. It is much more intuitive, has a far better interface, is much faster and most importantly (at least to me) it allows you to perform corrections in real time so you can make changes on the fly. It has much better white balance control, and allows you to easily adjust hue and saturation, and lightness and contrast all while the file is in a RAW format. The only down side is that you cannot download the images to Digital Photo Professional directly from the camera as you can with File Viewer. You must either download from a card reader, or download using another application (such as Image Browser (included with the camera.
On: 2005-03-23
Ive had this camera for about 2 months now, but from the day I got it, I was off and taking some stunning pictures! Even with all the features, I find this camera to be easier to use than most DCs Ive played with and have owned (see below for list). The size and price might be a bit much for some, but I really dont mind either. I have HP R507 as my "pocket camera", but I always find excuses to take the canon with me every where I go!
Picture quality: EXCELLENT. Im a novice photographer, but with the benefit of this being digital, its helping me learn a lot about photography that I didnt have the patience to wait for developing the film. With the digital rebel, I dont have to wait to see how my "experimental" shots come out. Ive taken some cool over exposure shots of traffic at night, and it was VERY easy to do! Other pictures Ive taken come out as good as (if not better than) my Canon 35mm Rebel 2000. I dont foresee needing/wanting to enlarge my pictures more than 8x10, and with the canon 80-200mm zoom (which becomes 128-320mm on the digital rebel wich 1.6x factor), I should be able to accomplish pretty much any shots Id ever want.
Features: EXCELLENT (still camera only). I dont believe in Video feature in DCs to be something useful, at least not until MPEG4 or other higher compression becomes more widely used. Right now, you can only cram 20 minutes of 320x240 video into 256MB card (less if you go 640x480), so to me, thats not useful. If you want to take videos, you really should get a video camera. I especially like that digital rebel goes to ISO 1600 which makes taking night shots much easier!
Battery life: EXCELLENT. As a test, I took enough pictures to fill a 512MB CF card, about 150 pictures, mostly with flash, some without. Battery was still barely 1/2 down. Included fast charger is a nice touch, it has an LED indicator to let you known that the battery is 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and fully charged. So in a pinch you could charge just till 1/2 charged (15-30 minutes charge time) and then keep shooting. But I dont think Ill be taking more than 150 pictures in a day, so Im opting to not get the backup battery.
Cost: EXCELLENT (for me). "Its soooo choice! If you have the means, Id highly recommend you get one of those" - Ferris Bueller. For some, the price maybe a bit of a shock. Personally, I dont believe in paying more than $200 for digital point and shoot cameras not when you can buy a nice 35mm SLR for $250. But for a digital SLR, $799 I paid after MIR was worth it!
Film cameras Ive owned: Couple of 110s, late 70s Ricoh 35mm - which Ive forgotten how to use, Canon 35mm Powershot Waterproof, Canon point and shoot 35mm, Kodak APS point and shoot, Canon Rebel 2000 35mm.
Digital cameras I own: HP 318, HP R507 - good backup for Digital Rebel!
Digital cameras I have experiences with: Kodak 3.1MP, HP 635
On: 2005-03-22
Ive had my Digital Rebel EOS for over a year now and I couldnt be happier with its performance. Ive added a battery grip, which provides heft and vertical picture taking functions, and the camera feels like a pro. Ive also added a Canon 100-400mm USM lense that provides great close ups.
Ive used the camera on everything from weddings to wildlife to portraiture to product photos and am extremely happy with the results. Wonderfully clear pictures.
To get optimum color, brightness and contrast for prints, however, you will need to use photo-enhancing software to take the place of corrections normally done by development labs for film photos.
If I were to make a digital purchase today, however, I would probably opt for the Rebel Digital XT model which increases the resolution to 8MB and provides some updated light metering technology.
Highly recommended!
On: 2005-03-18
This camera contines to amaze me with its crytal clear photos - even when enlarged to 8 X 10.
On: 2005-03-18
This is my third digital camera I have owned (previous cameras: Canon Powershot S100 and Canon Powershot G1). I have used the Digital Rebel for over a year now and have had excellent results. In addition, with the introduction of the Canon D20 and now the Rebel XT, the original Digital Rebel has fallen in price and thus making this camera even a better deal. I would recommend you buy the body only and get a good quality Canon lens (i.e. 17-40L or the 28-135 IS) as a starter.
Some people have said the Nikon D70 is a better camera to go with. My friend has one and I have used it on some occasions - and I do agree it is a good camera, but the Canon is superior in that fact that Canon offers a better range and quality of lenses than Nikon.
For a sample of photos taken with the Digital Rebel take a look at my site:
http://www.picturetrail.com/bircher
Scroll down to the Oahu, Hawaii 2004 and the Wild West Road Trip 2004 albums. All photos were taken with the Digital Rebel and with the 18-55 and 28-135 IS lens (I have upgraded and now have the 17-40L).
Buy the Digital Rebel and you will not be disappointed!
On: 2005-03-10
I consider myself an aggressive beginner digital photographer. Maybe Im up to mid-level by now since this is my fourth digital camera, but since I dont use any of the manual controls and dont know a white balance from an f-stop, Im far from a pro user.
With that said, man I have taken some pretty good shots with this camera! I love it. I carry it with me just about everywhere I go. I look pretty nerdy carrying this camera bag around with me all the time, but you never know when you will need it and I am trying to make up for not taking very many pictures the first half of my life. Ive had this camera for about a year, and Ive taken at least 2,000 pictures with it. Its great, i enjoy it, thank you Sharlette for getting it for me!
If you have any kind of photo software on your computer, the Digital Rebel will work with it. If you have some advanced software like Photoshop and iPhoto, it will sing! Most of the photos, I simply import into iPhoto and from there, I can print to the Epson Stylus Photo 960 and get great results. The 6.3 MP Digital Rebel takes such GREAT BIG pictures, that you can blow them up a little and not lose any detail. You probably wont need to blow them up though because they are so big to start with. At 100%, they are bigger than the largest computer screens.
The difference in this and a smaller 4.0 MP camera (like my Canon S-40) is that you dont have to be so close to the subject to get a good picture. From across a room, you can take a good shot, then zoom in when you crop. It leaves a lot of room to zoom.
I use a 256MB Compact Flash card and the camera shows to hold 71 shots at full resolution, though you may be able to get a couple more than that out of it. So, if you get a 1GB card, it should easily hold a couple of hundred shots. I would recommend an additional battery, a bag, and if you are really industrious, a larger lens. I have a 30-200 (I think) and it only cost about $150.
About the only thing I had trouble with, is that you cannot hold it out in front of you at arms length and see your subject on the monitor before you take your shot like you do with smaller digital cameras. It is because this is an SLR camera and you have to hold it up close and look thru the lens. Dont buy this camera if this is a concern. It does have a color monitor, but that is for reviewing the pictures after you have taken them and configuring the camera only. Im used to it now and its not a big deal.
