Canon announces new EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi

[Xerox]

Most of the upgraded features are expected and not much of a surprise:
- 12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor
- 3.5 frames per second
- 3.0” LCD with Live View shooting
- 9-point wide-area AF system with f/2.8 cross-type centre point
- DIGIC III image processor

But the following new features/changes got me by surprise:
- Spot metering 4% at center (pleasant surprise)
- SD / SDHC card (WTF kind of surprise)

I can't wait till the replacement for the 5D is announced...

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/canon/eos450dfront-001.jpg (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/canon/eos450dfront.jpg) http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/canon/eos450dback-001.jpg (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/canon/eos450dback.jpg)

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08012403canoneos450d.asp

[Unoriginalusername]

how would this compare feature/price wise to the nikon d80?

[b3GS]

nice.. I wonder what the price is too

[yearoftherat]

how would this compare feature/price wise to the nikon d80?

Here's info on the D80

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/

[garboui]

awesome, i have always loved canons quality but was never too fond of their dslr's that i could afford. I think i know what im getting now when i get the money together!

[howitts_done]

Comparison to the 40D and XTi http://photolectic.com/reviews/dslr/comparison-canon-450d-vs-40d-vs-400d.html

I was all set to purchase the Canon 40d but this changes things... what should I get?

[Xerox]

nice.. I wonder what the price is too

$799 for body only


I was all set to purchase the Canon 40d but this changes things... what should I get?

If getting the 450D (or any other xxxD), I suggest getting the battery grip (I think they are approx. $150).

[Centropolis]

Before anyone jumping into buying the latest model of DSLRs as their first DSLR, please remember that the new features are just there so that they can bring out a newer camera.

I am sure some of you heard of this but I am going to say it again because it is true......a person who has experience and the skill using a DSLR/SLR camera will be able to take better pictures with a used beaten old model than someone who knows nothing about taking pictures but went ad bought a D300 or 40D because it can take 6 pictures in 1 second.
Think about why you would need or want that feature, think if you'll ever be in that situation, then think about if the cost will justify the feature. Also, sometimes the feature can only be really utilize when other parts of your camera is even more expensive then your camera. I will give you an example.

You said you want a camera that can take 6 pictures in a second because I want to go to Rogers Cup in Montreal this year to take some hot pics of Sharapova playing tennis. So you drive all the way to Montreal this summer and buy that expensive ticket and then Sharapova finally plays and you start snapping pics. Then you say to yourself, "WTF! How come I can only take 2 or 3 pictures a second and not 6!" and this, "WTF! I can't even get close enough to her to even tell that's her!" and also this "WTF! How come all my pictures are blurry even though my camera is $1,500?" You take your camera to a local shop, ask the sales guy why, he takes out your $15.00 4GB Kodak SD card and says, you need a better card. So he shows you the $100 Sandisk card and says you need this one. Then the sales guy comes and tells you that your blurry pictures and zooming issue can only be solved by buying this $7,500
Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS telephoto lens.

The hobby of photography is not cheap! So please spend your money wisely on features you will need.

I am sure Xerox can take better pictures with a 3 year old Rebel XT with a cheapie kit lens than someone who has no previous SLR experience just picks up a brand new Canon 40D with a $2,000 f2.8 telephoto lens.

[JMAK74]

Looks nice.

Size would be the big concern for me - meaning a Rebel body is too small. Xerox's suggestion of a battery grip is a very good one. Had one on my Digital Rebel (yes before XT) and it helped. I used an XT for a work event and found it small and my pinky and ring finger would slip under, cramping up. Smaller is not always better.

The 12MP is no big deal and to this day I'm not sure why the first thing people ask is "How many MP's is it?", when they hear you have a new camera. More just means, myself included at times, more storage space and larger cards you need. I'm happy with my 10.5MP on my 40D.

Centropolis has a good point there - even on the 40D - the direct Print button is useless and I'm so-so about the picture styles button right now.

For the link from howitts_done posted - the table they put together is a bit off - perhaps formatting - because the 40D does have more white balance capabilites than what it shows.

What to get between those two? Put it this way - it's about $500 difference between the two bodies, no lenses at that point either. I'd suggest the Rebel if this is your first DSLR and you want to really get one. If you don't use it, you won't have spent so much.

