Product Description

8.0-megapixel effective recording * EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (35mm equivalent focal length: 28-90mm) * 1-13/16" color LCD * eye-level SLR viewfinder (with dioptric adjustment) * wide-area 7-point autofocus * ... Read more

Features

• Fast start-up time--.2 seconds
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (included, with charger)
• 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• Includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing; captures images at a rate of up to 3 frames per second

Reviews (29)

Great dSLR especially for the money
Got this camera after considering between this and the 20D.Was very impressed with the 20D, but the price difference could easily give me a very good lense, and the feature differences are minor, so Rebel XT it is.I am a photography enthuiast who wishes he had the budget for a canon 1D MarkII but instead have the budget of a mortal and have to pay for a personal camera out of his own pocket.
I have been reading some other reviews on this site and other sites regarding digital SLR cameras in general.I had to admit, most of the reviewers really are better served with a point and shoot.This is a SLR camera, it will take great pictures in automatic modes, but if you use your camera in those modes, get something like the Canon Pro1.This camera is to be used in Av, Tv or Manual modes, maybe in Program in a pinch.It requires you to understand WB, depth of fields, exposure metering as well as other wide array of nuances that come with a SLR camera.If you don't want to spend some time to learn some details about photography, you will be better served with a point and shoot.If you decide to use the attached flash for in door portrait shots, you're probably better served with a point and shoot.If you need to frame your shot on the LCD, you're better served with a point and shoot (becasue the whole SLR concept of through the lense view of the scene, DOF checking, focus accuracy is completely lost by that opinion).Yes the sensor on dSLR's will get dirty and require maintenance.Some one mentioned why don't engineer design the sensor to have the opposite charge to rebel dust.Well, dusts don't have one single polarity in their charges, so 50% of the dust will be attracted to the sensor doesn't matter what polarity the sensor is charged with.
Also, this is not a Canon 1Ds either, so it does have its limitations, but then again, people who will feel completely limited by this camera should have gotten a Canon 1D series camera anyway.
The best merit for this camera is foremost image quality.It's extremely low in image noise all the way up to ISO 800.ISO 1600 is completely usable if you stay below 8x10 enlargement and don't mind photoshopping your image a little.Again, if you don't ever want to bother with photoshop adjustment of you pictures, you probably will be better served with a point and shoot.The kit lense is of decent quality again for the price, but you're definitely short changing yourself if that's the only lense you decide for have for this camera.If you want to buy the kit and had no intention to buy another lense, you shoud seriously be considering Canon Pro1, it's got a L glass and a good match between the lense and the body.Buying this camera will be at most 50% of your investment if you truly want to make it worthwhile, the other 50% will be needed for buying good lenses (get the Canon 17-40mm USM L lense, the 70-200 4L zoom, and the 28-135mm as a walk-around, the Tamron 28-74 is an excellent medium range lense as well and is probably a superior substitue for the Canon 28-135 USM).
I would have to say lack of spot metering does give the Nikon D70 an advantage, but this camera does have a center metering mode with exposure lock, so it is not really a show-stopper. Compared to the D70, the Rebel XT has superior noise level performance.This is from my personal experience as well as photos from a wide variety of sites on the net.Low noise level is very important to me, so if this is on your priority list, you really can't go wrong with the Rebel XT at this price point.
What I want to emphasize here is seriously consider your needs before buying this camera, to make this camera truly worth the money you spent, you need to spend a bit more of your money and a lot of more of your time on learning how to properly handle a piece of equipment like this.Otherwise, you guessed it, Canon Pro1 is a very very good candidate.

This is one awesome camera
I bought from amazon after being let down by Dell. It arrived next day and on the weekend i gave it a good workout at a local airshow. I took just under 1000 photos and was amazed by how well the shots came out in sport mode. Very quick focus and spot on.
excellent camera and well built , not small as some people have noted, works for me...

Awesome!
What an amazing small compact SLR camera! I originally purchased the 20D but I found it a bit too big for my taste. The Digital Rebel XT is small and compact and perfect for my wife and I. Although small, the battery can easily shoot 230 shots in a single charge (20% using flash).

I highly recommend this camera it's perfect for amateur photographers. This is an excellent upgrade from my previous Canon G2. If you are new to photography I would recommend the G6 before this camera. But the best nest step would be this one.

Also, with the $700 dollars that I saved getting this instead of the 20D, I purchased a new Canon 17-85mm EF-S lens. What an AMZING lens!

Hope that this help!

Top Notch digital
I bought this camera as soon as it was available on Amazon, and have had it for about a month now.The experience has been fantastic.The pictures are nothing less than stunning.Colors are great, resolution is amazing, and the software package is very complete and easy to use.

Probably the best features are the number of modes that are available, and the ease of use.It can be set to a full program mode, and used as a point and click snapshot camera by anyone at all, or put into full manual mode for the more experienced.

I do have a couple of suggestions.Order this body without the Canon lens.I upgraded to a Sigma 28-300 mm Macro Zoom for about the cost of the original lens, and now have one lens for virtually any situation.

Also, get top notch compact flash card.I bought high speed, 1 GB Lexar 80x flash because I really wanted the ability to take high speed repetative pictures.I was not disappointed.You can either take one picture after another about as fast as you can hit the sutter, or put the camera into repeat-shot mode and hold the shutter button down.This is a great feature.

Also order a spare battery or two.It takes a lot of pictures on a single charge, but seems to go from a full battery indication down to dead real fast, so there's not a lot of warning that you need to charge up.

All in all, a very outstanding bit of technology.

Canon Kiss Digital N (Digital Rebel XT)
I'm stationed overseas so most companies won't let me buy cool electronics like the Digital Rebel XT so I went out on the Japanese economy.This is my first digital SLR.I've struggled trying to capture great shots of my daughters playing soccer, basketball, running track..etc., with the "enthusiast" zoom cameras.The Kiss Digital N is made in Japan and has a few minor differences from the U.S. model.The kit zoom 18-55 lens for instance is USM.I bought it as a kit with another Canon lens as well, a 55-200 EF. It's light, cheap, and good enough as I'll get to in a minute. In the end it was between the Pentax istDS or the Digital Rebel XT.After completing all of my research on-line it came down to Canon picture quality, and technology.Am I happy?So far this camera is light years ahead of any digital that I've owned.It's fast, the pictures are sharp if you understand the limitations of the lens you are using, and it's easy.My wife can use it just fine and she doesn't have a digital clue.For the enthusiast, there is plenty of stuff to play with.The 8 megapixel CMOS sensor produces amazing results.The soccer pics tell the story for me.The 55-200 EF produced some incredible shots.It's USM and focuses fast and sharp.It's not an "L" lens but I don't even know what that means!This camera will sell like crazy.Eventually I plan on buying a 35mm EF prime F2.0 lens, the wireless remote, the battery grip, and Canon Flash. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Features

• 8.2-megapixel sensor captures 3504 by 2336 pixel JPEG or RAW images
• Includes 18-55mm (3x zoom) f/3.5-5.6 autofocus lens, EF mount compatible with all Canon lenses in EF and EF-S lineup
• Direct printing with PictBridge printers
• Store images on CompactFlash memory card
• Powered by rechargeable BP-511A 1390mAh battery pack

Features

• Highly advanced 5.0-megapixel digital camera camera with 3x optical/4.1x digital/12x combined zoom
• 14 shooting modes, with special Scene Modes for spectacular shots in special situations
• New, larger 1.8-inch vari-angle LCD monitor for easier image preview and review
• 9-point AiAF plus FlexiZone AF/AE for off-center subjects
• New Print/Share button for easy direct printing and downloads

Reviews (1)

Nice Camera
We just got these cameras in the store and they are amazing. Everyone enjoys the LCD screen on the back. Instead of the typical fixed LCD it has a swivel one much like your Camcorder. It pops out so you can have it hang to the side, or you can flip it over to take pictures of yourself and your family if you don't have a cameraman handy. It can also flip back into the body to function just like previous LCD screens. Amazing innovation in digital camera's. Overall nice camera from Canon. ... Read more

Features

• 4-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 11-by-15-inch enlargements
• Canon 3x optical zoom lens with 3.6x digital zoom
• 9-point autofocus; movie mode; PictBridge compatible
• Store images on Compact Flash Type I memory cards (32 MB card included)
• Powered by rechargeable battery pack NB-1LH (included with charger)

Reviews (33)

Wonderful Point-and-Shoot Camera
This is the ultimate camera for active/sporting/outdoor snapshots. It's so small you can stick it in a pocket, and yet it has flash, 3x optical zoom and 4 megapixel resolution! Because it's digital you can see the results immediately, and you don't have to worry about wasting film. Send your experiences and memories to everyone!

