Digitally 'Rebellious' and loving it!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Best camera for the price, quality, well balanced, hack enables mirror lockup & FEC

Cons: still pricey, somewhat bulky, visible noise over ISO 400, no LCD preview

The Bottom Line: 
Excellent camera with only a few short-comings. May be outdated in a year but right now it's one of the best!

Author's Review
As an early adopter to the failed attempt to shift the photo world away from 35mm to a more 'user-friendly' APS (a.k.a. Advantix), I finally was faced with an SLR that, as good as it may be, still belongs to an undervalued minority. After 5 years of good companionship, my Canon EOS IX got a sister by the name of Canon Digital Rebel. (Or would that be a brother?)

Anyway, one argument in favor of the digital path would be that developers like Kodak themselves already went digital in photolabs and pretty much scan negatives to allow red-eye reduction and more balanced pictures. Sounds good, but the pictures I have seen simply don't match traditional results in sharpness and color spectrum. Further, the included CD would only hold 2MP pictures anyway. Once there, why not go directly digital and skip the film?

Feeling like you really want to step it up? Check out the Canon EOS 20D.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Versions, Gray Market & Scams!
2. Basically A SLR Camera
3. Main Features
- 3.1. Mirror
- 3.2. Shutter
- 3.3. Image Stabilization
- 3.4. Depth of Focus
- 3.5. ISO settings
- 3.6. CMOS sensor
- 3.7. White Balance
- 3.8. File Formats
- 3.9. Connectivity
- 3.10. Built-in Flash
- 3.11. Speed
- 3.12. Aspect Ratio
- 3.13. IR Filter
- 3.14. LCD Monitor
4. Lens Work
5. Digital Film
6. Included Software
7. Accessories
- 7.1. EH-16L Case
- 7.2. Lenses & Filters
- 7.3. Memory & Batteries
- 7.4. Speedlite EX
- 7.5. Tripod
- 7.6. Software
8. Professional or not.
9. Future proof?
10. Sample Pictures
11. Further Reading
12. Crack the Rebel's Potential (hack)


VERSIONS, GRAY MARKET & SCAM!

Let me just cover one major obstacle one might face when getting this camera over the internet or in discount stores. There is a number of variations available that are not easily distinguished and often only recognized by the price.

First let me advice bargain hunters (like myself) that there are currently many retailers like InfinityCameras.com that try to cash in on the popularity of this camera and sell (undisclosed) gray market products for unbelievable low prices. It then turns out that it's only sold with overpriced accessories and/or in an altered version that does not contain a battery and charger (self-proclaimed 'wholesale version'). Those can then be bought for too much money, and they call it special offer.

Crooks aside, this camera is officially available in the US in 2 versions by the name Canon Digital Rebel. The kit includes a 18-55mm lens (f3.5 - f5.6). The 'body only' package contains the same parts with exception of the lens. European customers know this very same model as the Canon EOS 300D, in fact the same is true for most of the world. The Japanese market knows this camera under the Canon EOS Kiss designation.

This review covers the Canon Digital Rebel kit with 18mm - 55mm lens (US model):
- EOS Digital Rebel Body
- Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
- Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
- Video Cable VC-100 (S-Video)
- Interface Cable IFC-300PCU (USB)
- Wide Strap EW-10DB II
- Battery Charger CB-5L
- Battery Pack BP-511 (1100 mAh)
- 18/55mm EF-S lens (f3.5 / f5.6)
- Manuals (English / Spanish)

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BASICALLY A SLR CAMERA

As any other SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera, the Rebel functions the very same way. Composing and metering thru the lens via 90 degree mirror which then moves out of the way to take the picture.

The body is made of silver and black colored plastic. The weight (560g) is well balanced and just right to hold the camera steady. It's the actual design that is a little bit of a drawback, at least when comparing with the stainless steel clad body of the EOS IX. Durability and scratch resistance may be an issue under heavy (ab-)use, but the camera is due to its unprotected LCD screen not carefree anyway. Some offer a replaceable screen protector, but I am not aware of one for the Digital Rebel.