On: 2005-03-04
I purchased the EOS 300 Digital "Rebel" mostly because of my positive experience with a Canon A80 digital. I absolutely love the A80 and Canon quality and customer service is first rate and wanted to upgrade resolution, FPS, and shooting flexibility. I was disappointed that even though I experienced a slight improvement in picture resolution, i found the EOS 300 Rebel just underwhelming in terms of design, function and ease of use. It felt heavy and awkward, and didnt seem a significant improvement over the A80. I also had a problem with the lens(an upgrade from the lens kit). The auto focus servo malfunctioned, only worked in one direction and the camera could not focus at all in low light. I returned the EOS camera and lens and bought the Nikon D70 and 18-70 lens kit, the other option for serious prosumer gear. WOW, what a difference and what a beautiful camera! Amazing image/color quality, fast auto focus, with low-light beam assist. The metering is dead-on precise, i can even get an accurate exposure with 30 second shutter speeds! Changing film speed, white balance, apeture, shutter speed is one touch controlled with dials at thumb and forefinger. The menu works like windows with very easy to access and use. The lens is a wider focal range and better quality than the Rebel kit. The D70 feels great in the hand: solid, lighweight with natural ergonomics. It was intelligently designed by people who use cameras, know digital photography, and not just an adaptation from an older model film camera. Spend the extra few $s for the D70, and especially now with the $200 rebate on the camera and lens kit.
On: 2005-02-26
Being a long time loyal Canan userI was happily on my third Canon digital point and shoot camera when my dear husband presented me with this Canon Digital Rebel for Christmas. I am absolutely in love with this camera. I have not picked up my old SLR film camera once since discovering that I can do so much more with this Canon. Perfect for the amateur photographer or mom and the kids, this camera allows the freedom to choose how much automation you want. Takes fabulous pictures and a snap to use. This really is the best of both worlds.
On: 2005-02-23
Giving the number of stellar reviews this camera has received, I guess the Digital Rebel can do no wrong.
I switched from a Canon Powershot G2, a camera with which I took over 14,000 pictures. I loved my G2 but it had seen way too much action. Plus, I wanted the luxury of interchangable lenses. My wife had a normal film Rebel SLR, so for sake of compatibility, I figured Id stick with Canon again.
One Digital Rebel and $2000 in lenses later, Im happy to say that Im very pleased. The quality over your average Point & Shoot cameras is significant. The Rebel opened a whole new door for me when it came to post-processing. I found myself encouranged to use Photoshop, putting some spin on otherwise poor photographs. Yes, the Rebel does have a significant learning curve, especially if you move away from the Point and Shoot settings. I had to learn nomenclature and settings, but figured it out eventually. The manual was fairly helpful in this regard.
If you are worried about moving from a PnS camera system to the Prosumer side, dont be. The Rebel does have those PnS settings. The only thing youll be sacrificing is Movie Mode, as the mirror occludes the sensor. Well...you might be sacrificing some cash as you discover the multitude of EF and EF-S lenses that Canon has to offer.
If you do purchase the kit with the 18-55mm EF-S lens, be prepared to exchange it for something else. For the record, I purchased three lenses with this camera - a 17-40mm 4.0/L for outdoor photography, a 50mm 1.4f lens for indoor portrait work, and a 75-300mm USM IS for aircraft and wildlife photography. Just like the camera, each of those lenses has served me well.
On: 2005-02-13
I havent owned a camera since 1989 or 99. And it was a polaroid.
Hey... dont smirk.... it took instant pictures of.... "what-ever".
One day, I loaned it to a friend. (big mistake!)
Her "spoiled brat" kids broke it....and she never offered to replaced it.
(yea... I need more crappy friends like this in my life ).
The next day, as I was driving to a wedding... I stopped at a Store 24
and bought a disposible camera. Somehow....purchasing disposale cameras for special events became the "norm" for me.
(But, I still missed my Polaroids instant gratification).
When I got married in 91, my husband brought his huge, heavy, Canon T70 SLR.
I was terrified to use it.
I thought for sure I would break it .... (just like my girlfriends rotten kids broke my camera).
When my new hubby saw my apprehension... he shrugged and said
to me......"just point and shoot".
So, I did.
I was amazed at the clarity of the lens and how easy it was to focus.
(i was instantly hooked).
I ran around the house and yard... and shot the entire roll of film.
When we got the film back (about a week later), I saw that I had taken several really lousy shots....but 70% of the pictures (I took) came out really good!!!! I was very impressed by the picture clarity and colors of an SLR.
(But, I still missed the instant gratification of my old polaroid).
Two years later....
My husband and I became "Master Gardeners".
(Some people call us...Tree hugging, bug kissing, nuts).
I heard about a contest that "Ortho" and "WalMart" were sponsoring.
It was called : "THE BEST GARDEN IN AMERICA".
I grabed my husbands Canon SLR (film) camera and his camera books .
and I studied them. Then I took about 200 pictures of our garden.
And after a couple of days, I picked up the pictures..... choose the best picture and entered it in the contest.
A lot of work....but it paid off.
Yup!.... We won best garden in the North East!!!
Since then, my husband and I have taken about a trillion pictures of our garden.
10% are awful !!!, 20% are lousy!! .... 30% good!....and 40% fantastic!
This January I sat down and looked at all our garden pictures.
I always do this in the dead of winter .....cause the beauty of the flowers always makes me smile.
But this winter.....I didnt smile!
All I thought about was:...
"Wow, I probably spent well over a thousand dollars in developing fees for all the yucky pictures!"
I have a dual G5, over 10,000.00 in software and hardware ....and I just bought (in my opinion) One of the best small buisness printers anyone can own. (Its the Canon I9900 printer).
Then I asked myself....
"Why dont I own a digital camera"?!?!
After (literally) weeks of research on the web and reading consumer reports and going to large camera stores to ask a million questions......
I finally decided on the Canon Rebel.
All I can say is.....WOW !!!!!!!!
This camera combined with this printer ..... is nothing less than amazing!
(Not to mention the instant gratification I felt, after seeing pictures instantly appearing on the LCD screen)
I am astonished that a complete novice (me) can put this camera in AF mode and take 95% Fantastic pictures!
And its great that I can simply delete lousy pictures.
I cant wait to read about how to use "manual focus"!
I bet my pictures will blow the cardboard off my album covers!
I Hope this (long winded) review helps all you other novice people out there.
[...]
On: 2005-02-11
If you are a photographer looking for a low priced SLR camera that takes quality pictures, this camera is for you. Its fast, easy to use, and an extremely long batterry life. I bought this camera 3 weeks ago and already shot about 500 pics with it. The quality is great!!! The best thing about the camera is the ability to take action shots. I had some of my friends jump and the camera was able to focus on them and shot pictures while they were in the air and the pictures came out great. Macro shots were perfect, with or with out the flash, I could not be happier, all the pictures were sharp and in focus. I wanted to edit some of the pictures I took with photoshop, but even the photoshop told me the pictures were perfect and did not need to be edited.
There are a few problems with the camera and most of them can be solved with a few accessories. One of the biggest problems is pictures shot indoor are underexposed, the built in flash is not powerfull enough. But all I had to do was buy a flash (420EX works great) and the problem is solved. Second problem is that the camera is very selective as far as lenses. I have a Rebel2000 with a Sigma 200mm lens and the lens did not work with my new camera. (I kept getting ERR99 on the screen) So I guess I have to buy a new lens for it. Camera is also have a plastic body, but i guess for the price its ok. (If you want a metal body get Canon 20D and pay $500 more)
Overall the camera has some minor problems with it, but for the price I am willing to live with it. (if want them fixed either buy Canon 20D or get some accessories) Personally changing from G5 to Rebel was great. This is my first digital SLR and I am very happy. Canon did a very good job with it.
On: 2005-02-06
I was lucky enough to score one of these of a friend. It was but two months old and was as new.
It is easy to use as a point and shoot, but also gives you all the capabilities to take your time over a shot and really take a truely beautiful picture.
