Canon EOS Rebel T1i

	Introduction
Canon has followed up its first video-enabled SLR, the $2700 5D Mark II, with this sub-$1000 model that goes head-to-head against the Nikon D5000. The T1i has the flyweight physique we expect from the Rebel line, but the specs have some heft, including 15-megapixel stills and video in full 1080p HD (versus Nikon's lower-res 720p mode). You might expect Canon, with its camcorder expertise, would outperform video newcomer Nikon. We put this to the test, as the experts from CamcorderInfo.com put the T1i through its video paces and we give still performance our usual scrupulous analysis.
Exclusive - Video testing on the Canon Rebel T1i is provided by CamcorderInfo.com, the world leader in camcorder and video reviewing.
		Page 1 of 21	Product Tour

 

Section		The Good	The Bad
	Product Tour	Compact and easy to transport	Small size requires many buttons to serve multiple purposes
	Color	Very accurate color, especially greens	Mediocre long exposure result
	Noise	Good extended ISO range	Slightly higher than average noise levels
	Resolution	Acceptable distortion and chromatic aberration	Very low sharpness, mediocre dynamic range
	White Balance	Fine tuning of white balance presets available	Slightly worse than average white balance capabilities
	Playback	PictBridge support is surprisingly full-featured	Very few in-camera editing tools
	Hardware	920,000-dot LCD, proximity sensor next to viewfinder	Limited flash controls
	Controls	Plenty of shooting modes, easy for beginners	Narrow exposure compensation range
	Design & Handling	High resolution and clear menu system	Poorly laid out manual
Video Section		The Good	The Bad
	Video: Color & Noise	Poorly laid out manual	Color accuracy was only average
	Video: Motion & Sharpness	1920 x 1080 footage is very sharp	Only records at 20 frames per second in 1920 x 1080 resolution
	Video: Low Light Performance	Colors are accurate and strong	Terrible low light sensitivity, image is dark
	Video Features	Good interface for making adjustments in video mode	Aperture, shutter speed and ISO cannot be controlled in video mode

[page title="Product Tour"]

	Product Tour Summary
• Lack of body space requires many buttons to have multiple uses • Small and easy to carry • Slightly larger and heavier than the Rebel XS
	Introduction	Page 2 of 21	Color

Front

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		Red-eye reduction/ self-timer lamp
				Microphone
Remote control sensor
					Lens release button

 

Back

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LCD-off sensor

Exposure compensation

Display

Diopter adjustor

AE lock/ zoom out in playback

AF point select/ magnify

Menu

Speaker

Live view/ movie record

Access lamp

920,000-dot LCD

Playback

Delete

•White balance/up •autofocus mode/right •color mode/down •burst and timer/left •set button

 

Sides

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	Flash button
			Ports cover		Memory card cover

 

Bottom

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	Battery compartment		Lens-centered tripod mount

 

Top

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Built-in flash

Shutter button

Control dial

ISO

Power switch

Mode dial

Flash hot shoe

 

Size Comparisons

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Front
Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Price: $899.99 (w/ 18-55mm IS lens)	Price: $599.99 (w/ 18-55mm lens)	Price: $849.95 (w/ 18-55mm VR lens)	Price: $999 (body only)	Price: $599.95 (w/ 18-55mm lens, flash)
Back
Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Width: 5.1 in/129.1mm	Width: 4.96 in/126.1mm	Width: 5.0 in/127mm	Width: 5.8 in/147mm	Width: 4.8 in/122mm
Top
Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Depth: 3.1 in/77.9mm	Depth: 2.4 in/ 61.9mm	Depth: 3.1 in/80mm	Depth: 3 in/77mm	Depth: 2.7 in/67 mm
Left
Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Height: 3.9 in/98.9mm	Height: 3.8 in/97.5mm	Height: 4.1 in/104mm	Height: 4.1 in/103mm	Height: 3.6 in/91mm
Right
Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Weight: 16.9 oz/480g	Weight: 15.9 oz./ 450g	Weight: 19.8 oz/560g	Weight: 22 oz./620g	Weight: 18.5 oz/ 524g
Bottom
Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000

The T1i is part of Canon's extremely successful Rebel line of entry-level cameras, and the first Rebel to offer video capabilities. For comparison models, we've chosen the lowest priced Rebel model (the XS), Nikon's new sub-$1000 SLR with video recording (the D5000), the slightly higher end Nikon D90 (which also has video recording capability), and the inexpensive Pentax K2000. These four cameras give a good cross-section of the current market for consumer SLRs, with varying levels of functionality.