Pros:
* Very small and handy
* Unobtrusive-your friends will stop posing every time you try to take a picture! My friend Christine has mastered the art of stealth photography with her S410; she looks in a different direction while glancing at the LCD viewfinder!
* Uses Compact Flash (CF)- Low-cost easy to handle memory cards available in capacities up to 1 GB!
* Picture quality (so far) is excellent

Cons:
* Uses a rechargeable battery-This takes some extra planning and perhaps a purchase of a spare battery.
* Non-automatic operation is difficult-the small size makes it hard to read and navigate the controls
* Small size can be a danger! You could lose it accidentally or drop it out of a shirt pocket

Excellently made compact camera
I've been reading the reviews on this Canon PowerShot S410 camera before and after purchasing my own. There certainly are numerous whiners out there. It seems people love to find something to whine about. Honestly, this camera has given me nothing but pleasure, excellent pictures and compliments from others. This is a solid well-built camera (my cats knocked it off my desk and dragged around a bit and it had no scratches and still works excellently) with excellent picture quality both indoor and outdoor and easy to figure out menu and buttons. People also seem to complain about the LCD screen being small on digital cameras in general. My answer, look through the view finder. In addition, with the Canon S410 the image on the LCD screen is so vivid and clear and the colors so rich that it doesn't really matter. After all, the most important thing is both the final print and how it looks on your computer not the size of the LCD screen. When I connect the camera to my Canon CP-330 compact photo printer, it's a one press operation and away it goes printing the best quality pictures ever. Unless you love to nit-pick (there's really nothing to nit-pick about on this one) you'll love this camera. Minor note, Canon could have possibly been a little more generous in what comes with the camera, such as an AC power adapter (although I love the battery recharger). However, don't consider this a complaint, just a suggestion to Canon. If you do decide to purchase, ENJOY! And to those whiners, life is too short .......

Small Size/ Big Performance
I'm not an expert on photography. I have only taken one photography class in my life, but this little camera is quite amazing! The size fits perfectly in anyone's hands; moreover, the buttons and controls are easy to manuever.

I was able to operate this camera pretty much right out of the box without having to read the manual. I have no problems downloading the pictures into my computer. It's very user friendly.

The pictures are crisp and clear, as you can see in the open window. It's a great daytime, point and shoot sort of camera and the pictures look quite professional. The only problems it has is taking night-time photos. This camera has a bit of a problem in the dark, but overall, great value for the price!!!!

I highly recommend it!

One of the best cameras out there for its size.
I got this camera because I was looking for a camera that was small but had great resolution. This camera can fit right into the palm of your hand. The only thing i didn't like was that the video is 320x240 pixels but the camera takes outstanding photos. This is a camera for someone who wants a small camera but with great resolution.

Best Still Picture Quality for Compact Digital Cameras
If you just need a digital camera to take pictures in the sun light, you can almost pick any digital camera.

But if you want your camera to take great pictures under all different light conditions (i.e. in door, with dark background, wedding photos and other complex light situations), then Canon S410/S500 will be the only choice. Thanks to Canon DIGIC Image Processor and iSAPS Technology, this Canon S410 really takes perfect pictures in all different light conditions, which no compact digital camera from other vender can match.

However the Canon case for S500/S410 is very dispointing, which is poorly made with cheap fake leather.

I found the most beautiful, perfect fitting leather case for Canon S410/S500 from http://stores.ebay.com/ProCases ... Read more

Product Description

5.0-megapixel effective recording * DIGIC II processor for true-to-life color reproduction * 2" color LCD viewscreen * 3X optical/4X digital/12X total zoom * 35mm equivalent focal length: 35-105mm * ... Read more

Features

• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery; stores images on SD memory card
• 5-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display; ultra-compact design (.8 inches thick)
• Enhanced movie mode with fast 60-frame-per-second capture rate
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing

Reviews (9)

Dual purpose camera for pictures and videos
I am not going to write a long review since the others have done an excellent job with that.

I just want to point out that with this camera you don't really need a handycam video camera anymore since it takes very good videos with sound at 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second.Using Windows Movie Maker you can create your own movies and email them in compressed format to your friends.That is much more versatile than working with a Handycam.

The main drawback on the video function is that you can't zoom while filming.So I suggest taking several clips and stitching them together later with Windows Movie Maker.With that software a 1 minute video is only 5 MB in wmv format (or whatever size you want), so it can be easily emailed alongside your pictures.

I suggest getting a 1 GB SD Card with it if you plan on taking lots of movies.They really have come down in price.Make sure you get a "high speed card" (45x or faster).Compared to similar Sony cameras, the Canon uses much cheaper non proprietary SD memory and has a viewfinder to save batteries.

This camera is so small that you can carry it with you at all times taking pictures and video anywhere you go.What good is a camera if you don't have it with you when the perfect Kodak moment is in front of you?

Love this camera!!!
I have always had Canon's for my digital cameras, and recently received the Sd400 as a gift to replace my digital elph.I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. The size is amazing.The shutter speed is fantastic and I love the new version of the ZoonBrowser.The movie feature works fabulously.I can't wait to get a bigger SD card to start taking more pictures.The 16 MB one that comes with it isn't even worth the cost of making it.Your going to have to get a bigger one, obviously.I would highly recommend this camera.

Wonderful, recommend to everyone
No other camera can come close on the color accuracy and quality in this price range. This just has to be the best pocket-sized camera on the market. I tested Everything, and the only other camera that caught my eye was a larger Kodak (Z/DX)7590, but that one is much larger. Armed with a large SD card (gotta love those things better than CF) and a LI battery (too bad they make you buy them extra), this just has to be an unbeatable camera in it's class.

LCD display is big but fragile
Think twice before buying the Canon SD 400 camera. The LCD displays are large but extremely fragile. Mine was cracked on the second day. It was NOT dropped or abused.

I also have a Canon S110 and have taken just over 5,000 photos with it since Christmas 2001 without any problems. Apparently, in an attempt to make the new models light and the displays large, Canon sacrificed durability.

In some cases Canon will "waive" the LCD repair cost. In others they demand $165 for the repair.

Canon repaired mine as a favor.And I've since purchased a 'da Protector Model 104 - LCD protector.A thin plastic shield that fits well over the LCD window and is stiff enough to shield the LCD from any contact.

Great Little Camera
It's easy to use, easy to upload, easy to carry around. I've had my camera for about two weeks. Took tons of pictures and mini-movies of my 2 year old son and our dog - all came out great. Of course, I had to buy a larger memory card - but it was all worth it. Highly recomended for non-technically inclined users who love taking pictures. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Adding megapixel power to the popular S400 Digital Elph, Canon's PowerShot S500 bumps up the resolution to 5 megapixels--providing richer details and improved clarity. Elegantly designed and super compact, the S500 has a protective stainless steel shell with a celabrite finish, which mixes metals and ceramics to produce a tough cool-toned exterior that is visually stunning. It also features a 3x optical zoom, high-resolution video capture, and Canon's new Print/Share button, which helps you quickly connect directly to a printer or send an image via e-mail.