Canon products seem to have an extra quality to them that makes them robust and intuitive to use.
On: 2005-02-06
I had an Olympus digital camera for several years but it started to frustrate me. The two HUGE advantages the Canon has is that 1 -- there is NO shutter delay that makes you miss the shot: the shot is taken as soon as you press the button and 2 -- you can buy high quality lenses that make the camera even more amazing. Let me say Im not a pro photographer or anything, but I figured out how to use all the features of this camera within a day or so. Its very intuitive and fun. Dont be afraid to step up from your non SLR camera. Besides, you can still "point and shoot" in automatic modes, but its awesome to be able to control just the aperature or just the shutter speed. The pictures this camera takes are incredible!!! I have to admit Ive gotten gadget fever. Ill make some recommendations based on my two weeks with the camera.
1 -- buy a 1GB or bigger compact flash card with fast download speed. At big megastores they are very much discounted. Also, dont forget to REFORMAT the card every time you put it back -- my old cards always got "corrupted" and the way to avoid that is to reformat every time (just takes 2 seconds -- use the "format card" option on the camera menu).
2 -- buy an external flash. Youll notice that the internal flash tends to overexpose yoru subjects -- I bought the Canon 420 (or something like that) and its amazing. My pics are TWICE as good
3 -- Id recommend NOT buying the kit lens and putting that money towards the exact Canon EF lens youll need. I bought one zoom and one prime lens and the quality is 10 times better. Plus, a 1000 camera deserves high quality lenses.
4 -- dont forget the crop factor when you buy lenses! Its hard to find this out on your own, but because of where the sensor is on Digital SLRS, you have to multiply the focal length of the lens by 1.6. So, a 35 mm lens if you put it on this camera is equivalent to a 55mm lens, and so on. Plus, if you have other non-digital cameras, be sure to be EF lenses only, not EF S which only fit on digital cameras.
My only complaint (and this is nitpicking) on this camera is that I wish the finish were tougher looking and not quite so plasticky. I like the Nikon cameras and upper level canon camera materials, but I understand that this is how Canon can sell a camera which is optically as good as the 10D for a lot less. On the plus side, its nice and light.
These are my thoughts after the first few weeks -- I LOVE the camera overall and now that I have two great lens, my pics look almost professional, not bad for a mom who doesnt know much about photography.
On: 2005-01-23
The reviews below pretty much say it all. This is a high quality camera at a very reasonable price. A few points to note from my experience.
Lenses
I had a film EOS so I thought I did not need the kit lense and did not buy it. Lenses for film cameras do work with the digital kiss but there are two problems. Due to the size difference between the digital sensor and a 35mm film, the stated focal length of the film lens becomes about 1.4 longer when used with the digital camera. I.e. a 28 mm film lens becomes a 40mm lens when used on the digital Kiss. This means that I lack a wide angle lens for use with the digital. Secondly, while humans can accomodate for the fact that what it says on the lens is not the correct focal length, when using with a canon flash (I have a 380EX) the lens communicates its focal length to the flash gun based on the numbers on the lens not on the adjusted focal length. This means that the flash gun inturn adjusts its flash dispersion width to meet the incorrect focal length and so the exposures is out. One can adjust the exposure manually but the size of the adjustment does not seem to be consistent over the range for my "28" to "70" Canon zoom. So be wary when hoping to use your film EOS eqipment on your digital EOS camera. Buy the kit lens.
Download Speed
A lot of people point out that the camera is a little to download. However it only costs a about 30 dollars (or less?) for a USB 2.0 adapter for the compact flash. I never download directly from the camera. I just change the compact flash and download from that. Using this method, download times are as fast as any other camera, or as fast as the media will allow.
Pixels
While 6.3 is a lot for any amature use. If you want to sell your photos then it is about the minimum. If you plan to turn pro then get the next version up if you can afford it.
On: 2005-01-20
As I wrote in my review of the Canon s60, I planned to purchase the digital rebel...Well, I did and the camera is all that other reviewers say it is....super easy to use, superb photos, decent price considering the competition...The fact that I am shooting through the lens and seeing what I am capturing is well worth the extra money for an SLR.
The main reason that I am posting this review (which really seems redundant to most of the other reviews of this camera) is to recommend two additional accessory purchases which I found invaluable:
(1) The Sigma 55-200 lens specifically made for digital SLR.s. I bought this lens at B&H for $139. It is very sharp, very light and compact and gives me a total shooting range (combined with the Canon included lens) of 18-200, taking me to over 300 in the 35mm format equivalent.
(2) The Pelican 1400 Case: also at B&H for about $61....The case protects the equipment far better than any case at anywhere near the price....It nicely holds the camera body with either the kit lens or the Sigma 55-200 attached...In addition it perfectly holds the lens that you are not using at the time, as well as the Canon external flash..I have the 420EX..This is about it...not a lot of wasted space..the case is now full and easy to toss in the compartment above my seat on the plane.. ..knowing my equipment is fully protected....The case also is easy to operate from when in my car.
On: 2005-01-10
I have been using this camera for nearly a year now and have since purchased additional lens for it. It takes very sharp pictures and I dont feel like I am limited by the feature set in anyway except for lack of being able to shoot RAW in some of the user modes. The lens that it comes with is a good starter lens and takes good pictures but once you get addicted you might end up purchasing a Canon L and or Prime like I did. :) This camera is great for learning photography with because you get to see your results very quickly! This camera just takes great pictures and gives you all the control you need to get creative with exposure, focus, etc. The plastic body is relatively durable although I wouldnt want to drop it but then would you want to drop a metal body camera either?! Do not fear, even with a plastic body it has that solid SLR feel. All my hard copy prints from the online digital photo lab look very sharp. I even had a poster print done and it came out great. Many people claimed that 6 Megapixal camera is not enough to make a good poster print. After seeing the results I say hogwash. The poster print I got back from the online photolab(Ofoto in this case) was a better quality print than any poster print I have seen at the mall poster store. 8x10 prints are simply stunning. Take the time to go through the manual and learn all the features of the camera. I can not really comment on the software that comes with the camera because I never mess software that they bundle with cameras. I use a good card reader, Windows XP for my OS, Irfanview (which is free) for viewing and mild editing, and Photoshop(not so free) for any major editing. I found the Sandisk Ultra II Compact Flash cards work very well and are worth the extra dough for the faster performance. I wish I had RAW in all the user modes but I guess Canon had cripple something like this to convince people to shell out the extra dough for the higher end stuff. Happy picture taking!
On: 2005-01-10
This is a great camera. Before I purchased the Rebel, I had only used mid range point and shoot cameras, such as the PowerShot S410. I didnt know what I was missing until I used this camera.
My favorite thing about this camera is that you can quickly take shots with virtually no shutter lag. You push the shutter, and almost instantly you have your image.
I also love the ability to quickly and easily change lenses, as well add other accessories, such as external flash units.
The only thing that I dont like about this camera is the plastic body. Even though it is durable, I would prefer a metal body. However, in order for Canon to sell this camera at such a low price, they had to choose plastic. It is well made, nonetheless.
The included lens in the kit also feels very cheap. The included lens takes decent pictures, but I recommend that you upgrade. It provides decent results for a $100 dollar lens, however. You get what you pay for.
Aside from those minor flaws, this is a great camera that produces life like photos. I highly recommend this camera to anyone.
