Canon XSi: 12.2 Megapixels, Image Stabilized Lens, and Double Live View
by Wesley Fink on May 5, 2008 3:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
XSi Features (cont'd)
The first Canon 18-55mm lens was introduced with the 6MP Digital Rebel. At the time that lens was heralded as superb quality for a kit lens. The Digital Rebel is now in its fourth generation and resolution is doubled to 12.2MP. What was a great 6MP lens had become a not so wonderful 10MP lens on the XTi and it was time for an update with the move to 12MP.
Canon obliged with several minor changes to the 18-55mm layout and the addition of an aspherical element for one of the lenses. Canon has also developed a new simpler and lower-cost Image Stabilization system that is incorporated in the revised lens. While Optical Image Stabilization is built into lenses and only works with that IS lens it does offer the advantage of showing in the viewfinder, or on the Live View Screen, the true impact of the IS operation.
Mechanical Image Stabilization used by Sony, Pentax, and Olympus works with every lens you mount but you cannot see the effect through the viewfinder. However, recent implementations of Live View by these manufacturers allow the user in some cases to see the true effect of IS on Live View. Those are discussions for another article, but for now Canon, Nikon, and Panasonic have embraced Optical Image Stabilization.
Early testing shows the new 18-55mm IS to be a superb lens with performance comparable to top-line Canon lenses. Including an IS kit lens comes just in time as Sony, Pentax, and Olympus have all adopted mechanical IS built into the body in their entry cameras. Nikon is also offering an optical IS kit lens in their new D60.
Canon claims up to 4 stops of improved hand-holding with the new IS kit lens. We did find we could improve 2 to 3 stops in most situations, but the 4-stop advantage likely requires ideal conditions.
The most remarkable feature of the new IS lens, apart from quality images, is the price. Canon is including the 18-55mm IS for a premium of just $100 over the price of the body. Considering the real advantages of an optical IS lens it is definitely worth choosing the kit with the IS lens as it is $100 that is very well spent for the value received.
PC Remote Control
The prosumer 40D EOS utility software allows the user to remotely control the camera with your computer over a USB connection. This includes the option to record images directly to your hard disk. It was frankly a shock to see this same very Pro-oriented feature available now for the XSi. The utility now works on both the 40D and XSi and allows you to preprogram your PC or Mac for long exposures or for time-lapse photography. You can even focus and preview shots on the monitor in Live View mode.
The EOS Integrated Cleaning System, first introduced on the Canon XTi, has been a feature of every Canon camera introduced since then. The system, which vibrates the sensor to shake off dust, is continued unchanged in the XSi.
Auto Lighting Optimization is a new option on the XSi. This feature was introduced on the 40D. Canon claims the Auto Lighting Optimizer improves dynamic range and it is on by default. Therefore you can see the impact of ALO in our test images.
Those who prefer can turn off ALO in Custom Function 6. A related Custom Function 5 allows the user to enable/disable Highlight Tone Priority. This expands dynamic range from 18% grey to bright highlights. The downside is noise may increase in shadow areas. Both these dynamic range expansion features are brought over from the 40D. They work in PASM or A-DEP modes for JPEGs, but have no effect on images captured in RAW format.
Continuous shooting is up to 3.5FPS, a slight increase from the 3FPS of the XTi despite the 20% increase in sensor resolution and image size. This makes the XSi one of the fastest entry DSLRs available in continuous mode. From the 40D the XSi also adds a 2 second timer mode (with optional mirror lockup) which is convenient for tripod shooting. The self-timer C option in the LCD screen shot above counts down from 10 seconds, but then takes a user selectable one to ten shots in succession to keep you from having to go back to the camera for second or third attempts.
The Rebel XSi is packaged in a big red splashy box for the US market. In Europe, where it is called the 450D, the packaging is a much more subtle Canon grey and black.
In the box you will find the rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, video cable, Canon neck strap, software CDs, manuals, and warranty card(s). The most common kit with a lens includes the new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (optical Image Stabilized) lens.
