Canon EOS 500D / Rebel T1i 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Kit w/ EF-S IS 18-55mm Lens)

I bought this after rubbing my chin a lot and wondering if I actually anything better than my already very good Canon G7. Well, fact is, I don't need it but I bought it anyway cos I'm a bloke and therefore a gadget fiend and I can't help meself.....

Anyway, onto the point. After playing around with the camera for a few days now I'm generally very happy with it. So, live from Planet Farty, the main highlights:

1) Excellent all round (real world) image quality, even in low light situations where use of a flash is ruled out for whatever reason. This point for me is the most important box to tick when buying ANY camera and the 500D gets a 10.

2) Besides fully auto there is an excellent beginner feature in the form of a creative mode which makes for easy and informative tweaks to the exposure and a few other settings, great to play about with this feature to learn a little more about what the camera has to offer.

3) 720 & 1080P HD movie mode, particularly useful in 720P.

4) Very good burst rate for an entry level DSLR, it just keeps churning at about 3-4 FPS for what seems like forever (about 140 frames) at the highest JPEG setting and does about a dozen frames in RAW before the buffer is full.

5) Despite some pro reviewers criticisms, I have to say the standard EF 18-55 IS lens is actually very good, it works very well in real life situations and produces nice clean images.

6) Can exposure bracket 1/3 or 1/2 steps. (set via menu)

7) Excellent battery life.

The main ploppy bits:

1) The movie start & stop button doubles as the live view button and is too small for a fat thumb, you have to press it with the side of your thumb to make a positive contact.

2) No constant autofocus in movie mode! You have to press and hold the autofocus button everytime the subject moves or switch to manual focus. This for me is THE biggest single failing of this camera, in fact it's total pants, I've had 50 quid point and shoots that can manage to constantly focus in movie mode, what happened here then?

3) Lowest ISO setting of 100, I would've liked to go down to say, 60 or 80.

4) Tends to overexpose (and therefore wash out) highlights when using evaluative metering, I now use the camera almost exclusively in centre weighted or spot metering.

Conclusion:

Overall I like this camera and am very happy to live with it's very few shortcomings, for me as a first "proper" DSLR it represents superb value as a second-hand buy, I probably would'nt however have bought a new one, definitely not at full retail price.

A replacement for a Canon 20D which I loved but was very heavy and bulky, I wonder at the ability of Canon to squeeze so much into what is a very manageable DSLR. Torn between this and the 50D, I decided that this one offered the handling qualities I wanted - it really is very comfortable and quite light, it's the lenses which seem to add disproportional bulk! However, with fairly standard lenses (I have EF-S 17-85 IS USM and EF-S 55-250 IS) it is still a well balanced piece of kit.
Another real attraction for me was the 3 inch, 920,000 pixel LCD. A massive improvement on the 20D, it really is bright, clear and sharp, with excellent colour rendition, and only in very bright sunlight does it fail to impress. The new Digic4 processor is very impressive offering high definition and very low noise even at high ISO levels. Combined with the more than adequate 15.1 megapixel sensor, the unit delivers remarkable images.
I found the buttons, dials and controls both sturdy and accessible, and, unlike the 20D, much more intuitive. The menu is also much more clearly and systematically laid out. The 50D is slightly faster, has more features and a burst rate of 6.3fps while the 500D gives just 3.4fps. Am I bothered? No! I have rarely used it and when I have 3.4fps has always been quite enough.
The real drawback for me was paying a relatively high price for HD video. It simply did not attract me at all - I am a 'stills man'! Or am I? I've had so much fun recording movies, even in very low light levels, I don't understand how I have managed without it! My neighbour, the worse for wine, singing along to Kathy Kirby at a recent street party had the rest of us in tears! I'm still considering blackmail!
Are there faults? Well, I haven't found any but I'm not a pro. As with all DSLR's, the lenses do make a difference. I've only the two, but I can see the difference in image quality. I only wish I could justify buying (or even afford!) L series lenses. But that's just being picky, toys for the boys! I'm a semi-serious amateur and I think the 500D is great.
All my research pointed me to the 500D, or the Nikon D90. It would have been a real dilemma had I not already had Canon lenses as there really does not seem to be much to choose between the two.
As a footnote, I should mention that I also bought a Lowepro split camera case/ruck sac combination which accommodates the 500D, spare lens, battery, cleaning bits, and so on, whilst giving lots of space for day trip paraphernalia and this has solved lots of transport problems.

What a great camera. I bought the Kiss x3 (Japanese version of 500D). The reason I chose this over a European version is that it saved me a few £. However, I made sure that I bought this from a UK seller, so as to avoid being hit with a no doubt hefty Customs Charge.

I was most interested in this camera for its HD video recording. The ultimate camera for this would be the 5D Mark II, however, this is way out of my price range - at around twice the price of the 500D!

So far I have tested the camera in 720p mode (as this is reported to reduce the rolling shutter, and also allows for a standard frame rate - 1080p mode only shoots 20fps), and the results have been stunning! I took it out with a couple of friends to a fun fair, at night - and I was blown away by the quality and shallow depth of field achieved. The colours were gorgeous, the responsiveness was so much better in low light than I would ever expect from a HD camcorder (FX1, Z1, etc). I was very impressed. Also, I didn't notice any rolling shutter problems. The image seemed nice and stable.

I tested this with the standard 18-55mm kit lens, and the results were great. I can't wait to get an FD to EOS adapter and try out some of my old manual lenses (in particular an 50mm f1.4).

Also, and this kind of goes without saying - the stills photographs are gorgeous too. However I was mainly interested in this camera for the HD video.