On: 2005-01-09
I have been using this camera for just about a month now and all i have is good comments on the camera. Every time i use it i learn something new, and come out with more interesting photos each time. I have been into my digital photography since the start. (Started with a Casio w/ no removable memory, no flash, or zoom) In the past i have prefered the Sony cameras, i went from the casio to the digital mavica with a floppy disk, then the cyber shot. Both of whiuch took wonderful photos, but were limited in their manual modes. I had been skeptical to the digital slr, but i got to use one and loved the control that was available. The 18-55mm lens that comes with it is ok, but if you want to do more sophisticated photos, then i would recomend stepping up to at least a 28-135mm lens. The write speed is fast with the Sandisk Ultra II 512 mb card (about 2 seconds) But the camera has a small internal memory and will allow you to take up to 5 shots sequentially before it writes to the card.
Overall very satisfied, and highly recommend
On: 2004-12-29
Pros:
Comes with battery and battery charger!
I was able to use an aftermarket Canon zoom lens on this camera that fit my old Canon 35MM SLR!
There is a popular BIOS upgrade on the net that will let you activate certian features found in the Canon 10D!
Cons:
Camera driver in Windows XP does not allow you to upload files.
After I made certain complicated shots in the advanced shot modes, the camera locked up with error codes. Turning it off and on fixed the problem though.
The lens that came with the camera has a cheap plastic mount. I am worried it will break with repeated lens switching.
On: 2004-12-25
Guys this is a great camera. My only suggestion is to buy the body only rather than the package with the lens. All Canon lens fit on it. So buy the one(s) you want rather than the less than top quality one they include in the package.
Great purchase that I use for work and play :-)
Amy
On: 2004-12-23
As most reviews say, this is a great digital SLR. The 420EX flash makes a huge difference in photo quality. With the 28-135 and the 420ex flash unit the camera is very heavy and I cannot see lugging it to Disney, you would want a smalller digital camera for that.
[...]
On: 2004-12-23
You have to get a $200 to $300 good quality digital camera, or buy this one!! We had 2 digital cameras (Sony, Canon), until I received this one as a gift. You dont understand the difference in quality until you compare the photos. The "idiot" mode is great. You do NOT have to be a photo hobbiest to use this camera. It came be used as point and click with great results. There are also manual mode if you want to start learning. The documentation is simple and makes using the other modes simple. I use the Auto "idiot" mode all the time.
The perfect Camera.
On: 2004-12-17
I own a film rebel, so looking at the digital rebel was a natural choice to take advantage of my collection of lenses and accesories. I have used the camera for about a month now, and its simply great!
It is similar to the film Rebel in many respects, as far as picture taking modes, and many creative adjustments. It just has more controls for the digital-specific aspects of photography. If you are comfortable using a film SLR, you will know how to use this camera right away.
Also, unlike cheaper digital cameras, you have virtually no shutter lag or waiting between shots. (Yes, the camera does need time to store the photos to the CF card, but it can buffer up four and wait for a pause to store them, and for my amatuer shooting, I never notice this delay.)
I have not seen any red-eye defects in pictures when using the pop up flash with this camera. I believe it pops up higher than my old film rebel, and higher than most cameras, so this is a big plus.
There is only one thing I can fault this camera on. Transfering the pictures to a computer is very slow because it only has a USB 1.1 port. So you might want to plan on getting a USB 2.0 CF card reader for your computer.
Im having a lot of fun with this camera!
On: 2004-12-11
well , i did not want to buy a digital SLR since ia m not a professional photoghrapher and use only automatic modes . Some sellers were pushing me towards the REBEL and i let them win. Adn i have it for 5 moths and i am very happy with it .
This is fast , and all the pics are simply good with it . I have Canon G5 and some othere cameras but whenever i take photos i take only this . Since i have it , i only use this one.
Not small but it worth it .I can catch the moments . I like to shoot faces , and i shoot when i shoot. No more closed eyes .
ANd to be honest i was hesitating to get an 8MP point and shoot digital , but i am more happy with this . I got an eytra longer lense to it with image stablizator and that is even more fun. I feel like i am professional photographer , though i am not .
I think if you wanna spend this much money this is the best choice. THough i also like my Vanon Powershot G5.
On: 2004-12-10
Having stupidly broken my PowerShot G5, I decided I would take a step up to a digital SLR, just wasnt sure who I would buy from (Canon or Nikon). Decided on the Digital Rebel, with a Sigma zoom and telephoto lens. Even though I only received last night, I am very pleased with it already. I can only imagine the shots I will get and look forward to learning everything that this camera can do. Only one little minor thing I didnt like when I pulled it out of the box and that was a sound like something was loose, turned out to be the flash but this is not a big deal (other than trying to figure out how to turn the flash off LOL). Anyway, being an very limited digital user it seems a great camera for a beginner, but at the same time I can see that it can benefit an experienced photographer at the same time. Glad I decided to go with the Digital Rebel and getting some wonderful shots!!
 On: 2004-12-09
I bought this camera with great expectations, only to find out that downloading pictures is cumbersome and slow.
I have several other digital cameras. When I hook them up to my computer, cameras flash card appears as the E: drive in the windows explorer. This makes file manipulation easy, fast and transparent.
With Digital Rebel, one has to go through the TWAIN driver which is cumbersome and slow. I called 1-800-OK-CANON. Tech support person told me that this problem exists for Windows 98 SE, and earlier operating systems. Canon does not intend to develop a fix because most of their customers use Windows Millenium or XP.
Using the camera I also found out the lens that came with the camera allows only 3X zoom which is inadequate for a substantial number of applications. I have to buy another lens if I keep this camera. I wish I had spent the few extra bucks and had bought the Nikon D2.
On: 2004-12-06
I couldnt be more pleased with my Canon Digital Rebel. I purchased it along with the 28-135mm image stabilized USM lens and the 50mm 1.4 USM lens. I have found that the 28-135 is a real workhorse for Arizona scenics. Not especially fast, but it does the job in 95% of my applications. If you have ever used any of the Canon EOS or T90 SLR cameras, you will quickly figure out the controls on the Rebel. It shoots either JPG or uncompressed RAW images, and I have found that the RAW format is easy to utilize with the File Viewer Utility (FVU) software provided. I basically download to FVU, adjust exposure or white balance if necessary, create a TIFF file and do any final adjustments on the TIFF images with the Photoshop Elements 2.0 software that was also included in the package.
I recommend acquiring a cable release for longer exposures and also getting the reasonably priced 420EX E-TTL flash, which makes indoor shots a snap. In five minutes you are up and running. The camera is remarkably easy on the supplied battery, since I have run a couple hundred pictures and the associated downloads without it breaking a sweat on one charge. This camera is aimed at the reasonably skilled amateur who wants 16" x 20" blow-ups he can be proud to hang on his wall. Now, if I could only afford some of those "L" lenses....!