In the Box

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• EOS Rebel T1i Body
• EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
• Eyecup Ef
• C. Wide Strap EW-100DBIII
• USB Interface Cable IFC-200U
• AV Cable AVC-DC400
• Battery Pack LP-E5
• Battery Charger LC-E
• EOS Digital Solution Disk and Instruction Manuals
• "Great Photography is Easy" Booklet and "Do More with Macro" Booklet

[page title="Color"]

	Color Summary
• Good color accuracy • Decent customization of Picture Styles • Slightly sub-par long exposure performance
	Product Tour	Page 3 of 21	Noise

Color Accuracy (15.56)

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The Canon Rebel T1i was very accurate, especially with greens, oranges and flesh tones. Canon cameras in general tend to have excellent color reproduction, and the T1i is no exception, scoring above every camera in our comparison group except the Rebel XS.

To test color accuracy, we first determine which is the most accurate of the camera's color modes (in this case, Faithful), and then photograph the X-Rite ColorChecker chart under fixed 3000 lux illumination. We then run analyses on these pictures using Imatest software, which measures the recorded photo's variance from the known colors of the chart. Keep in mind that this test isn't looking at the most dynamic or exciting color, but rather which is the closest to the actual values. Click here for more on how we test color.

 

 

	Camera Color Comparisons
	Ideal	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

Color Score Comparison

The T1i outperformed all the other camera in the group bar the Rebel XS (though only barely pipping the Nikons). In Faithful shooting mode, you can expect images that have color very close to what you saw through the viewfinder, with realistic hue and saturation.

 

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

Color Modes (4.00)

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The T1i has five "Picture Styles" (Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral and Faithful) as well as monochrome, and three user definable settings. The customized entries are controlled by taking a supplied Picture Style and altering its settings for sharpness, contrast, saturation and color tone (this last one will make skin tones more red or yellow along an axis). If the custom setting is based off monochrome, the saturation and color tone can't be altered, but instead filter effect and toning effects can be added. The filter effects mimic adding a colored filter film (yellow, orange, red or green) to black and white and toning effects add a color wash to the image (sepia, blue, purple or green).

Of the color modes, Standard was slightly oversaturated, and was quite inaccurate in reproducing pinks and red, though blues and greens came out well. Portrait was significantly oversaturated, and was far from the known values for dark greens and reds. Landscape mode exaggerated blues and reds massively, and produced noticeable changes in oranges and greens in an effort to to make exciting skies and foliage. Neutral and Faithful were both very close to the ideal color values, though neutral was slightly less accurate on pinks and reds.

 

	Color Mode Comparisons
	Ideal	Standard	Portrait	Landscape	Neutral	Faithful
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Standard	Portrait	Landscape	Neutral	Faithful
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Standard	Portrait	Landscape	Neutral	Faithful
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Standard	Portrait	Landscape	Neutral	Faithful
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Standard	Portrait	Landscape	Neutral	Faithful
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Standard	Portrait	Landscape	Neutral	Faithful
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

Long Exposure (10.42)

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The long exposure test looks at both color accuracy and image noise at reduced light levels. The T1i performed slightly below average in this category, only beating the Pentax K2000, which had really struggled on this test.

This test looks at color accuracy and image noise at light levels of 20 lux or below, at exposures ranging from one to 30 seconds. We also compare how these factors are influenced by long exposure noise reduction. This feature takes a second exposure after the first, but with the lens shut, then takes the noise data from the second and subtracts it from the first. In our experience, it does almost nothing. Click here for more on how we test long exposure.

Canon Rebel T1i Long Exposure Color Error

The graph above shows the color error across the shutter speeds, so a smaller line is better. The T1i struggles a little here, especially towards the 10 and 15 second margin. The noise reduction doesn't have much of an effect.

Canon Rebel T1i Long Exposure Noise

The noise levels stay a hair below one percent in this test, once again a little poorer than most other cameras in our test group, but not horrible. The noise reduction system actually boosted measured image noise at most shutter speeds, and doubles the amount of time it takes to shoot a photo. The chart below shows that the T1i scored lower than most other cameras, but by a relatively small margin.