JMAK

[garboui]

I am sure Xerox can take better pictures with a 3 year old Rebel XT with a cheapie kit lens than someone who has no previous SLR experience just picks up a brand new Canon 40D with a $2,000 f2.8 telephoto lens.

+a million

some of my best pics have been taken from a k1000 that i got for free cause the rewind was broken off, with fixing it myself and a cheap sigma lens later, some of the best pics that i had captured were from the oldest and most budget camera that i have ever had.


also just because you mentioned it, ive been through a few rebel xt's and when used properly canons base slr produces some spectacular pictures.

[Xerox]

The 12MP is no big deal and to this day I'm not sure why the first thing people ask is "How many MP's is it?", when they hear you have a new camera. More just means, myself included at times, more storage space and larger cards you need. I'm happy with my 10.5MP on my 40D.

I hear you brother. I often forget the MP of my camera. I have to look up the specs to remind myself every time. At this point I'm more concerned about the crop, accurate metering, noise control.

Edit: Don't get me wrong. 20+ MP (I think 1Ds MkIII is 21.1) is nice but I would have to buy more larger CF's and it'll be painful to process & store such large files on my aging laptop...sigh.

[howitts_done]

Very good points from everyone. I have been using SLR's for years and have been waiting to jump into the DSLR world when I had the money. I just sold my SLR (with battery grip) and received my year end commission cheque. My sister-in-law has the XTi but I found the grip far too small and awkward to hold so I was looking at the Canon 40d.
I know the MP for the most part is a Marketing thing so I will have to read all the reviews and try it out in person before I pick one up.

What type of lenses do you recommend?
Where do you recommend purchasing cameras?

[Centropolis]

The 12MP is no big deal and to this day I'm not sure why the first thing people ask is "How many MP's is it?", when they hear you have a new camera. More just means, myself included at times, more storage space and larger cards you need. I'm happy with my 10.5MP on my 40D.



This is so true! How many megapixels is always the first thing people talk about when buying a camera. Maybe they don't understand the idea behind the number of megapixels and how it affects image quality. A lot of people think the higher number of megapixels mean better image quality. It's probably true IF you're printing something huge.

For 4x6 prints, a 2 megapixel camera will let you print perfectly sharp pictures. If you take a picture with 10 megapixels setting and print a 4x6 photo, it'll virtually look the same as you would with a 2 megapixel setting, assuming that the focus is sharp in both pictures. If you don't believe me, try it next time.

The more megapixels you have will only allow you to print larger pictures without losing a lot of quality. For most people, the more megapixels should only mean you have more options to crop your pictures before printing.

If I was to buy a new DSLR now, the features/specs I would look at it how fast the camera can focus, how well it focuses in dim lighting, how much noise is apparent in high ISO settings etc etc....

[Centropolis]

Very good points from everyone. I have been using SLR's for years and have been waiting to jump into the DSLR world when I had the money. I just sold my SLR (with battery grip) and received my year end commission cheque. My sister-in-law has the XTi but I found the grip far too small and awkward to hold so I was looking at the Canon 40d.
I know the MP for the most part is a Marketing thing so I will have to read all the reviews and try it out in person before I pick one up.

What type of lenses do you recommend?
Where do you recommend purchasing cameras?

What kind of lens should totally depend on what are you planning to take pictures of. If you want a almost do-it-all lens, and have a limited budget, this would work:

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=208428&CategoryID=CameraLenses

Or if you have more money to spend this is good because it goes down to f3.5 and it has IS. But keep in mind IS is for shooting STATIONARY objects. Don't like salesperson make you believe that you can get sharper pictures of taking your kids playing soccer because it has IS.

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=156636&CategoryID=CameraLenses

If you are doing landscape work, there is this:

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=217209&CategoryID=CameraLenses

If you want an even more do-it-all (almost) lens and not totally bind to Canon stuff, then this would be a lens that you can take as your everyday all purpose lens:

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=226601&CategoryID=CameraLenses

[howitts_done]

But keep in mind IS is for shooting STATIONARY objects. Don't like salesperson make you believe that you can get sharper pictures of taking your kids playing soccer because it has IS.

Good to know about IS lens! Do you recommend USM lens?

