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Canon EOS Rebel XSi

First Impressions Review

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February 01, 2008 By Karen M. Cheung
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UPDATE: Our full review of the XSi is now available here.
Auto Mode
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel has a full Auto mode, located on the mode dial and represented by a green box. This automatic shooting mode selects the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and flash settings so users won’t have to think and simply shoot. There is also a Program shooting mode for more control. 
 
Movie Mode
The Canon XSi does not offer a Movie mode. Digital SLR manufacturers have yet to make this jump to the traditionally point-and-shoot feature, although the recently-announced Nikon D60 has a stop-motion shooting mode. We keep asking if and when DSLR makers will incorporate full Movie mode features to capture more of the consumer market, but we haven’t seen any indicator that video for SLR will happen anytime soon.  For joint still and video modes in non-SLR cameras, consumers should think about hybrids like the Canon PowerShot TX1 or Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1.
 
Drive / Burst Mode
Canon upped the burst rate on the Canon XSi from the former XTi. Whereas the previous model only shot at 2.7 frames per second (fps), the updated XSi shoots at 3.5 fps for up to 53 shots in JPEG or up to six RAW images. At that rate, XSi shooters can record in both RAW + JPEG mode for up to four consecutive images. The increased burst rate is a result of the Digic III processor Canon installed on the XSi for faster processing. As the first Rebel to use Digic III, the XSi finally catches up to the same processor used in the Professional SLR line and the compact PowerShot products. The drive mode groups with it the self-timer for a 2 or 10-second delay, like the XTi.
Playback Mode
Users can play back images as single frames or as an index of four or nine thumbnails. Users can also jump through large volumes of images by one, 10, or 100 photos at a time. Images can be magnified from 1.5x up to 10x, rotated, or displayed with EXIF data. Shooting information in playback includes exposure, ISO, shooting mode, white balance, single or continuous shooting, focus type, JPEG or RAW file type, and battery indicator. There is also a helpful Highlight Alert that blinks to indicate which areas are overexposed.
 
Custom Image Presets
Like the XTi, the XSi has six automatic shooting modes to cater to first-time SLR shooters. Most DSLR users tend to steer clear from these automatic modes because they crave the creative control found in manual settings. Scene modes are helpful for beginners slowly transitioning to serious hobbyists. The image preset modes are as follows: Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, and Flash Off.  Users can access these Scene modes through the mode dial.
 

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Canon EOS Rebel XSi
First Impressions Review
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Previous: Page 4

Design / Layout

Previous: Page 6

Control Options