I’m a professional photographer. I shoot editorials and advertising. I own a couple Canon 1Ds Mark 3. That being said, I wanted a small compact camera to take around with me. I first purchased a Sigma DP-1, but found it limiting and too slow. I sold it and decided to purchase the Canon 450D (XSi). And I am simply amazed at the functionality and speedy feel of the camera. Yes, it’s not as small as a DP-1, but compared to a 1Ds Mark 3, it’s tiny. Every feature of this camera is well thought out and they loaded it with much current technology as possible. I can’t think of a single thing to complain about. I see people complaining about the buffer, but honestly if you NEED high buffer on RAW shooting then take the plunge and buy a 1D or 1Ds.

It’s not a professional grade camera by functionality and build. But the image quality is on par. sRAW on a 1Ds Mark 3 is precisely the same as this camera MP size. I would feel very comfortable with the image quality of this camera to do a editorial shoot (non-sport) with it. But of course, the client always wants to see the big expensive camera, since they’re paying you.

I have upgraded my 550D with this new camera because it has the flexible LCD screen that allows me to better use the HD video filming feature. The 60D is better constructed, and is bigger than the 550D but less than the 7D. I have noticed that the obturator sound is different than the 550D and the 7D, probably because it use different mechanism. This is not a problem at all but the sound is less impressive (its more like a light click). The rest of features gives you a camera that is more close to the 7D. If you feel that the flexible LCD is valuable for you, this camera is a better choice than the 7D (and cheaper). The 18-135 mm IS lens is a VERY GOOD lens. It doesn’t has USM but you will never miss it because the DC motor it has is very fast and silent enough. I have compared this lens with my Sigma 18-250mm HSM IS and face to face I have taken similar pictures and I cannot detect any difference. I highly recommend the EOS 60D body with this Sigma lens because this kit gives you more zoom range for all around photography.

What can I say, except that this camera is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, next to my dear wife that is.

I came from point-n-shoot cameras, owned alot of them; mostly Sony and some were even half the price of this SLR. I’ve always had two major problems with point-n-shoot cameras. First, I always had to take 2-3 pictures for something to come out decent. It seemed that even if shooting in the same modes the color definition was always different in each picture taken. Second, it was a real challenge for me to capture objects in motion, most came out blurry; again I had to shoot 4,5+ times to get one acceptable result.

On the contrary, I decided to spend 900 bux and get this camera. It simply refuses to break pictures. I’ve taken pictures from busses out the window while in motion, i’ve taken pictures at fast moving objects, and it just refuses to break focus. I’m extremely surprised at how well it behaves, even in auto mode. It all feels like a dream.

The next thing i tried is the macro mode function at the Botanical Garden; and you can see some sample photos – the blue flower is one of the best I took about 5 pictures of each flower, because that’s how I used to do it in the past. I shouldn’t have. Each picture came out clear and sharp, however, keeping in mind that the kit lens is not really a macro lens, while shooting the really small flowers, there was some blurr, which is totally understandable. Some things are just too small to capture the details with the kit lens, not the camera’s fault.

Another nice feature is the ability to update the firmware yourself, which we all know improves stability, adds new functionality, and, if there are any, corrects any software bugs.

The build quality is really solid too. It feels as solid as a rock, but not as heavy

Lastly, the battery. I haven’t drained the battery but I have taken about 230 pictures, about 30 of those were at night with the flash. By the end of the day, I was still running with a full battery. So while I can’t say exactly how many shots u can get on a full charge, I can confirm that the battery does not get exhausted easily.

Overall, if you have the money to spend and new to SLR’s I would definately recommend this camera. Sure it’s a bit expensive, but SDHC memory cards are cheap these days.

I’ve taken photos and video most of my life, now I am the typical father paparazzi, my subjects are my family, with some nature landscapes and city architecture mixed in.