On: 2004-12-03
I got this camera about a month ago. I have two other digitals that are great cameras but are so slowwwwwwww you just cant shoot action with them very effectively. This camera, for the price point, is a good deal. For those used to film SLRs you wont feel like a fish out of water and if youve already got canon EF lenses they should all work perfectly with this camera body (it can also take the newer EFS lenses). Because of the SLR like shutter system and TTL focusing this camera lacks some of the functions available on traditional point and shoot digitals--there is no preview mode, no movie mode, no digital zoom and no panorama/stitch mode; keep your old point and shoot (or buy one) for those functions. <br />
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This camera is fast! The responsiveness is nearly up to a film camera (I should know Ive shot with film cameras for years). This camera offers 2.5 fps (in full quality mode) or 4 fps (in lower quality mode) continuous shooting--no point and shoot that I know of can match that--this is truly a low end professional digital slr body. The 17-55mm lens that comes with it is great for nearby shots such as at parties or when your subject is no more than 20 feet away. <br />
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I suggest two other lenses for this camera that you wont want to be without. The Canon 28-135 IS USM III zoom and the 75-300 USM zoom (also available with IS if you want to spend the extra money). IS is a wonderful invention and gives you clear handheld shots at some amazingly slow shutter speeds (IS is a gyroscopic system in the lens that accounts for camera shake during the shot--really amazing what it can do). The 28-135 lense is widely considered the best "walk around" lense for just about anything. The IS system does suck batteries so Id suggest you get a couple of extra batteries right away (ebay has the best price for them). If you cant afford a 20D this is the next best thing. The Rebel is really a striped down 10D, so if youre waffling between this and the 10D--Ive heard the differences arent really worth the extra money. The other big purchase you want with this camera is a 550EX or 580EX speedlight. The Rebel lacks IR focus assist but if you have one of these speedlights the camera can use the IR assist on the flash unit!!!!! <br />
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I use my rebel to shoot Karate demos, lots of fast action, usually indoors. I think the 20D would be a better choice for this (because of the bigger buffers while writing to the CF card) but the Rebel can hold its own fairly well if you think out your shots a bit more. Im really happy with this camera and Id recommend it to anyone that wants to move up to a digital slr but doesnt want to spend ten grand doing it. The camera has a few foibles and professionals might complain that some of the pre programmed modes are far too limited--but thats because its cheap--the 20D will be more satifying if youve got the money for it. Canons running a pretty fantastic rebate until mid January, if you buy a Rebel and two lenses you get about $300 back just on the camera and around 50 bucks for each lens. Yep I spent about $1600.00 on the camera and two lenses but thats quite a deal for all I got.<br />
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I recommend this if you dont have the money for a 20D, if you do, or are close to having it, wait and get the 20D.
On: 2004-12-01
I returned the one I bought. The D70 takes better pictures and the new Pentax *IstDS blows it out of the water in size, build quality and mostly in superior photo quality. The 300D is faster and better than a point and shoot, but the photos have much more of a fake/processed look than the *IstDS.
On: 2004-11-23
I am a semi-pro photographer and have used high-end Canon film cameras for years. I bought the Digital Rebel about four months ago and have been absolutely delighted with it. One of the most amazing things about it is the number of shots on a battery charge (Li-ion) with the flash. I use two 512 MB Compact Flash cards and I can fill one of them up in a session on a single charge and can start on the second flash card.
One proviso: The 18-55mm lens that comes with the kit is excellent--it is light and versatile. However, most of my shooting is done with the Canon 28-70mm L lens which is a professional, high quality, very fast lens with incredible resolution. This lens is also much heavier and the large lens barrel partially blocks the little pop-up flash.
I have set up my film cameras on a tripod and side by side, shot Velvia film using the same lenses and subject, along with the Digital Rebel. While the saturation of the digital images is not as pronounced as with Velvia film, the detail is quite similar. Very few editors could spot which image was Velvia, except for the color saturation. Otherwise quality is comparable.
For demanding pro work, photographers will probably want more than the 6.3 MP of the Rebel. For me, it is absolute heaven. My marketable shots are heavily composed and lit. Getting instant feedback, even on the small monitor is just heaven.
I see no drawbacks for the Digital Rebel. If you are a casual snap shooter, or more advanced, prepare to be wowed.
One additional note: I made a great shot--good enough for a poster--so I had Kinkos make a 2 x 3 poster from this shot. The poster was only 200% of the original and there was absolutely no discernable pixelation. Simply incredible!
I am a tough judge of photographic equipment, but Canon got nearly all of this camera right. The sensor, metering, auto white balance,bracketing,lack of shutter lag, auto power shut-off are so consumer friendly and common sense right out of the box, I was bowled over. The more sophisticated controls are available too, when I want them.
This is one tremendous product. My biggest complaint is the interface is USB 1.0 and downloading to a computer is slow. Zoom Browser Ex, a supplied software that comes with it is adequate, but there are better programs out there.
Ron Gollobin/New England
On: 2004-11-23
The EOS Rebel digital gives very good features for a very low price comapared to other similar cameras.
If youre used to shoot with a traditional manual SLR you wont feel the difference.
But if youre used to shoot with a digital camera with an LCD viewfinder you may feel unconfortable with the tiny 3/4" viewfinder eyepice.
Pictures are very clean even in low light conditions.
The built in flash like in many digital cameras isnt really good.
Is possible to take pictures without compact flash card connecting directly to a PC with the USB cable (a little bit short)
The box comes with Adobe Elements 2.0 and another Canon useful software for managing images.
On: 2004-11-22
I am a semi-pro photographer and have used high-end Canon film cameras for years. I bought the Digital Rebel about four months ago and have been absolutely delighted with it. One of the most amazing things about it is the number of shots on a battery charge (Li-ion) with the flash. I use two 512 MB Compact Flash cards and I can fill one of them up in a session on a single charge and can start on the second flash card.
One proviso: The 18-55mm lens that comes with the kit is excellent--it is light and versatile. However, most of my shooting is done with the Canon 28-70mm L lens which is a professional, high quality, very fast lens with incredible resolution. This lens is also much heavier and the large lens barrel partially blocks the little pop-up flash.
I have set up my film cameras on a tripod and side by side, shot Velvia film using the same lenses and subject, along with the Digital Rebel. While the saturation of the digital images is not as pronounced as with Velvia film, the detail is quite similar. Very few editors could spot which image was Velvia, except for the color saturation. Otherwise quality is comparable.
For demanding pro work, photographers will probably want more than the 6.3 MP of the Rebel. For me, it is absolute heaven. My marketable shots are heavily composed and lit. Getting instant feedback, even on the small monitor is just heaven.
I see no drawbacks for the Digital Rebel. If you are a casual snap shooter, or more advanced, prepare to be wowed.
One additional note: I made a great shot--good enough for a poster--so I had Kinkos make a 2 x 3 poster from this shot. The poster was only 200% of the original and there was absolutely no discernable pixelation. Simply incredible!
I am a tough judge of photographic equipment, but Canon got nearly all of this camera right. The sensor, metering, auto white balance,bracketing,lack of shutter lag, auto power shut-off are so consumer friendly and common sense right out of the box, I was bowled over. The more sophisticated controls are available too, when I want them.
This is one tremendous product. My biggest complaint is the interface is USB 1.0 and downloading to a computer is slow. Zoom Browser Ex, a supplied software that comes with it is adequate, but there are better programs out there.
Ron Gollobin/New England
On: 2004-11-20
I just bought and used this camera for about three weeks (without the kit lens since I have several other Canon lenes already, which are better than the kit lens in terms of image quality). Canon recently throws a lot of rebates on this model (up to $300 rebate if you buy two other Canon lenses). This is an incredible deal. Is this the best entry level DSLR? My answer is "probably yes, but with some reservation on its features". Marketed as an entry level DSLR, it is reasonable to expect some tradeoff due to cost cutting. But some of Canons design decisions are puzzling at best, which compromises its quality and functionality, without reducing overall cost (in other words, it could be done better without incurring additional cost). Here is my exprience.
