Review: This appears to be a as fast an operating camera as the previous models. Focus is swift & accurate, especially with the spot meter, which is great for my bird photography. Have not played much with Live View, since it is not something of great interest to me. The new 3" LCD is BIG and bright, and somewhat easier to see in sunlight than older models (REBEL and REBEL XT). The onscreen info is BIG and BOLD on the LCD. The new "thumb-grip" makes this smallish camera easier to hold. The LCD display-off sensor works well. Still love the ability to alter sharpness, contrast and color, but now there are many more Picture Styles to choose from (Standard to even MONOCHROME). The added EFS 18-55mm IS lens is a nice touch for no added cost. The switch to SD cards was not a problem for me as I had long ago bought a CF to SD conversion card for my older Rebels as SD cards got cheaper than CF cards. I am annoyed at the switch to another "new" battery (LP-E5). I already have a big supply of NB-2L and BP-511 batteries; oh well! Is the Rebel XSi a big improvement over my XT? The spot meter was important to me, and the bump up in pixels was a bonus, as was the 3.5 fps shutter, the 3" LCD, and the live view (when I take the time to learn its capabilities). But in the long run, I probably could easily have stayed with my XT. Afterall, only a 50% increase in pixels hardly is monumental. Overall, its a nice improvement in the EOS REBEL series. It's easy to use and a fine camera for the money, all things considered. It's a 10 from my viewpoint, but then the XT was a 10 when I bought it, but now is probably an 8. At least I can now say that I have a Canon DSLR that has twice the resolving power of my first Canon DSLR, the 3 MP Canon EOS D30, since it takes a four-fold increase in pixels to double resolution! And as I tell my wife everytime I upgrade to a new camera, "new toys for boys" is a joy!
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