The S500's 5-megapixel sensor captures a wealth of detail.

Optics and Resolution
The 5-megapixel PowerShot S500 can capture 2592 x 1944 images for poster-size prints. It also has 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480 resolution modes. The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length of 7.4-22.2mm (35mm equivalent: 36-108mm). It also has a 4.1x digital zoom.

Movie Mode
The PowerShot S500 lets you capture high-resolution 30-second video clips with sound at 640 x 480 (10 frames per second). You can also capture 3-minute movies at lower resolution settings: 320 x 240 and 160 x 120 (both at 15 frames per second).

More Camera Features

• 9-point Artificial Intelligence autofocus (AiAF) for fast and sharp images, even with off-center subjects
• 1.5 inch low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD (118,000 pixels)
• Real-image optical zoom viewfinder
• Built-in flash with auto, red-eye reduction, and slow sync modes
• Record a voice memo of up to 60 seconds and attach to images
• Shutter speed: 15 - 1/2,000 seconds
• White balance control: Auto, pre-set (daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H), or custom white balance
• Continuous shooting: 2.2 frames (maximum 14 images)
• 2x to 10x zoom into captured images while reviewing via the LCD

Canon Technology Features

• Digic Imaging Processor: While much technical discussion of digital cameras centers around the optics and the CCD sensor, the complex task of image rendering is the job of the image processor--the "brains" of a digital camera. Canon's latest, exclusive DIGIC Imaging Processor significantly enhances digital camera performance in numerous areas. DIGIC's high-speed signal processing is combined with high-capacity buffering to give Canon digital cameras fast response and continuous shooting capability unmatched by other digital cameras. DIGIC delivers longer battery life and beautiful, rich color rendition with far fewer white saturation problems. And DIGIC's unequaled precision delivers clear, noise-free images that are demonstrably superior.

  Canon's 9-point AiAF makes it easier to focus even when your subject is off-center in the frame.

• iSAPS Technology: Canon iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology dramatically improves the performance of AF (Autofocus), AE (Auto Exposure), and AWB (Auto White Balance). By analyzing a huge volume of photography data, accumulated over 60 years and the manufacture of over 150 million cameras, Canon engineers arrived at statistical relationships among focal length, focus distance, scene brightness, and other factors. Equipped with this "fore knowledge" Canon PowerShot cameras can optimize AF/AE/AWB settings for any given scene more rapidly and more effectively.
• Multi-point AiAF: Canon's wide-area, multi-point AiAF (artificial intelligence autofocus) automatically selects one or more focusing points based on factors, such as subject position and motion. AiAF works in conjunction with iSAPS Technology to more quickly and accurately achieve autofocus under a wide variety of shooting conditions. You get fast, accurate AF whether you hold the camera horizontally or vertically, with stationary or moving subjects, with off-center subjects, and even in low-light/low-contrast lighting.

Direct Printing/Sharing
The PowerShot S500 introduces a new Print/Share button that speeds and simplifies printing to compatible Canon and PictBridge enabled printers and one-touch image transfer to Windows XP, Me, 2000, and 98 computers for use with image processing programs, uploading to the Internet, or placement in e-mail. When connected to a Canon Compact Photo printer, a Movie Print mode divides the selected clip into equal parts and prints thumbnails of a maximum 63 equally spaced frames onto a single sheet of Postcard Size Paper.

Storage and Transfer
Images and video are stored on CompactFlash memory cards (Type I only) and the included 32 MB card holds approximately 21 images at the Large/Fine setting. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1 connectivity, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-1LH). With the LCD on, you will get approximately 190 shots. It measures 3.43 x 2.24 x 1.09 inches and weighs 6.5 ounces (without batteries).

What's in the Box
This package contains the PowerShot S500 digital camera, 32 MB CompactFlash memory card, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-1LH), battery charger (CB-2LS), USB and A/V cables, and wrist strap. The supplied software on the CD-ROM includes browsing and printing software ZoomBrowser EX (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Mac). Other software includes PhotoStitch, plus photo and movie manipulation software ArcSoft PhotoStudio and VideoImpression. ... Read more

Features

• 5-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 13-by-17-inch enlargements
• Canon 3x optical zoom lens combines with 4x digital zoom for 12x total zoom
• 9-point autofocus; movie mode; PictBridge compatible
• Store images on Compact Flash Type I memory cards (32 MB card included)
• Powered by rechargeable battery pack NB-1LH (included with charger)

Reviews (31)

Point-and-shoot at its best
This is my first digital camera, and I have no regrets. It's a damn fine point-and-shoot with very intuitive controls and can be used virtually right out of the box (just charge the battery a bit). The video capture feature is just fine; afterall, if you wanted a video camera, you would have purchased one. I considered the Sony DSC-T1, but with Sony's proprietary memory requirements, the cost/benefit just didn't add up. The S500 is a sturdy camera, and should satisfy the casual photo enthusiast for quite some time. The included software is also user-friendly and easy to use.

My Canon Elan 7E and Canon Elph 2 kept me content for quite some time. With hundreds if not thousands of dollars spent on photo-processing however, it was simply time to get into the digital age.

For accessories, you'll want to get a case for it (such as the PSC-50) as it only comes with a wrist strap. In addition, consider purchasing a larger CF card (256MB or 512MB... I purchased the SanDisk Ultra II 256MB). Once you buy a card, you'll be able to use it in digital SLRs if you go that route; the included 32MB card will quickly run out of space if you are taking full resolution photos.

Anyone interested in taking the leap into digital photography and wanting unbiased reviews should take a look at Steve's Digicams at www.steves-digicams.com.

Choosing a digital camera is very much a function of lifestyle. If you are used to SLRs and like being able to bring multiple lenses for special photography opportunities, then consider the Digital Rebel or EOS 10D; you won't find better cameras on the market. If however, you want a compact camera that you can easily take anywhere, consider the S500 as a happy travel partner to capture those moments, and never process film again!

Best Still Picture Quality for Compact Digital Cameras
If you just need a digital camera to take pictures in the sun light, you can almost pick any digital camera.

But if you want your camera to take great pictures under all different light conditions (i.e. in door, with dark background, wedding photos and other complex light situations), then Canon S500 will be the only choice. Thanks to Canon DIGIC Image Processor and iSAPS Technology, this Canon S500 really takes perfect pictures in all different light conditions, which no compact digital camera from other vender can match.

However the Canon case for S500 is very dispointing, which is poorly made with cheap fake leather.

I found the most beautiful, perfect fitting leather case for Canon S410/S500 from http://stores.ebay.com/ProCases

Excellent camera
I find the double zooming feature (optical/ digital) very useful and powerful.

The quality of the resulting pictures is fantastic.

I highly recommend this product.

It might be your memory cards
Not all memory cards work well with all cameras. I tried to use a Viking card with my Canon s230, and got the E18 error mentioned here. As soon as I swapped my SanDisk back in, the problem was gone forever. I think sending the memory card back was a much better and cheaper solution than ditching an excellent camera.

Beware of moving this camera between indoors and outdoors
This camera is the next generation in Canon's Powershot family. Let me start by saying that I have not bought this model, but that this cautionary note is based on a significant flaw in the design of the S400 which I have. I don't believe this flaw has been corrected in this updated model.

I bought an S400 and used it for seven months. I was very happy with it. At that point, however, it stopped working without warning. When I sent it in to the factory service center, I discovered something very troubling about the camera that had I known earlier would have caused me to not purchase it.

It turns out that this model--as well as many other Canon digital cameras, the tech told me--has an aluminum body. If you subject the camera to temperature changes (and it only takes a change of 10-15 degrees, I was told) condensation will form inside the camera, and the camera will start to corrode, eventually rendering it unusable.

