4.5Canon gave us hands-on access to a pre-release version of the Rebel T1i, the first SLR priced below $1000 to offer high-definition video recording. In a rare move, they even agreed to let us share some sample photos and videos with you (with the understanding that the quality may be different when the final camera ships). The T1i is a close cousin to the Rebel XS and XSi, with a small, lightweight body and a nice mix of basic and advanced features, but the T1i boasts significantly improved resolution specs for images (15.1 megapixels) and LCD screen (920,000 dots), Overall, we found this well-designed newcomer easy to like. Here's why.
The following sample photos were shot with a pre-production sample of the T1i, and there could be signfiicant image quality differences in the final shipping camera. Still, these shots do provide an indication of what we can expect. Clicking on any of the large photos below will call up the full-size original,. Beneath each image is a set of actual pixel-size crops.
This was shot at the Sands Point Preserve on Long Island on an overcast day with the camera set to Program mode,auto white balance and evaluative metering.
Sample images have been taken with a Beta (Pre-production) unit of the EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera.
The details of the stone structure are captured nicely, though there is some color fringing at the corners of the lens, as shown in the rightmost crop.
Close-Up Sample
Focal Length: 20mm
Aperture: f/4
Shutter: 1/40 sec.
ISO: 400
These flowers were shot under fluorescent lights using the automatic white balance setting; the camera handled the challegne very effectively, delivering accurate colors. But are the flowers live or fake? See the images below.
Sample images have been taken with a Beta (Pre-production) unit of the EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera.
These actual-pixel close-ups , taken handheld at ISO 400, reveal the fabric texture nicely.
High-ISO Sample
Focal Length: 33mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/80 sec.
ISO: 1600
This Mexican mask was shot in a room with a mixture of fluorescent and daylight illumination, with the ISO speed pushed to 1600 to get an initial impression of the camera's image noise performance.
Sample images have been taken with a Beta (Pre-production) unit of the EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera.
There is some minor visible noise in the shadows of the third image and red lips in the fourth, but overall this is a promising outcome.
We couldn't find any ducks outdoors so we brought our own and photographed them under a mixture of fluorescent and daylight illumination (through a conference-room window).
Sample images have been taken with a Beta (Pre-production) unit of the EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera.
In addition to a nice level of detail among the ducks who are in focus, we were pleased with the nice clean white and accurate colors captured here.
Peering in through a window a the Sands Point Preserve we found a scene with a wide variety of textures, from the crinkled plastic film behind the window to book pages, stone walls and a wooden bench.
Sample images have been taken with a Beta (Pre-production) unit of the EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera.
The left crop shows the fine pattern of the window screen at the top right of the photo, the next over book pages, the third a metal fastener int he stone, and finally a wooden surface.