soothsayer's Full Review: Canon Digital Rebel XT / EOS 350D Body only Digita...
I have read many reviews about this camera, and in many of the reviews, the reviewer have either criticized the Rebel XT for it's small size, or said the Rebel XT must not be a professional level camera because it's too cute, or too small, WTF?
Fughettaboutit! ridiculous! I just happen to like small and lightweight cameras, and I bet many people do too. Does anybody remember the classic film cameras of yore (from at least 5 years ago)? Remember how lightweight and small they were? How about a Leica rangefinder, is that not a "professional" level camera?
I hate this SUV mentality that big is better. Big is definately not better; what matters are the features on the camera that will help you take better, and more efficient photos. and this review will help shed some light on it....
I began researching this camera by reading a lot of reviews and opinions. I was set on purchasing either the Nikon D70, the Nikon D70s, or the Canon Rebel XT (EOS 350D). I was able to test out a Nikon D70, and an original Canon Rebel (EOS 300D) at an Apple store, and a Canon Rebel XT somewhere else.
I really liked how the Nikon D70 handled, and how the buttons were placed on the camera. I hated the original Canon Rebel, the menu system, and the arrow like buttons located in the back of that camera. What sold me on the Canon Rebel XT was 1) the new model Nikon D70s was only going to be a slightly upgraded model. 2) the Nikon D70s wasn't gonna be available for several months, and I didn't have time to wait. 3) Canon digital photo quality is excellent right out of the camera, and you don't need to do too much to it in photoshop--improved workflow. 4) Canon digital cameras are years ahead of Nikon. 4) the feel of the Canon Rebel XT in my hands (important).
I have been using the Rebel XT continously now for four months shooting bars, and restaurants for a magazine, as well as street stuff. Traveling as light as possible is a must for me. I really liked how this camera handles and feels. I purchased only the Rebel XT camera body as I didn't hear too many good things about the lens that came in the combination (camera and starter lens) package.
I will simply list the likes and dislikes I have with this camera.
Dislikes:
I somewhat dislike the menu system on the Rebel XT. Compared with the menu on a Canon point and shoot, the menu system on the XT is quite different. But, after shooting for a few months, I am used to navigating the menu system. The Rebel XT's menu includes custom options such as rear curtain flash synch, and other stuff you couldn't get in the older model Canon Rebel 300D unless you uploaded a hacked version of the firmware into that camera.
Also if you are using the menu while standing around in bright sunlight, you cannot see a damn thing on the screen; turning the LCD brightness to maximum doesn't help at all. I wish Canon would do something about this.
I also dislike having to take my eyes away from the tiny APS-sized viewfinder to look at the LCD display on the back to see what the current settings are on the camera. The only thing displayed in the viewfinder LCD is the shutter speed, the aperature, the exposure and autofocus lock, and the exposure compensation needle.
What I would have liked to see in the viewfinder is what shooting mode, as well as what camera mode (manual, aperature priority, shutter priority, P, etc.) the camera is currently set at. Having the shooting mode indicated in the viewfinder would have been great because sometimes when I have this camera turned on, and I am cradling it in my arms waiting to take a shot, the single/continous/self-timer button sometimes gets pressed accidentally. What then happens is when I go take a picture, the shutter doesn't fire. I then have to stop and check to see if the camera is on self-timer mode. In self-timer mode, the white illumination lamp in front of the camera begins flashing; if you are shooting in a dark room, you are basically alerting everyone to your presence. I have to remind myself to buy some black electrical tape to fix this (cover the lamp)
Dust and scratches. This camera is not sealed like in more expensive canon models. I sometimes see dust seeping into the battery compartment, and in the CF card compartment. and the camera body is getting some scratches on it after a few months of usage, but that's to be expected.
Low light focus problems. Sometimes there are focusing problems when shooting in very dark places. if the camera doesn't lock focus, the shutter doesn't release. In some cases when you can't focus, you have set the lens to manual focus (remember to switch it back!!)
Lack of focusing screen if you manually focus. Say you have some manual lenses, whether canon, or nikon (see nikon adapter below), there is no "snap" to focus, there's no split screen, no fresnell screen...