This is what had happened to me. What misuse had I subjected my camera to that caused this to happen? I took it on vacation to the beach with me. Carrying it from the hot and humid beach into an air conditioned car was enough to destroy the camera!

The tech told me that he sees this all the time. He didn't know the percent of all Canon cameras that suffer this fate, but he said a lot of them do. He told me he gets lots of cameras back from people who have taken them on vacation to Arizona, Mexico, and Hawaii. He even saw one that had stopped working because the owner kept it stored in a stuffy closet. When the owner eventually took it out to use it, the temperature change back to normal room temperature was enough to fry the camera.

I was told that this damage is not covered under warranty and that the manual cautions users not to subject their cameras to this sort of treatment. Canon will not provide service on cameras that suffer this fate. If this happens to your camera during the waranty period you're basically out of luck. You lose the investment you made in the camera and any peripherals that you bought.

I hope anyone interested in purchasing a Canon digital camera will learn from my very expensive mistake in purchasing one. See the review section for the S400 on Amazon.com for even more stories from people who have had this same problem.

What I said about the S400 holds true here as well. The camera is very nicely designed, but it's poorly engineered. If you plan to use the camera indoors only this is a great model. But if you plan to use the camera both outdoors and indoors, if there is a difference in humidity and temperature between the two where you live, and if you don't want to run the risk of totally losing your investment in the camera, this isn't the model or brand for you. ... Read more

Product Description

8.0-megapixel effective recording * EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (35mm equivalent focal length: 28-90mm) * 1-13/16" color LCD * eye-level SLR viewfinder (with dioptric adjustment) * wide-area 7-point autofocus * ... Read more

Features

• Fast start-up time--.2 seconds
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (included, with charger)
• 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• Includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing; captures images at a rate of up to 3 frames per second

Reviews (29)

Great dSLR especially for the money
Got this camera after considering between this and the 20D.Was very impressed with the 20D, but the price difference could easily give me a very good lense, and the feature differences are minor, so Rebel XT it is.I am a photography enthuiast who wishes he had the budget for a canon 1D MarkII but instead have the budget of a mortal and have to pay for a personal camera out of his own pocket.
I have been reading some other reviews on this site and other sites regarding digital SLR cameras in general.I had to admit, most of the reviewers really are better served with a point and shoot.This is a SLR camera, it will take great pictures in automatic modes, but if you use your camera in those modes, get something like the Canon Pro1.This camera is to be used in Av, Tv or Manual modes, maybe in Program in a pinch.It requires you to understand WB, depth of fields, exposure metering as well as other wide array of nuances that come with a SLR camera.If you don't want to spend some time to learn some details about photography, you will be better served with a point and shoot.If you decide to use the attached flash for in door portrait shots, you're probably better served with a point and shoot.If you need to frame your shot on the LCD, you're better served with a point and shoot (becasue the whole SLR concept of through the lense view of the scene, DOF checking, focus accuracy is completely lost by that opinion).Yes the sensor on dSLR's will get dirty and require maintenance.Some one mentioned why don't engineer design the sensor to have the opposite charge to rebel dust.Well, dusts don't have one single polarity in their charges, so 50% of the dust will be attracted to the sensor doesn't matter what polarity the sensor is charged with.
Also, this is not a Canon 1Ds either, so it does have its limitations, but then again, people who will feel completely limited by this camera should have gotten a Canon 1D series camera anyway.
The best merit for this camera is foremost image quality.It's extremely low in image noise all the way up to ISO 800.ISO 1600 is completely usable if you stay below 8x10 enlargement and don't mind photoshopping your image a little.Again, if you don't ever want to bother with photoshop adjustment of you pictures, you probably will be better served with a point and shoot.The kit lense is of decent quality again for the price, but you're definitely short changing yourself if that's the only lense you decide for have for this camera.If you want to buy the kit and had no intention to buy another lense, you shoud seriously be considering Canon Pro1, it's got a L glass and a good match between the lense and the body.Buying this camera will be at most 50% of your investment if you truly want to make it worthwhile, the other 50% will be needed for buying good lenses (get the Canon 17-40mm USM L lense, the 70-200 4L zoom, and the 28-135mm as a walk-around, the Tamron 28-74 is an excellent medium range lense as well and is probably a superior substitue for the Canon 28-135 USM).
I would have to say lack of spot metering does give the Nikon D70 an advantage, but this camera does have a center metering mode with exposure lock, so it is not really a show-stopper. Compared to the D70, the Rebel XT has superior noise level performance.This is from my personal experience as well as photos from a wide variety of sites on the net.Low noise level is very important to me, so if this is on your priority list, you really can't go wrong with the Rebel XT at this price point.
What I want to emphasize here is seriously consider your needs before buying this camera, to make this camera truly worth the money you spent, you need to spend a bit more of your money and a lot of more of your time on learning how to properly handle a piece of equipment like this.Otherwise, you guessed it, Canon Pro1 is a very very good candidate.

This is one awesome camera
I bought from amazon after being let down by Dell. It arrived next day and on the weekend i gave it a good workout at a local airshow. I took just under 1000 photos and was amazed by how well the shots came out in sport mode. Very quick focus and spot on.
excellent camera and well built , not small as some people have noted, works for me...

Awesome!
What an amazing small compact SLR camera! I originally purchased the 20D but I found it a bit too big for my taste. The Digital Rebel XT is small and compact and perfect for my wife and I. Although small, the battery can easily shoot 230 shots in a single charge (20% using flash).

I highly recommend this camera it's perfect for amateur photographers. This is an excellent upgrade from my previous Canon G2. If you are new to photography I would recommend the G6 before this camera. But the best nest step would be this one.

Also, with the $700 dollars that I saved getting this instead of the 20D, I purchased a new Canon 17-85mm EF-S lens. What an AMZING lens!

Hope that this help!

Top Notch digital
I bought this camera as soon as it was available on Amazon, and have had it for about a month now.The experience has been fantastic.The pictures are nothing less than stunning.Colors are great, resolution is amazing, and the software package is very complete and easy to use.

Probably the best features are the number of modes that are available, and the ease of use.It can be set to a full program mode, and used as a point and click snapshot camera by anyone at all, or put into full manual mode for the more experienced.

I do have a couple of suggestions.Order this body without the Canon lens.I upgraded to a Sigma 28-300 mm Macro Zoom for about the cost of the original lens, and now have one lens for virtually any situation.

Also, get top notch compact flash card.I bought high speed, 1 GB Lexar 80x flash because I really wanted the ability to take high speed repetative pictures.I was not disappointed.You can either take one picture after another about as fast as you can hit the sutter, or put the camera into repeat-shot mode and hold the shutter button down.This is a great feature.

Also order a spare battery or two.It takes a lot of pictures on a single charge, but seems to go from a full battery indication down to dead real fast, so there's not a lot of warning that you need to charge up.

All in all, a very outstanding bit of technology.