The 7-point auto focus works well and is especially easy to use since the active spots are lit up shortly during focussing to signalize which are active. The red LED dots are especially useful in low light situations. Metering and shooting modes (Image and Creative) are pretty much identical to any other recent film based Canon Rebel. For that reason I am not going to cover that in detail at this point.

Ergonomically speaking, the Rebel's body is near perfect with the big rubberized grip and well-placed controls. Sure, it gets a little overwhelming at first, but that goes by very quickly. The only button that takes exception is the Depth-of-Focus preview button. Depending on the camera's orientation, it may be a little out of reach under normal holding (left hand on lens, right hand on grip).

The Digital Rebel leaves the conventional SLR route right after the light passed thru the shutter and -- instead of film -- hits the single-plate CMOS 6.5MP sensor, which captures 6.3 Million effective pixels. The data is then processed by Canon's own DiG!C chip, an image processor with advanced signal processing algorithms to heighten precision and detail, smooth gradation in highlight areas, and create natural color reproduction. The picture is now complete and transferred to the memory.

Pretty much inherent to the design of any SLR is one disadvantage. The LCD screen cannot be used to preview the picture since the mirror is in its way to provide a view thru the lens (from the optical viewfinder). The advantage of this 'feature', however, is that the monitor is normally off and that saves energy. The result: just around 300 shots between charges under normal conditions. (Compare the claim of scam artists like InfinityCameras.com that the battery only lasts 15 minutes.)

For complete specs please refer to Canon's website ... http://www.canoneos.com/digitalrebel/specs/index.html

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MAIN FEATURES:

I will focus on significant features since the camera's similar to other SLRs. Frankly, the wealth of functions could not possibly be discussed in depth here anyway.

Mirror: The 60/40 (reflectance/transmittance) mirror cannot be locked in its up-position prior to taking the picture. Under normal use this is insignificant, despite the mirror inertia when it moves with high speed and induces a little shock to the camera. Adding a long telephoto lens (>300) to the mix and minor camera vibration translates into sharpness degradation. However, this is certainly something mostly hardcore professionals would care about.

Shutter: is capable to cover exposure times from bulb (open as long as trigger is pressed) down to 1/4000sec. The latter is a clear advantage over point-and-shoots for capturing fast moving and/or very bright 'objects'. Shutter lag is virtually non-existent and close enough to film photography. (Shutter lag determines the time between pressing the trigger and actually taking the picture which can cause significant issues for changing situations like objects moving thru the picture.)

Image Stabilization: Canon seems stuck in traditional film photography and relies on their own line of lenses that have this feature built in ... a 'slightly' more expensive solution. The camera body itself does not provide any means to reduce motion induced blur. (In contrast Panasonic just introduced the highly effective DMC-FZ10 that adjusts the sensor position according to camera shake. Pictures look fairly crisp even at 420mm max. focal length.)

Depth-Of-Focus Preview: Great feature to judge on the focus of the picture before shooting. While this is essential for film cameras, it's somewhat of a gimmick for digital ones (if one has a chance to take another picture). Still, it's a great function but at smaller apertures (somewhere beyond f20) it becomes a little dark for proper judgment.

ISO Settings: Sensitivity ranges from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The highest quality is obtained between 100 and 400. The picture is virtually noise-free under most conditions and eliminates the need for ISO 50 etc.. Higher settings raise the noise level. The camera chooses the right ISO autmatically in the image modes. The creative modes allow to consciously choose. I.e. Lower ISO to capture movement (defined blur of moving parts) and higher ISO to track fast moving objects. Technically speaking, think of ISO setting as the signal amplification (brightness). Higher ISO = higher output = higher noise. Unlike film, this setting does not change the achievable resolution since the photo cells remain at the same physical size. However, 'digital grain' that results from amplification of the noise is affected.