Using the flash system to focus. This is a really annoying feature. If you are planning to take a flash photo, and you are also trying to focus in low light, what the camera will do is fire a burst of mini-flashes to help it focus. Why can't it be more like a Canon point and shoot where it shoots a small red led focus-assist beam? Actually if you have an external canon flash, it can do just that...
The battery charger. I got a SD200, and the battery charger that comes with it is small, and slim. Not so with the battery charger on the rebel XT. this thing is huge, and I know they can pack the same electronics of this battery charger into something much slimmer. Canon is actually using an older type of battery system for the XT, and probably the same older type of charger for it. It would have been nice for Canon to engineer a newer charger for the battery.
battery type. While i have no major issues with the battery (except for it's rated shooting capacity of ~600 shots while using the LCD), some people who are thinking of upgrading from the original rebel to the rebel xt should beware of the XT using a different battery type.
shit.. Likes:
photo quality. photo quality usually depends on the lens you have, and shooting skills. If all things are equal, the photo quality on this rebel xt is excellent. I don't have a Mark II, or 20D to compare with, but the Rebel XT compares more with the 20D being that it uses the same 2nd generation (and possibly even newer) sensor. if you do a search on the web, you see there are no basic difference in image quality between a 20D and a rebel XT.
lightweight, good ergonomics for me. As i said earlier, I hate heavy and bulky cameras.
Low iso noise. This is where Canon really shines, in producing photos with low noise/artifacts even at high iso. With the camera set at 100 to 200 iso you won't see much noise. at 400 you see some noise, 800 you will see even more noise. while the rebel xt can go to iso 1600, I recommend you don't go that far unless you are absolutely desperate.
The shutter sound it makes. While I wish for an SLR that makes absolutely no noise, or quieter shutter noise like the Nikon D70 or D70s, i don't mind the high tech "click-eeeeep" noise that the Rebel XT emits as it "advances the frame" after each picture. compare that with the horse-like clip clop noise on the 20D.
Just for the hell of it, the Canon can take Nikon manual focus lenses. With the right adapter (check eBay), you can mount your old Nikon manual focus lenses on the Canon. You would have to shoot manual, but the plus in all of this is the camera's exposure metering system would still work. The reason it works is because nikon lenses have a slightly longer "flange to focal plane" length than Canon lenses hence the need for an adapter to bridge the distance. the flange is the metal mounting ring on a lens, and the focal plane is the plane of focus in the camera, e.g., the sensor.
other issues
white balance problems. canon cameras have an excellent auto white balance when you are shooting in bright sunny outdoors. however when you get indoors, and under tungsten--or other lighting--you can run into problems..
The sensor in the Rebel XT is not a full frame 35mm-sized sensor, it is just 62.5% the size of a 35mm frame (1/62.5% = 1.6x CROP factor). When you use a lens, multiply the focal length written on the lens by 1.6 to get at your real focal length. 20mm lenses become 32mm lenses, etc. one thing to keep in mind is that the 1.6x is not a multiplier; the rebel xt is like every other 35mm film camera, just with a smaller sensor.
The Canon Rebel XT vs. the Canon 20D. the Rebel XT has most of the features of the 20D, has the same sensor. What the 20D has over the XT is a more robust metal body, slightly larger viewfinder, faster shooting frame rate (useful only if you are shooting tons of sports events, race cars, etc.), and a large dial in the back that helps you do menu options a whole lot easier.
No SD card slot. if they can fit an SD card/CF card combo onto a pocket PC like the Dell Axim, why can't they do the same to this camera? it's no big deal in any case...
Some people won't like the plastic construction of this camera, and that the plastic may scratch easily. For me, i normally take care of all my equipment as best as possible, so this is not a big deal for me.
If you buy this camera, or any other digital camera, the first thing you should do is cut a piece of thin clear vinyl, and stick it onto the LCD display screen. this will help protect it from fingerprints, and minor scratches.
I know i'm forgetting something here, when i remember I will put it into this review. 'nuff said.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): - This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Solid Enough for a Professional
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