On the up side:
The camera feels solid with the right weight. Originally I though it may feel flimsy and overly light since it is made of plastic (the feeling you get of Canon Rebel film camera), but as soon as I took that out of the package, I started to like its weight (not too heavy as you feel for metal-bodied SLR, not too light). Of course, it is still heavier (with lens attached) than consumer grade digital cameras.
The cameras operation is much like other Canon SLRs. It has same lens mount (EF mount) as all other modern Canon SLRs which also means you can use all your Canon EF lens (or other third party lenses which conform to EF standard, I use a Tamron lens on this camera without problem). It can also use new EF-S mount lens which is what the kit lens uses. But since EF-S lens is relatively new and can be only used on this camera (and D20 which newly comes out), be aware of Canons commitment to this lens format in the long term and prepare to throw away EF-S lenses after several years. The controls on the back side of the camera is different than most Canons consumer grade digital cameras and film SLRs. So if you come from these worlds, there is something to learn, but not too much though.
Image quality is superb. Not only it has 6Mpixel resolution, but the overall noise level of image is very low. At ISO 100, image is silk smooth. At ISO 800, noise is visible but pretty controlled. At ISO 1600, noise is much bigger, but still usable, especially you use some noise reduction tools to post processing such image. It surely beats ALL consumer and prosumer level digital cameras on the noise front. And the reason is it uses large CMOS sensor, much bigger than smaller CCD sensor used in consumer digital cameras. So if you are looking at low light performance, you have to use a DSLR like Canon digital rebel. Of course, the image quality of a DSLR also depends on what lens you use. Most of Canons lenses should deliver better results than most consumer digital cameras.
The builtin flash pops up high, which is good. Unlike the flash on film rebel, which pops up low and its light may be obstructed by some large lenses, this flash should work well for most lenses. However, see my comments below, it does have some shortcomings.
Focusing is adequate as you can expect from a SLR. The seven point auto focus sometimes does the wrong focusing, and you can select focus point to overcome this. It is not superb, but not bad either.
Now comes the down side:
Compact flash write speed is quite slow. Even use a high speed CF card (I use Lexar 80X), it still appears slow and not utilizes the full potential of these fast CF cards. When you shoot 4 photos at once, you have to wait the camera buffer to be emptied to CF to continue. This takes somewhere from 10 seconds to 20 seconds depending on your CF card.
No LCD display of image you are trying to shoot. Almost all consumer digital cameras allow you view objects in the LCD screen. You have to look closely though the small viewfinder window to track objects. This is a very convenient feature to have so I am wondering why Canon does not do this if it is targeting non-professional photographers.
There is no flash compensation. Again you can find this feature on many Canons consumer level digital cameras. Another disappointment.
Metering is odd. You have to use the standard evaluative mode most of the times without any other choices. Id like to see different metering modes available under all shooting modes. Occasionally, I feel some images are underexposed.
Downloading images to your computer is absolutely painfully slow. It uses a USB 1.1 interface - why not USB 2.0 or firewire? The download speed feels slower than the old Canon G2 I have. If you shoot a full 2GB of images, expect several hours of downloading.
Why a seperate battery charger? Old Canon G2 has builtin battery charger so you dont need to pull out the bettary to charge. Moving battery in and out every time it runs out is a hassel.
So overall, I think it is a great camera, but if Canon can do more to fix/enhance these issues, that would make this camera an absolute hit. Also at this price range (I paid $750 before rebate) it is the lowest priced DSLR on the market.
On: 2004-11-19
I just bought and used this camera for about three weeks (without the kit lens since I have several other Canon lenes already, which are better than the kit lens in terms of image quality). Canon recently throws a lot of rebates on this model (up to $300 rebate if you buy two other Canon lenses). This is an incredible deal. Is this the best entry level DSLR? My answer is "probably yes, but with some reservation on its features". Marketed as an entry level DSLR, it is reasonable to expect some tradeoff due to cost cutting. But some of Canons design decisions are puzzling at best, which compromises its quality and functionality, without reducing overall cost (in other words, it could be done better without incurring additional cost). Here is my exprience.
On the up side:
The camera feels solid with the right weight. Originally I though it may feel flimsy and overly light since it is made of plastic (the feeling you get of Canon Rebel film camera), but as soon as I took that out of the package, I started to like its weight (not too heavy as you feel for metal-bodied SLR, not too light). Of course, it is still heavier (with lens attached) than consumer grade digital cameras.
The cameras operation is much like other Canon SLRs. It has same lens mount (EF mount) as all other modern Canon SLRs which also means you can use all your Canon EF lens (or other third party lenses which conform to EF standard, I use a Tamron lens on this camera without problem). It can also use new EF-S mount lens which is what the kit lens uses. But since EF-S lens is relatively new and can be only used on this camera (and D20 which newly comes out), be aware of Canons commitment to this lens format in the long term and prepare to throw away EF-S lenses after several years. The controls on the back side of the camera is different than most Canons consumer grade digital cameras and film SLRs. So if you come from these worlds, there is something to learn, but not too much though.
Image quality is superb. Not only it has 6Mpixel resolution, but the overall noise level of image is very low. At ISO 100, image is silk smooth. At ISO 800, noise is visible but pretty controlled. At ISO 1600, noise is much bigger, but still usable, especially you use some noise reduction tools to post processing such image. It surely beats ALL consumer and prosumer level digital cameras on the noise front. And the reason is it uses large CMOS sensor, much bigger than smaller CCD sensor used in consumer digital cameras. So if you are looking at low light performance, you have to use a DSLR like Canon digital rebel. Of course, the image quality of a DSLR also depends on what lens you use. Most of Canons lenses should deliver better results than most consumer digital cameras.
The builtin flash pops up high, which is good. Unlike the flash on film rebel, which pops up low and its light may be obstructed by some large lenses, this flash should work well for most lenses. However, see my comments below, it does have some shortcomings.
Focusing is adequate as you can expect from a SLR. The seven point auto focus sometimes does the wrong focusing, and you can select focus point to overcome this. It is not superb, but not bad either.
Now comes the down side:
Compact flash write speed is quite slow. Even use a high speed CF card (I use Lexar 80X), it still appears slow and not utilizes the full potential of these fast CF cards. When you shoot 4 photos at once, you have to wait the camera buffer to be emptied to CF to continue. This takes somewhere from 10 seconds to 20 seconds depending on your CF card.
No LCD display of image you are trying to shoot. Almost all consumer digital cameras allow you view objects in the LCD screen. You have to look closely though the small viewfinder window to track objects. This is a very convenient feature to have so I am wondering why Canon does not do this if it is targeting non-professional photographers.
There is no flash compensation. Again you can find this feature on many Canons consumer level digital cameras. Another disappointment.
Metering is odd. You have to use the standard evaluative mode most of the times without any other choices. Id like to see different metering modes available under all shooting modes. Occasionally, I feel some images are underexposed.
Downloading images to your computer is absolutely painfully slow. It uses a USB 1.1 interface - why not USB 2.0 or firewire? The download speed feels slower than the old Canon G2 I have. If you shoot a full 2GB of images, expect several hours of downloading.
Why a seperate battery charger? Old Canon G2 has builtin battery charger so you dont need to pull out the bettary to charge. Moving battery in and out every time it runs out is a hassel.
So overall, I think it is a great camera, but if Canon can do more to fix/enhance these issues, that would make this camera an absolute hit. Also at this price range (I paid $750 before rebate) it is the lowest priced DSLR on the market.
