Model Design / Appearance (6.75)
Canon's other DSLRs – the 30D through the 1D series – have a very streamlined, smooth look. The 1Ds Mark II and the look-alike 1D Mark II n both show the most design discipline – it's as if all the corners and edges were sandblasted off. The 5D is just about the same. The 30D has a few extra bumps and edges, notably to accommodate its integral flash, but it's clearly in the same family. Unfortunately, the Rebel XTi designers fell off the wagon. Though it's curvy, it has a jumble of extra edges, lines and surfaces that detract from the smooth style that's very appealing on the other Canons.
Front comparison: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (left) and EOS 30D (right)
Our sample had some fit-and-finish issues that detracted from its appearance. The seams between the pieces that make up the top and sides of the body didn't fit together consistently, so there were gaps between them, and the gaps varied in width. In some places, it was easy to slip a piece of paper between the parts, and in other spots, it wasn’t possible. The Rebel XTi is a plastic camera, and it is not well-sealed against dust and moisture. We don't take cameras apart, so we can't say if the gaps guarantee that the XTi won't last. We shook the XTi, and noticed it rattled even without the lens attached. That's unusual for a DSLR.
Based on what we can see (and hear), it is much less sturdy than the more expensive Canons, and less sturdy than the entry-level DSLRs from Nikon or Olympus.
Size / Portability (8.0)
At 5 x 3.7 x 2.6 inches and 18 ounces, the Rebel XTi body is small among DSLRs. Most of the super-zoom compacts are smaller than the XTi including its lens. But users who switch from a compact to a DSLR will notice a big difference in portability when they add accessories, and start to carry them along as well. A second lens or an external flash – either of which would make a huge difference in the kind and quality of pictures possible with the Rebel XTi – might double the size and weight of the user's gear.
Side comparison: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (left) and EOS 30D (right)
Handling Ability (7.25)
The Rebel XTi is comfortable to hold, though it would probably be cramped for someone with very large hands. The grip surfaces aren't slippery at all. The displays are big and laid out clearly. The “Display Off” sensor, that shuts the LCD off when the camera is at eye level, is an excellent handling feature particularly because it automatically turns the display back on when the user pulls the camera away from the face.
Users who appreciate every option to gain sharpness will be disappointed to see another Canon camera that buries mirror lockup in the custom settings menu.
The Rebel XTi's handling limitations are concentrated in its controls, which we review in the next section.
Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.75)
The Rebel XTi's controls are a disappointment. Canon obviously cut corners on them. The 4-way controller is a set of five buttons, rather than a single concave disk (as it is on many current cameras) or the small button on the 30D. The five buttons are set in a wide circle, and are slower to use for navigation than the single control selectors. The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi also lacks the Quick Controller, a large dial set flat on the back of Canon's more expensive models. Without it, the Rebel XTi's “Main” control dial has to serve multiple functions, which slows down operation and means that the user has to hold down a button while turning the dial to make some adjustments.
The control dial and the mode dial both wobble and turn stiffly. It's too bad that the mode dial only turns 270 degrees rather than a full 360. In addition, the buttons are lightweight. Wobbling the exposure lock button also makes the AF point button move, indicating that they share a single mechanism. The shutter is better than the others, and has a clear half-way point for activating focus along its short travel. It's set directly in the surface of the body, though, with no ring or bezel around it. When it's pressed all the way down, the edge of the hole is exposed and it feels unfinished.
Menu (8.0)
The Rebel XTi's menus are clear and simple. The menus follow the same pattern as those on other Canon cameras, but given the simplicity of the camera, they are shorter than those on other DSLRs. Even some of Canon's compacts have longer menus. The menu appears with 5 tabs in its interface. It isn't necessary to scroll down to see all the entries on any tab. Customization options are a sub-menu under Set-up. Shooting options and Set-up options are each split into two tabs.
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Shooting Menu
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Quality
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Image size and compression, plus RAW
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Red-eye On/Off
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Set preflash to limit red-eye effect
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Beep
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Allow the camera to make alert noises
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Shoot w/o card
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Allow the camera to shoot without a memory card, so the camera seems to be taking pictures, but doesn't actually save any of them – a terrible idea for weddings, births, graduations and other once-in-a-lifetime events.