CMOS Sensor: Canon developed their own sensor which is based on the standard sRGB (Red/Green/Blue) 'Bayer' cell arrangement. Nothing 'rebellious' here and at first glance a seeming disadvantage to Sony's new 4-color sensor (add Emerald to the Bayer RGB) as seen in the F828 or truly 'revolutionary' FOVEON sensors as used in the Sigma SD10. (Despite the 3.2MP physical resolution, results are similar to 6MP Bayer-type sensors.) Regardless what the specs suggest, the Canon still produces excellent picture quality within its class, especially since the CMOS technology allows for very little grain (noise). (In comparison, the F828 is greatly handicapped by strong noise over ISO 200.)

White Balance: A big issue for film photography, digital allows to color shift the spectrum based on shooting conditions without any type of filter. I find it most useful to make flash exposure and pictures in the shade warmer and more appealing. When using the RAW format one can also change the white balance in the computer along with the other parameters like sharpness and color space. However, for the novice it may be best to get a 18% Gray card and make extensive use of the custom WB function for natural looking results with little to no postprocessing on the computer. (I recommend the CustomWB over any of the predefined settings everytime you're not sure about the color temperature of your light source indoors.)

File formats: Either RAW (uncompressed native resolution) or 6 different grades of JPEG. At the highest JPEG Grade (Large / Fine) it's very hard to find a difference in quality to the RAW format even under close examination. The only difference I could find was for very fine structures with great contrast. Even at the lowest setting (Small / Normal) the quality at 1.6MP is still great for web publishing and rivals 2MP results of some point and shoot cameras I have seen.

Connectivity: The Digital Rebel directly connects to a USB capable computer (MAC or PC) or Canon printer to transfer pictures without removing the media. However, the maximum data rate is limited to 1.5 MByte/sec since it's only to USB 1.1 specs. Further, one can view pictures directly on a tv set (NTSC or PAL) via S-Video port. Canon also sells an optional battery replacement that allows to plug in an AC adapter for stationary use independent from batteries.

Flash: Using the built in flash still allows for good results due to the relatively high elevation over the lens which reduces red-eye relatively effectively. Further, the white balance adjustment and flash exposure allow for quasi-natural looking pictures. The camera is capable of E-TTL but only with a compatible external Speedlite 550EX flash.

Speed: The camera allows for up to 4 pictures in burst mode at a rate of up to 2.5 pictures per second. That number comes down when using flash, but it's still quite impressive. (No match for the top-of-the-line models though) However, one picture is captured, processed and recorded in about 5 seconds for the highest resolution due to the necessary data transfer. Taking all 4 pictures (in burst mode) in RAW quality, might keep the camera busy for 25 seconds until the next shot can be taken. (Reference: 40X Pro Lexar media). For actual performance data check out my review of the SanDisk Ultra II

Aspect ratio of the sensor of 2:3 (Vertical:Horizontal) and its size 0.89 x 0.59 in. (22.7 x 15.1mm) are close to the APS-C format and result in a 1.6x translation factor when comparing to the traditional 35mm technology.

IR Filter: is located in front of the imaging element and non-removable. Sony's F828 actually allows to retract the filter and take low light and no-light IR pictures, something the Digital Rebel cannot do.

LCD Monitor: The 1.8 inch TFT color holds approx. 118,000 pixels (displayed pixels) and its brightness can be adjusted in 5-levels. The 0.1MP are not enough to conclusively evaluate a 6MP picture, but the zoom function allows a detailed view and gives a good feel for the sharpness and quality of a scrollable section.

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LENS WORK

The included EF-S lens is specifically designed for digital cameras with this size sensor. An additional ring at the lens mount prevents the use with 35mm cameras (EF). Even if it might fit, the result would have a vignette at the picture corners. However, it is possible to pick almost any of the available EF lenses to work with the Digital Rebel.