[vanpatrick81]

Just saw the prices from Henry's.

Body itself = $879.99
http://www.henrys.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ItemsDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&departmentId=10404&categoryId=10429&itemID=233856

Body w/ 18-55 IS lens = $999.99
http://www.henrys.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ItemsDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&departmentId=10404&categoryId=10429&itemID=233858

[Xerox]

But keep in mind IS is for shooting STATIONARY objects. Don't like salesperson make you believe that you can get sharper pictures of taking your kids playing soccer because it has IS.


Except if you're using IS Mode 2 for panning shots (ie. moving cars).
:)

[KenYork]

I'd like to get a new body but moving up in lenses is more important right now. 24-70.

[Xerox]

I'd like to get a new body but moving up in lenses is more important right now. 24-70.

Yep, can't really go wrong investing in a good lens (that you will use).
24-70?? What happened to 17-55 idea??
BTW, I love my 24-70 - I would like it more on full frame.

[Centropolis]

Except if you're using IS Mode 2 for panning shots (ie. moving cars).
:)


Haha...yes you're right. I forgot what it is called in Nikon's world but I tried it and it doesn't work very well. Basically you will need a perfect panning hands to do that! But either you have IS or not, you'll need a good pan anyways.

[Centropolis]

I'd like to get a new body but moving up in lenses is more important right now. 24-70.

Holy Patrick! I haven't seen you in months and months.

Spending money on a good lens is almost always a better idea than spending money on a body.....like what Xerox said.

[Centropolis]

Good to know about IS lens! Do you recommend USM lens?

I don't know too much about the USM technology bacause I shoot Nikon so I won't tell you things that I am not sure of! :) But what my understanding of USM is just a fancy term of their low noise autofocusing technology.

Xerox shoots Canon, he will tell you more.

[howitts_done]

April 15th from Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0012YA85A/thedigitalpic-20

[jaM3ican]

Looking at the button placements i would have to say that i like it better. (being right handed) as for you lefties out there..... i don't know how you guys cope in a predominantly right handed civilization props to all you south paws

[E39]

Looks like a really nice camera. I'm surprised they've gone to SD. I suspect they are aiming this towards the P&S crowd who are considering the move up and can keep their SD cards.

[KenYork]

Yep, can't really go wrong investing in a good lens (that you will use).
24-70?? What happened to 17-55 idea??
BTW, I love my 24-70 - I would like it more on full frame.

17-55 is nice if I'm staying with a crop frame.. but since I havn't decided.. i'd rather get the 24-70.

[garboui]

Looks like a really nice camera. I'm surprised they've gone to SD. I suspect they are aiming this towards the P&S crowd who are considering the move up and can keep their SD cards.

i dont even think the sd card switch is to bring in the p&s crowd. its probably to make it more attractive to people that want a lot of memory and decent performance because of the wide use of sd cards they have become wicked cheap and have decent performance.

[JMAK74]

What kind of lens should totally depend on what are you planning to take pictures of. If you want a almost do-it-all lens, and have a limited budget, this would work:

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=208428&CategoryID=CameraLenses

Or if you have more money to spend this is good because it goes down to f3.5 and it has IS. But keep in mind IS is for shooting STATIONARY objects. Don't like salesperson make you believe that you can get sharper pictures of taking your kids playing soccer because it has IS.

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=156636&CategoryID=CameraLenses

If you are doing landscape work, there is this:

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=217209&CategoryID=CameraLenses

If you want an even more do-it-all (almost) lens and not totally bind to Canon stuff, then this would be a lens that you can take as your everyday all purpose lens:

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=226601&CategoryID=CameraLenses

Vistek is nice, however I find that whenever I've gone in there unless I ask pricing on +$750 valued lenses/gear, I get a distinct "You're wasting my time" from the salesperson.

[KenYork]

Vistek is nice, however I find that whenever I've gone in there unless I ask pricing on +$750 valued lenses/gear, I get a distinct "You're wasting my time" from the salesperson.

It certainly does feel that way in there. I wonder if their new store in Mississauga is like that.

[kaval]

Some great info in this thread! I'm looking to pick up a DSLR in the coming months...was thinking about a Rebel XTi actually.

Thanks for those links! :)