Canon EOS Rebel XT
Digital Camera Review
Mar 05, 2005
- By Alex Burack & Norman Koren
3.6
Attracting attention and making a spectacle, Canon stole the show at the annual Photo Marketing Association convention in Orlando with the release of their second generation Digital Rebel. Many heads were turned to the Canon booth from the start, desperate for a glimpse of the EOS Digital Rebel XT.
The 8 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel XT single lens reflex camera (Kiss Digital 2e in Japan and EOS-350D in most of the rest of the world outside the US) is the successor to– but not a replacement for– the original 6.3 megapixel Rebel. It will be available in March 2005 for $899 (body only) or $999 (with the surprisingly sharp EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens). The original Rebel will remain available, dropping into a more affordable area of the consumer market, selling for $799 with the series I 18-55mm EF-S lens; however the original Rebel will no longer be offered as just a body.
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Value
For $999, you can’t really beat the Digital Rebel XT. The price is really where the weight and punch of the Rebel line resides. Packaged with a sharp 18-55mm EF-S Series II lens, there may not be a better buy. The impressive marketing strategy employed by Canon will keep the original EOS 300 Digital Rebel on the market, extending the accessibility of the EOS line to consumers in the sub-$1000 (USD) price range, a demographic that has traditionally been economically restricted to compact models. While this may be the bargain of the moment right now, the added resolution, speed, manual control, and minimized frame dimensions of the XT justify the extra $200 investment, if it’s available to spend. The arrival of these two cameras in their respectable price brackets should significantly alter the configuration of the consumer market and send many consumers home with a DSLR and a smile at the end of the day.
Comparison to Nikon D70
The closest competition to the Rebel XT is the 6.1 megapixel Nikon D70, which feels more like a serious SLR camera for the simple reason that it's larger (5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 inches) and heavier (21 oz). That doesn't mean it's more stable or rugged. It just looks and feels more serious. Both cameras can shoot continuously at 3.0 fps, but the Rebel XT's maximum burst of 14 frames is a bit short of the D70's 20 frames. The Rebel XT should be fast enough for everyone except devoted sports, action, or wildlife photographers, although the reduced size and weight will offer a more appealing package for traveling shooters. Surpassing the larger, heavier D70 in resolution and portability, the 8.0 megapixel, $999 Rebel XT is tough to pass over.