The included lens is not of 'professional' quality, but for everybody else a nice starter lens, especially since it covers a fair share of wideangle with 18mm focal length (equivalent to 28mm in 35mm technology). The largest aperture is average for consumer market and between f3.5 @ 18 mm and f5.6 @ 55 mm. Not the 'fastest' lens but quite suitable for most tasks and certainly worth the additional $100 the kit w/ lens costs. (This lens is not available separately.) Owners of a good Canon EF lens may save the money though. To achieve the quality as in the downloadable sample pictures on the Canon website, a better lens would be required.

The construction of the lens is compact and mostly very good. A few exceptions, however, make the enthusiast crave for more. And I don't even talk about the corner detail reduction of up to 20%. My main problem is with the way the focus is achieved. In manual focus the front ring turns to bring the picture into focus. This is not really an issue until one uses orientation sensitive filters like a circular polarizer or gradient ND. In Autofocus, this is even more of an issue since switching between close and far objects will change the filter orientation automatically and one might forget to adjust. Further, there is no feedback at the lens that allows to judge the distance the focus is set to.

Even lenses like the EF-S that are specifically designed for a (smaller) digital sensor, are still called out by their true focal length, regardless of the resulting picture. Only relevant for comparison reasons is the conversion factor of 1.6X, which in this case means that the 18mm/55mm zoom lens really is more like 28mm/88mm lens by 35mm standards. Under normal conditions this is nothing more than a factor, but it limits the achievable wideangle with the Digital Rebel. Especially APS photographers are already quite familiar with the resulting viewing angle.

The latest offers in the EVF arena, however, almost put most SLR lenses to shame and sport much (!) greater zoom range and even faster lenses (than the average). At 420mm max. telephoto (Panasonic DMC-FZ10) and f2.8 (Sony F828), who cares that the lens is not interchangeable? Especially when looking at the price, this may be the better proposition for occasional photographers. Hmmm, but a SLR ...

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DIGITAL FILM

To make the transition easier for oldtime film camera users, the term 'digital film' has been thought up by marketeers and never mind that neither shape nor function are even similar. So let's call it memory for correctness purposes, and to reflect the fact that it does not get exposed or developed. It certainly does not come in a roll either. Unfortunately no memory is included in any of the two packages, but 40X 256MB memory (Lexar) can be had for about $50 (after rebate). However, the current maximum of 40X 4GB memory still costs more that the Digital Rebel kit itself. (Let alone the even newer 80x 8GB CF.)

The Digital Rebel supports both Compact Flash (Type I and Type II) solid state media cards. It also accepts compatible microdrives (CF Type II compatible). Capacity is an issue at around 7MByte per picture in RAW mode. The camera predicts the number of pictures still fitting in the memory at the current setting. That would be anywhere between 34 (RAW) and 200 some pictures in the lowest resolution and higher compression ('normal') for 256MByte of memory .

The following resolutions and formats are available:
- JPEG Large/Fine: Approx. 3.1MB (3072 x 2048)
- JPEG Large/ Normal: Approx. 1.8MB (3072 x 2048)
- JPEG Middle/Fine: Approx. 1.8MB (2048 x 1360),
- JPEG Middle/Normal: Approx. 1.2MB (2048 x1360),
- JPEG Small/Fine: Approx. 1.4MB (1536 x 1024),
- JPEG Small/Normal: Approx. 0.9MB (1536 x 1024),
- RAW: Approx. 7MB (3072 x 2048)

Note: The actual image size depends on the amount of detail. (i.e. a solid color takes less memory than an elaborate painting.)

The memory type and speed have no influence on the picture quality and maximum number of shots in burst mode. The camera will store up to 4 successive pictures in its cache and then write to the memory. During that time it's busy and high speed memory now shows improvements in form shorter write time and essentially shortens time between shots. However, even 40x (6M/sec) doesn't feel excessively fast and there will be some lag time due to processing time. The larger the file the longer it takes to fit it all into the memory.

The speed increase from a (recently) released Lexar 80X CF card may be significant when recording more than 4 shots in a short time. Currently a 12MByte/sec, it may obviously offer twice the speed of the tested 40X. However, it gets kind of pricey up there and there is no guarantee that the Digital Rebel is actually capable of such transfer speeds.

