Canon Digital Rebel XT (silver)
Manufacturer: Canon Part number: 0206B001
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is an exceptionally small and lightweight camera designed for amateur digital SLR photographers, but it delivers the responsiveness and image quality you'd expect from a semipro model.
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CNET editors' review
Canon Digital Rebel XT (silver) price range: $499.99
- Reviewed by: Michael Shapiro
- Edited by: Aimee Baldridge
- Reviewed on: 05/04/2005
- Released on: 03/15/2005
The good: The Canon Digital Rebel XT's image quality leads its class; competitive price; ultrafast start-up time; very responsive.
The bad: The Canon Rebel XT's lightweight plastic body isn't ergonomically satisfying; no spot meter; limited continuous-shooting mode, unimpressive kit lens; 1.6X lens-conversion factor.
The bottom line: The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is an exceptionally small and lightweight camera designed for amateur digital SLR photographers, but it delivers the responsiveness and image quality you'd expect from a semipro model.
The all-plastic Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is extremely lightweight for an SLR. Without a lens, it weighs only about 17 ounces. It also comes in your choice of a traditional matte-black or brushed-silver finish. The body is quite small, too, about a half-inch narrower than the Digital Rebel's. The only dSLR that's more compact is Pentax's *ist DS.
While the camera's size and weight make it wonderfully portable for travel, we found it a little uncomfortable for prolonged shooting. The hard plastic and only slightly textured grip aren't ergonomically designed for average-size hands, and the limited real estate makes it too easy to accidentally trip buttons while shooting. That's particularly true of the autoexposure-lock button on the upper-right side of the camera back, which sits where your thumb needs to be to keep the camera balanced. These quirks become much more noticeable when you're using a Canon EF-mount lens other than the very lightweight zoom included in the kit.
Most controls are laid out well. There isn't enough space on top of the camera to display camera status, but a status readout appears above the rear LCD monitor. The power switch is secure and out of the way alongside the top command dial, which is logically labeled with standard exposure abbreviations and six scene-mode icons (although one of those "scenes" is Flash Off, the only flash adjustment you can make without menu surfing). On the back, there's a pad of four-way directional buttons designed to enable quick adjustments of ISO, autofocus, white balance, and metering mode. While you must make these adjustments within the LCD menu system, pushing the buttons brings you directly to them. The control dial located on top of the grip primarily changes aperture, shutter speed, and when used in tandem with a button on the back, exposure compensation.
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT loosens a number of the restrictions that bound Digital Rebel shooters. It offers more flexibility with respect to metering mode, with easily selectable evaluative, partial, or center-weighted average metering (but still no spot metering). There are also more options with flash-exposure control and autofocus selection via the One Shot, AI Servo, and AI Focus modes.
The XT can simultaneously record raw and high-quality JPEG files, whereas the original Rebel's raw-plus-JPEG mode could capture only lower-quality JPEGs. You can also override the automatic seven-point AiAF focusing--a good thing, given its occasional unreliability--but doing so requires first pushing a button to initialize the process, then navigating to one of the seven points using either the directional buttons or the main dial. It's a little clunky, but you can actually streamline the process by changing the camera's custom settings to eliminate the first step.
Shooting choices include the four basic exposure modes, a depth-of-field priority mode, a fully automatic mode, and six scene options: Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, and Flash Off. The XT provides color-space options of either Adobe RGB or the default sRGB. It also allows tinkering with sharpness, contrast, and color through the menu's Parameter settings. A black-and-white mode has trickled down from Canon's EOS 20D as well. This camera also features adjustable white-balance bracketing and exposure bracketing. As with its predecessor and similarly priced "advanced amateur" dSLR models, the Rebel XT offers a maximum ISO of 1,600; it can't capture TIFF files, and it doesn't allow the white balance to be set according to color temperature. Nine custom settings allow you to control such parameters as flash-sync speed (to 1/200 second), exposure-level increments (from 1/3-stop to 1/2-stop), and shutter-curtain sync (first- and second-curtain flash sync).
