Canon EOS Rebel XSi Review

Before we continue, you need to understand that digital SLRs are notoriously complex machines. It is very difficult to master a DSLR, even after reading the the manual many times. That's why it is very important to understand the concepts behind photography (i.e. shutter speed, aperture, etc) before getting a DSLR.
1. Overview The Canon EOS Rebel XSi is a 12.2 megapixel DSLR and is the the fourth model in Canon's Digital Rebel class. The Digital Rebel series (which I've reviewed previously) are great quality DSLRs. I've yet to see many bad photos coming from a Digital Rebel (unless the photographer is not good). Among its new features of the Canon EOS Rebel XSi are an image-stabilized kit lens, a larger LCD display, a Live View option, as well as a revamped control scheme/button layout.
2. Design and Construction Like the Nikon D90, the Canon EOS Rebel XSi is well built. The XSi is all black in color and it measures 3.8 x 5.1 x 2.4 inches (HWD) without a lens. The weight is amazingly light, at just 475g (just over a pound). When you take camera out to take some pictures, you'll notice it is a somewhat bulky camera. However, this is not an issue if you have a good camera bag. I really like the bright display on the XSi, which is now larger than previous models, at 3 inches and with 230,000 pixels.
3. Optics and Resolution The Canon EOS Rebel XSi is a 12.2-megapixel resolution DSLR. When wandering out to take night shots, I found that the night shots were reasonably noise-free. The images were also better illuminated, with improved color fidelity compared to my old Canon XTi. If you need to extend the capabilities of the Canon EOS Rebel XSi, then you probably need to kit it with some good lenses.
4. User Controls In terms of user controls, the Canon EOS Rebel XSi has Menu and Display buttons which are sensibly kept together. If you access the ISO button frequently, you'll find it has been moved from the scroll wheel to the top, near the On/Off switch. This is a slight problem, however, since you might just end up switching ISO modes accidentally.
5. Battery Life The Canon EOS Rebel XSi boasts a longer battery life than any of the previous Digital Rebels and allows you to explore the camera for hours on end, without requiring a recharge.
6. Shortcomings The Canon EOS Rebel XSi is a fully functional DSLR with little shortcomings. If I had to pick one for you, it'd be the fact that the user controls can be a little intimidating for new DSLR enthusiasts. However, once you read the manual and get used to the controls, you'll be snapping photos without a problem.
Conclusion I hope the above article has given you some good insight into the Canon EOS Rebel XSi and its salient features. If you want to find out more about buying a Canon EOS Rebel XSi or other similar DSLRs, you should check out online camera shops. Most of them sell digital cameras at very good prices, and they ship their orders very quickly.
Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visit his website at Basic-Digital-Photography.com for tips and tricks on buying digital cameras, as well as shooting great photos.
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