For comparison data of 14x, 40x and 60x CF cards, check out my review on the SanDisk Ultra II

Canon acts kind of secretive regarding any speed rating: "Canon does not speed rate digital cameras. The write speed of the camera is limited by the drive inside the camera. Using a faster card rated at 12x or 24x speed may not perform any faster than a slower rated card. If you use a card reader capable of reading at the faster speeds, then you may experience faster downloads from the card reader." [Canon Technical Support]

The Digital Rebel does not support write accelleration, a Lexar technology. (WA enabled cameras allow speed increases by up to 23% vs. a standard 40XPro card.) Currently only Kodak, Nikon, Sanyo, Sigma, Pentax and Olympus licensed WA. A 40X CF card would actually reach 8MByte/sec with WA.

Another difference to actual film is the noise level at low light exposure. Film with longer exposure actually looses 'graininess' aproaching correct exposure. In the digital world the opposite is the case. The longer the exposure and the higher the temperature, the more noise will be visible. This is probably an artifact of older generations where the CCDs needed to be cooled. However, the Digital Rebel shows exceptional low noise under normal shooting conditions.

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INCLUDED SOFTWARE

ZoomBrowser: is the central interface to all other included software other than Adobe's Elements. It deviates significantly from the Windows look but in a good way. Functionality is great and for most users a good gateway to taken pictures. (The integrated FileViewer is essential for viewing, processing and converting images from the RAW format to either BMP, JPEG or TIFF.)

CameraWindow: is started from ZoomBrowser. This 'plugin' makes it possible to transfer images from a Canon camera as well as make Canon camera settings. The use is transparent and well integrated.

PhotoRecord: automatically arranges photos in albums and allows to add frames and backgrounds. It also provides a direct print option.

Canon Camera WIA Driver: is a system driver that allows direct picture acquisition via standard interface. This way, JPEG pictures in the camera can be accessed out of any supported software and directly embedded into the document.

PhotoStitch: is a powerful and easy to use stitching software that almost totally automatically combines a number of pictures (i.e. scenery) and matches their position and exposure / color based on common elements in each picture. Works great for pictures taken with identical settings and therefor similar focus and color as well as exposure. It's a little bit at a loss for difficult cases with different zooms and exposures (i.e. with and without flash).

Remote Capture: does just what the name suggests. Take pictures directly from the computer and instead of recording onto the memory, send it directly to the computer. Great idea for photo studios since all settings can be made on the computer, except for the zoom. However, usage is a little less intuitive than directly at the camera.

Photoshop Elements 2.0 is a downsized version of Photoshop 7.0 and quite capable for home use. This is actually a great offer (99.- value), but since I am using PhotoPaint v12 and Photoshop 7.0 already, it's not that 'essential' for me.

The only thing I miss is a filter or plugin for the most popular image processing software (Fireworks MX, Photoshop, PhotoPaint) to directly load the Digital Rebel's RAW format images.

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ACCESSORIES

No, I don't talk about the scam most disounters offer to drive the price up and with it their profits. I actually mean useful additions to the Digital Rebel.

Semi-hard case EH-16L: Protection is much needed due to the plastic body and exposed LCD screen. Canon offers the EH-16L that's specifically designed for the Digital Rebel. While the EH-10L fits the EOS IX very well, I am not too impressed with the EH-16L. It's hard to open and 'unwrap'. With the camera fully exposed, there is still no access to either memory slot or battery compartment. Further, all connections like USB and Video are not accessible without removing the case either. This is sure not for heavy use, but otherwise a stylish protection for that weekend trip.