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JarredWalton - Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - link
While I do understand what you're suggesting, trust me on this one: I would make a HORRIBLE reviewer for cameras. At least initially, anyway - give me a couple years and a bunch of different cameras to use and I could begin to make some headway. But we don't have a couple years, and even with time I would never know as much as a lot of other people. As it stands, I have personally used exactly three DSLR cameras: an original Canon Digital Rebel EOS, and then last month I upgraded to a Rebel XTi. (Love the XTi, incidentally - I'm thinking an upgrade every two or three generations will work out well.)n4bby - Tuesday, May 6, 2008 - link
hi all,i appreciate the replies, and again i am not trying to belittle the time and effort put into these reviews. but i think Justin Case understood the point i was trying to make. and the reason i bring this up is that i too went about learning about DSLR's and photography the "wrong" way.
i too used to analyze gear very much the same way Wesley did in this review - taking endless test shots, playing the numbers and features game, etc... much like Anandtech reviewers and readers, i come from a technical background (EE in college, internet developer since then), and this seemingly quantitative evaluation method made sense to me. i have my own collection of box shots that are uncannily like Wes's. i spent a lot of time reading reviews and user opinions on DPReview, Fred Miranda etc. etc. that took a similar approach.
the problem is, it didn't really help me size up the true value of gear for its ultimate purpose - taking pictures - and while i don't really regret my purchases (Canon 10D and various prime lenses - Canon was the only real game in town at the time), i do not feel they were well-advised. since then, i have had the good fortune of working with professional photographers at a digital photography startup - i'm talking people who shot for Sports Illustrated, US News, the NY Times, etc. - not to mention having exposure to clients who shoot for a living. and let me tell you, it turned my perspective on photo gear upside down... now, you may say ok, these guys are pros but anandtech readers are consumers, so that's not relevant. but the perspective i gained from these pros helped me improved my photography immensely, and also made me look at gear in a much more constructive fashion than "pixel peeping." i realized that the merit of gear was not so much about absolutes, but about context and finding the right gear for the job - and i think that is something that is often missing from these reviews.
again, i think the work you guys do here is excellent - this is one of the truly great resources of information on the desktop computing industry on the internet. and if the readership likes the camera reviews, more power to you. i just thought i would throw another perspective out there... apologies for the rant!
cheers,
n4bby
n4bby - Tuesday, May 6, 2008 - link
incidentally, i just re-read the review very carefully, and i find a *lot* of statements and judgments that i take issue with, and that i think many knowledgeable photographers would as well - some things have already been pointed out by other anandtech readers. and i stand by my original statement that the quality of the test and sample shots is rather poor and may not be a good basis for comparison between the cameras.casteve - Monday, May 5, 2008 - link
It might be time to retire my 2.1MP now. :)Seriously, thanks for the camera reviews. I might come to the site for PC info, but all things electronic draw my interest.
I've got a point and shoot digital camera for casual shots and a trusty Canon A-1 for when I care about quality/enlargements. I've been waiting for prosumer prices to drop or consumer builds to meet the quality bar. Looks like we are starting to get there.
haplo602 - Monday, May 5, 2008 - link
I think the comparison with Nikon D60 is not the correct one. D60 is a followup on D40 - crude AF system, no lens drive screw, no DOF preview button etc.Both have the same sensor, but D80 is a more usable camera:
11 AF points, DOF preview button, 2 command dials (way better handling than with one), battery grip ...
Wesley Fink - Monday, May 5, 2008 - link
The D80 was introduced at the time of the XTi. It was priced higher than the XTi and aimed more at the 30D than the XTi. Comparing it to the entry Canon did not seem appropriate. The real Nikon competitor to the XSi will likely be the D80 replacement as I mentioned.Canon does not really have a camera as basic as the D60 (D40x/D40), but the XTi is continued and actually costs less than the D60 right now. In my opinion the XTi trounces the D60 in a head-to-head and it costs less.
I expected some would claim the D80 the better compare, but I don't believe it is. BTW, IMO the Nikon D300 trounces the Canon D40 in every way as I mentioned in the review. I am definitely not biased toward Canon. It is just the situation changes at the entry level and Nikon does not really have a convincing competitor right now for the XSi.
haplo602 - Monday, May 5, 2008 - link
I did not say you are biased either way (the general oppinion would be you are biased towards Oly 4/3 :-))If you claim that Canon does not have an equivalent to the D60/D40 line why then compare them with the latest Rebel? And if D80 is older, well bad for Nikon as they don't have an up to date competitor to the Rebel. But D80 should be the direct opponent for 450D until the next generation is introduced.
DailyYahoo - Monday, May 5, 2008 - link
I remember those Rebel ads with John McEnroe. Back then, John was a hippie and spelled his name Andre Aggasi. Image was everything back then :)Wesley Fink - Monday, May 5, 2008 - link
Thanks for catching this. At least we got the Ad reference corrected before McEnroe caught it :) I seem to recall Agassi was dating Brooke Shields at the time.DailyYahoo - Monday, May 5, 2008 - link
You are very welcome. I should point out that at least one of us knows how to spell Agassi ; ) By the way, excellent article. I have a 350D and it is really starting to look so very long in the tooth with all of these new releases. Too bad I'm poor. : )