DPReview of XSi

[ukcatfan]

Phil posted his review of the XSi and very surprisingly he had some significant complaints. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/CanonEOS450D/ It is not like him to give Canon any bad marks, but he had problems with AF, JPG output, handling, and price point. Something that surprised me is that he indicated that metering is always linked to the AF point. Is that true? It seems strange to me b/c my K100D does not require that, but then again it also had spot metering where the Rebel line did not have it until now. Is there at least an AE lock on the Rebels?

Kevin

 

[DizzyV6P]

Yes there is. You use the * button to lock your exposure. On most DSLR's the shutter button causes the camera to lock in exposure and focus. Many DSLR's has a setting in the menu to separate the two. For Canon's you can set it to have the * lock your exposure while the shutter button locks in your autofocus.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/page7.asp

Canon purposely placed the price point higher and Phil explains the reasoning in his review. The Canon forums are filled with rumors of a cheaper model coming out soon, but so far, no proof of it. I personally think Canon would be dumb to give up the lower end sector and cede it to Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Sony, but that's just my opinion. I found Phil's points pretty much spot on and the few complaints he found, are simply a matter of taste. Some people like the feel of the Rebels, some don't. I personally found them small and uncomfortable which is the reason why I went w/ the 40D. Many others find that it fits in their hands just fine. The issue of JPG is clearly a subjective one. On the Canon forums there is a crowd that likes the way it looks and a crowd that thinks Canon should have done a better job w/ JPG output. You just can't please everyone when it comes to something as subject as JPG output.

If you've read his other reviews, no camera is perfect. All the reviews out there HAVE to list a few faults, if anything, to balance everything out so no single manufacturer gets mad and pulls their advertising revenue. That's why everyone here advises folks to go out and play with a few cameras. As probably the biggest Canon fanboy here, I always push Canon. But even I realize that the Rebel size and shape and even menu isn't for everyone. As Phil mentioned, there are LOT of others out there and even the new Sony entry-level gives all of them a run for the money for the best bang for the buck title. It should be interesting if Canon does come out w/ a lower end model and what it will include.

 

[jann1033]

i guess it's how you interpret the review..highly recommended doesn't sound like significant complaints to me the reviews i have read have all given it very high marks( i get emails from tons of photo places but every review i have read for it has been excellent) so i'd view his as the same result.

the rebels ( at least since the xt, don't know about before) have always had a focus lock and a partial meter, the difference being 6% from the spot(9% vs 3%, or maybe it's 9% vs 6%, now that i typed it i don't remember the spot %)
i've said it before and guess i'll say it again...it kills me how some gripe about the rebel body but love the cheapo plastic lens bodies...personally i buy a lens hopefully for decades of use, not so the body...and as far as not sturdy...today my tripod slipped in mud and over it went. fortunately a bush broke it's fall then held it about 2 inches above the ground but my l lens and "cheap rebel body" are both fine, not a scratch on either of them, not even the lens (that i had just taken the hood off so i could attach my nd filter)

 

[ukcatfan]

I don't think the camera has some huge problem or anything. The main point I was trying to make was that Phil actually said something negative about a Canon! I was shocked. Actually, I think his site has gotten better since he sold it to Amazon. His reviews now seem more reasonable. I think he was probably getting way over worked and was in a rut of everything C&N good and everything else bad. Still waiting on a K20D review though.

 

[Groucho]

I personally think Canon would be dumb to give up the lower end sector and cede it to Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Sony, but that's just my opinion.

FWIW, Pentax really doesn't have a bottom-end camera at the moment.

Rumors are that there will be one announced at Photokina (smaller body, etc, more like a D60), but those are just rumors at this point.