Along with other software, the Rebel XT comes with Canon's excellent Digital Photo Professional 1.6 program for raw file processing. It also supports Canon's sophisticated E-TTLII external-flash system and is compatible with an optional vertical grip that adds more battery power and a second shutter release. For wireless multiple-flash support, you'll have to purchase an accessory transmitter--one respect in which this camera falls short of Nikon's D70 and D70s.
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT continues the trend of increasing zippiness in consumer-grade dSLR models. Particularly impressive is its nearly instantaneous start-up time. In our tests, we fired up the camera and took a shot in only 0.2 second. The shutter lag was a miniscule 0.2 second at its slowest--this is a very responsive camera. We clocked a shot-to-shot time of just 0.4 second when shooting raw files and slightly less when shooting only high-resolution, low-compression JPEGs.
Less impressive was the camera's continuous-shooting speed, which in our tests for JPEGs scored a little less than the 3 frames per second (fps) claimed by Canon, for only 10 frames, compared with Canon's claim of 14. Interestingly enough, the rate was closer to 4fps when shooting raw files, but the buffer filled after only 5 shots. This is one key area in which Canon obviously seeks to maintain distance between the capabilities of the consumer Rebel XT and those of the semipro EOS 20D, which retails for approximately $600 more.
The XT's viewfinder provides 95 percent coverage, which is typical for its class, and it's sufficiently clear and bright. Its 1.8-inch LCD is also sharp and bright, though it can still be challenging to read in open sunlight.
The Rebel XT runs on Canon's diminutive NB-2LH lithium-ion battery pack, which is the same one used by point-and-shoots such as the PowerShot S60. That explains, in part, the XT's smaller, lighter form factor (the previous Digital Rebel used the larger BP-511A battery). It also speaks to the power efficiencies of the Digic II processor. The XT was good for more than 1,100 frames of real-world shooting with moderate flash use before the low-battery indicator appeared.
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT makes gloriously detailed 8-megapixel images and offers unsurpassed image quality for a consumer dSLR. That said, a comparison of output shot with the EF-S 18mm-to-55mm f/3.5-to-f/5.6 zoom lens included with the kit and Canon's fantastic EF 24mm-to-70mm f/2.8 zoom (which retails for more than the XT itself) reveals the limitations of the kit lens. The former's output was prone to softness at telephoto settings, slight barrel distortion at the 18mm end, and fringing around backlit borders. While these flaws were relatively minor, the output of the big-money lens revealed just what the Rebel XT is capable of: tack-sharp images with a superior tonal range and extraordinary detail from shadows to highlights. For those reasons, we'd recommend buying the XT body without the kit lens and investing in even moderately better glass; the XT is capable of so much more.
But even with the shortcomings of the kit lens, image quality is impressive. Colors are saturated and generally natural, although the automatic white balance tends toward warm and yellowish in some situations. We recommend shooting raw files for the best quality and so that you can make white-balance adjustments after shooting if necessary. Noise levels are remarkably low and barely noticeable at ISO settings less than 1,600. Even at 1,600, we found the noise to be very manageable. If you shoot long exposures, you can also turn on Canon's noise-reduction filter through the custom settings.
User reviews
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Just Got It Special Order And WOW
by awesomeperson on March 21, 2005
Pros: Superb image quality, unbeatable form-factor, loaded with every neccissary feature, perfect, sub-insane price
Cons: Occaisional auto-focus mistakes
Summary: I just got it special order and WOW. Please trust me it is perfect in every way but one. It occaisionally doesnt properly auto-focus. However this may later be resolved, ...
Summary: I just got it special order and WOW. Please trust me it is perfect in every way but one. It occaisionally doesnt properly auto-focus. However this may later be resolved, it may be due to my error, and besides, auto focus is for lame people! I much prefer manual focus. Anyways, get this camera, take it from a pro, its really the best.