On: 2004-11-18
I purchased my Digital Rebel several months ago, and I am very pleased with the performance. Picture quality is the best I have seen from a digital camera. Colors are accurate, resolution is excellent.
The only real drawback is the camera (as equipped) does not work well in low light settings. I suggest purchasing the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens for approx $70 for indoor use without flash.
Also, I recommend a Canon telephoto with "image stabiliztion". As far as I can tell, only Canon has this technology available for the average user. It works exceptionally well - especially if taking pictures of moving subjects. I have used mine at several airshows, and can follow an object flying across the airfield at 300-500 MPH - yet still get perfect photos.
There are several good options in digital SLR cameras, but considering the lens technology, Canon is the best choice for me.
On: 2004-11-17
I purchased my Digital Rebel several months ago, and I am very pleased with the performance. Picture quality is the best I have seen from a digital camera. Colors are accurate, resolution is excellent.
The only real drawback is the camera (as equipped) does not work well in low light settings. I suggest purchasing the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens for approx $70 for indoor use without flash.
Also, I recommend a Canon telephoto with "image stabiliztion". As far as I can tell, only Canon has this technology available for the average user. It works exceptionally well - especially if taking pictures of moving subjects. I have used mine at several airshows, and can follow an object flying across the airfield at 300-500 MPH - yet still get perfect photos.
There are several good options in digital SLR cameras, but considering the lens technology, Canon is the best choice for me.
On: 2004-11-02
The Cannon rebel digital Slr is the best! I searched all over the net and found nothing that compared to the price of this camera.I have a Rebel film SLR and a Cannon digital Video mini DV Z65. So yes I am loyal to Cannon because they make great products.
On: 2004-11-02
Ive been "getting along" with a canon powershot G2 and a HP photosmart 850 digital cameras for several years. By and large those are both good digitals but they have the common problem of being "slooooowwwww" between shots, just not really fit for fast action. The Rebel can take 2.5 frames per second in full quality mode and 4 frames per second if you drop the quality down one notch (to about 4 megapixels instead of the full 6+).
Ive been waiting for a digital SLR to come into the affordable range and Canon has finally done that with the Rebel. For about the same price as something like a G6, the Rebel offers quick performance and interchangeable lenses. The Rebel can use any genuine canon EF lens made in the last several years. (Non-canon EF compatible lenses are a gamble on newer bodies due to command set differences in the firmware of the camera and the lenses--no third party has licensed the Canon EF mount, theyre all reverse-engineered.) (Yes it shares the same lens mount as the film version of the Rebel.) The digital Rebel can also use the newer Canon EFS lenses (I dont really understand the difference but theyre somehow superior to the older EF lenses). The Rebel includes both a built-in flash and a hotshoe that accepts Canon EX speedlights or compatibles. Ive shot about 250 pictures with my Rebel, its fast (really fast compared to my other digitals)and so far competent although I have to comment that my 380EX flash doesnt seem to be exposing far shots properly in shutter priority mode--this may be one of those incompatibility things because its an older flash unit (but it works perfectly on my G2). The Rebel offers a fair amount of exposure control and a full manual mode as well as manual focusing if you so desire. I like the viewfinder a lot, its sharp enough for correct manual focusing--even in somewhat low light. I also like the way the AF points are mapped out and will briefly illuminate so you know where the camera is focusing (you can choose AF points with a button available under your right thumb). Also inside the viewfinder you get shutter and aperature info at the bottom.
There are several pre-programmed modes for portrait, landscape, depth of field mode, and sports mode. I havent really had much chance to try these out yet. The only slight disappointment is that the Rebel doesnt have separate exposure controls for the flash (my G2 has this). I think this just might not be available on the Rebel as the firmware seems to have accounted for this setting (i.e. it might be available on the more expensive EOS bodies). Some common controls are set with buttons while others are on menus. There is a dual readout on the back. A black and white screen shows things like shooting mode, pictures remaining on the card, flash mode etc. While the generously sized LCD directly below it is used for accessing camera setup menus and playing back pictures. The Rebel does have a after-shot display mode but its not really useful because you have your face up to the camera to use the optical viewfinder--just turn it off to save battery power. Interestingly, unlike my G2, the camera is not useless while your last shot is being displayed, it can do two things at once and pressing the shutter button cancels the aftershot image display.
The Rebel is not like point and shoot digitals in that it lacks a few functions that you may have become attached to: there is no panorama (stitch mode) function, no preview (because of the SLR like shutter system on the Rebel a preview mode is impossible), and no digital zoom (since you cant have a preview mode digital zoom just wont work because there is no electronic viewfinder either). The Rebel line uses a CMOS digital sensor as opposed to the CCD sensor used in most cameras. The Canon CMOS sensors are supposedly much superior to the CCD even at higher ISO (lower light) settings and there have been reports of acceptable prints even at iso 1600.
If you purchase a Rebel I would suggest that you also buy the 75-300mm EF to give yourself a good selection of focal lengths for a variety of shooting needs. Until January 2005, Canon is running a fairly good rebate. If you buy a Rebel body (no extra rebate if you get this kit) and a second EF lens the rebate will be over $200.00. I bought this kit and the 75-300MM EF and pre- registered the rebate online (using the UPC barcodes), my rebate will be $220.00 (even though the coupon seems to say $230.00 but it may be a slightly different model lens).
Overall, so far I like this camera. As someone used to a decent Pentax film SLR it is missing a few functions that I wish were there but for a Digital SLR with replaceable lenses at this price point it has it all over any point and shoot digital available at the same price.
On: 2004-10-31
while the kit lens is great i highly recommend buying some higher quality lenses once you start to get used to using an SLR (Single Lens Reflex). dont forget that one of the biggest advantages of this moving to SLRs is being able to take the picture you want, even if it means taking 3 minutes to set it up. a point and shoot digital SLR can still take better pictures.
the images that come off of this camera are mind blowing, you can print up to 16x20, with careful post processing.
The photographer is more important then the equipment. But this camera can make you a much better photographer
On: 2004-10-29
This is all the camera a high amatuer should ever need. 6.3 Megapixels allows for exremely large prints at photoshops. The functions of this camera allow you to adjust and manipulate pictures just as you can with film.
We all recognize that Digipics used to lack some quality but now we cannot say that. The effects, ease of use, and quality make it so much better of a bargain. Not to mention the cost savings of not needing to get film developed.
The fact that with this camera you can change lens is a plus. There are more than 200 differing lens that you can buy. Ive purchased a dual battery pack that gives you all weekend of heavy shooting with no need to recharge. 870 bucks is about tops of what one should pay for one.
I would say Ive taken about 1/2 of pictures in the last 6 months of digi photography than I have in my lifetime up to this point.
This is more of a higher class of camera. This takes brilliant pictures but if you are just going to use it to take snapshots, youre wasting time. Just go out and buy a $120 dollar camera.
Buy one and be happy.
On: 2004-10-29
I bought this camera several months ago. I love the features and I love the pictures the camera takes. It has various settings and it is easy to use. However, the flash is lacking! The built in flash does not spread enough light on the subject matter.
On: 2004-10-28
I upgraded from a G5 to the Drebel and am very happy. There is virtually no shutter lag as you would experience with a P&S camera and I love having a manual zoom on the lens. The camera is actually easier to use than my G5. The only reservation I had was the size compared to the smaller P&S and I am happy to say that after a week or so the larger size has not been problematic. In fact, it adds a good deal of shot stability when shooting at slower speeds. It is very nice to be able to change lenses for different situations. There is a great Dreb 300D forum site at D.P. preview.com where members posts pictures and give tips. Check out the quality of the photos taken by amateurs and judge for yourself.
