Today Canon launched the latest in their entry-level Digital Rebel series – the 12.2 Megapixel XSi. Called the 450D in the rest of the world, the Digital Rebel XSi extends the resolution of the Canon CMOS sensor to 12.2 Megapixels from the current Digital Rebel XTi 10.1 megapixel. Also new to the Digital Rebel are a 3.0” LCD with Live View. This is a low-resolution 230,000 3.0” LCD like the Canon 40D – it is not a hi-res 3” screen as seen on the Nikon D300 and Sony A700. The Rebel XSi Live View improves on earlier EOS models with Live View by adding a new "Live Mode" function that allows the camera to focus automatically during Live View without lowering the reflex mirror.
It is very significant that Canon will include the 18-55 IS (Image Stabilization) lens as their standard kit lens with the XSi. The updated IS version features an aspherical lens element and is far superior in image quality to the older non-IS version 18-55mm f3.5-5.6. In addition the kit lens features Optical IS to compete with the body-integrated IS featured by Sony, Pentax, and Olympus.
The Digital Rebel XSi features:
12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor
Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System
3.5 frames per second
3.0” LCD with Live View shooting
9-point wide-area AF system with f/2.8 cross-type centre point
Picture Style image processing parameters
DIGIC III image processor
Digital Photo Professional RAW processing software1
Compact and Lightweight body
Fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites
Canon has also changed memory to SD/SDHC from the present Digital Rebel Series Compact Flash. The XSi battery is also a new, larger, higher capacity LP-E5 battery that is the first new Canon battery in quite a while.
US List prices are $799 for the body only and $899 for the kit with 18-55mm IS lens. Europe Prices are €749 Body only and €849 Kit with 18-55mm IS Lens. The Digital Rebel XSi is expected to ship in April.
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bsd230 - Sunday, March 2, 2008 - link
I used to own a Digital Rebel but became a bit frustrated with the crippling features. I wish Canon would stop reducing the feature of its entry models. I guess that is the norm for most manufacturers, but it seems the Rebel generally is a little more than Nikon's equivalent. I know they have to cripple it in order to get people to buy their D line of cameras but it would be nice to have a viably cheap alternative as a back up. Canon really needs to step up its Pro-sumer line. Canon dominates in pro cameras but their consumer line is behind Nikon's line. Nikon dominates consumer/pro-sumer like Canon dominates pros. But with the release of the D3 they are edging closer in that regard as well. Out of frustration I went to a D200 a year ago and found it to be a superb piece of equipment. I still can't believe the quality of camera for the price. I love Canon and would love to see them really try to make strides in the Pro-sumer line, but it seems they are a step behind Nikon in this area. I like some of the features of Canon over Nikon, namely its AF system and noise control at high ISOs, but the overall package especially with the D200/D300 stomps its Canon equivalent.Rasterman - Monday, February 4, 2008 - link
I was holding off on getting an XTi until this was announced and am so glad I did. Canon hit every one of my wishes for its next model.+ upped resolution
+ SD memory card
+ default IS lens
+ better grip
+ liveview
+ larger battery
The smaller size and more memory the SDHC has is a no brianer switch, every single one of my other cameras, PDAs, and music players use SD, I will buy nothing that doesn't use SD. Having multiple memory card formats is pointless. If you think SD isn't as 'rhobust' as CF you are kidding yourself, please read the BBC article about SD cards being run over and put through the washing machine and still working.
The higher resolution may seem like overkill, but if you read the specs and review of the IS lens, it is MUCH improved over the older lens, for tripod landscape and macro shots, it will make a difference.
Everything else is just icing on the cake.
jjbwbc - Sunday, January 27, 2008 - link
The dollar dropping its value as it has is very strange. Cause it's not like Canon could sell this thing for $1100.00 in the US. It's just not going to happen. In fact, I don't think the price of non-essentials imports is really going up much at all... they can't, we don't need them, we just wouldn't buy them.I guess it surprises me that the price in Euros is E 750. That's $1,100.00 and $1,250.00. It's just a bizarre situation all around. The value of the dollar being so low unsettles me and it unsettles me for Europe too. I think the dollar is hard to break, and the Euro is bending it around so much that I think it's an unstable situation all around. It's a situation that is flirting with disaster. As these prices suggest, prices to Americans have to remain steady b/c frankly people here don't need anything anyway. I feel flooded with junk already, so I definitely would basically not buy junk if it were 40%-50% higher in price, as the devaluation would suggest.