Long Exposure Score Comparison

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

[page title="Noise"]

	Noise Summary
• Noise on the high side when not using Noise Reduction • Green and yellow noise lower than other types • Extended ISO range of 100 to 12800, an impressive spread
	Color	Page 4 of 21	Resolution

Noise (6.54)

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The noise levels on the Rebel T1i were a little higher than most cameras. It wasn't very bad, but obviously squeezing 15-megapixels into the sensor have raised the noise levels a bit, putting it a touch worse than the Rebel XS and Nikon D90, but slightly better than the Pentax K2000. Turning on noise reduction mitigated this problem a little, but at the cost of losing a bit of image sharpness.

The noise test involves shooting the X-Rite ColorChecker chart at every available ISO that isn't part of the "extended range". From these images we calculate the amount of noise at each level of noise reduction using Imatest software. Click here for more on how we test noise.

 

Noise Reduction Level Comparison

With noise reduction turned off, the noise levels were a bit on the high side, hitting just over 2% at ISO 3200, though this is brought down to 1% if you crank the noise reduction all the way up. If any level of noise reduction is used, the noise is kept below 1% up to ISO 800, which is respectable.

Color & Luma Noise

The graph above shows the different levels of noise between red, green, blue and luma (gray). Usually, these are very tightly grouped together; the T1i is unusual in having lower yellow and green noise levels than other types.

Noise Reduction Off Comparison

The noise levels on the T1i ran a little higher than most others with the noise reduction turned off, especially above ISO 1600, where it ran above all the comparison cameras. Below 1600, that honor went to the Pentax K2000's, with the T1i in second.

Noise Reduction Maximum Comparison

Once the noise reduction filter was set to its highest level, the T1i effectively reduced its noise levels to the point where it was lower than most other cameras. However, our scoring is based on overall performance, resulting in a ranking slightly below the competition.

Noise Score Comparison

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

ISO (6.00)

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The official ISO range on the Rebel T1i runs from 100 to 3200, but has an extended range that reaches up to ISO 12,800.

In the table below are same-size crops taken from still life photos shot with each of the comparison cameras at all standard ISO settings.

 

	ISO Examples
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 100
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 200
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 400
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 800
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 1600
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 3200
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 6400
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 12800

NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.


[page title="Resolution"]

	Resolution Summary
• Surprisingly poor sharpness • Acceptable levels of chromatic aberration and distortion • Low dynamic range, especially above ISO 200 • Image stabilization varies in its effectiveness
	Noise	Page 5 of 21	White Balance

Resolution (5.83)

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The Rebel T1i surprised us by scoring very poorly on our resolution test, specifically in terms of sharpness. Yet even after testing multiple bodies and lenses, the inescapable fact appeared that images taken with the Rebel T1i are much softer than they should be. To test this accurately, we photograph a resolution chart at three focal lengths, with three apertures at each distance. From these photos, we ascertain image sharpness and chromatic aberration across nine areas of the lens, as well as distortion. Click here for more on how we test resolution.

Distortion
The distortion wasn't bad for this lens, floating below half a percent pin-cushioning at 37mm and 55mm. At 18mm it was significantly more noticeable, and a little on the high side at 2.8% barreling.

We were disappointed by the T1i's sharpness performance, across the entire gamut of focal lengths and apertures. Where most cameras will have a maximum line widths per picture height result of over 1500, the T1i peaked at 1360, with an average of only 868 line widths, and a minimum of around 550. This is much lower than we normally see. We suspected the poor results might be due to a hardware problem and asked Canon to supply us with a second camera that the company had tested to insure it was performing up to spec. In our retesting, though, the sharpness results didn’t improve.

The chromatic aberration wasn't bad though, generally on par with what we see on most inexpensive kit lenses.

	Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration
	f/3.5			f/9			f/22
18mm

At 18mm, the lens was at its sharpest, dead center with an aperture of f/3.5, though f/9 wasn't bad either. At this focal length, the sharpness tends to drop off the further from the center of the lens we tested. We saw the maximum chromatic aberration at this focal length at f/3.5, which was significantly higher than at any other setting. This patch of trouble occurred midway between the center and edge of the lens.

	Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration
	f/4.5			f/11			f/29
37mm

At 37mm, f/29 the image is decidedly on the soft side, never topping 700 line widths per picture height, but as the aperture opens, the overall sharpness improves. At this focal length the chromatic aberration isn't too bad;  again, the f/29 setting causes the most trouble.

	Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration
	f/5.6			f/14			f/36
55mm

Once at the widest focal length, the really narrow apertures (in this case f/36) produce the absolute lowest sharpness we've seen, bottoming at a miserable 540 line widths per picture height. At this focal length, the chromatic aberration results are some of the lowest seen on this camera.