First this camera replaced my original capture the moment kit, which included a Nikon D80 DLSR and a Samsung HD-1010 Digital Video Camera. I sold them both after owning this for a week. They are simply not needed anymore. It’s very nice to be able to go to my kid’s soccer games and not look like I am bringing a production crew. One camera for killer photos and video. I use this camera 70/30 photos/video, and it is just a pleasure to work with.

What I like for photography:

Excellent pictures – Even with the stock 18-135 lens, solid photos, great details, and very very crop-able. Yes this is not an L Lens but it is still very good

Low light performance – The ISO high iso speeds work well when you can’t use a flash, there is still some noise but its manageable, the default setting for upper end iso is 3200, so that tells you how confident Canon is with its camera’s ability to handle noise.

Solid camera (my friend has the 7D, there is a difference when handling them, but not much, all the talk of metal vs. plastic frame I think is overrated)

Very fast focus, yes its not the 32 point next gen autofocus, but in all my tests when not using live view it does just fine transitioning between focus points.

Fast shooting speed almost 6 fps is very good, and thought 3 fps was good. (I also like the 2 settings for shooting speed, normal and high speed)

Built in Wireless flash control. I also bought the 430EX II, and 3 button pushes later I had the speed light firing while it sat off camera behind the subject, and that is very cool

Great Canon Software (I use a Mac, and I love the USB interface software, you can completely control the camera from your computer

Custom Shooting mode – Exact what it sounds like, its nice touch

The flip out rotating screen is very sharp, probably one of the best I’ve seen on a DSLR. I don’t shoot much live view though.

It uses SD, only because I had plenty of SD cards from my last two devices.

What I don’t like photography:

The lock button on the mode selector, it turns changing the shoot mode into a 2 handed operation

The lack of dedicated buttons – I know they had to save space when they added the vari-screen, but I liked having quick one touch access to bracketing on my Nikon

This isn’t a “don’t like” it’s more “I could do without” all the preset modes on the wheel. People who are going to spend $1000+ on a camera most likely don’t need a preset called landscape or portrait. Maybe they were trying to fill the space on the wheel?

Also all this hupla about in camera processing and special effects, it seems a bit gimmicky to me. I have a plenty of Macs with big beautiful screens to do this, heck I could do it with an iPad now if I really wanted to. I can’t see someone trying to color correct on the camera especially since it’s not like you could transmit the edited file directly from the camera, it still has to go through a computer somewhere along the line. These might be useful if my camera came with built-in 3G or something, otherwise not so much.

What I like video:

Video performance is excellent, head over to vimeo.com and look at all the sample footage, it is just astounding. I’ve experimented with the 50/1.8 lens and wow the DoF is crisp in the video. You would need some expensive lens adapters to get these results with a camcorder.

The flip out screen! This is main reason I bought this camera, It never made sense to me how I could shoot proper video without those expensive view finder liveview converter things. Plus I thought they looked silly. Now with this, I hold the camera at just above waist level close to my body with the screen flipped out and up, it makes for stable video and relatively easy manual focus if you want to use it.

Manual controls are also very useful for video, you can control everything from the image to the audio via manual controls

What I don’t like video:

Noise at high ISO – With the stock lens 18-135 IS I do not recommend low light shooting, it will work, but its very noisy – just like photography better lenes with lower F-stops = better output.

Autofocus is a bit slow (I try not use the autofocus when actually recording, I usually shoot video with manual focus, its not that hard when you get the hang of it)

So that’s it, a solid DSLR with a solid video camera built in, I would recommend this camera to people like me, who understand and love photography and also love shooting video. People who can use manual controls but you don’t mind throwing it in program mode for the quick shots and you can’t justify spending the extra money on a 7D. I am very very happy with this camera!

If you’re looking at the cameras in this price range, that means you’re likely also looking at the Pentax K-x, Nikon D5000, Sony A500, Olympus E-620 and even, potentially, the Canon T1i.