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AEB
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Set exposure bracketing in 1/3 EV increments from 2EV over to 2EV under metered setting
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Flash Exposure Compensation
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Set flash exposure compensation in 1/3 EV increments from 2EV over to 2EV under metered setting
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WB Shift/Bkt
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Fine-tune white balance, or bracket white balance
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Custom WB
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Create a custom white balance from an existing image
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Color space
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Choose sRGB (the most used) or Adobe RGB (allows more colors)
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Picture Style
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Like styles on other Canon DSLRs. Combines color settings and sharpness settings for various shooting situations.
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Dust Delete Data
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Take reference image for removing dust spots in post-processing
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Setup
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Auto power off
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Set interval before Rebel XTi will shut off, if unused, from 30 seconds to 15 minutes. Can also be turned off
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Auto rotate
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Set to display vertical images upright, save them upright, or leave them sideways
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LCD brightness
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Set LCD brightness
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LCD auto off
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Set to shut off LCD when the Rebel XTi is at eye-level
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Date/Time
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Set date and time
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File numbering
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Control how files are numbered
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Format
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Initialize Compact Flash memory card
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Language
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Set interface to display in English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean or Japanese
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Video System
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Set video output to PAL or NTSC
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Custom Functions
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Customize the interface
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Clear settings
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Clear all settings to defaults, or clear just the custom settings to defaults
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Sensor Cleaning: Auto
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Clean now, clean when the camera powers up, clean when the camera powers down, or don't clean automatically
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Sensor Cleaning: Manual
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Flip up mirror and open shutter to allow manual cleaning
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Firmware version
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Update firmware
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Below is a list of the XTi's Custom settings menu.
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Customization
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Set button/cross keys
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Set the behavior of the “Set” button at the center of the 4-way controller, and the left and right keys. In shooting, the Set button can control Picture Style, Picture Quality, Flash Exposure compensation or Playback. The left and right keys can control the autofocus sensor site.
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Long exposure noise reduction
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Set to remove noise from exposures of at least 1 second. Process takes as long as the original exposure.
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Flash sync speed in Av
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Fix shutter speed at 1/200, or allow camera to set it for ambient exposure
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Shutter/AE lock button
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Set to allow AE lock button to lock focus, shutter to lock exposure in various combinations
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AF-assist beam
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Set behavior of focus-aid light
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Exposure level increments
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Set to 1/3-stop (EV) or 1/2-stop (EV)
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Mirror lockup
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Set to lock mirror up so that it doesn't shake the camera.
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E-TTL II
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Set flash metering pattern to evaluative or averaging
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Shutter curtain sync
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Set flash to go off at beginning or end of the shutter's exposure
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Magnified view
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Set to allow magnified view during post-shoot image review. Requires pressing the print/download button and the enlarge button simultaneously
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LCD display when power is ON
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Set to turn on camera without turning on the LCD display
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A separate menu comes up in Playback mode.
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Playback
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Protect
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Prevent image from being deleted
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Rotate
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Manually rotate image 90 degrees
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Print order
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Create a DPOF print order
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Transfer order
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Transfer images to a computer
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Auto Play
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Create a slide show
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Review time
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Set time for images to display immediately after they're shot
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Histogram
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Select brightness or RGB
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Ease of Use (7.5)
The Rebel XTi is not a complicated DSLR. Features are where experienced users will expect them. Users of other Canon cameras will find it particularly easy. That said, the limitations of the mechanical controls are frustrating. We don't like that a button-plus-dial combination is required to adjust aperture in manual mode. The Nikon D50 also has the same problem. Some of the control drawbacks are clearly matters of economics – Canon's Quick Control dial, present on its other DSLRs, is clearly a more expensive item than any of the Rebel XTi's controls.
Other problems are just baffling: it's easier to set the Rebel XTi to shoot without a CF card than it is to lock up the mirror. Does Canon expect more XTi users will want to click its shutter without taking a picture, than will want to get the most out of the camera on a tripod?
