Review: Canon Digital Rebel XT EOS 350D
Canon Digital Rebel XT EOS 350D
8MP Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera
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One of several entry-level digital SLRs available, the Rebel XT was the first under-$1000 consumer-grade SLR on the market. It was also the first small body DSLR, which made it more comfortable in my hand than the (competitive) Nikon D70. Current price for the XT body with the Canon 18-55mm lens is about $500.
Such cameras are often sold in kits. The body comes with a cheap lens, battery and charger, Compact Flash memory card, and a carrying strap. Additionally, you may want to invest in a protective clear filter for the lens and a carrying case for the whole shebang. The XT kit typically includes the Canon 18-55mm (f3.5-5.6) lens which can be purchased separately for about $100 (this should give you an idea of its quality). Although the lens is extremely light and compact, you might want a better one (say, with higher quality optics and image stabilization). You could spring for the Canon 17-85mm EF-S IS USM Lens, but this can easily cost $400! Many after-market (i.e., non-Canon) lenses are also available for the XT.
When considering this camera for purchase there are a few things to think about:
- The fact that it’s only got 8 MP resolution should not deter you from this model. Image quality has much more to do with optics and image sensor/processor than it does with the number of megapixels. Unless you’re shooting RAW, a 5 MP JPEG image is not going to look a lot different from a 10 MP image (all things equal).
- The body has no Vibration Reduction or Image Stabilization. If you want this, you must buy a lens with this feature. For what it’s worth, having this feature in the lens is supposedly more effective than having it in the body. I find that some lenses are better than others.
- Body color – This is weird, but the body is available in silver or black. Price can vary as much as $70 based on color! When the XT first became available, retailers charged $50 more for a black body (because it looked more “professional?”). Now I see them advertised as being $20 higher for silver. Go figure.
I’ve owned the XT for 2 years and it has been my workhorse camera.
In my opinion, these are its high and low points:
The Good
- Auto mode flash gives nice even illumination. Digital flash is so often very harsh.
- Handy function buttons on outside of body avoids menu drilldowns
- Battery life good (450 – 600 shots), though it’s less if using flash and image stabilization. (Calumet batteries cheaper)
- Has really sharp monochrome (Black and White) mode, along with tinting and electronic filtration. The latter is REALLY nice as you avoid the nuisance of having to screw on different color lens filters to change BW contrast!
- Very good infrared sensitivity. Use with a Hoya R72 filter (blocks most visible light and allows most IR over 720nm to pass) for pictorial effects, though digital IR will never be as colorful as Ektachrome IR film.
The Bad
- Color rendition is not as good as with Nikons (but Nikons don’t do BW!)
- The Rebel XT has an inherent software problem which Canon apparently is taking no responsibility for. Occasionally, when you turn its power switch on, the display indicates “Err 99” and the camera won’t function. You have to switch it off and back on for it to work. Canon’s response is a body-lens mismatch or dirty electrical contacts. That’s a lot of hooey, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve cleaned the contacts and used various lenses, but I still get “Err 99” about 20% of the time. I spoke with a Canon rep at the PDN Photoplus Conference in October 2007 about the problem and he said to “format the memory cards in a computer instead of erasing them in the camera.” This has lessened the problem, but it still exists.
- Relatively small (1.8”) image display – most DSLRs today boast a larger 2.5 inch display.
- No sensor dust-off feature. With interchangeable lenses, you risk getting dust inside the camera body. Dust on the image sensor shows up as spots on your image. Some cameras vibrate the sensor to shake dust off. While the XT does not have this, it does allow you to lock the mirror up so you can remove the lens and blow any dust off the (highly fragile!) image sensor.
Category: Cameras and Gear, Featured, Reviews
About the Author (Author Profile)
Ed lives in the Philadelphia area and works as a clinical engineer in a local teaching hospital. He has been making photographs for the past 30 years. His early work- color landscape photography –has been shown in New York and Philadelphia galleries. His current work has been shown in New York, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. Buy a copy of his book, Stone Angels: A celebration of the Mourning Arts.
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