If you’re looking at DSLRs and you think video on your DSLR is something you actually want or will ever use, you best stop looking at the XSi and instead focus on the K-x, D5000 and T1i. The XSi offers NO video functionality.

If your hope is to not need to spend extra money on image stabilizing lenses, then buy the K-x or the E-620. All the above listed cameras besides these 2 require you purchase lenses with image stabilization which is an extra cost on the lens as it requires more glass. Of course, the way around the need for image stabilizing lenses is to use a tripod or a monopod.

If you don’t want to buy lenses, well, then you had better stop looking at DSLR/SLR cameras all together and jump into point and shoot. There are a lot of nice models with really good quality pictures out there.

REMEMBER, WHEN BUYING A DSLR CAMERA, you aren’t REALLY buying a camera; you’re buying a lens system. What do I mean? Well think about it this way. You are spending money on a camera body, yes. But you’re also spending money on lenses. Lenses that are NOT interchangeable (except the Olympus method that not many manufacturers jumped on and then you still have to buy lenses to their spec and you would need a replacement camera with the same capability). If you buy this body today and begin to purchase Canon lenses, you are investing in Canon for, most likely, the rest of your picture taking “career.” The camera body is the inexpensive part in this whole endeavor and if you purchase a 55-250mm lens today, along with many others, you most certainly won’t want to re-purchase these lenses when you inevitably have to upgrade the camera. And that’s where DSLR/SLR camera manufacturers get you. It’s like Gillette and their disposable razor heads.

So why then, given all the above, would one purchase the XSi over all the competition? Price is one factor. Image quality is another (the pictures this camera can take are nothing short of breathtaking, but that’s all a matter of opinion, so this is just my opinion and not a statement of fact I can quantify). One more is lens quality. Canon (well, really all the above) have been making lenses for YEARS. And in the lens department Canon and Nikon stand above the rest.

Why did I purchase this camera? Well Canon has been around a long time and actually started the DSLR revolution with the original Rebel camera. Their cameras always stand well on their own. While they may not stand head and shoulders above every camera out there, they do a tremendous job of holding their own in the market. My father owns a Rebel XT and it’s an amazing piece of kit for when it was made. I bought this one because the T1i supposedly has some photo aberrations usually attributed to the sensor size that actually captures the image being too small to really utilize the 15 MP picture it is taking.

The price is good, I bought a brand I know and I can share lenses with my father. That’s why I bought this camera.

I realize this review is pretty jumbled. Instead of writing a full review, as there are many other reviews here that do a much better job than I describing technical and non-technical details, I decided to just put down things I was thinking about as I purchased my first DSLR.

This review isn’t a listing of all the features of this camera. You’ve just scrolled past those. But it’s my impression of the ones that make the most difference and to compare it with my prior experiences. Anyone who knows Canon will know it’s better than the T2i and not as good as the 7D which is what the comparative reviews are saying.

This is my 1st XXD series camera so many of my comments are going to be based on my past experiences with the Canon Powershot S series (Of which this camera is a love child) and my experiences with my 3 Rebels (XTi, XSi, and T1i which I always carry). This product will not be purchase verified or whatever that is called because I have WAITED for Amazon.com to sell this kit but my local retailer came out with it first.

Why does it take this many years to get a camera with an articulated LCD? Nikon offered this a year or so ago on the entry level Nikon d5000 DSLR much the same way Nikon had to force Canon to give Canon users Image Stabilization on the entry level lenses only after Nikon started to offer it’s VR system on it’s entry level lenses. CANON! STOP LETTING NIKON DICTATE YOUR CAMERA DEVELOPMENT! DO IT FOR US! Like us! Please? Just a little?? The variangle LCD was the strength of the Canon point and shoots, particularly of the Canon PowerShot S series, whose users will possibly be this camera’s biggest fans. The best thing about this window is that you can protect the screen from scratches and although Canon claims it will help you get shots from other angels and enhance the live view, it’s still slightly more awkward to use than on the Powershot series because you could one zoom one handed with the switch, instead to having to manually twist the lens.