Filters and lenses: Though this is specific to everybody's needs, a few items are suggested regardless of main use and 'professionalism'. Canon offers a new lens "EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM" which perfectly matches the included 18-55mm. (The only drawback is the use of 52mm filters vs 58mm of the included lens.) There is basically 2 grades. The $200.- version should be reasonable for everybody but hardcore professionals. The latter find a better lens in the faster $1000.- version. (Look for image stabilization if you can afford it.) Another great match is the "SIGMA 70-300mm APO SuperII Macro" since it is quite a capable lens for the price ($200) and it fits 58mm filters.
Regardless of application, a UV filter might be considered essential (as a lens protector). Other filters may be less important since post-processing can simulate many of those effects like enhancing, warming and any type of color shift. However, a circular polarization filter is still required to take out reflections. A Gradient ND (0.3, 0.6 or 0.9) filter is useful to compensate for stark brightness differences by homogenizing exposure. An filter benefits from multi-coating to reduce internal reflections especially when stacking several filters.
A great way to boost close-up magnification for existing lenses is an extension tube that fits between the body and the lens like a spacer. Check out the Canon EF12-II Extension Tube for detailed information.
New for the Eos 20D, but also a great lens for the Digital Rebel is the EF-S 17-85mm IS USM f4/5.6 lens. It improves low-light usability by a significant 3 stops.

Memory & batteries: The included recharable Li-Ion battery (1100mAh) lasts between 350 and 400 shots under normal condition. (Canon lists up to 600 shots when not using flash and replay.) An additional battery is suggested for longer trips. Currently sold for $20 and $60, this may be a useful addition. Memory is a whole different story. Especially on longer 'expeditions' without access to a computer to download pictures, 'cheap' memory may quickly run out of capacity or force to lower quality format. My last trip to Italy took about 600 pictures and that would be a healthy memory card to hold them in the best possible quality. The microdrive from IBM may be the best alternative at $160 for 1GB, but speed is a little lower at 3 - 4 MByte/sec and shock resistance is also greatly reduced (175 G) over flash memory (2000 G).

EOS-dedicated Speedlite: Unlike its sibling, the EOS 10D, the Digital Rebel does not provide evaluative thru-the-lens metering to adjust intensity of the built-in flash. The external Speedlite E-TTL autoflash adds this functionality for more natural results. The 220EX is a rigid body and the tilt&swivel SpeedLite 420EX (or 550EX ) is recommended for bouncing flash (indirect lighting) and even more natural results. However, Canon specifically points out that the thru-the-lens exposure compensation (e-TTL) is fully supoorted by the 550EX only.

Tripod: is an essential accessory for low light photography and even under normal conditions. It's the best way to achieve the sharpest picture possible. (Handheld shots require good lighting and a steady hand.)

Software: Since noise is a well known issue with digital pictures (scanned or from a digital camera) this somewhat pricey tool brings relief and makes even ISO 1600 quite usable: DFine 1.0 (Photoshop Plugin) http://www.nikmultimedia.com/dfine/usa/entry.php. And for a more powerful and userfriendly RAW image converter check out PhaseOne's CaptureOne http://www.phaseone.com
Color management is very important when processing picture on a computer and viewing them on a monitor. Mostly interesting for professionals and enthusiasts, the ColorVision SpyderPRO is worth a look.

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PROFESSIONAL OR NOT. Is that a question?

Let me be honest, the term 'professional' is overused and certainly inflated over the years. I cannot speak from a professional's perspective since I don't earn my money with this camera. I will try to make an assessment from an enthusiast's point of view.

A good example for the abused term of (semi-)professionalism is the Canon EOS IX, though technically an excellent camera, the smaller negatives are a predetermined argument against professional use. No matter how good the APS would ever get, the same film in a larger negative (35mm or Medium) simply gains better results. Not to mention that the recorded information seems to be of no use as I could not find any local store that would provide services that actually take advantage of it.

Using resolution as an argument for professional use, the provided 6.3MP are enough to print an 8"x10" photo in film like quality and that certainly may be enough for most professionals. However, throw in the cropping that sometimes needs to be done and the result may not meet that criteria anymore. Nevermind the theoretical advantage of the best film with resolutions equivalent to up to 13MP (35mm) and 18MP (medium).

