Auto Mode (6.0)
The full Auto mode of the XSi does exactly what it says; turns the digital SLR into a point-and-shoot. All the settings are automatically controlled by the camera, including ISO, Metering mode, Focus mode, etc. The only setting the user can control is the Shooting mode, which provides options for single shot, self timer/remote control, and self timer/continuous.
Movie Mode (0.0)
The XSi does not have a Movie mode. Few SLRs do, so this is not surprising.
Drive / Burst Mode (7.75)
There are five Drive mode options on the XSi; Single, Continuous, Self Timer/Remote, Self Timer (with the choice of 2 or 10 seconds delay) and Self Timer Continuous. The latter is interesting; it allows you to take between 2 and 10 shots after a 10-second time delay, so you can take a series of family photos with a single press of the shutter, then pick the one with the minimum number of family members blinking or picking their nose to send out as the Christmas card. The Continuous shooting mode shoots at around 3.5 fps; a slight improvement over the 2.7 fps we saw with the XTi. However, there is no variable speed mode option here; the XSi either shoots at the full 3.5 fps or in Single Frame mode. Some more sophisticated cameras (such as the Nikon D300) provide multiple options for shooting speed.
Playback Mode (6.0)
Pressing the play button on the bottom back of the XSi body puts you into the Playback mode, where the XSi offers the usual selection of options; you can move between images with the four-way control, and images can be deleted with the trash button (below the four-way control). Pressing the display button cycles through the display modes; the full image, full image with the number of photos, brightness histogram and file information, or brightness and color histogram. The zoom-in button (on the top right of the camera back) allows you to zoom up to 10x, while the zoom-out button allows you to view either four- or nine-image thumbnails.
The Playback mode has three different displays,
including this one that shows histogram information
The auto play option in the Playback menu allows you to create a slide show of captured images, where the images are played back for four seconds each. There are no options for transitions between images or background music. But that's no great loss; those things are better added on a PC if you really want them.
Custom Image Presets (
4.48)
The XSi has six Scene modes available on the mode dial, which is unusual for an SLR. Most SLRs either don't offer Scene modes (on the basis that the users will know the appropriate settings) or throw them into an on-screen menu. That the XSi has the Scene modes available on the dial shows how much SLRs have come into the mainstream, and makes it more appealing for users upgrading from a point-and-shoot. The Scene modes on offer are as follows.
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Custom Presets
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Portrait
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Restricts depth of field, enables flash and uses skin tone softening.
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Landscape
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Increases depth of field and sharpness. Turns off flash, and boosts blues and greens.
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Close-up
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A macro mode for close-up shooting.
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Sports
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Sets the shutter speed as high as possible, and enables continuous auto focus for moving subjects
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Night Portrait
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Combines flash and a long exposure to capture both portrait subject and background.
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No flash
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Disables flash, but otherwise leaves settings on auto.
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Although the XSi offers significantly fewer scene modes than many cameras, it offers enough to cover most common shooting situations, and putting them on the mode dial makes them easy to use.