Updated
WHEN WILL CNET REVIEW THE REBEL XT
Its been out for a while and id like a full review!!!!14 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
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good but not good enough
by banana guy on October 10, 2005
Pros: blazing fast, small
Cons: image quality isn't good as you think, somewhat machine like camera
Summary: Got this as a gift and I liked the speed alot. But when I zoomed in a pic on my PC, the quality wasn't good. It looks like a ...
Summary: Got this as a gift and I liked the speed alot. But when I zoomed in a pic on my PC, the quality wasn't good. It looks like a 3 megapixel pic instead of a 8. I returned this and got the Evolt and was happy. The evolt had the best images i seen and it had a simpler menu and was dust-free. If you want the best speed possible, The XT is the best one out there, but for good images, you just can't beet the Evolt.
(I reserched a lot of cameras by the way)-Canon rebel, XT, Pentax *ist Ds, Nikon D50, D70s, Minolta's 7D, EOS 20D, and on and on and on...4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I returned it
by jplattet on August 18, 2006
Pros: No shutter lag, intuitive controls.
Cons: Poor photo quality, poor auto focus, manual focus prro, too.
Summary: Yes, I know someone's probably going to say that's the function of the lens(es) and all that, and that's true to a degree, but when the ...
Summary: Yes, I know someone's probably going to say that's the function of the lens(es) and all that, and that's true to a degree, but when the photos are no better than a 2 year old Kodak DX7590 something's wrong with this picture (pun intended).
It's just not worth the money. A person's beter off to spend, say, $400-$500 and just get one of the better standard models, or maybe spend $2 Grand and get a real professional camera.
It was a bad choice on my part, but you know what they say, "stuff" happens....1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Worth Every Dollar
by zippo on August 15, 2005
Pros: Easy manipulation of controls.
Cons: None encountered yet. Well extra lenses are pricy.
Summary: Super easy to adjust from regular 35mm SLR. I expirimented with friends Nikon, Minoltas' 6-8meg cameras which were less than a year old, and tried the Rebel XT last. The ...
Summary: Super easy to adjust from regular 35mm SLR. I expirimented with friends Nikon, Minoltas' 6-8meg cameras which were less than a year old, and tried the Rebel XT last. The best was last. Ease of operation is top notch. Anyone with just a little camera knowledge can adapt to the choices. Do yourself a favor and purchase lens filters, the bottom hand grip, and wireless remote. Basic extras you will appreciate. Oh yeh, get the hand strap and a 2G card. Click away!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great!!!!!!!!!
by Minnie35 on September 8, 2005
Pros: Fun to use and gives great pics.
Cons: takes a bit of learning for all of the features
Summary: I love it!
Summary: I love it!
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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dev test dev test dev test
by cnet_dev on July 27, 2011
Pros: dev test dev test dev test
Cons: dev test dev test dev test
Summary: dev test dev test dev test
Summary: dev test dev test dev test
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Quick startup time, fairly good shots at the highest ISO, Kit lens leaves something to be desired
by radhakrishna.commerce on June 23, 2008
Pros: Image quality is good, Good camera for its price.
Cons: No image stabilization on the kit lens.
Summary: This camera is great for beginners like myself. I get fairly good photos at higher ISO.
As a beginner I would have liked it better if the kit came with ...Summary: This camera is great for beginners like myself. I get fairly good photos at higher ISO.
As a beginner I would have liked it better if the kit came with a booklet that teaches SLR photography, since this is a camera so suitable for SLR. The manual assumes that you are a pro.
When you want to get night shots, I recommed the use of a tripod. The kit lens does not have any image stabilization at all. The slightest shake tends to blur images.
The shots come out excellent.
The LCD is small, but I don't mind since all I do with the display is view image information and check settings.
Overall a good camera. -
Love this camera
by smackey17 on March 22, 2007
Pros: great optics and easy to use
Cons: need to go to the user manual for some functions
Summary: I've been a lifelong Canon user, beginning with an AE-1 back in the 1970s. I've always been impressed with their quality and service. The Digital Rebel continues my ...
