Introduction
Canon's new Rebel XT raises the bar yet again for digital performance at consumer prices. In fact, I questioned whether people would find the 20D worth almost twice as much as a new Rebel XT in my earlier review of the Canon 20D.
I used the new XT and the 20D side by side on a recent two-week job, and I concluded that while the 20D is indeed faster and easier to use than the XT, the XT is a very capable camera. If you are not put off by the differences between the two control interfaces (physical and software), the slower continuous shooting speed, and the lack of weatherproofing, you may find the XT to be a suitable main camera or back-up body. Put the money saved into an EF-S lens, and you've got a camera with high price-performance value.
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D Features
The Rebel XT has most of the features found in its bigger brothers. DIGIC II processing for fast autofocus and low noise, full manual mode, and ETTL-II flash technology are all here. I would venture to say that for all but the most demanding or specific needs (e.g., sports, extreme conditions, frequent heavy use), the XT does not lack features. And, there is one "feature" unique to the XT: the soft sound of its shutter release! I elaborate on the virtues of this in my Canon EOS 20D review.
Compared to the 20D, the XT mainly lacks white-balance setting in specific degrees Kelvin, a PC terminal for use with external lighting, and fast continuous shooting speed. Buy the 20D if you need to regularly set your white balance at specific temperatures. At three frames per second (fps) continuous shooting, the XT is adequate, but you may miss capturing optimum compositions with things like flapping wings, sports action, and so forth. And for external strobes, a PC terminal adapter can be added via the hotshoe mount for $15.
There are other minor differences between the XT and the 20D, such as seven AF points vs. nine AF points, flash sync at 1/200th vs. 1/250th, maximum shutter speed of 1/4000th vs. 1/8000th, and so forth. I work around these smaller differences and, therefore, do not prioritize them.
Autofocus can be chosen from seven points seen in the viewfinder, but I only use the single center point. My technique is a common one: lock focus and then recompose the frame as needed. The center focus point is the most sensitive and therefore the fastest, so I never bother with the multipoint system. I also did not test the follow-focus (AI Focus) modes, so I won't comment on the potential performance of this camera in that department. Rob Galbraith's review ([url]www.robgalbraith.com[/url]) of the Canon 20D is highly favorable toward the AF system, and the XT's system is at least as new as the 20D's DIGIC II technology.
The built-in flash worked well for casual snapshots. Most of the time I preserve the natural ambient light, so when I use flash, I just mix a little in with the existing light. Thus, I set flash exposure compensation to -1 1/3 stop, and this gives me the look I desire. I did not test this with big wide-angle lenses, so if this is an issue for you, I recommend dedicated Canon flashes.
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D Design
The XT is small, especially for an SLR. With certain lenses, the XT is even smaller than the Olympus C-8080 SLR-style point-and-shoot. People may find that the XT mated with, say, the Canon 17-40mm L feels "lens heavy" because the lens weighs more and appears large relative to the camera body.
The XT shares a new lens mount with the 20D enabling the use of Canon's EF-S lenses built specifically for small digital image sensors. The EF-S lenses are a topic for other reviews, but my experience with the lenses suggests that this is a reasonable means of bringing quality wide-angle lenses back to low-end digital photography.
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