Canon Rebel XTi

Swartzy

Best Buy had one in the case today....I was surprised. I handled it, took shots, messed with all the buttons. Simple, straight logic (for those familar with Canon cameras). I was also was messing with the 30D. I like the feel of the 30D as it is heavier and better balanced with a bigger/longer lens. The Rebel though, is still very sweet, and the LCD is bigger than that of the xt but not as big as the 30D. I'll be purchasing the XTi. I like the advancements/improvements they've given this machine over the XT.

It seems that the 18-55 kit lens is better than that on the XT...maybe it's my imagination. Not sure if they improved on the kit lens or not. In anycase, I'm pumped....I'll be getting it very very soon.

P.S. Bought the coolest gift for my wife's Bday (she'll be 60)...a hot air balloon ride....would you say I need a new camera for that adventure???? Happy Birthday honey! HA!

ian408

You absolutely need a new camera for that event

Happy B-day to your wife!

fotodojo

Swartzy wrote:

....would you say I need a new camera for that adventure???? Happy Birthday honey! HA!

Ahh genius . Well done . I have a friend that always buys toys in staggered pairs (one for her .. and a resulting one for him). Good plan.

Swartzy

Well, I bought it today
Naturally, it's pouring down rain. I've been sitting in the garage taking pictures of rain drops, puddles, wet cars and the like....we're having fun now . I must say this camera is pretty fast. Once I get my super Seagate 4 gig card that will speed things up a bit. I bought the kit lens with the camera as that's all they had (only 4 of them in the store). I'm looking for a good walk around lens and have read comparisons. Sigma 18-135 or the Sigma 18-200 (which I think has better defintion and clarity than the Tamron).

All this to say, I'm really pumped being able to compose my shots through the veiwfinder once again (as I miss my film camera). Nice feeling camera and has many smart features. I think a great value for the money. Cheers!

Sam

Swartzy wrote:

Naturally, it's pouring down rain. I've been sitting in the garage taking pictures of rain drops, puddles, wet cars and the like....we're having fun now . I must say this camera is pretty fast. Once I get my super Seagate 4 gig card that will speed things up a bit. I bought the kit lens with the camera as that's all they had (only 4 of them in the store). I'm looking for a good walk around lens and have read comparisons. Sigma 18-135 or the Sigma 18-200 (which I think has better defintion and clarity than the Tamron).

All this to say, I'm really pumped being able to compose my shots through the veiwfinder once again (as I miss my film camera). Nice feeling camera and has many smart features. I think a great value for the money. Cheers!

Congratulations on the new camera! As for the 4 gig card......my recomendation would be to get two 2 gig cards. Spreads out the risk of card falure, and I think will be less expensive. Also I don't think a faster card will speed up any camera funtions, but will down load images to your computer faster. Oh.....you did get a card reader, right?

Enjoy the camera, and ballon ride.

Sam

Scott_Quier

Sam wrote:

Congratulations on the new camera! As for the 4 gig card......my recomendation would be to get two 2 gig cards. Spreads out the risk of card falure, and I think will be less expensive. Also I don't think a faster card will speed up any camera funtions, but will down load images to your computer faster. Oh.....you did get a card reader, right?

Enjoy the camera, and ballon ride.

Sam

Depends on the speed of the camera buffer. If it's slow like that on the original Rebel, well, a fast card wont make a bit of difference. However, and I haven't looked at the specs as I have my sights set on the 30D (maybe), if the buffer dumps faster, a faster card will make a difference, especially if you are shooting in the RAW.

Swartzy

I bought a new higher speed card today
and I shot in the RAW. The camera is much faster, probably because the camera can write more quickly. Really a difference from night to day using this card (2 Gig Ultra II). I believe I've studied about every feature on this camera and probably have used it as well within the last 24 hours.

Today was the test. Substandard kit lens and all, here is a shot coverted from RAW taken this evening. I LOVE this camera! So sweet!



AV 100 ISO f/11.0 1/20 44mm

Scott_Quier

Swartzy wrote:

and I shot in the RAW. The camera is much faster, probably because the camera can write more quickly. Really a difference from night to day using this card (2 Gig Ultra II). I believe I've studied about every feature on this camera and probably have used it as well within the last 24 hours.

