Review : Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)

"We were using a Digital Rebel 6.3MP and an old Sony 5.0 MP 7X optical when the Sony got wet and began working intermittently. Time to replace the Sony and move up a notch! Having been well-impressed with the Rebel 6.3 and the two lenses we'd added (EF 55-200 4.5-5.6 USM and the superb EF 700-200 2.8 with Canon's 2X extender bought used), we decided to jump on the Digital Rebel XT with the 18-55 lens. It arrived Thursday, and we sent it back Monday. Here's why. It was too small. Smaller is usually better, but the XT started to feel and look like a toy camera, or at least a point-and-shoot. My wife and I both have smallish hands, and the XT was bordering on being too small to be ergonomic for us. With the 70-200 lens attached, the Rebel XT disappeared. The second why is features. This is not a knock on the XT, which is a fine (excellent, really) camera with significant improvements over the original Digital Rebel. When we sent the XT back, we got Canon's 20D. Aha! you say. The XT and the 20D are basically the same camera. Not completely, and here's Canon's language comparing the two: "There are, of course, some very real differences between the EOS Digital Rebel XT digital camera and the more advanced EOS 20D. While the 20D SLR includes performance features such as faster continuous shooting speed (5 frames per second [fps] vs. 3 fps) with larger burst capability (23 frames vs. 14 frames) and custom function settings (18 vs. 9) that more than justify its heftier price tag, this new Rebel XT model was created for those dedicated SLR users who are migrating to digital for the first time and don't wish to give up the flexibility an SLR system offers." After using the Digital Rebel and three lenses (plus extender) we evolved from point-and-shoot to serious amateurs, and now we're knocking on the door of "prosumer." The 20D puts us there. It also uses the same batteries as the Digital Rebel, which is a plus. Like the Digital Rebel, the 20D is the size of a traditional SLR and easier to handle than the XT, even if it weighs a bit more. This is not a rip on the XT, but a word to the wise for folks like us who feel ready to move to the next level. We took some fine photos with the XT, which we aren't discarding just because we sent back the XT. A final note: If you get the XT (and that is not a bad thing), get the body only and a lens other than the 18-55 that comes standard in the Digital Rebel and XT kits. Again, this is a fine lens with good, middle-of-the-road capability. But if you're getting serious, you need all the lens you can afford, or even a little more than you can afford. The Canon EF-S 17-85 4.5-5.6 gives a lot of range and versatility and would be great with an XT if you're trying for really good photos while keeping life simple and your camera-lens package light. Even better is the EF-S 10-22 3.5-4.5. But the prize of our collection is the EF 24-70 2.8. It provides superb performance. Yes, the cheapest of those is about the price of an XT body. You get what you pay for. We were lucky enough to have fallen into a little cash and put it into a 20D and a great lens (24-70), a really good lens (10-22), and a relatively compact versatile lens that performs well in good light (17-85). If you're sitting on the fence as to your photographic future, I hope this helps."

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