When Canon launched the original Digital Rebel in 2003 the $1000 price point for a digital SLR was ground breaking. In the 3 generations since the original, Canon has added more and more features to their entry DSLR and the price has actually dropped. The current XSi(450D) is $799 for the body or $899 including the new Image Stabilized 18-55mm lens.

Competitors have been pushing the entry DSLR price down even further, however, to the point where the current XSi is now mid-level priced and more expensive that the entry Nikon D60, Olympus E502/420, Sony A200, and Pentax K200D. The Canon XSi competes very well in the mid-range or upper entry market segment, but there has been increasing pressure for Canon to introduce a new lower-priced entry Canon with stripped-down specs.

Canon’s answer is the Canon XS which was announced today in the US. With a shrinking world it was a bit of a surprise to see Canon introduce the European version, called the 1000D, almost a month ago on June 10th. Perhaps it is an indication of the increasing power of the Euro and the decline of the Dollar that Canon chose to launch this model first in Europe.

The new Canon XS draws heavily on the current XSi – more so than the previous XTi. It is not just a relabeling of the XTi, since it uses the same new battery as the XSi and stores images on SD cards instead of Compact Flash. The XS can also be fitted with the BG-E5 Battery Grip which was introduced with the XSi.

The table below compares just the items that differ among the XS, XSi, and XTi. If a specification is not listed you can assume it is the same among the entry models. 

 

Rebel XSi

EOS 450D

Kiss X2

Rebel XS

EOS 1000D

Rebel XTi

EOS 400D

Kiss Digital X

LCD Screen

3”

2.5”

2.5”

Sensor

12.2 MP CMOS

10.1 MP CMOS

10.1 MP CMOS

AF Points

9

7

9

Image Processor

Digic III

Digic III

Digic II

Live View

Contrast & Phase Detect

Contrast & Phase Detect

no

Metering Modes

Spot, Evaluative, CWt, Partial

Evaluative, CWt, Partial

Evaluative, CWt, Partial

Auto ISO Adjust

Yes

Yes

No

Continuous Speed

3.5 fps

3 fps

3 fps

Dynamic Range Expansion

Auto Lighting Optimizer, Highlight Tone Priority

Auto Lighting Optimizer

No

Remote Release

Wireless Remote, Cable

Cable

Wireless Remote, Cable

Storage

SD/SDHC

SD/SDHC

CF

Viewfinder

.87x, 95%

.81x, 95%

.80x, 95%

 High ISO Noise Reduction

 Yes

Yes

No

 ISO in Viewfinder

Yes

Yes

No

Battery

LP-E5, 1080mAh

LP-E5, 1080mAh

NB-2LH, 720mAh

Battery Life (23C)

500

500

360

Battery Grip

BG-E5, Optional

BG-E5, Optional

BG-E3, Optional

Size

129x98x62mm

126x98x62mm

127x94x65mm

Weight

524g

502g

556g

Kit Lens

18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

Price with Kit Lens

$899

$699

$699


The Canon EOS XS is expected to ship in August at a selling price of $699 with an image-stabilized 18-55mm lens. This is about $200 less than the price of the XSi model. The XS will compete directly with the Nikon D60, Olympus E-520, and the Pentax K200D.
A Closer Look
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  • CSMR - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 - link

    "if IQ is not as good as the competition we all would probably be better off with a $300 P&S"
    Er, no; that's a pretty inane remark.
  • yyrkoon - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link

    Not really, I have a $300 Sony (DSC-P200)that will do most of what my Nikon DSLR here will do. Granted my DSLR has way more control, but typically under good lighting conditions I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between them. Now I do know that my Nikon is not the Rebel XS . . . and my Sony will not do RAW. I guess what I was hoping, or wanting to see was IF the IQ with this camera was on par with the 'old' 350D(at the time of release).

    Having said the above, I guess that if IQ were that important, a person would not be using this camera to begin with.
  • CSMR - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link

    It doesn't have a large sensor; it only has one non-specialised lens which will not be particularly good. There are certain situations in which compacts can give adequate shots (in good light, when you want wide dof) but it's a pretty narrow range of situations, depending on your tastes.
  • melgross - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link

    The IQ of the XS1 is considered to be very high for a camera anywhere around its price.

    The question is how close this model will approach it.
  • Wesley Fink - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 - link

    The XS was announced today and, as stated in the review and the Canon Press Release, it will not be available for purchase until sometime in August. This is the way items are normally introduced in the Digital SLR market. You will not find a real IQ review of the XS anywhere as the camera is not available. Also Canon does not pre-release Press samples under NDA. Nothing is available for review until the cameras ship.

    Since the 10.1 megapixel Canon CMOS sensor is currently used in both the Canon XTi and the 40D, and the Digic III processing engine is used in the XSi and 40D we do not expect any performance surprises with the XS sensor. The Canon 10.1 mp sensor is already well-known for low-noise across the ISO range.

  • yyrkoon - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link

    Ah, ok, I read this as more of a review, when in fact I suppose it was a preview instead. Or maybe just an announcement ? Not used to you guys just making 'announcements' as such.

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