The electronic levels is REALLY great and though images can be straightened in post processing, it helps to have the level. Again, this will make a little more sense of the softball shaped rebels which are harder to FEEL level, this larger 60D almost feels self leveling with its nice size and great grip. I never minded the grip on the Rebels but now that I see the difference I’m slightly less satisfied with those and feel this is far superior. But all the XXD series have this.

This camera is also surprisingly light compared to the 50D which means its also surprisingly plastic. I don’t mind plastic. I don’t want to carry around a bunch of have metal framed cameras for the one time I need it to defelct a bullet. If I am finally getting shot at for taking photos someplace I’m not supposed to be, maybe it’s my time. I like the weight and feel of this.

In camera processing has already been mocked by my friends and as much as I like it, it seems like a silly thing to put on the XXD series. It will seem less so on the Canon T3i, as will the variangle window. Maybe one day I will be processing all my photos in camera, why, I have no idea, but why not just give us that software on a disk? Maybe they have. I haven’t checked the disk yet. If they have? Awesome. If not, Canon why do you still hate us so?? For that matter, why can’t Canon put some cool Hipstamatic-like software in there? It works on a damned phone and costs 99 cents.

It has a 49 shot buffer which I am BARELY able to big down even at the highest burst mode settings. NICELY DONE, Canon.

The battery life is spectacular and this kit lens, the Canon 18-135 1:3.5-5.6 IS is a REALLY, REALLY great lens which is going to be vilified because it’s the kit lens. I also really liked the 18-55 IS. (KIT SNOBS!) As anyone who has tried to replace the 18mm wide end of the range with a different lens, you will have seen that it isn’t cheap, Ringo. Do not let kit lens snobs, or Canon, ruin your love for this lens. It’s that same cheap plasticy built as the old kits and the 55-250 (another great lens). You can read the reviews for this lens on its own page and you can see how highly it is rated by other users if not by people who do nothing but photograph grids all day. This lens does not have a zoom lock but neither did that monstrous Canon 28-135 which slides open as soon as it falls below horizonal, but the 18-135 stays put.

The XXD series has the faster shutterspeed of 1/8000 which will allow me to use the Canon 50 1.8 outdoors without a ND filter (which works but makes it harder to see out the viewfinder) OR if you accidentally leave it in the nearly noise free iso1600 you can now still get great shots. Same as the 50D but stilla step up from the Rebel’s 1/4000 limit.

I can’t speak for the video because I have barely used it on my T1i or on this camera. I’m sure it may be great but I don’t use it. I found myself having the same difficult as using the variangle window, in that it takes the other hand to zoom and that shakes the camera and although Canon seemed to indicate someplace that it was for ‘moving stills’ or something like that, I’d have gladly passed up this feature for a couple hundred bucks off. Isn’t a FLIP HD camera like a hundred bucks or something?

So to sum it up, if my biggest complaint with this camera is that Canon has made us wait for some really great features then they have done a great job. The price point is fair.

I will update this review with edits the second I find fault with this camera under this line but as yet, have not found any.

Update: No complaints but I do have additional praise. This Canon has 2 burst mode settings a high and a low. ESSENTIAL when shooting people and very nice to have it adjustable.

The Live View has a greatly improved autofocus now which makes shooting from the hip with the very large variangle window REALLY great. I appreciate it more already then when I mentioned it at the beginning of this review.

This camera is also an ergonomic dream, the buttons feel great. I have small hands and have always resisted the XXD series thinking It would be a nuisance to hold it and operate the buttons. Canon really did a great job with this design. The buttons are well places and DEEP so you KNOW you are pressing them, not just tapping a little nub. I’m increasingly pleased every time I use this camera.