The drawbacks -- really, you're limited to 720p - because of the odd framerate canon have chosen for 1080p. A shame, but nothing worth moaning about. No audio inputs (this camera does record audio, but with an on board mic - so quality isn't fantastic) so if used for a short film, and external DAT/sound recorder + Clapper Board would be needed.

The niggles -- When in video mode, auto controls are invoked. The shutter speed and ISO can be locked very easily. The aperture however requires a little unlock+twist of the lens to lock - but once they're set, you can't change them on the fly, without dipping back into auto and having the camera chose for you. Not the best solution - but this is an entry level camera, and I don't see this being too much of a problem for me. Especially with manual aperture lenses.

Also, as a little note - In the short time I've had it, I briefly tested if the Video Out cable works while the camera is in movie mode. And yes, it does seem to - which might be useful to know, for those who wish to use an externally mounted monitor for shooting.

I hope this review is helpful to some. I hope that I get to use this camera to shoot some short films, you can check out some of them at www.mattandvince.com

Thanks.

Vince.

I could not be happier with it! I purchased the Canon EOS 500D on recommendation from a friend. In the past I refused to go to digital from film photography, but because of financial limitations it seemed the right time to give it a go.

As you can see by the rating I gave, I have no regrets in choosing this model. Having played around with a few other DSLR's, the Canon's ease of use was refreshing. Both the LCD display on the back and the viewfinder display all the information you could need about the shot. The quality of the preset modes (e.g. Macro, Portrait etc...) are excellent. The fully manual mode allows you to change every aspect of a shot which is ideal for creative photography.

Another small detail which I found particularly useful was how the canon records the shutter speed, F stop, and iso for every photo you take. This makes it easy to go back and recreate the same conditions as a previous photo. It also makes it easier for beginners to get an understanding of the appropriate iso, aperture and shutter speed for a given situation.

The weight and feel of the camera is really nice. The matt black finish with rough hardened hand grip make it look stylish and practical. It is quite light and small compared to some other DSLR's which does make it ideal for taking with you everywhere.

Overall, this camera is ideal for anyone from beginner to someone serious about photography. The reason a beginner might be interested is because of its small size, lightweight, easy to carry around, great preset modes, ease of use and its potential to produce great shots every time, and finally it shoots full 1080p video with amazing colours (or black and white).

Someone serious about photography might be interested by the wide range of lenses available, the ability to change many aspects of the photo including image quality, White balance, monochrome etc, the quality of the images are high, it shoots full 1080p video with great colours, and the range of accessories available for the 500D can help you produce some really exciting and artistic photos.

Having used it everyday for the last couple of weeks, Im struggling to think of any negative features.....if I think of any I'll let you know.

Firstly I would like to point out that I am not a professional. My knowledge of digital SLR camera's although varied is to say the least borderline professional.

At first glance the camera looks robust and yet pleasing to the eye, it harbours more settings than most will use and has a very clear 3 inch LCD screen on the back. My first impressions was that it felt a little 'plasticky' however unlike the camera's of old one has to remember that this camera is made from high grade materials, it sports a stainless chassis with a composite outer casing. I've decided to steer this review towards image quality and general useage; When you open the box you are confronted with a canon rebel XTi body, strap, cd, manual and leads for connecting to both a tv and your computer.

After fixing the 18 - 55mm lens onto the body and inserting the battery (included) you find the clearest LCD screen you've ever seen! It is pin sharp and shows you at a glance all you need. In order to take pictures for the first time I recommend 'full auto mode', this is not to say the camera is a glorified point and shoot, far from it, however for the first time I find that it allows the user to get a feel for it. The images are clear and sharp with the camera selecting everything from ISO to Aperture, although one must not forget that this is an SLR camera, thus sports an array of options.

For those of you who are not sure; ISO is the film speed, think of it like this;
If you wanted to take a photo of someone at dusk or early dawn most (if not all) snappy cameras would pop the flash up, not with these cameras! All you do is set the ISO to say 800 or 1600 and the image will be reproduced 'as you saw it', this means NO flash needed. So the faster the ISO the darker you can shoot images without flash. Now this camera will go all the way upto 12,800 ISO and will faithfully reproduce images albeit with some noise, only professional canon's like the 5D or 1D will give a far better shot i.e. less noise.

However, this camera does a great job even at the higher ISO end.

It has burst mode (3.4 Frames per second) basically you hold down the shutter and will take over 3 shots per second, not bad at all. Setting the dial to manual is where all the magic starts, although you will have to know a little about photography before playing with it. It is this mode that sets it apart from the snappies (digital compacts) let's say I wanted a good landscape shot; I would set the aperture to F16 and try a slow shutter speed (around 125th) looking at the ISO it is reading that the shot will be too dark, out comes the tripod and lower goes the shutter speed! There are too many things to mention about this camera for it hosts a plethora of settings, from taking shots of the moon to those unforgettable wedding moments, this camera simply delivers.

The kit is more than a bargain it is virtually a steal! The 75-300mm telephoto lens gets you up close to subjects that would not allow you otherwise, such as birds or the elusive fox. Images are sharp, clear and taken in Raw mode allows you to find the right colour temperature, contrast etc.

Oh, did I mention RAW? Yes folks it takes photos in RAW format as well as JPEG, you can even set it to to take shots in RAW and JPEG at the same time!!

Anyone looking for a digital SLR camera will certainly not go wrong with a canon rebel XTi, it will be more than adequate for all but the professionals amongst us.

I give it 11 out of 10!