Canon Kiss Digital N (Digital Rebel XT)
I'm stationed overseas so most companies won't let me buy cool electronics like the Digital Rebel XT so I went out on the Japanese economy.This is my first digital SLR.I've struggled trying to capture great shots of my daughters playing soccer, basketball, running track..etc., with the "enthusiast" zoom cameras.The Kiss Digital N is made in Japan and has a few minor differences from the U.S. model.The kit zoom 18-55 lens for instance is USM.I bought it as a kit with another Canon lens as well, a 55-200 EF. It's light, cheap, and good enough as I'll get to in a minute. In the end it was between the Pentax istDS or the Digital Rebel XT.After completing all of my research on-line it came down to Canon picture quality, and technology.Am I happy?So far this camera is light years ahead of any digital that I've owned.It's fast, the pictures are sharp if you understand the limitations of the lens you are using, and it's easy.My wife can use it just fine and she doesn't have a digital clue.For the enthusiast, there is plenty of stuff to play with.The 8 megapixel CMOS sensor produces amazing results.The soccer pics tell the story for me.The 55-200 EF produced some incredible shots.It's USM and focuses fast and sharp.It's not an "L" lens but I don't even know what that means!This camera will sell like crazy.Eventually I plan on buying a 35mm EF prime F2.0 lens, the wireless remote, the battery grip, and Canon Flash. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

7.1-megapixel effective recording * DIGIC II processor for true-to-life color reproduction * 2" color LCD viewscreen * 3X optical/4X digital/12X total zoom * 35mm equivalent focal length: 37-111mm * ... Read more

Features

• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery; stores images on SD memory card
• The first Digital Elph with an amazing 7.1 MP CCD, which captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display
• Enhanced movie mode with fast 60-frame-per-second capture rate

Reviews (22)

Mindless, professional results
I've been a user of a Canon G3 for 3 years now, but I wanted a high quality/ very compact point and shoot camera for travel.The key here was buying something I or my wife could put into a pocket to carry and not have the quality of the results suffer due to size.

Being a reseach psycho before buying anything, I narrowed the field down to 3:Sony DCXT7, Casio Exilim z750, and the Canon SD500.Then I went to the store to try them out (I can not stress this enough...it is worth the trip to a store to play with these), and the number of cameras being considered went to two.The Sony, the sexiest camera of the group, was so thin it was nearly impossible for me to get a firm hold on (camera shake and red eye are the main problems with small cameras, all three of which have these issues to an extent, but Sony's camera was overly hard to hold, making it by far the worst for camera shake ), so I removed it from consideration...really too compact...plus it was 5 mp vs. 7 on the other two...for the same price.That left the Exilim and Canon.

One note on megapixels...more is better if you like to digitally play with photos on photoshop elements or another program (crop pieces out, etc) or want a 13 X 19 blow up ability should you capture the perfect picture. If neither apply's to you, the SD400 (same feature set, lens, processor) or another 5 mp would work just as well for less money...and give you the highest quality results needed up to 8X10 and a little bigger.Me, I like to play with photos after the shoot, which is why I wanted the extra resolution.

Just picking up and shooting with the SD500 produced great results (easy and mindless), and it was small, but not too small, to work with.My wife does not care about F stops or shutter priority (which it does not have).She wants to pick a subject, snap, and have amazing, mindless 7 mp results that rival the leading current prosumer G6 from Canon.I suspect that a large number of people buying digital camreas want the same thing.

If this is what you want, along with a great movie mode, useful scene modes, longer flash range than any camera this size, and a few fun fuctions (though you can do it on Photoshop, I enjoy the "color swap" (easily swap colors in a picture), & "color accent" (neat with B&W photo, think "Sin City" for a camera)) this is the camera you want.Mindless, stunning, professional results.You really can't go wrong picking this camera.

If you want or need full manual controls on a camrea this size, check out the Casio Exilim Z750, which came in a close second.

And speaking of manual, thank you Canon, for including a compact printed manual for the SD500.I've become tired of having to print manuals out on my computer for many new products.

Small camera great pictures
I read reviews before buying this camera.The reviews really helped my decision on the purchase.So, I guess I appreciate my reads by contributing my part.

My take on this small beauty:

Good:
* great resolution
* great colors
* really like the my color and color swaps capabilities
* small & sleek design (It fits in my tiny purse with the camera bag)
* video with zooming function
* decent battery life (get a generic brand that gives 20% more)
* underwater photography capability WITH its underwater housing case (sold separately).This is great for trips to the beach, snorkeling, and (not so deep water)diving.

Bad:
* Because it is so small and heavy with its metallic body, it's easy to drop and have bad impact on the camera body.I dropped mine to the ceramic tile floor.The point of impact was the corner of the battery compartment.I force-open the battery cover (kissed my warranty good bye) with a thin piece of metal because I didn't want to send it to the service center - I was afraid to lose my pictures in the card!
* Camera shake due to its small body.Canon should have done better to fix this.
* Pricey
* SD card comes with the camera is TOO low on capacity
* No direct in camera link to power chord.You need to buy separate AC adaptor kit which costs you some bucks.
* whining sound on video playback


Every camera has its pros and cons.SD500 is worth the money for me.

Hindsight is always 20/20 - Made the right decision up front
Before I took the family on a Disney Cruise to the Carribean, I shopped for a digital camera.I spent many nights reading reviews from various sites, compared prices vs features, size, megapix, accessory cost, memory card price,etc.I narrowed it down to a Sony Cybershot vs the Canon.I can say that I am not a pro photographer in any sense, but I enjoy snapping "tourist" photos and ones of the family so one day when I am senile I will remember.THIS CAMERA TOOK FANTASTIC PHOTOS, FOOEY ON THE NAYSAYERS.The only reason their pictures turned out blurry is because they cant hold their hands still!

WHY I'M GLAD I DIDNT BUY THE SONY:
Sony memory cards are a rip off (try pricing their high-speed ones versus regular SD high speed), their spare batts are a cha-ching, and their fragile LCD's are complained about a lot.Even though the Canon camera itself costs more than the Sony camera did, the Sony accessories would have cost me more than a fully loaded Canon w/ accessories! I'm sure the photos would have been nice also, but the features on the Canon are better and I have a higher megapizel camera for an overall cheaper cost of ownership.

CANON'S COOL FEATURES!
1.Besides taking gorgeous, rich, color photos, I spent a few minutes reading the manual.If you set it to SCN scene mode, there are a ton of pre-programmed modes that compensate for every setting, beach, night, indoor, close-up plants, and even fireworks.I played with the various modes and I easily figured out which was best for the picture about to take. The Disney cruise ship did fireworks from it and the pix are awesome.Cant wait until the 4th of July!
2.Super fast 1 second, ready to shoot time from the pocket. Didnt miss a single action moment!
3.Photostich- allows you to take panaramic photos left, right, up and down, then the included software automatically pastes the pictures together!It rocks!
4.Battery life was fantastic.I wasted my money on the spare battery (which was a generic Digipower from Best Buy and it died after 20 shots!) I used the camera all day, took photos and motion video and used up the 1gb storage space and the battery never died that day.
5.I bought a 1GB high-speed SD card for it from Fry's and I took motion videos with this camera!They play back in Windows media player and I emailed those out; people thought it was from a camcorder!I owned a Panasonic D-Snap and promptly sold it after my trip to Australia last fall.Wish I took the Canon there instead!Make sure you buy the high speed SD cards not a super Sunday sale cheap 512 card for $59!A 1gb high speed is about $80-$100.Also, dont forget to do a low level format 1st!
6.Their included software is a little cumbersome to learn, but it works well once figured out.Just wish it had more editing features in it instead of having to use an external software for advanced editing.
7.LCD can be seen at 50% level even in full sunlight & zoom was decent for a compact dig cam.

CONS (IF ANY)
I dont really have any true complaints, but to be fair here are some.Why pack a 32mb SD card?That's worthless, it holds like 7 pictures, Canon ditch it and lower the price instead!Dont like the flappy door thing covering the USB jack, seems cheesy. Camera can get slippery, use the hand strap at all times, thats cheap insurance!

Hope this review helps, I know I appreciate the other reviews people posted here, it helped me make the right decision for an investment that costs over $700 with all the accessories.

Dissapointed in audio recording quality, but otherwise nice.
I am/was a huge fan of the Canon powershot cameras, I started out with the 2 megapixel S110 then upgraded to a Canon S230.

1. First, the SD500 takes great photographs, that is not my complaint.

2.I purchased this camera for its video capabilities because it can record 30 frame per second video at 640x480 resolution (regular television standard).

I had fell in love with the S110 and S230 despite the limited amount of time you could do 640x480 clips for the amount of time supported by the card you are using until it fills up versus only 30 seconds with the S230.

