First Impression Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi

The Canon EOS 450D or also known as the Canon Digital Rebel XSi is the new entry-level digital SLR camera from Canon and I recently was able to get my hands on it as well as a 75-300mm III USM lens as part of a package being sold by one of the local big box retailers. For a while now I have wanted to get into the dSLR market and work on my skill as an amateur photographer because it is one of my hobbies I enjoy the most.

Why get a Canon Digital SLR?

All of my digital cameras have been Canon (starting at my Canon A60) and they have never given me any troubles. The price was also a factor. I mean an entry-level digital SLR camera with lens for under $1000, and that included a 75-300mm zoom lens too? Besides, I have used one of the previous models the Canon Digital Rebel Xt (the one my mum bought) and thought I would stick with a body that I was used to.

What is a Digital SLR?

For those who are familiar with camera equipment the digital SLRs work similar to the regular film SLRs except for film capturing the image a computer sensor catches it. Granted the sensor on entry-level Digital SLRs are not quite the same size as say the regular 35mm SLRs but I’m willing to sacrifice something like that without having to constantly purchase and develop film. For a better explanation you can visit Wikipedia where they go into depth on what a Digital SLR is. SLR stands for Single-Lens Reflex.

Why use a Digital SLR camera as opposed to a compact digital camera?

I wanted to get more into photography and have the ability to have better control over the photos I take. A Digital SLR (or dSLR) allows me to not only select manual settings such as aperture and shutter speed but also always me to use various lenses depending on the circumstances or what it is I am trying to capture. Sure there are some compact digital cameras out there that allow me to change the aperture and shutter speeds but there are none that allow me to change the lens to suite my current photography needs. I can switch from a wide-angle lens over to a telephoto lens, which is currently what I like to do. I use the wide-angle lens (the kit lens is an 18-55mm IS) for landscapes and then I can switch over to take shots of wildlife from a distance using a telephoto lens (75-300mm III USM).

Sure I could look at purchasing a compact digital camera that has an optical zoom of 12x but I prefer the being able to change lenses based on the needs at the current time.

Canon EOS 450D or Digital Rebel XSi.

The day that I purchased the Canon XSi, Robyn and I went for a brief walk around Lost Lagoon in Vancouver (next to Stanley Park) where I got to test out the 75-300mm lens. I took only the telephoto lens to try out since I was not looking to use the kit lens which I have previously used with my mum’s Canon Xt.

The telephoto lens was nice to use as it allowed me to get closer to the animals that inhabit the Lost Lagoon. One thing that has always bugged me is that the kit lens (18-55mm IS) has a shorter focal length than my eyes so that when I went to take photos of something the photo would make them appear further away than it really was. The 75-300mm III USM lens allows me to get closer and a bit more personal with items I would normally not be able to get close too. I have noticed that the lens may be a bit soft at maximum focal length but the photos I have taken have turned out relatively good.

A family of raccoons eating what looked to be cat food left some random people. I needed to use the flash since there was little light in the area the raccoons where at. I noticed that the built-in flash sits a little higher than previous models and I think did a pretty good job in allowing me to capture the raccoons munching on their dry food.

Manual or Automatic

The Canon XSi has a bunch of modes you can use ranging from the creative automatic modes which allow you to just point and shoot, to the fully manual mode where you can select the aperture and shutter speed. When I first started using the Canon XSi I was shooting with the P (program) mode which allowed me to change factors such as ISO, White Balance but would select the Aperture and Shutter Speed for me depending on what I was trying to photograph.

I quickly got away from shooting in the P-mode and into the M (manual) mode after some helpful tips from a buddy of mine at work. Shooting manual allows me to learn how to balance the relationship between the aperture and shutter speed but it would also allow me to be more creative with the final outcome of my shot.

Ok so what other impressions has the Canon Digital Rebel XSi made for you?

The Canon XSi does have a large 3” LCD screen which also allows you to LiveView what you are shooting. This feature can be handy when looking through the view finder might be troublesome. The large LCD screen promptly displays your current settings as well which I find from time to time very helpful in reminding me I have something like a higher ISO set or that I am quickly running out of room on my memory card.

The controls are laid out in an easy to use way and the majority of the controls are situated on the right side of the camera. For those who are left-handed, you may find it a bit awkward to change your settings. I find that changing the aperture when in manual mode can be a bit tricky but the more I use it the more I find I am able to cycle through the aperture settings. You see, the Av (aperture) selection button is near the thumb rest at the back of the camera, you need to hold this down while turning the dial at the top of the camera to select your desired f/stop. I find myself sometimes not pressing the button and wondering why my shutter speed value changes and not the aperture. The shutter speed is selected with just the top dial alone.

Another feature I like is that the Canon EOS 450D has a larger battery than its predecessors and at 1080mAh over the 720mAh it means I can take more photos per charge. Canon also created a battery grip which you can purchase separately that allows you to use two LE-P5 lithium batteries or 6 AA batteries. The battery grip also has a vertically mounted shutter button so shooting portrait orientated shots are a lot more comfortable. Perhaps one day I can look at obtaining a battery grip and make my camera look more professional.

Memory the Bigger the Better

The Canon XSi does use SD cards and is compatible with SDHC memory as well. This was another reason why I went with the Canon XSi as it meant I did not need to purchase new memory cards. The high-end bodies in the Canon line are Compact Flash (CF) cards and even though I may have one or two lying around my main SDHC card is 4Gb whereas the largest Compact Flash card I have is only 512Mb. When shooting at 12Mb, 512Mb can run out quickly, especially if I shoot in RAW or RAW+jpeg. With today’s prices of SD and SDHC memory cards its less expensive and you can currently get up to 16Gb of storage to a single card without having to take out a loan.

Get to the Point!

If you are looking for a more detailed review on the Canon Digital Rebel XSi I would recommend checking out dpreview.com and their review of the camera. They get more into the technical aspects for those who are really into the finer details of photography equipment.

As for myself I have greatly enjoyed using the Canon Digital Rebel XSi. With the ability to change lenses, the 12 Megapixel resolution, light weight body it allows me to get back into photography and enjoy one of my major hobbies. I am glad I went with the package deal which netted me the 75-300mm III USM telephoto lens; even though it is not an expensive lens it has so far served its purpose allowing me to get closer up to objects I would normally not be allowed to get close to.

If you are looking to get into the Digital SLR market at entry-level I would recommend checking out the Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi. Though Canon has made mention of their newest creation which is the Canon EOS 1000D which has been said it is either a stripped down version of the 450D or a slightly upgraded 400D but with a lower price than the EOS 450D.

If you want to look through my Flickr photostream the more recent photos have been taken with my Canon EOS 450D and using the 75-300mm III USM lens as well. Do not forget to follow me on Twitter and to subscribe to my Full RSS Feed to be notified of recent posts as well as recent photos of mine.