On: 2004-10-28
This camera is worse than a VCR. I think the guys at Canon stayed awake at night trying to figure out where to add another control. Quite frankly, I dont like the camera, yet. Maybe it will grow on me. In automatic mode it takes good pictures occationally. About half of the shots are under exposed especially if the subject has light colored clothes on or against a light background. It does ok on panaramics. The flash pops up in bright sun light and goes off sometimes. Sometimes it pops up but does not go off. Figure that out. I have not yet figured out how to get the thing to use a fast shutter speed even at asa 1600. I guess the lens is just too slow. Some of the shutter speeds that it selects on automatic mode are as slow as 1/4 sec. I no longer even consider automatic mode except when taking shots of panaramics. Some of the inside shots are way under exposed even with the flash poping. That has got to be hard to do. I wonder how they managed that.
I sure wish Miranda was still in business.
On: 2004-10-28
This is all the camera a high amatuer should ever need. 6.3 Megapixels allows for exremely large prints at photoshops. The functions of this camera allow you to adjust and manipulate pictures just as you can with film.
We all recognize that Digipics used to lack some quality but now we cannot say that. The effects, ease of use, and quality make it so much better of a bargain. Not to mention the cost savings of not needing to get film developed.
The fact that with this camera you can change lens is a plus. There are more than 200 differing lens that you can buy. Ive purchased a dual battery pack that gives you all weekend of heavy shooting with no need to recharge. 870 bucks is about tops of what one should pay for one.
I would say Ive taken about 1/2 of pictures in the last 6 months of digi photography than I have in my lifetime up to this point.
This is more of a higher class of camera. This takes brilliant pictures but if you are just going to use it to take snapshots, youre wasting time. Just go out and buy a $120 dollar camera.
Buy one and be happy.
On: 2004-10-27
I upgraded from a G5 to the Drebel and am very happy. There is virtually no shutter lag as you would experience with a P&S camera and I love having a manual zoom on the lens. The camera is actually easier to use than my G5. The only reservation I had was the size compared to the smaller P&S and I am happy to say that after a week or so the larger size has not been problematic. In fact, it adds a good deal of shot stability when shooting at slower speeds. It is very nice to be able to change lenses for different situations. There is a great Dreb 300D forum site at D.P. preview.com where members posts pictures and give tips. Check out the quality of the photos taken by amateurs and judge for yourself.
On: 2004-10-26
Great camera. Excellent picture quality, ability to use filters and lense from Canon and others. I am very happy with this camera.
On: 2004-10-01
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
For everyone from the novice point and shoot type photographer interested in getting a picture of their daughters first birthday, to the professional photographer working weddings; This camera can do it all, and does it all very very well.
GOOD USAGE POINTS:
-General Digital points-
First, if youre a true amateur and you never really know how your pictures are going to come out, the screen in back is large enough (and fast enough) that you can see (within reason) how your image came out. Thus you can decide if you need to retake your picture.
If youre an amateur artist, that is you are looking to get just the right shot of the water dripping off an icicle, then the screen helps you the same way, rather than waiting till you get images back from the lab, or develop them your self you can download them to your computer or laptop and check them out right away, and if youre not the purist, you can even edit them =)
-Rebel Specific Points-
I used a Rebel EOS before getting my hands on a digital Rebel EOS, and Ill tell you besides not needing to load film, the experience taking pictures is exactly the same. The only differences are bonus (i.e. being able to see your image right away)
THE PIXLES are so high that you will have no problems getting large prints, and being digital images, you can sign up with a company like Ofoto.com and get your prints made into calendars, or even photo books (which Im going to make full use of this Christmas)
MEMORY is entirely in your hands, unlike some cameras which contain their memory on board, this loads memory sticks in the side. I have a ½ gig stick, and took 80 photos on there once, though I also took 50 photos on there once maxing it out. But if you have another stick... you can always pop that one in there and keep on shooting, and these sticks are much easier to carry around than real film.
-side note about memory sticks... they are very sturdy... a group at MIT I believe wanted to see how tough these things really were, tried things from the soft, like dropping one on the floor, to the rather morbid, like nailing one to a tree.... All but a few survived (including the one nailed to a tree.... No joke... they could hardly kill these things) So dont feel like you need to baby your memory sticks, they are pretty tough... (though Im unsure how memory sticks react to metal detectors incase youre a photographer who travels a lot)
IT IS QUITE FAST! As I said before the experience taking a photo with this camera was the same as with my film loaded EOS. Unlike many digital cameras Ive been photographed with where the user pushes a button and a good 3 seconds later it flashes and takes a picture, the Rebel snaps to attention and BAM! Takes your picture directly on command no delays.
CONTOLS, again just like the old EOS, and like poker, can be picked up by the complete novice but can take a lifetime to master. The automatic setting allows the user to simply point and shot, the camera will take the best most clear image possible. Even some of the extra settings could be fun for the novice. Yet the manual settings allow for the professional to experiment to the fullest extent of their talent.
COMPATIBILITY, its fully compatible with rebel lenses, flashes and equipment of the Rebel EOS era. Just like all other Canon gear.
DRAWBACK POINTS:
I feel the viewfinder could be extended back a bit, you kind of press your face against the screen to take a picture which was fine when it was just the film door, but now if its hot or your face is otherwise dirty youre always wiping the screen off... not a huge deal but its something I can put up as a negative...
Then there is the expense, it is rather expensive.
It is also fairly big, its a good 10-15% bigger and heavier than my film loaded EOS.
Its computer related.... Which means its likely it will be outclassed in maybe 3 years... maybe video capability, sound capturing, size reduction.... Who knows what will come next.
CONCLUSION: Its a great camera for any type of user, and it produces quality images in a format you can do a lot more than just get prints with. Its compatible with EOS compatible equipment. Its fast, accurate, and just an all around excellent camera. The only issue is its price, I do admit that at 1k this camera is a bit expensive for what is just an amazing camera after all...
Little side story, I took my Digital Rebel out with me for an early morning canoe ride trying to catch the sunrise... I came in with 8 keepers and a new background for my laptop. How many film loaded cameras can do that?? =)
On: 2004-09-25
Having played with numerous digital cameras in the work place I came to the conclusion I wanted a digital that would compare with my 35mm cameras. Ive been using the digital rebel for aproximately 6 months and havent touched the 35mm in the last 5 months. I would recommend though that you get an extra battery if you plan on using for a couple of days without the ability to recharge the battery. Also reveiwing the pictures taken uses up the battery faster than taking pictures.
This camera works well in both light and dark situations. I have not tried it in extreme cold yet, but it works get inside of burning buildings. The shuuter button is easy to find even with gloves on. With a 512mb card set to the highest resolution you still get approximately 77 pictures. For the serious amatuer I recommend at least a 512mb card and an extra battery.
On: 2004-09-17
First of all this is a great performing camera. I got mine for a volleyball tournament and it was so fast. It capture action shots easily without that annoying delay time that happens with lower MP digital cameras. My photos came out SHARP...you really can see a difference between the superior quality taken with this camera compared to my film SLR (using the same lenses). I bought the Sandisk Ultra II 512Mb compact flash and use high resolution on the camera and had plenty of availabl | | |
