Canon EOS Rebel T1i

	Modes
	Design & Layout	Page 6 of 9	Controls

Auto Mode

There is a complete hand-the-camera-to-your-Mom auto mode. All the key exposure options and other settings are managed by the camera, leaving only image size and self-timer settings to the user.

There is also Creative Auto mode, indicated by CA on the mode dial. Creative Auto unlocks additional choices for flash, drive mode and Creative Style, and takes an oddball approach to altering shutter speed and aperture. The user is given two sliding controls, one for setting the background on a scale from blurred to sharp, the other for setting exposure from darker to brighter. Frankly, we don't find this system much easier than just grasping the rudimentary relationship between aperture and shutter speed, but we're sure Canon ran many focus groups that applauded loudly at this innovation, and it's simple enough to ignore if you agree with us.

Movie Mode

The big new feature for the Canon Rebel T1i is clearly movie mode. It's only the third SLR to offer this function (the Panasonic Lumix GH1, a Micro Four Thirds camera with video capability, was announced at PMA this year, but it's not a true SLR, since it doesn't use a single-lens reflex mechanism). First came the Nikon D90, priced at $999.95, which provides 720p high-definition video shooting at 24 frames per second. Next it was Canon's turn to up the ante, with the $2700 Canon 5D Mark II, which can shoot full 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second, delivering silky smooth results that rival the output of a dedicated HD camcorder (albeit with more limited controls). Now we have a third alternative, the Rebel T1i, the least expensive option to date at $799.99 for the body alone, which shoots 1080p video at 20 frames per second, or 720p at 30 frames per second.

Of course, standard-definition video shooting is also supported, at 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second. You can also grab a still, in JPEG or RAW format, while shooting video, though it will momentarily interrupt the recording.. Unlike the Canon 50D Mark II, the T1i doesn't offer a plug for connecting an external mic, though it does record sound with a built-in microphone on the front of the camera.

Video is recorded in H.264 format, and stored in .MOV files.

We find the 20 frame per second rate for full 1080p video problematic. You can get by with it if there's not much action in your video, but if your subjects have the unmitigated gall to start running, or you decide that a nice panning movement would fulfill your artistic aspirations, that slow frame rate is likely to create visible flaws. This can be seen in the sample video below, shot at 1080p resolution while hand-holding the camera. Sample images have been taken with a Beta (Pre-production) unit of the EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera. Video quality may well improve between our test drive and the shipment of actual production units in May. Also note that the resolution of the YouTube stream doesn't match the original 1080p video, though the following will give you a rough idea of our experience with the camera.

Click here for large HD version

We also shot two flags waving in the breeze, at 1080p, without moving the camera. Results here appear smooth, with little problem capturing the action.

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For comparison purposes, we shot the same flags in the 720p mode, at 30 frames per second. We're not seeing a huge amount of visual quality difference between the two, though the straight edges are a bit less crisp in the lower-res version.

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Finally, we trundled over to a nearby construction site and caught the action (one guy working, several guys watching) at 720p. The video capture is very smooth in the sample below, and while the exposure is not ideal, we were in a hurry and didn't get around to fiddling with manual adjustments. One of the advantages of shooting video with an SLR is the ability to use the camera's image control settings to fine-tune the results.

Click here for large HD version

Like the Nikon D90 and the Canon 5D Mark II, autofocus is an issue when shooting video. You shoot video in Live View mode, using the contrast-detection autofocus system. This means you have to autofocus by pressing the AF button before you start shooting, and can't adjust focus as your subject moves through the frame. Well, you could theoretically use manual focus to make adjustments on the fly, but that would require far more manual dexterity than we expect to find in mere mortals. So far the only company that claims to have licked this problem is Panasonic, with the Lumix GH1 video-enabled Micro Four Thirds camera they announced at PMA. They say it will be able to autofocus while shooting, without making noise that would be captured on your video soundtrack. We hope it's true but, for now, we have only a promise, without a ship date or even a price for the camera.

We ran into one pre-production glitch while testing the T1i video mode: while Canon says you'll be able to keep shooting continuously until the memory card fills, we kept filling the camera buffer and having video shooting stop until the file was stored to SD card. The card itself was a fast Class 6 spec SDHC from a respected manufacturer, so that doesn't explain the hitch. We reiterate, though, that this was a pre-production version of the camera, and expect this problem to be ironed out before actual units leave the factory.

Drive/Burst Mode

Canon claims the T1i will shoot at a rate of 3.4 frames per second in burst mode, up to 170 continuous JPEG images or 9 RAW files.

Playback Mode

The screen display can be enlarged up to 10x during playback. Zooming in the other direction brings up four-thumbnail and nine-thumbnail screens.

Pressing the DISP button toggles between three display modes in playback mode. The first is a clean screen with only the image number and size overlaid, the second shows a thumbnail image of the photo in the top right, extensive shooting information at the bottom of the screen, and a luminance histogram in  the upper right. A third press of DISP provides a less on-screen text info, but adds an RGB histogram along with the luminance graph.

The playback mode display offers four options.

When viewing videos, you can choose standard or slow motion playback, jump tot he first or last frame, advance or go backward frame by frame, and adjust sound volume.

Custom Image Presets

There are six custom presets, all available directly from the mode dial, and all pretty basic stuff. These include portrait, landscape, macro, sports, night portrait and a flash-prohibited mode, which is really more of a setting than a custom mode.

Design & Layout	Page 6 of 9		Controls
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