Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Oct 24th, 2009 by Christos

Manufacturer Description For stunning photography with point and shoot ease, look no further than Canons EOS Rebel XSi. The EOS Rebel XSi brings staggering technological innovation to the masses. It features Canons EOS Integrated Cleaning System, Live View Function, a powerful DIGIC III Image Processor, plus a new 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor and is available in a kit with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens with Optical Image Stabilizer. The EOS Rebel XSis refined, ergonomic d (more…)

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Tags: 12.2, 1855mm, Camera, Canon, Digital, f/3.55.6, Lens, Rebel

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Canon digital Cameras. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

40 Responses to “Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)”

Dani
October 24, 2009 at 3:38 pm

Exceptional image quality…I bought this camera a month ago…I have done at least or more 1000+ shots…
Thiis is my first DSLR. Initially I was thinking to return this since I was not sure I can afford now. But each time when I do the shots, I fell in love with it. If you are a beginer to manual photography and interested in trying out/learning the fantasy of photography, yes this is the camera. I don’t regret at all now that I have paid 600+ bucks to get this camera, in fact I am proud of it. I also bought 55-255 ef-s lens as well. I am all set to get to the next gear of photography. You can get exceptional photos as well using this camera. Again, excellent pics over time is a great memory and this one is right on the money!

Dan.

J.Lane "Dash2481"
October 24, 2009 at 4:13 pm

I have had the XSi for about 3 months now and I am thouroughly impressed with it. This is my first DSLR and I was a little wary about going with a brand-new and untested camera, but I have always like Canon (I used an ELAN II in High School and I bought a SD600 about 2 years ago to take snapshots of my son). Overall, I have not been disappointed with the quality of the photos that the XSi produces. The IS lens works great and I have taken some pretty amazing photos (for me at least). I do have just a couple of issues, both good and bad, that I think those who are looking at buying this may want to know.

Battery life — Great battery life. I should say, AMAZING battery life. I have taken over 5000 photos and I have only had to charge the battery twice.

Live View — LiveView is not for beginners. It is not a replacement for your Point-and-Shoot. You can’t use it in the AUTO mode (Green Square). This isn’t that big of a deal for me, I prefer full manual myself, but the whole point of this feature, I thought, was to make it more user friendly for the Point-and-Shoot photographer. My wife can’t use Live View in it’s current form (I specifically bought a DSLR with a live view function so she could still use the camera). So, if Live View is a big selling point for you, You may want to look at some others (If it isn’t that big of a deal to you, then this is still an amazing camera — added 4-23-2008). If you do studio work, though, you can hook the camera up to your PC and use it as a remote viewer. But it is not a point-and-shoot camera in Live View. In my earlier review, I said that it would be nice if Canon fixed some of the Live View issues with a firmware update, I was mistaken. Live View is a nice feature once you figure out it is not meant for beginners. Studio and landscape photographers will find Live View a great tool.

Image Quality — I have had some great success shooting in a studio setting as well as some great outdoor shots. In the studio, I used tungsten “hot” lights with the subjuect against a white background. The photos turned out great. Skin tones are perfect and there is very little, if any, chromatic abberation at the edges. It shoots great outdoor shots as well. We just got into beekeeping and I was able to get some AMAZING shots of our bees up-close outdoors. The bees looked dirty and not very interesting from a distance, but the macro photos I got up close are beautiful and full of wonderfully crisp details. The lens is a little short, the image quality you get from it is pretty good considering it only costs $100. I do plan on buying a longer lens in the near future.

Overall, the camera is solid and feels nice in the hand. It isn’t too heavy, yet still feels sturdy. If you can afford the higher price, I don’t think you will be disappointed. If you can’t, the XTi is still a great camera. And if you can afford to wait a few months for the price to drop a little (LIKE IT ALREADY HAS!!) I would. I was able to work a few extra weekends so I could afford to get this, and I can tell you, I don’t mind it a bit, because the quality of photos I am getting has been totally worth it.

— Update —
I was incorrect when I said you couldn’t use the 9-Point autofocus in Live View. You can use the 9-point autofocus while in Live View, but the mirror flips down and focuses so you can’t see what you are trying to focus on until after the camera has actually gone through the autofocus process.

— Update #2 —
I have now had this camera for almost two months and I am happy to report that the more I use it, the more I love it. Once you learn the layout of the camera and you load the MyMenu with the tools you use most often, the camera becomes an absolute delight to use. I have taken over 5000 photos with it so far and now I need an extra hard drive to put them all on.

I was able to rent a Canon EF 24-105 IS L lens and a 580 EX II Speedlite for my sister’s wedding. WOW! What great photos. The camera interfaced with the flash flawlessly and I am more convinced than ever that much of the quality of your photos comes from the glass you use and not as much from the camera itself (I think it is about 65% lens to 35% camera body give or take a few points– I know there will be those who disagree, but that is my take on it, and I am sure if I had a 1Ds MkIII I would think that there wasn’t a peice of glass good enough for my camera).

This is a great beginner dSLR and a great camera all around. I am very happy with my purchase and I have had no regrets whatsoever about spending the $900 to buy such a great tool. Amazon now sells it for $799, you can’t go wrong at that price!

John D. Sexton "Schmuck With Camera"
October 24, 2009 at 9:57 pm

I’m really enjoying the Rebel XSi I purchased. It has a tremendous amount of creative flexibility that really helps me to get the images I want. Although the camera has several preset modes that essentially diversify it’s point and shoot ability, the creative zones are the life of the camera. If you aren’t going to take the time to really study the manual, learn the equipment, and practice it’s use – don’t waste your money on any DSLR. Buy a nice point-and-shoot and move on. Having said that, it is nice to have the point-and-shoot mode for inexperienced spouses in addition to the creative zones. If you ever worked with a manual 35mm slr or even the older computerized slr, this is a fantastic purchase.

A few small things to be aware of:

1. You must purchase a top-end, super fast SD card if you want the camera to perform. Don’t cheap out on the card or there’s no reason to buy this camera. Be aware that the fast cards won’t read in all card readers.

2. The packaged lens has Image Stabilization built in. It’s great for hand-held shooting, pushing your useable shutter speed 1 or 2 steps slower. It’s absolutely horrible for tripod shooting. It will CREATE blur o long exposures if not turned off. Fortunately, the on-off switch is easy to access on the lens

3. The camera feels kind of cheaply made. I’ve had zero quality problems and don’t expect to, but the touchy-feely could be a little better. Of course, it shoots beautifully and I didn’t buy it to pet.