Resolution Score Comparison

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

Picture Quality & Size Options (8.75)

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The T1i can shoot images in RAW, JPEG or both. JPEGs can be set to high or low quality settings in the three sizes listed below.

Image Size Options
Large	4752x3168
Medium	3456x2304
Small	2352x1568

 

Dynamic Range (5.65)

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The T1i was decidedly lackluster in the dynamic range test, showing a marked decline after ISO 200, which gave it the lowest score among our comparison cameras. Dynamic range is a measure of a camera's ability to capture detail in both bright and dark areas of the same photo, so that detail is not lost into the shadows.

We test dynamic range by photographing a Kodak Stepchart at all available ISOs, and use Imatest to analyze the range of gray steps the camera captures. Click here for more on how we test dynamic range.

 

Dynamic Range

The Rebel T1i had a dynamic range of nearly seven stops at ISOs 100 and 200, but then it dropped off rapidly at the higher sensitivities.

Dynamic Range Comparison

Compared to other cameras at ISO 200, the T1i did worse than any of the others except the Pentax K2000, which in turn performed much better at higher ISOs. Overall, this is a disappointing result, and rightly puts the T1i at the bottom of the pack for this test.

Dynamic Range Score Comparison

The Rebel T1i has a d-range optimizer function called "Highlight Tone Priority"which will improve dynamic range, but may result in higher image noise.

 

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

Image Stabilization (6.62)

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The T1i uses lens-based image stabilization, and shooting with the 18-55mm kit lens, we experienced mixed results. When it improved the resolution of captured photos it did so quite well, but is was a bit of a crapshoot as to when it that improvement would take place. Also, the T1i's overall sharpness problem meant that a relatively minor improvement resulting from image stabilization could be interpreted as a significant percentage improvement in our testing.

To test the capabilities of the image stabilization system, we shoot a slanted-line target at a number of shutter speeds, with Image Stabilization on and off, testing separately for horizontal and vertical stabilization. Our specially designed rig has two levels of vibration, a high shake setting that approximates the shake you’d find when shooting with one hand or when moving, and the low shake setting that’s close to what you would experience when standing still and holding the camera securely. Click here for more on how we test image stabilization.

Canon Rebel T1i Image Stabilization: Low Shake
Horizontal: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed	Vertical: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed

The charts above show the effectiveness of stabilization at our lower shake speed. While horizontally, it generally seems that the stabilization system will improve results, if only slightly, vertically the stabilization makes matters worse up until 1/15 of a second, where it produced a huge improvement.

Canon Rebel T1i Image Stabilization: High Shake
Horizontal: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed	Vertical: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed

At the higher shake speeds, image stabilization seems slightly more effective horizontally, though not at really high shutter speeds. Vertically the results are mixed, but stabilization never makes a huge difference one way or the other.

We only have stabilization data for two of the four comparison cameras, which are listed below. The T1i scores comparatively well in this section, but this is in part due to the relatively large percentage jump a small improvement produces when the top resolution is low to begin with, which is the case here.

Image Stabilization Score Comparison

The crops below show the affect of the stabilization at various shutter speeds and shake levels.

	Image Stabilization Comparison Table
	Low Shake IS Off	Low Shake IS On	High Shake IS Off	High Shake IS On
1/500
1/250
1/125
1/60
1/30
1/15
1/8

[page title="White Balance"]

	White Balance Summary
• Below average performance on both automatic and manual white balance • Especially inaccurate with automatic incandescent white balancing • Good preset adjustment controls
	Resolution	Page 6 of 21	Sample Photos

White Balance (8.64)

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In white balance accuracy, the T1i performed below expectations, both in automatic and custom modes. The camera's automatic WB performance was hindered by significant trouble handling incandescent illumination, and with custom white balance, it didn't measure up to our high expectations for this feature.

We test white balance using the X-Rite Judge II, a device that produces light of the same color temperature as sunlight, compact white fluorescent bulbs and incandescent/tungsten bulbs. We photograph the X-Rite ColorChecker chart under these light sources using both automatic and custom white balance settings, and measure the deviance from pure white/gray. Click here for more on how we test white balance.

 

Automatic White Balance (10.12)
All cameras struggle with incandescent light sources, but the Rebel T1i seems to do have more trouble than most. It accurately adjusted for compact white fluorescent and dealt with daylight well enough, but the poor handling of incandescent illumination dragged down its score in this section.

Auto White Balance

Compared to other tested cameras, the T1i was  cooler than most with daylight illumination, leaving a slight blue shift in the image.

