Excellent Starter D-SLR for a Great Price!

After some research, I bought the Kodak DX7590 at Christmas time. The DX7590 is a great 5.0mp point and shoot camera, and I was fairly happy with it, but I quickly realized I was wanting to put different lenses and filters on the camera and that I wanted full control over its entire operation. I also realized I wouldn't be able to use the Kodak's images for enlargements to place in a gallery, and that no one would buy them if I did.

It was time to go with a Digital SLR. I had researched quite a bit on the original Digital Rebel and was very excited about the camera - a truly staggering value at under $1000US and the first DSLR to really make the market affordable for amateur photographers. I went to the electronics shop and saw the new Rebel XT - it was noticeably smaller than the original Rebel, and the difference in mexapixels and start-up time seemed to be great additions.

I went home and did some more research and found that the XT was perfectly suited for me. 8 mexapixels would be plenty for my shots, and I would be able to enlarge them quite a bit. The size was also a big factor - it's small enough to fit into a nice small shoulder bag, but big enought to feel significant in my hands and help with reducing motion blur. The start up time (0.2s) is a godsend and I really couldn't get used to waiting for my camera to turn on again (the Kodak was an agonizing 3s at least).

I went back to the store and picked up the camera with the kit lens. I also bought a 512mb SanDisk Ultra II CF card, an Optex UV Filter, a lens-cleaning cloth and a Lowepro bag. I have never been happier!

The camera starts up immediately, and the automatic modes are great for taking shots without knowing a lot of technical stuff. I was soon using the advanced modes though, and the included manual helped me sort everything out very quickly.

The automatic modes do not allow to change too much, but they are perfectly suited for their corresponding uses (full auto, portrait, sports, landscape, night portrait, and no flash). I quickly amassed a collection of snapshots and dumped them to my computer using the included USB 2.0 cable and Canon software. The quality of the pictures is incredible. I was blown away by the focus, detail, and colour of every shot. In good light conditions, the quality of the images rivals some of the most expensive DSLR's I have used.

After the first dump of pictures, I decided to use Picasa as my sole organization software. I had been using up until then for everything, and the Canon software just wasn't cutting it for me. I found it took longer to load up and did basically the same things as Picasa. I still use some of the software, like the Panorama tools, but I use Photoshop and the RAW plugin along with Picasa to organize and edit all of my photos.

I quickly started using the more advanced modes. They are intuitive and the smaller LCD screen on the back of the camera gives you instant access to everything you need in terms of shutter, aperature, etc. I have just started to use the complete Manual mode, setting all the values myself. There is a learning curve of course, but with a camera like this I have found learning comes very easily and you make great photographs along the way!

The included lens is a great value - you would be remiss not to take advantage of the kit. Even with the 1.6x conversion factor, this lens (18mm-55mm = 29mm-88mm @ 35mm) has a great wide angle view, and the zoom is just enough to get you started. The manual focus is exact, and the auto focus is incredible. I find the images to be extremely sharp and without fault. The noise level is extremely low at most ISO's, and only becomes a problem at 800+ ISO.

The menu system is easy to get used to, and the buttons are well-laid out. I love the dial by the shutter button - it gives easy access to aperature and other functions. The whole camera is easy to use and one quickly becomes accustomed to the features.

Overall, this is the camera of my dreams! The Canon 20D has a few more options, and is a bit heavier and more substantial, but not worth the extra $700CDN for me. The original Rebel is good, but for $300CDN extra, I can't imagine not getting the XT. The increase in resolution, the decrease in size, and the extremely fast start up time make it worth the money - the kit lens has also been upgraded as well.

For a starter D-SLR, the Canon Digital Rebel XT cannot be beat. For professionals, this camera makes a great backup D-SLR, and is easier to take around than the 20D, and still has the same image quality.