Ratings: Ease of Use, Performance: 23/25, Look & Feel: 24/25, Features & Software 25/25, How much I enjoy 24/25
Total: 96/100
Welcome to the new world of digital cameras using the older SLR bodies. Okay, it’s not that new but with my new DSLR from Canon I feel like I have really joined a new technological revolution. I took classes way back when and learned how to develop black and white 35 mm film and was just about to start in on color processing when my time in the military ended.
I had a very good Canon 35 mm camera and learned all the ins and outs of processing film and the chemicals and such but did not really have the money to do all that I wanted in photography. Now with digital it is so much easier and with a DSLR like the Canon Eos Digital Rebel XT you can do all that experimenting and take some great photos.
The Canon Eos Rebel XT uses a very large and good image chip for its 8 mega pixel resolution. The basis of a good digital camera is the CMOS sensor and the Canon Digic II image processor rates up there pretty high as well. Canon has been making cameras for years and its high standards continue today into the high tech digital solutions for photographers. They create their own brand down to the very components like the Digic II processor that uses little power to process your images in stunning clarity.
I am not much for tech talk so I will start with the Canon line of features and then go right to the heart of the matter, or camera.
Here is the Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xt features:
High-performance digital SLR with 8.0 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and DIGIC II Image Processor
Smallest and lightest EOS Digital SLR to date (as of February 2005)
Fast 3 frames-per-second shooting with a 14 frame burst and 0.2 second startup time
High-speed, Wide-area 7-point AF with superimposed focusing points
User-selectable metering patterns, AF modes, custom functions and flash exposure compensation
Direct Print support with PictBridge compatible printers
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface for quick downloads
Compatible with more than 50 EF and EF-S Lenses and most EOS System accessories including EX-series Speedlites and a dedicated Battery Grip
View Sample Images
White balance, contrast, infrared capabilities, and a host of other camera tests and comparisons can be dealt out to you the reader as something that I tested this camera on and found such and such results but it would not mean much and really doesn’t to me either. I really don’t care for much of the testing in many of the electronics I do and try to relate most of them to something that you can understand or see. That is what I am going to do full tilt and whole hog here. Real world camera images and how this camera takes pictures that I can see and show.
I have started using the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT to take product shots and found several good sites for help with all the settings and how to take good pictures. The main thing you can do with the new digital cameras is take pictures with the settings you remember and instantly see the results of changing things. This was very hard to do when using the old 35 mm film as you would forget what you were doing and exactly what settings you were changing, not to mention expensive.
With the new digital cameras and the EOS Rebel XT you can use your computer and a tripod, set the camera staring down at some object, like a stuffed animal, and shoot away. Change one setting on the camera and instantly see the changes that setting makes on your screen. Compare the two pictures and see how things like exposure, f stops and lighting filters change your pictures and the best ways to take your pictures through trial and error.
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT takes some great pictures with very good clarity, resolution and a broad range of settings. The newest Digital line of cameras can be very easy to use and yet you can go so much further into your digital photography that you can easily seem like a professional. This is where digital cameras will make professional photographers a thing of the past, at least for those willing to make a small investment.
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT comes with a variety of accessories depending on the package you purchase. As a minimum the camera should come with the camera body, a lens, the battery and charger, a USB cable, and of course a slew of manuals and software. Some accessories you should consider purchasing right away are a compact flash card, camera bag, protective filter for each lens you own and lens cleaning kit. A protective lens is one that screws onto the lens and provides not only UV protection as a filter but protects the main glass lens of the lens from damage and scratches.
The compact flash card is needed for use with the camera but it does have a 32 MB internal memory, but this is just not enough. I recommend some larger sized flash cards such as 1 GB but you do not have to go out and buy the highest number you can. I have found it easier to purchase and use several 1 GB cards and use a different one for different uses. It also ensures you don’t loose all your pictures due to an error on the card or accidental erasure, plus the smaller sized cards cost less.
The Canon Eos Rebel XT can use several different accessories such as separate flash using the flash shoe, remote trigger using the remote jack and a power adapter using a battery adapter. You can also purchase a wide variety of lenses such as zoom and macro lenses as well as filters to enhance your pictures or create unique photos. Purchasing a new lens can be a daunting task but at a minimum I would recommend a general purpose lens for regular photography, this usually comes with the camera body, and a zoom lens to get you close to the subject.
I purchased the EOS Rebel XT on sale with some extra accessories and an additional lens for $800, not a bad deal. The camera came with a camera bag, a zoom lens and an extra battery pack. You can often find good sales for this model of Canon camera as it is not the newest out with the release of the Canon Digital Eos Rebel Xti. The Canon Rebel Digital XT is a very good digital camera and is easy to use right out of the box. You can take good quality pictures and learn all about photography using the various settings such as macro, digital zoom and automatic focus.
You can also take your digital photography to the next level using the Eos Rebel XT and your computer with the included software. It is pretty easy to connect your camera to a computer and take pictures using the settings on screen that you can change with the click of a mouse. This is the best way to learn about what all those settings are and what they do. The Canon software is great such as the Zoom Browser photo manager and the Digital Photo Professional is a great digital image editor. The EOS Utility is the program that you use to take remote pictures using your computer and the included USB cable.
You should update all the programs that come with your camera so you are using the latest updates and programs. I found that I could not use the remote features until I updated the programs. There were about seven updates so you may spend an hour or so downloading and installing the updates. You may also have to update the cameras firmware but this is very easy to accomplish.
I have been using the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT for about a month now and have found it to be a great camera. It has many uses for the general photographer who wants to take their photography to the next level at a more affordable price. The Rebel XT is great for nature photos, portraits and macro shots like close-ups of bugs and such. This is how to learn about digital photography and what all those settings for a digital camera do.
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is a great digital camera with plenty going for it. Ease of use, great picture quality and simple controls make for some great photos. I highly recommend the EOS Rebel XT if your upgrading from a point and shoot digital for the best of the digital cameras at a very affordable price for this type of digital camera.
Reference:
- Canon