Of course, as someone with a few million dollars, it also troubles me that my money is worth so much less even as my stocks are not earning like they were in years past. In essence I'm loosing money by saving and being supportive of this economy. It basically means no trips to Europe, no way no how, I have to support my local dwindling economy. Americans are really nice, I am not a native, and it's really sad that so many people have become broadly anti-American. I don't blame them, the "Ugly Americans" are prominent and loud, and are really mucking things up horrendously.
I may only be fooling myself, but for non-personal motives I hope the US can overcome the horrific Bush years, and become a place where it feels nice to be in.
In any case, this has to do with this camera in the following sense: I like what I see, I think it's overdue as an update. But frankly I think I'm going to spend my money locally, and start being responsible about keeping money around here. Americans are so conceited that they don't even bother with supporting their own compatriots. I have been that way myself (as I'm not even American really) but I want to help in whatever way I can. Wealthy and powerful Americans (like Bush, like Bill Gates, like Steve Jobs) will spit at their own poor... it is totally unethical and I am personally sick of it.
I am to donate my money to a local cause instead of buying more crap like the stuff discussed in this website. It's just a turn of tides for me.
strikeback03 - Monday, January 28, 2008 - link
seems to me that European prices on camera stuff have always been higher than US. I've seen stuff selling in British pounds for a similar numeric value to what I would expect to pay here in dollars (i.e. £375 for something that sells for $400 here. That is why so many Europeans come here/order from here or buy from Hong Kong and risk warranty issues.Hulk - Saturday, January 26, 2008 - link
This is ridiculous 12MP! I still have the original Digital Rebel with 6MP and generally reduce my images in size for most uses. Maybe once a year I wish the camera was 8MP.Why do I care?
First I like to shoot in RAW and I want every pixel to count.
Second noise can be lower with larger photosites as there is more area on the CMOS for actual light reception. I'll take the improvements in noise, but with lower MP ratings. 8MP or even 10MP is plenty. 12MP is silly, just marketing.
Some might say that the new camera will look better than my camera at equal sized prints, and it will. But imagine how much better it could be pixel for pixel if the MP's were reduced.
Like I said this is just silly in my opinion.
Carlis - Saturday, January 26, 2008 - link
You are absolutely right. 8-10 mp and better noise performance would yield a better real world performance. This resolution might make sense when you are using a very good tripod, a wire shutter and nothing in the image moves the slightest. In practice, that about never. Also you need very good optics. Personally, I rarely get the max resolution out of my 6 megapix. But mp'd sell... Built in IS and better noise in low light would do it for me.jRaskell - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
You can still get better noise performance from a higher MP imager. Take pictures with the 12MP XSi, then properly process the size down to your old 6MP camera size, and the image will look considerably better, all other factors being equal. Since you already admit to scaling down the image size of your current camera, you aren't even looking at any extra effort.Imager quality IS improving even as resolution increases, and that quality will scale down to lower res reprocs. In the end though the optics are far more important than the body. I think by far the biggest selling point to the XSi is it's new kit lens, which can also be purchased cheaply for any existing XT or XTi cameras out there (though many owners likely have already replaced their old kit lens).
jRaskell - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
You can still get better noise performance from a higher MP imager. Take pictures with the 12MP XSi, then properly process the size down to your old 6MP camera size, and the image will look considerably better, all other factors being equal. Since you already admit to scaling down the image size of your current camera, you aren't even looking at any extra effort.Imager quality IS improving even as resolution increases, and that quality will scale down to lower res reprocs. In the end though the optics are far more important than the body. I think by far the biggest selling point to the XSi is it's new kit lens, which can also be purchased cheaply for any existing XT or XTi cameras out there (though many owners likely have already replaced their old kit lens).
Hulk - Saturday, January 26, 2008 - link
I'm curious as to when this MP-race nonsense will end.Now we have point and shoot cameras with 10+ megapixels with tiny little imagers that are realistically only good for 5 or 6MP and that is outside on a bright, sunny day
goku - Saturday, January 26, 2008 - link
Funny, they make the camera slightly bigger yet exclude the CF card? What is wrong with them? This is definately a deal breaker for me, I guess I'm going to have to stick with my original Digital rebel from 2003. I just can't believe they'd forgo the CF card, SD sucks and it's bad because after 32GB SDHC memory cards come out, you'll have to upgrade your camera to get past 32GB while with CF cards, you can go all the way to 128GB and not have to worry about thing besides the file system.