Rebel Rouser

While total sales of 35mm SLRs may be slowly declining-probably due to increasing digital camera incursions-the number of actual 35mm SLR purchases remains very high and we intend to continue leading the pack."

So spoke the Canon executive as he handed me an early production sample oof what we had been expecting for a year, the successor to the Canon EOS Rebel 2000, namely the Rebel Ti, which Canon has labeled the "new-generation, world standard camera designed to fend off rival models."

Cosmetically it bears no resemblance to any previous Rebel or any other camera. It's not black and it's not chrome either. The polycarbonate body is finished in silver (except for a gray top plate inset and the black bottom plate). A matching silver-finished 28-90mm f/4-5.6 Canon EF is included in the kit, one of the ways the Ti will be sold. Camera and lens make a striking cosmetic concoction. Gone are the traditional Rebel straight edges. Contours have been rounded and sculpted. The shutter release has been moved considerably upward where it's more convenient to press. The right hand grip is much deeper, making the camera easier to hold even without any rough gripping surfaces.

Unlike its rivals who seem to be playing an "anything you can make, I can make smaller and lighter" game, the Rebel Ti body at 12 ounces is a fraction of an ounce heavier than the Rebel 2000. Still, its weight is within an ounce of its ri