Summary: I've been a lifelong Canon user, beginning with an AE-1 back in the 1970s. I've always been impressed with their quality and service. The Digital Rebel continues my satisfaction with this brand. I'm not a pro or even semi-pro photographer, but even in just the point-and-shoot mode I'm able to take excellent photos.
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Great Camera
by jwellman on February 25, 2007
Pros: Lightweight, easy to use, great results
Cons: noisy in low light, Locks up sometimes
Summary: Great camera for semi and professional photographer. You can use it for hours without your hand and arm tiring. When coupled with other products, multiple flash, printers, etc., you have ...
Summary: Great camera for semi and professional photographer. You can use it for hours without your hand and arm tiring. When coupled with other products, multiple flash, printers, etc., you have a great camera at a very good price.
While the camera has a few 'bugs' to it, I have found several ways to overcome them. The noise is easily removed with software. Making final prints are only as good as the photographer, their knowledge of editing software, and the final printing process.
I'll gladly put any of my final prints up against yours to show you it isn't just the camera, it is the entire process from click to pick to make the photograph snap. -
Solid Camera, Good Performer
by BigWorm2005GT on December 27, 2006
Pros: Easy to use, takes great pictures, two years and still going strong
Cons: Pop-up flash starting to malfunction
Summary: This camera has been performing extremely well for almost 2 years now! I've taken thousands of photos, and not one failure in the shutter or focusing mechanism.
However, the ...Summary: This camera has been performing extremely well for almost 2 years now! I've taken thousands of photos, and not one failure in the shutter or focusing mechanism.
However, the pop-up flash is starting to not... well, pop-up. I think some sand got in the mechanism in a recent trip. the wind was whipping up pretty hard, and some sand was blowing around. It will still pop-up, you just have to "help" it by pulling on it a little while it's trying to release.
Other than that, this camera is a flawless performer. No other malfunctions. I would have no problems recommending this camera to anyone.
Highly recommended!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon
- Part number: 0206B001
- Description: For convenience, ease of use and no-compromise SLR performance, look no further than the EOS Digital Rebel XT. Featuring Canon's Digital Trinity - an 8.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor, Canon's own DIGIC II Image Processor and compatibility with over 50 EF Lenses-the new Digital Rebel XT has an all new lightweight and compact body, improved performance across the board and the easiest operation in its class, simplifying complex tasks and ensuring the perfect shot every time. With intuitive simplicity, powerful performance and unprecedented affordability, the Rebel XT is the EOS digital camera for everyone.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - SLR
- Resolution 8 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type CMOS
- Total Pixels 8,200,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 8,000,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 14.8 x 22.2mm
- Image Processor DIGIC II
- Auto Focus TTL phase detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 7
- Image Recording Format JPEG,
RAW,
RAW + JPEG - AV Interfaces Composite video
Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO 1600,
ISO 800,
ISO 100,
ISO 200,
ISO auto (100-400),
ISO 400 - Exposure Metering Partial (9%),
Evaluative,
Center-weighted - Exposure Metering Zones 35
- Exposure Modes E-TTL II program flash,
Program,
Depth-of-field,
Bulb,
Automatic,
Shutter-priority,
Manual,
Aperture-priority - Shooting Programs Sports mode,
Night portrait,
Close-up,
Portrait mode,
Landscape - Special Effects Monotone
- White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Daylight,
Tungsten light,
Shade,
Fluorescent,
Cloudy,
Flash - Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 30 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
- White Balance Bracketing Yes
- X-sync Speed 1/200 sec
- Exposure Range EV 1-20 ( ISO 100 )
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 1.6 nm