The audio recording quality of the S230 is actually pretty good, in fact good enough that I was able to use the camera to record concerts (mainly organ/classical music concerts for friends who were playing etc, which is really neat from such a small camera.

>>>>
However the audio recording quality of the SD500 is nothing like the S230, in fact it sounds like someone took the camera and threw it in a well somewhere near what you are trying to record.It is muddy and just nothing in comparison to the S230.

That is my 2 cents.

Otherwise it is a great camera, but if you are doing it for audio recording I'd recommend finding another camera, I have went back to using my S230 even though it only records 30 seconds at a time, and is only 3 megapixels.

LCD display is big but fragile
Think twice before buying the Canon SD 500 camera. The LCD displays are large but extremely fragile. Mine was cracked on the second day. It was NOT dropped or abused.

I also have a Canon S110 and have taken just over 5,000 photos with it since Christmas 2001 without any problems. Apparently, in an attempt to make the new models light and the displays large, Canon sacrificed durability.

In some cases Canon will "waive" the LCD repair cost. In others they demand $165 for the repair.

Canon repaired mine as a favor.And I've since purchased a 'da Protector Model 104 - LCD protector.A thin plastic shield that fits well over the LCD window and is stiff enough to shield the LCD from any contact. ... Read more

Product Description

The EOS Digital Rebel XT features Canon's 8.0 Megapixel CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, which captures images of exceptional clarity & tonal range & offers the most pixels in its class.This APS-C size sensor (22.2 x 14.8mm) has the same 3:2 ratio as film cameras, creating an effective angle of view that is 1.6x the normal EF Lens focal length.Featuring an on-chip Noise Reduction Circuit with an expanded ISO range, the Digital Rebel XT's sensor offers professional sophistication in a consumer package.Digic II Image Processor: The EOS Digital Rebel XT's sensor is driven by the DIGIC II Image Processor, which has been enhanced across the board with improvements in speed and image quality.Information captured by the sensor is processed & assembled into images of exceptional clarity & resolution. Consuming very little energy, DIGIC II works with the sensor to ensure natural colors, accurate white balance & speedy write times, letting you focus on taking pictures.Smallest & lightest EOS Digital SLR to date (as of February 2005) Much smaller than its predecessor, the Digital Rebel XT measures 4.98" across, 3.71" tall & only 2.63" deep, so it fits perfectly in your hand. Plus the Digital Rebel XT weights less than two pounds, too!Fast 3 frames-per-second shooting with a 14 frame burst & 0.2 second startup time The EOS Digital Rebel XT was designed from the ground up to be faster & more intuitive th ... Read more

Features

• Fast start-up time--.2 seconds
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (included, with charger)
• 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• Captures images at a rate of up to 3 frames per second
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing

Reviews (29)

Great dSLR especially for the money
Got this camera after considering between this and the 20D.Was very impressed with the 20D, but the price difference could easily give me a very good lense, and the feature differences are minor, so Rebel XT it is.I am a photography enthuiast who wishes he had the budget for a canon 1D MarkII but instead have the budget of a mortal and have to pay for a personal camera out of his own pocket.
I have been reading some other reviews on this site and other sites regarding digital SLR cameras in general.I had to admit, most of the reviewers really are better served with a point and shoot.This is a SLR camera, it will take great pictures in automatic modes, but if you use your camera in those modes, get something like the Canon Pro1.This camera is to be used in Av, Tv or Manual modes, maybe in Program in a pinch.It requires you to understand WB, depth of fields, exposure metering as well as other wide array of nuances that come with a SLR camera.If you don't want to spend some time to learn some details about photography, you will be better served with a point and shoot.If you decide to use the attached flash for in door portrait shots, you're probably better served with a point and shoot.If you need to frame your shot on the LCD, you're better served with a point and shoot (becasue the whole SLR concept of through the lense view of the scene, DOF checking, focus accuracy is completely lost by that opinion).Yes the sensor on dSLR's will get dirty and require maintenance.Some one mentioned why don't engineer design the sensor to have the opposite charge to rebel dust.Well, dusts don't have one single polarity in their charges, so 50% of the dust will be attracted to the sensor doesn't matter what polarity the sensor is charged with.
Also, this is not a Canon 1Ds either, so it does have its limitations, but then again, people who will feel completely limited by this camera should have gotten a Canon 1D series camera anyway.
The best merit for this camera is foremost image quality.It's extremely low in image noise all the way up to ISO 800.ISO 1600 is completely usable if you stay below 8x10 enlargement and don't mind photoshopping your image a little.Again, if you don't ever want to bother with photoshop adjustment of you pictures, you probably will be better served with a point and shoot.The kit lense is of decent quality again for the price, but you're definitely short changing yourself if that's the only lense you decide for have for this camera.If you want to buy the kit and had no intention to buy another lense, you shoud seriously be considering Canon Pro1, it's got a L glass and a good match between the lense and the body.Buying this camera will be at most 50% of your investment if you truly want to make it worthwhile, the other 50% will be needed for buying good lenses (get the Canon 17-40mm USM L lense, the 70-200 4L zoom, and the 28-135mm as a walk-around, the Tamron 28-74 is an excellent medium range lense as well and is probably a superior substitue for the Canon 28-135 USM).
I would have to say lack of spot metering does give the Nikon D70 an advantage, but this camera does have a center metering mode with exposure lock, so it is not really a show-stopper. Compared to the D70, the Rebel XT has superior noise level performance.This is from my personal experience as well as photos from a wide variety of sites on the net.Low noise level is very important to me, so if this is on your priority list, you really can't go wrong with the Rebel XT at this price point.
What I want to emphasize here is seriously consider your needs before buying this camera, to make this camera truly worth the money you spent, you need to spend a bit more of your money and a lot of more of your time on learning how to properly handle a piece of equipment like this.Otherwise, you guessed it, Canon Pro1 is a very very good candidate.

This is one awesome camera
I bought from amazon after being let down by Dell. It arrived next day and on the weekend i gave it a good workout at a local airshow. I took just under 1000 photos and was amazed by how well the shots came out in sport mode. Very quick focus and spot on.
excellent camera and well built , not small as some people have noted, works for me...

Awesome!
What an amazing small compact SLR camera! I originally purchased the 20D but I found it a bit too big for my taste. The Digital Rebel XT is small and compact and perfect for my wife and I. Although small, the battery can easily shoot 230 shots in a single charge (20% using flash).

I highly recommend this camera it's perfect for amateur photographers. This is an excellent upgrade from my previous Canon G2. If you are new to photography I would recommend the G6 before this camera. But the best nest step would be this one.

Also, with the $700 dollars that I saved getting this instead of the 20D, I purchased a new Canon 17-85mm EF-S lens. What an AMZING lens!

Hope that this help!

Top Notch digital
I bought this camera as soon as it was available on Amazon, and have had it for about a month now.The experience has been fantastic.The pictures are nothing less than stunning.Colors are great, resolution is amazing, and the software package is very complete and easy to use.

Probably the best features are the number of modes that are available, and the ease of use.It can be set to a full program mode, and used as a point and click snapshot camera by anyone at all, or put into full manual mode for the more experienced.

I do have a couple of suggestions.Order this body without the Canon lens.I upgraded to a Sigma 28-300 mm Macro Zoom for about the cost of the original lens, and now have one lens for virtually any situation.

Also, get top notch compact flash card.I bought high speed, 1 GB Lexar 80x flash because I really wanted the ability to take high speed repetative pictures.I was not disappointed.You can either take one picture after another about as fast as you can hit the sutter, or put the camera into repeat-shot mode and hold the shutter button down.This is a great feature.

Also order a spare battery or two.It takes a lot of pictures on a single charge, but seems to go from a full battery indication down to dead real fast, so there's not a lot of warning that you need to charge up.