Today was the test. Substandard kit lens and all, here is a shot coverted from RAW taken this evening. I LOVE this camera! So sweet!



AV 100 ISO f/11.0 1/20 44mm

Yep - that's sweet!

Tee Why

The kit lens on the XTi is the same that came with the XT and the 30D, a mark II version. Both the LCD on XTi and 30D are same at 2.5 inches.

DigiEyE

I don't know if any other XTi users have noticed but compared to my XT, I've noticed a lot more noise at ISO400 and beyond then on the same setup with the XT.

The other question I had is what is the maximum write speed of the XTi?

ziggy53

DigiEyE wrote:

... The other question I had is what is the maximum write speed of the XTi?

Rob Galbraith regularly tests camera/card combinations, and it's always interesting to see how sensitive some combinations can be regarding speed. There is no one single reliable figure for write speeds, rather it is dependant on many variables. These tables are the most reliable information relating to read and write speeds, but the XTi has not yet been tested or published.

It looks like the SanDisk Extreme IV is a consistant high-performer with Canon products, so I think it a safe bet that write speeds with that card should be around 5-7MB/sec depending on file size and type.

Here is the link to the XT tests:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-7699

... and to the 30D tests:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-8478

ziggy53

Haystack

DigiEye and others,

I think I see more noise also, I just got this camera and have only shot a little bit with it though - -

All the auto settings seem way to dark out of the camera to me (in comparison to the rebel) - anyone else notice this?

Also are you shooting at the highest resolution? -Is it always best to shoot at the highest resolution no matter what?

Rhuarc

Glad to see a discussion about this camera going on. I jsut got an issue of Popular Photography, or was it Digital Photography? that has an issue about this and the new Nikon D80, I think. After looking at their summary of it I think this will be my first camera I get when I get into the dSLR scene sometime next year. Unless of course there is something better at the time!! I'm interested to hear more about the high noise problems people are having. One of the reasons I wouldbe leaning to Canon over Nikon is because of the reported low noise images at higher ISO's (1600 & 3200).

mr peas

Rhuarc wrote:

Glad to see a discussion about this camera going on. I jsut got an issue of Popular Photography, or was it Digital Photography? that has an issue about this and the new Nikon D80, I think. After looking at their summary of it I think this will be my first camera I get when I get into the dSLR scene sometime next year. Unless of course there is something better at the time!! I'm interested to hear more about the high noise problems people are having. One of the reasons I wouldbe leaning to Canon over Nikon is because of the reported low noise images at higher ISO's (1600 & 3200).

I love the XT, I'm sure the XTi is just as fun or funner though!
How do you like the size so far? I actually bought a battery grip for mine and I think it helped with it being too light and only being able to shoot 300-500 (25% w/ flash). Plus it looks much better.

I'm surprised to hear that theres more noise though. But I figured, this is also the reason why small-sensor cameras like my Sony F828 has so much noise above 100iso is due to packing more pixels into such a small sensor. Like the XTi, more pixels however same sensor size.

But.. I say, just give it a pass through Noise Ninja on PS and you're good to go.

Def buy a Canon if you can! But I like Nikons as well. If you're not in too deep into Nikon waters with thousands of dollars worth of lenses, then come over to the darkside.

claudermilk

mr peas wrote:

I'm surprised to hear that theres more noise though. But I figured, this is also the reason why small-sensor cameras like my Sony F828 has so much noise above 100iso is due to packing more pixels into such a small sensor. Like the XTi, more pixels however same sensor size.

I'm not. You even pointed out *why* there's more noise. Going from 8MP to 10MP on the same size sensor, I'd have been surprised if there was not more noise. Too much heat & not enough surface area makes for a higher noise floor. This is why the old 1D's with their "measly" 4MP on a 1.3 sensor make better images than the latest 10MP P&S wonders. It seems to me this shows that we've reached the point of diminishing returns and need to focus on other aspect for improved image quality.

mr peas

claudermilk wrote:

I'm not. You even pointed out *why* there's more noise. Going from 8MP to 10MP on the same size sensor, I'd have been surprised if there was not more noise. Too much heat & not enough surface area makes for a higher noise floor. This is why the old 1D's with their "measly" 4MP on a 1.3 sensor make better images than the latest 10MP P&S wonders. It seems to me this shows that we've reached the point of diminishing returns and need to focus on other aspect for improved image quality.

