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 When Canon revealed the 6.3MP EOS Digital Rebel in 2003, we knew it would be a winner based on its image quality and features, plus the pent-up demand for a sub-$1,000 DSLR. How big a success has it been? So far, Canon has sold more than 1.2 million units. Trying to catch up, Nikon and Pentax have since come in with sub-$1,000 6.1MP DSLRs that outperform the Rebel. More recently, Olympus has fielded the under-$1,000 8MP Evolt E-300.
Now, Canon has fired back with its new 8MP EOS Digital Rebel XT ($899 street, body only; $999 with the 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 USM Canon EF-S lens kit). Is this a mere megapixel upgrade, or a kick-butt camera with the goods to compete with Canon’s more expensive 8.1MP EOS 20D ($1,380, body only)?
To find out, we wrestled a fully functional Rebel XT out of Canon’s hands for a few days prior to its debut in February. Unfortunately, it was a preproduction sample that wasn’t ready to run through the Pop Photo Lab to establish image quality, AF speed, and metering accuracy. (The full test report will be posted at www.PopPhoto.com as soon as we have it, and will appear in a future issue of Pop.)
The weigh-in
A side-by-side comparison reveals major differences between the XT and the Digital Rebel (which now sells for $799 with the 18–55mm EF-S zoom lens kit). The XT is significantly smaller and lighter, weighing just 1.2 pounds (body and battery only) compared with the 1.6-pound Digital Rebel. In fact, it bests the previous lightweight champ—Pentax’s *ist DS—by more than two ounces.
Despite its smaller size and weight, the Rebel XT has a solid feel, great balance, and many improved features and controls. While its narrower grip and lowered shutter button are better suited to small hands, the control dials and buttons are placed in similar locations to those on the original Rebel. And the larger, knurled mode dial with metal accents on top is a definite improvement over the D-Rebel’s mode dial. Canon has bulked up the XT’s body, too. The new body has a stainless steel chassis and a mirror box made of high-strength engineering plastic. Canon says this material makes the lensmount as strong as the EOS 20D. So, you can now mount long, heavy telephoto lenses without the risk of internal parts flexing under the lens’ weight and causing distortion. However, the EOS 20D features a tougher magnesium-alloy casing that will handle more abuse. All in all, the Rebel XT’s body should appeal to photographers who want 8MP muscle and enough controls to satisfy a pro, but don’t want the bulk of a heavier DSLR like the 20D.
One way Canon trimmed the Rebel XT’s size and weight was by replacing the BP-511 battery found on the original Digital Rebel with the smaller NB-2LH lithium ion rechargeable used on several Canon compact cameras. Despite its lower capacity (720 vs. 1100 mAh on the original Rebel battery), Canon claims better efficiency lets the XT capture the same number of shots as its predecessor: 600 without flash, or up to 400 with 50 percent flash use. For more juice, Canon offers the new BG-E3 accessory battery grip ($220) that holds two NB-2LH batteries or six AA cells–and adds a vertical shutter release.
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