All in all, a very outstanding bit of technology.

Canon Kiss Digital N (Digital Rebel XT)
I'm stationed overseas so most companies won't let me buy cool electronics like the Digital Rebel XT so I went out on the Japanese economy.This is my first digital SLR.I've struggled trying to capture great shots of my daughters playing soccer, basketball, running track..etc., with the "enthusiast" zoom cameras.The Kiss Digital N is made in Japan and has a few minor differences from the U.S. model.The kit zoom 18-55 lens for instance is USM.I bought it as a kit with another Canon lens as well, a 55-200 EF. It's light, cheap, and good enough as I'll get to in a minute. In the end it was between the Pentax istDS or the Digital Rebel XT.After completing all of my research on-line it came down to Canon picture quality, and technology.Am I happy?So far this camera is light years ahead of any digital that I've owned.It's fast, the pictures are sharp if you understand the limitations of the lens you are using, and it's easy.My wife can use it just fine and she doesn't have a digital clue.For the enthusiast, there is plenty of stuff to play with.The 8 megapixel CMOS sensor produces amazing results.The soccer pics tell the story for me.The 55-200 EF produced some incredible shots.It's USM and focuses fast and sharp.It's not an "L" lens but I don't even know what that means!This camera will sell like crazy.Eventually I plan on buying a 35mm EF prime F2.0 lens, the wireless remote, the battery grip, and Canon Flash. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

3.2-megapixel effective recording * 1-13/16" color LCD viewscreen * 4X optical/3.2X digital/13X total zoom * JPEG options: resolution up to 2048 x 1536; 1600 x 1200; 1024 x 768; 640 x 480 * ... Read more

Features

• Print/Share button for easy direct printing and downloads, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with Canon CP printers
• Stores images on SD or MultiMedia Cards (MMC); powered by 2 AA batteries
• 3.2 MP CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 10 x 14-inch prints
• 4x optical zoom, 9-point AiAF, 13 shooting modes
• Large 1.8-inch display; D!GIG Image Processor for faster speed and vibrant colors

Reviews (18)

ok camera...rebate declined?!
I bought this with the iP4000R Wireless Photo Printer to get the $70 rebate for the 2 items together. I never got the rebate and after contacting Canon for a month they tell me they never got the box tabs. Of course I sent them with the rebate form. So now I have no boxes and no rebate. Very aggravating and disappointing!

picture perfect
As I researched digital cameras I strongly considered the nikon d70 dslr, but since my primary goal was to have something with me as I travel around china I thought any dslr would be too bulky in comparison to a point and shoot. The canon a510 is a nice compromise for me in that it provides a number of options I'm only beginning to get into, in addition to the automatic mode in which most everything comes out surprisingly well.

The only time I've seen automatic mode not work well is when I've taken pictures of tall trees in the shade. It starts off light and then gets too dark as I reach the top of the tree with the lens. Once I learn to adjust settings manually that may change.I've actually taken pictures 20 feet away, down a hall, in total darkness, and with the flash you can't even tell the lights are off.

I'm turned off by the long wait I get between taking pictures, but have learned to minimize this by turning off the preview settings after each shot. Much of the wait is from the flash having to recharge, and even that can be turned off.

I routinely walk around and take over 100 pictures in about an hour, filling a 256 meg card much more easily than I expected. The battery life is good for at least a few hundred pics, though I usually rotate before then.

So overall it's a good camera for the price, with the only other small camera brand I'd consider right now being the Casio Exilim EX-S100 or a similar model. Remember that megapixels are largely insignificant, with higher numbers often meaning more noise. If you want anything better, go for a dslr (starting around a grand), you're unlikely to see a real difference in picture quality otherwise.

Great starter camera
Given this camera is not as small as others, it offers great value for money in the starter camera genre. With a 4x optical lens and a 3.2mp resolution it gives me great pics for a fraction of the cost of similarly equipped smaller cameras.

This is a nifty little thing that you can carry around anywhere and snap pics with. The portrait function is especially nice. I've taken quite a few stills that came out awesome!

Canon a510
I bought this camera of Amazon. When I received the camera, the box wasn't sealed. The camera is nice, and it does have a lot of options. The sad part was that when I received it, I received a damaged item because the camera kept telling me that the batteries are dead and it kept shutting off. Amazon sent me the replacement, so hopefully once ill receive the new one I will fully enjoy it.

Flash recycle way too long
I used this camera for 3 days, and returned it back (to Amazon) yesterday.
Why I returned it:
- Everytime you take a picture with flash, the camera displays the picture for 3 seconds, after which it goes blank for 8-10 seconds. You can not take another picture till that time.
- It takes 3-4 seconds to achieve focus

So imagine you're taking a picture of your kid cutting his birthday cake, and someone stepped right into your frame... you can not take another picture till 8-12 seconds until the flash is recharged, and it tries to focus again. By that time, the scene and moment are gone.

I used to own a Canon A75 before (and a Canon A70 before that), so I'm a hard-core Canon user. But I am very disappointed with this camera. I would advise folks to check other forums on digital camera sites and then decide if they want to buy this camera or not. The user reviews are not pretty.

... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel brings advanced digital performance and SLR controls to everyday photographers. Whether you're new to digital cameras, SLR cameras, or even photography itself, you'll find that the EOS Digital Rebel is powerful yet fun and easy to use. It features a 6.3-megapixel sensor, automatic and manual controls, and compatibility with Canon's range of EF lenses.

This model comes with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. Compact and ultralightweight with impressive close-focusing ability, this lens features optimized coating for the Digital Rebel's imaging sensor to minimize ghost images and flare. It comes with a lens cap and dust cap.

Optics and Resolution A large-format, high-resolution CMOS sensor captures 6.3 million pixels to deliver up to 3,027 x 2,048-pixel images. Other resolution modes include 2,048 x 1,360 and 1,536 x 1,024. As it captures images, the sensor amplifies each pixel's electric charge, for ultrafast image scanning. The large sensor also has a 3:2 aspect ratio, traditional to 35mm film, for a familiar compositional feel. Canon's exclusive DIGIC image processor offers advanced signal processing algorithms that heighten precision and detail, smooth gradation in highlight areas, and create color reproduction that is as vivid as it is utterly natural. Additionally, the DIGIC's speedier processing improves the camera's battery performance, and adds to the camera's overall responsiveness and agility. More Features With the 1.8-inch LCD screen, you can zoom images from 1.5x all the way to 10x, moving up, down, left, and right to see any area up close. You can even advance to the next shot in the enlarged view with no need to zoom again. The Digital Rebel also generates JPEG small/normal image files to make image playback faster on the camera's LCD monitor.

The large-format, high-resolution CMOS sensor captures a staggering 6.3 million pixels.

Creative Zone modes include A-DEP, Manual, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, and Program AE.

Advanced controls will keep experienced photographers motivated and inspire beginners to expand their SLR skills. Creative Zone modes include A-DEP (automatic-depth-of-field autoexposure) to set a "zone of sharpness," Manual, Aperture Priority AE to set the aperture, Shutter Priority AE to set shutter speed, and Program AE to let the camera select different shutter/aperture combinations while maintaining a constant exposure. The camera's controls are intelligently arranged. A mode dial gives you easy access to shooting controls to make even one-handed shooting comfortable. Other features include: Built-in, pop-up flash with an approximate 3-second recycle time Continuous shooting speed of approximately 2.5 frames per second with a maximum burst mode of 4 shots ISO speed range of 100 to 1600 7-point autofocus with the following modes: One-Shot AF, Predictive AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF (automatically selects One-Shot AF or AI Servo AF according to shooting mode), Manual Focusing (MF)

Printing Canon has introduced a series of printers designed to work directly with its lineup of digital cameras, including the Digital Rebel. Using these printers, no computer is required--simply connect the camera to the printer and start printing. Printers include Canon's bubble-jet direct printers i900D and i960 and card photo printers CP-200 and CP-300. New PictBridge compatibility allows you to connect the camera to any PictBridge-conforming printer and access a wide range of printing media, modes, and styles. Storage and Transfer Images are stored on CompactFlash Type I or II memory cards; the Digital Rebel is MicroDrive compatible. The Digital Rebel does not include a memory card. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based PC running Windows Me/2000/XP or Mac running OS 8.6 or later without installing any software.