Auto Daylight White Balance Performance Comparison

Even though all white balance systems struggle with incandescent light sources, the T1i was especially bad, with a color error of over 2800K.

Auto Incandescent White Balance Performance Comparison

Dealing with a compact white fluorescent bulb, the Rebel T1i handled marginally better, but cooler than most.

Auto Fluorescent White Balance Performance Comparison

 

Custom White Balance (7.16)
Taking a reading off a gray card allows for much greater white balance accuracy,  so we score much more aggressively in this section, demanding a high degree of color accuracy.

Canon Rebel T1i Custom White Balance

The T1i was surprisingly inaccurate in its custom white balance performance. While only a demanding photographer is likely to notice the difference, other tested cameras, even those sold at lower prices, deliver significantly more accurate results.

White Balance Score Comparison

Overall, the T1i scored poorly in this test, as trouble with incandescent dragged down the automatic white balance results, and custom white balance was not as accurate as competing models.

 

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

White Balance Settings (7.25)

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White Balance Types
Display	Mode	Color Temperature
	Daylight	5200K
	Shade	7000K
	Cloudy	6000K
	Tungsten	3200K
	White fluorescent	4000K
	Flash	Unknown
	Custom	n/a
	Auto	n/a

Canon uses a cumbersome custom white balance system that requires you to take a reading from a stored image, instead of directly from a white or gray card.

The white balance presets can be adjusted along both amber/blue and green/magenta axes, in ±9 steps in each direction. Each step is the equivalent of five mireds (a unit that measures shift in color temperature).

The camera can bracket white balance along either amber/blue or green/magenta axes, with ±1, ±2 or ±3 steps over three shots.

[page title="Sample Photos"]

	Sample Photos Summary
• Softness is visible at 100% crops • Some chromatic aberration issues • Very good macro results • Videos have some artifacting troubles away from the center of the lens
	White Balance	Page 7 of 21	Playback

Sample Photos

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Landscape Example
				Focal length: 28mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/125 ISO: 400 Evaluative metering, landscape Picture Style, taken on an overcast day.
				The falls at Niagara show the T1i's capabilities for landscapes, and the detail shown in the image. The details on this shot look quite soft, which is a consistent problem with the T1i.

 

Macro Example
				Focal length: 21mm Aperture: f/4 Shutter: 1/200 ISO: 400 Spot metering, aperture priority mode, using landscape Picture Style to emphasize the colors.
				We were very impressed with the color and gradation shown in the macro photographs of these flowers.

 

High Contrast Example
				Focal length: 27mm Aperture: f/4 Shutter: 1/1600 ISO: 400 We metered off the sky in order to deliberately under-expose the tree, and make it stand as stark contrast to the sky and mist. Shot using partial metering, though spot metering would have been more appropriate.
				The dynamic range of the camera is good enough to capture some detail of the leaves in this shot, but not a huge amount. A small amount of noise is also visible.

 

Low Light Example
				Focal length: 42mm Aperture: f/5 Shutter: 1/50 ISO: 12800 Shot in aperture priority mode, at the widest available aperture and maximum ISO to maintain an adequate shutter speed for a handheld shot. Shot without noise reduction, which would have helped with image noise, but reduced sharpness.
				By ratcheting the ISO up to 12800, we were able to get a relatively sharp hand-held shot, but with a significant amount of noise

 

Wildlife Example
				Focal length: 55mm Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter: 1/500 ISO: 100 Shot at the maximum aperture for the fully zoomed kit lens. Even though this was shot Landscape Picture Style, which sharpens the image, the resulting photo is still quite soft.
				The wide aperture meant that we lost detail on the birds, but it was required to keep the shutter speed high.

 

Signage Example
				Focal length: 28mm Aperture: f/7.1 Shutter: 1/100 ISO: 100 Auto white balance dealt with the natural daylight quite well, but partial metering off the dark sign meant that the brick wall is slightly over-exposed.
				Under bright illumination, the copper coloration comes out very well, though details are a little on the fuzzy side.

 

Movie Example
				This video was taken at Niagara Falls, and shows some of the strengths and weaknesses of the camera. While the center of the frame is very sharp, there is significant artifacting in the lower right corner, and along the skyline.

 

Still Life Examples

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The following images are from our Still Life, and can be clicked on for larger versions in a new window, though this may take some time to load due to image size. These show the performances at the extended ISO range for each camera, and the noise levels you are likely to see.

	Still Life Comparisons
	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D5000	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200