Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only)
by Canon
Our Price: $485.00
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $299.99 (click here)
Category: Digital Camera
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: CanonRelease Date: 2008-04-15
Model: XSI Body
Color: Black
Product features:
- 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for poster-size, photo-quality prints
- Large 3.0-inch LCD display; Enhanced Live View function
- DIGIC III image processor provides fast, accurate image processing; improved Autofocus and framing rate
- EOS Integrated Cleaning system, plus Dust Delete Data Detection in included software
- Stores images on SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
- Large 3.0-inch LCD display and Enhanced Live View function
- SanDisk 4GB SDHC card
- Canon LP-E5 Battery Pack for Canon Digital Rebel T1i, XS & XSi Digital SLR Camera (Retail Package)
- Professional Multi-Power Battery Pack / Grip For Canon EOS XS/XSI
- Zeikos ZE-WRC5 Wireless Remote for Canon
- Joby GP2-D1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras with Bubble Level
Digital camera reviews of Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only)
Digital camera Review: 20,000 Captures and still going strong!
Summary: 5 Stars
Like new even.
I carry this on my motorcycle (high vibration), in a backpack (knocked around), and in airplanes. It is not babied at all, more like handled rough. This thing is tough. I got it when they first came out, March 2008, and it has gone everywhere I've gone since then. Still works great, despite a few dents and dings.
I use a number of lenses with it, and get great image quality.
By now maybe it's getting a little long in the tooth in some respects. I'm not sure I see much advantage in more pixels on this size sensor, so the 15 or 18 mP now available doesn't sway me much. But I am limited by the iso range. I hesitate to go above 400 iso with this body. At 800 iso images are usable, but if you do much cropping or sharpening you will very quickly find the noise in the image. I am not experienced enough to apply noise reduction well. Newer models have higher iso ranges, and I assume that they will do a better job at 800 and 1600 iso. For most folk most of the time I doubt it's an issue, but sometimes you could use that extra iso. I also think manufacturers may be getting more dynamic range from their sensors now, but have not seen any quantitative proof of that. Otherwise I think this body is quite comparable to any more recent model. I actually prefer it to my wife's 50D most of the time.
I shoot all RAW. Originally I had never done that and found it intimidating. I initially set the camera to RAW + JPEG. It was too slow that way. I soon discovered that I could do a much better job with the RAWs using the supplied software than Canon could making a jpeg. Within a week jpeg was gone. If you are going to a dSLR, I suggest you use RAW. If you want to invest in some software, RAW will pay off even more. By now, even PhotoShop Elements handles RAW and provides a fairly powerful, if stodgy, editing experience. Presently I am using Lightroom or CS5, but those will be priced beyond most folk in the market for this camera. Still, if I were to do it over today, I'd save the money on the body (ie get an XSi vs a more modern body) and keep it for the software, accessories, or lenses. I truly feel you'll get more bang for your buck with that approach.
All-in-all, I think this model still holds it's own and now presents a great bargain in the market. I've done prints up to 20 x 30" off this camera with fantastic results.
I use 5 ea 8 gB SDHC storage cards with this camera. Shooting raw I get about 460 images on a card, so I can go two-three weeks with this setup. Today I would purchase fewer, but larger SDHC cards. Speed Class 6 is noticeably faster. Suggest you stick to that specification. A RAW file is roughly 15 mb. If you have never dealt with a dSLR before, or this size file, be aware that they eat up hard disk space on your pc pretty fast. Also transfer time can be appreciable, depending on your pc, etc. It takes me about 10-12 minutes to download an 8 gB card. I use portable hard drives kept in the safe for storage.
Battery life is just simply amazing. I carry an extra battery, and I lent it to a friend once. Really, even in heavy shooting, w/o flash, you can certainly do 1500 images on a charge. Do get an extra battery (aftermarket is cheap and works great), because a battery can always fail, but if you charge yours every few days of use, you should never run low.
Enjoy your shooting!
Summary of Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only)
For stunning photography with point and shoot ease, look no further than Canon?s EOS Rebel XSi. The EOS Rebel XSi brings staggering technological innovation to the masses. It features Canon?s EOS Integrated Cleaning System, Live View Function, a powerful DIGIC III Image Processor, plus a new 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor. The EOS Rebel XSi?s refined, ergonomic design includes a new 3.0-inch LCD monitor, compatibility with SD and SDHC memory cards and new accessories that enhance every aspect of the photographic experience.Digital SLRs
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