- Lens System Mounting Canon EF-S
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Pop-up flash
- Guide Number (m / ISO 100) 13
- Flash Modes Fill-in mode,
Auto mode,
Flash OFF mode,
Red-eye reduction - Features Flash +/- compensation,
AF illuminator - Effective Flash Range 13 mm
Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 3 frames per second
- Self Timer Delay 10 sec
- Flash Terminal Hot shoe
- Status LCD Display Illumination Yes
- Status LCD Display Information Photo quality,
Photos remaining,
Aperture,
Shutter speed,
Frame counter,
Autofocus mode,
Self-timer mode,
White balance indicators,
Red-eye reduction,
Film speed,
Manual focus mode,
Drive mode,
Exposure compensation,
Battery condition,
Flash mode,
Program - Additional Features Display brightness control,
Depth-of-field preview button,
Backlight compensation,
AF lock,
DPOF support,
RGB primary color filter,
FE lock,
AE lock,
Auto power save,
Digital noise reduction,
Histogram display,
Camera orientation detection,
PictBridge support,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Direct print Display
- Type 1.8 in LCD display
- Display Features Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x USB - Memory Card Slot CompactFlash Card
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Optical - Eye-level mirror pentaprism
- Field Coverage 95%
- Magnification 0.8x
- Dioptric Correction Range -3 to +1
- Viewfinder Frames Autofocus frame
- LCD Display Information Exposure compensation,
Shutter speed,
Aperture,
Red-eye reduction,
Flash charge completion,
AE lock,
Exposure mode,
White balance,
Metering system
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows 98 SE,
Apple Mac OS X 10.3,
MS Windows 98,
MS Windows XP,
MS Windows 2000,
Apple Mac OS X 10.2,
Apple Mac OS X 10.1,
Apple Mac OS 9.0 - 9.2,
MS Windows ME - Peripheral Devices USB port,
SVGA monitor,
CD-ROM drive - System Requirements Details Windows 98/98SE/2000/ME - Pentium - 128 MB,
Windows XP - Pentium - 256 MB,
MacOS 9.0 - 9.2 - PowerPC - 128 MB,
MacOS X - PowerPC - 256 MB Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
Video cable,
USB cable,
Dust cap,
Body cap,
Neck strap Software
- Software Canon ZoomBrowser EX,
Canon PhotoStitch,
Canon Digital Photo Professional,
Drivers & Utilities,
ArcSoft PhotoStudio Battery
- Supported Battery Canon NB-2LH
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 720 mAh ( Included )
Memory / Storage
- Supported Memory Cards CompactFlash,
Microdrive - Image Storage RAW 3456 x 2304 - 8.3 MB,
Fine JPEG 3456 x 2304 - 3.3 MB,
Normal JPEG 3456 x 2304 - 1.7 MB,
Fine JPEG 2496 x 1664 - 2 MB,
Normal JPEG 2496 x 1664 - 1 MB,
Fine JPEG 1728 x 1152 - 1.2 MB,
Normal JPEG 1728 x 1152 - 0.6 MB Dimensions & Weight
- Width 3.7 mm
- Depth 5.0 mm
- Height 2.7 mm
- Weight 1.1 lbs
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Product series
-
Canon Digital Rebel XT (silver)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: SLR,
8 megapixels,
Zoom lens - 1.6 nm,
14.8 x 22.2mm,
CMOS -
Canon Digital Rebel XT Body Only (Black)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: SLR,
8 megapixels,
14.8 x 22.2mm,
CMOS -
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (with 18mm-to-55mm lens, Silver)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: SLR,
8 megapixels,
18 mm - 55 mm,
3 x x Zoom lens - F/3.5-5.6 Canon EF-S,
14.8 x 22.2mm,
CMOS -
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18mm-to-55mm lens (black)
Manufacturer: Canon
Specs: SLR,
8 megapixels,
18 mm - 55 mm,
3 x x Zoom lens - F/3.5-5.6 Canon EF-S,
14.8 x 22.2mm,
CMOS
Accessories
- SimpleTech CompactFlash card 512MB
- Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L USM lens
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
- Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens
- Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
- Sandisk Ultra II CompactFlash 1GB
- Speedlite 580EX
- Kingston Elite Pro 4GB CompactFlash card
- Tamron AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD IF lens (A061, Canon EF mount)
- Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens
- Epson Stylus Photo R2400
- Kingston 1GB Elite Pro CompactFlash Card
- Tamron A017 - macro zoom lens - 70 mm - 300 mm
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Canon
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com
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