Resolution, however, is not everything. Even though a film may have an advantage, converting film into a digital picture will pretty much even it out between a good 6MP digital picture and an ISO100 film. For a pretty good comparison between DSLR and Film please follow the provided link ... http://www.sphoto.com/techinfo/dslrvsfilm.htm

The best picture is only as good as the media used for its reproduction. A monitor is great but realistically only capable to display 1.3MP (1280x1048) on average and still just around 3.3MP for high-end monitors. (A tv set is a mere 0.3MP!) Even printers (those for home and office use) are limited and the best bet for photolike reproduction may be a dye-sublimation printer. Top Models with 403 dpi allow to fit 3.8MP on 6x4in. paper but are usually limited to that size. Note that these are 403 true dpi, which produce very sharp pictures equivalent to good photo processing (not available at 'Wal-Mart' et al.). Popular inkjets sport little more than 5800x2400 dpi (for the top of the line), but one needs to consider the matrix of dots required to reproduce the 16 Mio. colors a single pixel can be. (Actual resolution drops to 300 or even 150 dpi of actual pixel information.)

Note: A photo with about 300dpi of true pixel resolution is often used as a reference for photo quality. Hence, this number serves as a good measure to calculate the maximum photo size a picture might yield and still considered excellen quality under close examination. (Not considering that bigger pictures naturally get by with less pixel density since they are normally watched from greater distance.)

However, using versatility as an argument for professionals, the electronic format of digital cameras has many advantages like speed, transfer via e-mail and post-processing. Frankly, this is probably the main argument for all other users as well. It also allows for extreme flexibility with electronic media like websites and even heavily cropped pictures can be presented in astonishing quality. The time from taking the pictures to actually having them available for the layout is dramatically reduced (to practically nothing, not considering post processing).

And last, using human 'specs' as a reference for professional quality, the average resolution of a human eye with less than 5MP appears to be a great match for a 6MP camera in full frame viewing (which still allows for some cropping). Only focussing on a section of the picture would reveal its pixellated nature.

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Future proof?

As cameras enter the digital arena, similar rules apply as the ones driving computer technology. Digital photography is still somewhat in its infancy and improvements are introduced almost every month.

The Digital Rebel allows for great pictures and upcoming technology doesn't change that. However, bells and whistles like image stabilization, improved color range sensors, higher resolution, less grain at higher ISO settings, more speed and many more improvements will make the current status quo look antiquated before not too long. I'd say it will take about 2 years until much cheaper models are introduced with all the features that are currently available in much pricier models. That will be the time when most Digital Rebels might be replaced (already).

From today's perspective I would estimate for these features to become more common in the near future and who knows, maybe one day even combined in a single product. All this hopefully happens at below $1000 and I will be thinking about another investment into digital photography (beyond the Rebel):
- Image stabilization in camera body
- mirror lockup, better mirror damping
- virtually noise-free even at ISO 800, 1600, 3200
- integrated flash e-ttl capable
- 6 MegaPixel FOVEON* sensor (effective resolution)
- at least 30bit color depth image processor
- instant-on electronics
- magnesium alloy body
- continuous shooting possible (eliminate burst)
*... or similar technology (no interpolation)

Well, judging from the latest wave of 8MP models (Minolta Dimage A2, Canon Pro 1 etc.), it doesn't seem too far fetched to me.

There is one major disadvantage of going digital. The sensor is the heart of it and determines quality and output. Only very few models allow (limited) 'upgrades'. In stark contrast, even old film cameras profit from the latest film and are quite capable to snap up-to-date pictures without any pricey upgrade. (An old good lens is still a good lens.)

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SAMPLE PICTURE

To view pictures I have taken, please point your browser to ...

