Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Kit w/ EF-S IS 18-55mm Lens)

Great camera. It refines a winning blueprint, rather than reinventing the wheel. There are a smattering of improvements that help keep the 450D up with the ever-increasing competition, but unlike the 350D which pretty much had the field to itself, this new model is no longer the sole leader of the pack. Live View is a great addition on paper, but don't expect a point-and-shoot experience as the contrast AF mode is infuriatingly slow, and the Quick AF mode is of most interest to macro and studio photographers. The new EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS kit lens is actually more beneficial than Live View, providing much needed image stabilisation, although obviously Canon's system is still lens-dependent and therefore more restrictive than that of Sony, Pentax or Olympus (which instantly work with any lens). The 12 megapixel sensor, 3 inch LCD screen, spot metering mode and use of SD cards are all very welcome additions.
Image quality is on a par with the EOS 400D, with noise-free images up to ISO 800 and a very usable fastest speed of 1600, so usable that I don't understand why the EOS 450D doesn't also offer ISO 3200. Chromatic aberrations are kept to a minimum and colours are accurate thanks to the new 14-bit processing - the only minor negative is the soft JPEG images, which may put off users more suited to sharper point and shoot cameras. Performance is also excellent, with no shutter-lag to speak of and fast processing times even when shooting in RAW mode. The 3.5fps continuous shooting mode is a little faster than the EOS 450D's predecessor, although in RAW mode the total number of possible consecutive shots has dropped from 10 to 6.

The 450D is an excellent camera, especially with the image stabilised 18-55mm lens, and it still offers a fantastic introduction to DSLR photography, just like its more illustrious predecessors. Other improvements are a larger viewfinder, better grip and I think better build quality than the 400D. Now a great price second hand, this camera is great bang for buck value. Highly recommended to everyone.

The camara was bought for my daughter who is studying photography at school. I bought a Canon because I already use an SD990 which is a great little camara. The XSi is a good base for s budding photographer which can grow with them and even still use when they are doing the job for a living.

The picture quality is good and has some handy functions for a beginner and using the Canon means my daughter has access to the superb range of Canon lenses in the future.

As for the level of service from Digigood, they are absolutely superb and are one of the best retailers on ebay that I have had the pleasure to use. I will definately use them again and cannot recommend them enough.

A really excellent "consumer" entry level DSLR launched by Canon in 2008. A comprehensive review and comparison writen by Cliff Smith can be read at the following link:

http://www.trustedreviews​.com/digital-cameras/review/20​08/07/18/Canon-EOS-450D-digita​l-SLR/p1

Everything Cliff mentions in his review is accurate, informative & well considered. Although the 450D model is gradually being replaced by the 500D & 550D (which have HDVD capability and more powerful CMOS sensor which I did'nt need), the 450D is still a very capable DSLR which features a 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, a large 3-inch monitor with Live View mode, nine-point AF system and 3.5fps continuous shooting.

Personally I found the 450D handles impecably - both intuative and ergonomic; everything is where it should be and does what it should do. I compared a Nikon D60 and found it fealt "clumbsy" and bulkier than the 450D.

Earlier results have exceeded my expectations and my only regret is not getting one sooner!

I absolutely love this camera. Did a lot of research before buying and eventually settled for this one due to combination of cost, features and lens compatibility. Love the fact thet the image stabilisation works before taking the picture as opposed to many slr cameras which effectively 'edit' the picture after taking the shot. I bought this as a refurbished item as I was unsure I would use it to it's full potential, but I have taken over 400 pictures within a week and not even got through half the functions yet! Battery seems to be lasting forever! Easy to use and focus. The lenses are 'idiot proof'. Camera not too heavy so easy to take out and about. I like the sports continuous shoot function which is ideal with my baby daughter. Lovely big LCD screen to review shots too. This is a great all round camera which I would recommend to anyone. I'm looking forward to learning more and taking better shots now!! I have since found out that my father and brother-in-law both have canon dslr's also and they love them too!! (In fact they're jealous cus mine is better!)

The camera is as described, in fact is branded "Rebel Xsi" which is the North American branding of this product rather than "450D" (European branding). Personally I would have preferred the 450D branding, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the product. Otherwise the camera works perfectly with it's 18-55mm lens (I did not purchase this with any other lenses) and it is precisely what I was wanting in a DSLR camera. You can spend a lot or comparatively little more on a Canon DSLR, but unless you are going to go up to a "5D" at around £1300 don't bother' this will give you all you really need.