This camera can connect directly to select printers. Learn more about PictBridge.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (BP-511, included). It measures 5.6 by 3.9 by 2.9 inches and weighs 19.7 ounces (excluding battery).

What's In The Box
This package includes the EOS Digital Rebel digital camera with 18-35mm lens, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (BP-511) and battery charger (CB-5L), USB and AV cables, and a wide neck strap. It also comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements and Digital Camera Solutions CD-ROMs with imaging software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac. ... Read more

Features

• 6.3-megapixel resolution for photo-quality poster-plus sized enlargements
• Includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens
• 1.8-inch LCD screen lets you zoom in on images in preview; 2.5 frames-per-second continuous shooting speed with 4-shot burst mode
• Store images on CompactFlash type 1 or 2 memory cards; Microdrive compatible; no memory card included
• Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (included with charger)

Reviews (123)

Fast and Fun
My wife and I recently decided to take the plunge into the "digital" photography world, but we were really concerned with losing the functionality for special shots that we had with our old Canon AE. The Digital Rebel was exactly what we were looking for! Talk about functionality. This camera does more than we could have ever hoped for in a digital unit. It's easy to manipulate, and is lightning fast. No waiting for the shutter and missing that important candid shot. The images are clear and crisp and download to the PC (or straight to the printer) in seconds. The ability to cary one camera that does it all from close ups, to portraits, to landscapes and sports shots is wonderful. With a 512MB CF card, you can hold over 150 high quality photos at once (over 200 at reduced levels). No worries with having to sort the good from the bad now. Just snap away and sort them out later.
Now we are simply waiting for a telephoto zoom lens and we will have all the still photo capablility we need in one handy little bag. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but well worth every penny!

Simply an Amazing Camera
If you've been using a digital point-and-shoot for a while and you want to upgrade, you couldn't do any better than this camera. If you can operate a high-end P&S camera, you can operate the Digital Rebel. Simply choose your shooting mode (i.e. closeup, landscape, portrait, sports, etc.), press the shutter button halfway down to autofocus, then press the button all the way down. First you'll notice how fast the autofocus function is: you won't have to worry about missing shots. Then you'll see the photos, and you'll be amazed. If you use the "Large/Fine" setting, you'll have files which easily be printed at 16"x20" without any discernible loss of quality ... try doing THAT with the photos from your 3MP point compact.

But wait, there's more.

You CAN use this camera as a fancy point-and-shoot... or, if you invest a little time and study, you can get creative. The Digital Rebel allows you to control aperature, shutter speed, ISO settings, white balance, autofocus points, etc. It also allows you to use any Canon EF (autofocus) lens -- over sixty at last count. Telephoto lenses, wide-angle lenses, macro lenses which allow extreme closeups ... you're limited only by your imagination, and your accessory budget.

If you already own a film SLR and want to go digital, you're going to love this baby... especially if you own a Canon autofocus SLR. You'll be able to use your old lenses, flashes, and filters, and you'll be saving money on film and developing. Professionals may want to spend the extra $600 or so for the Canon 60D; it allows a bit more flexibility with light metering and has a more sturdy magnesium body which will better withstand the rigors of photojournalism ... but this is more than enough camera for anybody who isn't going to be using it to earn their daily bread.

One last bit of advice: get this one fast. Based on the buzz it's generated in various photo magazines, I'm guessing that the Digital Rebel will be flying off the shelves. Buy now before you get stuck in backorder purgatory.

Great entry level digital SLR for the masses
I got this camera about a month ago. I have two other digitals that are great cameras but are so slowwwwwwww you just can't shoot action with them very effectively. This camera, for the price point, is a good deal. For those used to film SLRs you won't feel like a fish out of water and if you've already got canon EF lenses they should all work perfectly with this camera body (it can also take the newer EFS lenses). Because of the SLR like shutter system and TTL focusing this camera lacks some of the functions available on traditional point and shoot digitals--there is no preview mode, no movie mode, no digital zoom and no panorama/stitch mode; keep your old point and shoot (or buy one) for those functions. <br /><br />This camera is fast! The responsiveness is nearly up to a film camera (I should know I've shot with film cameras for years). This camera offers 2.5 fps (in full quality mode) or 4 fps (in lower quality mode) continuous shooting--no point and shoot that I know of can match that--this is truly a low end professional digital slr body. The 17-55mm lens that comes with it is great for nearby shots such as at parties or when your subject is no more than 20 feet away. <br /><br />I suggest two other lenses for this camera that you won't want to be without. The Canon 28-135 IS USM III zoom and the 75-300 USM zoom (also available with IS if you want to spend the extra money). IS is a wonderful invention and gives you clear handheld shots at some amazingly slow shutter speeds (IS is a gyroscopic system in the lens that accounts for camera shake during the shot--really amazing what it can do). The 28-135 lense is widely considered the best "walk around" lense for just about anything. The IS system does suck batteries so I'd suggest you get a couple of extra batteries right away (ebay has the best price for them). If you can't afford a 20D this is the next best thing. The Rebel is really a striped down 10D, so if you're waffling between this and the 10D--I've heard the differences aren't really worth the extra money. The other big purchase you want with this camera is a 550EX or 580EX speedlight. The Rebel lacks IR focus assist but if you have one of these speedlights the camera can use the IR assist on the flash unit!!!!! <br /><br />I use my rebel to shoot Karate demos, lots of fast action, usually indoors. I think the 20D would be a better choice for this (because of the bigger buffers while writing to the CF card) but the Rebel can hold its own fairly well if you think out your shots a bit more. I'm really happy with this camera and I'd recommend it to anyone that wants to move up to a digital slr but doesn't want to spend ten grand doing it. The camera has a few foibles and professionals might complain that some of the pre programmed modes are far too limited--but that's because it's cheap--the 20D will be more satifying if you've got the money for it. Canon's running a pretty fantastic rebate until mid January, if you buy a Rebel and two lenses you get about $300 back just on the camera and around 50 bucks for each lens. Yep I spent about $1600.00 on the camera and two lenses but that's quite a deal for all I got.<br /><br />I recommend this if you don't have the money for a 20D, if you do, or are close to having it, wait and get the 20D.

Great Camera....High End Fun.
I purchased this camera about 6 months ago, it's a great camera and I haven't had 1 problem with it. I bought a few accessories..EX420 Flash, Canon 75-300 lens (there least expensive one, USM & IS wasn't an issue me)
lt's fast in auto focus. Purchased the battery grip also. Camera looks good, the grip helps with vert. shots and you have a slot for a second battery. Bought after market battery for $9.99 instead of $49.99 for OEM (look @ EBAY for batteries). If you purchase this camera you'll be very satisfied!

C'mon, join the revolution... it'll feel real good!
I have been intrigued by this camera since its release. My old camera is a Canon PowerShot S30 (3.2MP). I wanted to buy an SLR to advance my photography skills and capabilities. When this beauty came along bearing a price tag under $1,000 and received prestigious acclaim I knew I wanted one. But I decided to delay for a few months, waiting to see what competition would arise, and how quickly the price would drop. That competition presented itself as the Nikon D70. Ultimately, I decided to get the D-Rebel because the price-to-quality ratio is exceptional; the ~$300+ more for the Nikon doesn't seem justifiable for what I think are negligible factors. Besides, my PowerShot has ser