Digital SLR Camera Question

[ZetaNine]

I'm moving up from a point and shoot........and ready to pull the trigger on a new camera....and was wondering who may already own this one? and/or what you know about it..be it good or bad....

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2-Megapixel Digital SLR

[JB88]

from what i have seen it's very good for it's class.

here are a few test shots on dpreview

 

[midnight Target]

I have one, love it.

You will need to buy at least 1 more lens, I suggest the 75-300.

[ZetaNine]

I have one, love it.

You will need to buy at least 1 more lens, I suggest the 75-300.

exactly the lens I was looking at as a matter of fact. great sharpness in a short range I have read. also getting an additional battery and an 8 meg card.

question?  why does it come with a "video cable" when the camera does not shoot video?  it this simply the cable that is used to transfer images from the camera to other media?

[ZetaNine]

from what i have seen it's very good for it's class.

here are a few test shots on dpreview

 

88........ great site.....thanks much !!

[Sandman]

IMHO, you should save your money on the megapixels and spend it on glass. The lens makes all the difference, not the megapixels.

[ZetaNine]

IMHO, you should save your money on the megapixels and spend it on glass. The lens makes all the difference, not the megapixels.

duly noted.....and that's one of the reasons I'm going with canon..their lenses are all interchangable...unlike sony.  as I learn my way around this camera....multiple lens purchases will follow.  one of the reasons I also chose THIS was not necessarily the pixels...but the live view option.

[Sandman]

...but the live view option.

Good luck with that. In my experience, the LCD screen is nearly worthless other than the histogram. Seems like a bit of a gimmick to me. I like the standard viewfinder much more than any of the LCD viewers I've used on other digital cameras. The one thing I am going to change is the focusing screen. The newer DSLRs don't have the same focusing screen as the older SLRs making it difficult to use manual focus.

[ZetaNine]

Good luck with that. In my experience, the LCD screen is nearly worthless other than the histogram. Seems like a bit of a gimmick to me. I like the standard viewfinder much more than any of the LCD viewers I've used on other digital cameras. The one thing I am going to change is the focusing screen. The newer DSLRs don't have the same focusing screen as the older SLRs making it difficult to use manual focus.

sandman......what's your camera of choice now?

[APDrone]

duly noted.....and that's one of the reasons I'm going with canon..their lenses are all interchangable...unlike sony.  as I learn my way around this camera....multiple lens purchases will follow.  one of the reasons I also chose THIS was not necessarily the pixels...but the live view option.

Um.. where did you hear that?

I have a Sony A700 and use my old Minolta lenses, as well as new Sony/Sigma/Tamron.

Upgraded from the Sony A100 after a year.. which also used the same lenses.

Built in Image Stabilization ( Anti-Shake ) in the body, so you don't have to see if it's in the lenses.

In almost 2 years I've burned well over 20,000 pictures.  I'm very happy with mine.

[JB88]

IMHO, you should save your money on the megapixels and spend it on glass. The lens makes all the difference, not the megapixels.

this is true. 

but the xsi has a great sensor as well, which is useful for color and image interpretation and control among other things.

which is also important.

[Sandman]

sandman......what's your camera of choice now?

Nikon.

I should add... I have a Nikon D50 that I bought 18 months ago. I could stand to upgrade it, but it works well for the most part. There are a few things that I dislike. The limited focusing zones, a more robust bracketing feature, backlit LCD on top, but no real show stoppers. It's just 6MP, but that's not been an issue at all. I spent some money on glass though. I've got a 18-200mm VR, a 12-24mm wide zoom, and a 50mm prime. All markedly better than the kit lenses.

[Sandman]

exactly the lens I was looking at as a matter of fact. great sharpness in a short range I have read. also getting an additional battery and an 8 meg card.

question?  why does it come with a "video cable" when the camera does not shoot video?  it this simply the cable that is used to transfer images from the camera to other media?

You can use it to do a slideshow on your television, I think.

[DREDIOCK]

IMHO, you should save your money on the megapixels and spend it on glass. The lens makes all the difference, not the megapixels.

LOL Unfortunately. there are some lenses out thare that cost as much and sometimes more then the camera itself

[Sandman]

LOL Unfortunately. there are some lenses out thare that cost as much and sometimes more then the camera itself

I have two that cost more than the camera... and when I upgrade to another camera body, these will work with that one too.