I took this camera to New York this weekend. At over 1800 (no flash) shots the battery still held 62% of it’s charge. FAR in excess of Canon’s reported specs. You will have a hard time draining this battery in 2 days of shooting.

If I had not already bought this camera, I would have bought it again.

The Kodak M853 has 17 scene modes to help beginners achieve the results they’re looking for without the need to understand subtleties like shutter speeds, apertures and the like. Scene modes provided are: portrait, sports, landscape, children, night portrait, beach, snow, fireworks, self portrait, backlight, night landscape, text/document, manner/museum, flower, sunset, panorama, and candlelight. Additional shooting modes include auto, video, Favorites, digital IS, high ISO, and close-up.

The M853 determines exposures with a center-weighted TTL metering system, and offers 2.0EV of exposure compensation in 1/3EV increments. Five white balance settings are available including an auto mode, and ISO sensitivity is controlled automatically ranging from 80 to 800, or manually up to 1,250. The EasyShare M853 also offers a movie mode, capturing VGA (640×480) clips at 15 fps, or QVGA (320×240) clips at 30 fps, both with audio. Movies are encoded in QuickTime MPEG4 format.

Images and movies captured on the Kodak M853 are transferred to your computer over a USB 2.0 Full Speed connection. Power comes from a custom KLIC-7001 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery, and features in-camera charging via USB cable.

The Kodak EasyShare M853 ships August 2007 at a suggested list price of US$ 179, and is available in white, red, graphite, silver and espresso.

My first dSLR purchase, but I come with a strong analog photographic background (medium- and large-format photography).

The XSI is very nice. It is nice and light-weight, great image quality, and is snappy in operation. I couldn’t ask for much more (well maybe in-body IS like Sony, Pentax, and Olympus cameras).

I laugh at the people who call this an “entry-level” dSLR. The image quality exceeds Canon’s $1300 semi-professional 40D model. The features that more-expensive models include are mostly minor conveniences. I took plenty of “professional” pictures with my 4×5″ view camera. I get about 1-frame-per-15-minutes with a large-format camera. And yet people seem to think that the XSI’s 3.5 frames/per/second makes it entry-level?! Most photographers need nothing more. Yes, if you are a professional wildlife or sports photographer, you want the upgrade. If not, then this camera should meet your needs and then some.

For point and shoot cameras, I like Canon the best and they make a few models for your consideration.

I bought the SD900 for my own pocket camera and I love it. It is still available, but it has been upgraded to the SD950-IS.

I bought an SD700-IS for my 34 year old daugher and this has been replaced by the SD850-IS.

The SD900 and SD950-IS have larger sensors and I feel make the better images, but the SD850-IS is still decent.

Here’s a side-by-side of my SD900 and my daughter’s SD700-IS showing the same subject on the same day. You can see the differences if you view this full size, as described under the image. The SD850-IS image might be a little better, but I doubt it would be a very noticeable difference.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/944309888/

The SD950-IS is a 12 MP camera and it might do well with that many pixels on the sensor, but the “IS” is more significant.

Let your budget decide. For my money, I like the quality of my SD900 better, but the “IS” in the SD850-IS and longer zoom might be more to your liking. They cost almost the same. The SD950-IS is showing a $ 450 price, but I have not read an actual review yet. Okay – here you go – let’s both read this for the first time: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/canon_sd950.html “If the top performance from an ultra-compact is what you are looking for, then this is the camera for you.”

Canon SD900 ($ 315): http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/sd900.html
- See also: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsd900/

SD850-IS ($ 310) Preview: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0705/07050702canonsd850is.asp
- Go here and click on “Read owner opinions”
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_sd850is.asp
- See also: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-sd850-is/4505-6501_7-32441340.html?ar=o&tag=pdtl-list
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/canon_sd850.html

Samples:
SD900: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/tags/sd900/
SD700-IS – go ahead and play the “which one do you like better” in this set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/tags/sd700is/