Well I figured they would find a way to make the technology better rather than implementing the same thing again.

Awais Yaqub

Great Congratulation happy birthday

Or may be i am littel late

ballentphoto

Rhuarc wrote:

Glad to see a discussion about this camera going on. I jsut got an issue of Popular Photography, or was it Digital Photography? that has an issue about this and the new Nikon D80, I think. After looking at their summary of it I think this will be my first camera I get when I get into the dSLR scene sometime next year. Unless of course there is something better at the time!! I'm interested to hear more about the high noise problems people are having. One of the reasons I wouldbe leaning to Canon over Nikon is because of the reported low noise images at higher ISO's (1600 & 3200).

The ISO noise is closing between Nikon and Canon I have been surprised at the output that I have been getting from my D200 at 800 ISO, and the little noise that is there is more film like. Frankly I am surprised to hear that people are experiencing more noise from the XTi/400d than the previous generation. Maybe all those "entry level" 10MP camera caught Canon off guard and they had to rush the XTi out the door.

jsedlak

Interesting discussion about the noise, I never heard of it being a problem. Especially when compared to the Sony Alpha which has been discovered to have serious noise issues at higher ISOs.

ziggy53

claudermilk wrote:

I'm not. You even pointed out *why* there's more noise. Going from 8MP to 10MP on the same size sensor, I'd have been surprised if there was not more noise. Too much heat & not enough surface area makes for a higher noise floor. This is why the old 1D's with their "measly" 4MP on a 1.3 sensor make better images than the latest 10MP P&S wonders. It seems to me this shows that we've reached the point of diminishing returns and need to focus on other aspect for improved image quality.

There is more going on than pixel density.

I tested the Canon 1D MKII at ISO 3200 against the Canon XT at 1600, and the luminance noise is about 1/2 stop better on the 1DMKII than the XT. (Observational differences using Neat Image to gauge approximate noise level differences.)

The 1D MKII does have a slightly larger chip, to be sure, but Canon also has better amplification at each photosite (alluded to). The 1D MKII also has 4 channel chip output, which I suspect Canon is leveraging to supress some of the noise induced by other circuits. (The 20D/30D and 5D also have 4 channel output and very low noise overall.) I think the Nikon D200 has 4 channel output, as does the D2Xs, but I believe they mostly use it to speed data transfer.

Anyway, I think Canon is using a number of different technologies to combat noise and that collective combination partly also keeps Canon priced higher than similar competition, unfortunately for Canon shooters.

ziggy53

claudermilk

ziggy53 wrote:

There is more going on than pixel density.

I tested the Canon 1D MKII at ISO 3200 against the Canon XT at 1600, and the luminance noise is about 1/2 stop better on the 1DMKII than the XT. (Observational differences using Neat Image to gauge approximate noise level differences.)

The 1D MKII does have a slightly larger chip, to be sure, but Canon also has better amplification at each photosite (alluded to). The 1D MKII also has 4 channel chip output, which I suspect Canon is leveraging to supress some of the noise induced by other circuits. (The 20D/30D and 5D also have 4 channel output and very low noise overall.) I think the Nikon D200 has 4 channel output, as does the D2Xs, but I believe they mostly use it to speed data transfer.

Anyway, I think Canon is using a number of different technologies to combat noise and that collective combination partly also keeps Canon priced higher than similar competition, unfortunately for Canon shooters.

ziggy53

Agreed. I just went after the most obvious factor. The recently-linked white paper from Canon went over all that & was quite enlightening.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were in part a marketing ploy to get people to trade up the line, too. It worked to some extent on me--I jumped in when it was 300D/20D/1D Mk II; went for the middle & couldn't be happier with the performance.