Picture #1
[622kB] http://vault.designpreference.com/iso100.jpg
(picture slightly cropped and converted to JPEG)
or
[270kB] http://vault.designpreference.com/iso100_small.jpg
(resampled same picture in PhotoPaint for smaller file)

Camera Settings #1:
Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
Shooting Mode: Program AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ): 0.3
Av( Aperture Value ): 5.6
Metering Mode: Evaluative
Exposure Compensation: -1
ISO Speed: 100
Lens: 18.0 - 55.0mm
Focal Length: 55.0mm
Image Size:3072x2048
Image Quality: RAW
Flash: Off
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AI Focus AF
Parameters
- Contrast Normal
- Sharpness Normal
- Color saturation Normal
- Color tone Normal
Color Space: sRGB
File Size: 5382KB

Picture #2
[640kB] http://vault.designpreference.com/flower.jpg
(converted to JPEG)
or
[84kB] http://vault.designpreference.com/flower_small.jpg
(resampled same picture in PhotoPaint for much smaller file)

Camera Settings #2
Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ): 1/800
Av( Aperture Value ): 5.6
Metering Mode: Evaluative
Exposure Compensation: 0
ISO Speed: 100
Lens: 18.0 - 55.0mm
Focal Length: 49.0mm
Image Size: 3072x2048
Image Quality: RAW
Flash: Off
White Balance: Daylight
AF Mode: AI Focus AF
Parameters
- Contrast = Normal
- Sharpness = Normal
- Color saturation = Normal
- Color tone = Normal
Color Space: Adobe RGB
File Size: 5427KB

For more pictures please check out ...
http://community.webshots.com/user/theuerkorn

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FURTHER READING

Books:
- "Digital Photography Expert: Light & Lighting", Michael Freeman (ISBN 1579905269)
- "National Geographic Photography Field Guide, 2nd Edition", (ISBN 079225676X)

Websites:
- Web photo school: www.webphotoschool.com/newschool/Default.asp
- Popular Photography: www.popphoto.com/default.asp?section_id=4
- Steve Hoffmann's Nature and Scenic Photography: www.sphoto.com/techinfo/
- Norman Koren Photography: www.normankoren.com/index.html

'Must-read' online Review:
- EOS300D www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos300d/page2.asp

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CRACK THE REBEL's POTENTIAL

If you're less concerned about US warranty and manufacturers support, there is a hack floating around that enables most of the EOS 10D functionality in the Digital Rebel. While the 10D firmware does not work in the Rebel, the hack enables hidden functions of the Rebel Bios.

The most notable changes ...
- Enter Flash Exposure Compensation using SET button
- Added SET button function when shooting
- Allows shutter release w/o CF card
- Allows flash sync speed in Av mode
- RAW JPEG rec. Sets the quality of embedded JPEG
- Added Mirror Lock up
- Selects the autofocus mode: AIfocusAF, ONEShot
- Added ISO 3200

http://satinfo.narod.ru/en/index.html

Note: Download and use this hack at your own risk.

To show the effect of the mirror lockup, I took 2 pictures using a SLIK Sprint tripod and the longest lens I had available (Sigma 70-300mm Super II APO, set to 300 mm with macro 1:2). While not extreme, the difference is noticeable at great magnification and that alone may override concerns with officially unsupported hacks. (The pictures are in low compression JPEG to retain most of their original sharpness. They were downscaled from 18 MByte and only the inset reflects the true resolution of the Digital Rebel.)

Mirror Lock-Up Enabled
[2.5MB] http://vault.designpreference.com/mirror_lock.jpg
(converted to low compression JPEG)

Mirror Lock-Up Disabled
[2.5MB] http://vault.designpreference.com/mirror_nolock.jpg
(converted to low compression JPEG)

Shared Camera Settings
Shooting Mode: Program AE
Tv (Shutter Speed): 1/25
Av (Aperture Value): 5.6
Metering Mode: Evaluative
Exposure Compensation: 0
ISO Speed: 100
Lens: 70.0 - 300.0 mm
Focal Length: 300.0 mm
Image Size: 3072x2048
Image Quality: RAW
Flash: Off
White Balance: Custom
AF Mode: Manual Focus
Contrast: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Color saturation: Normal
Color tone: Normal
Color Space: Adobe RGB
File Size: 5719KB

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© 2004, theuerkorn