Canon EOS Rebel XTi/400D -- buy it, use it, be happy!

The conclusion first-- the Canon 400D/Rebel XTi is an excellent camera--well-positioned in price, features, looks and performance.

Okay, this will be a long review, so bear with me ;) I read many reviews and waited to actually use the camera before writing my own review and sharing my thoughts with you. Plus, please note that my comments are not written for the professional photography community, which may be interested in this camera as a backup body only, if at all :) And, due to space limitations, I had to leave out many details, sorry. If there are technical errors in my review, I invite my more knowledgeable photographer colleagues to post their suggestions. Frankly, my comments are aimed at the beginner or amateur photographer.

First, a bit about myself. I am a serious amateur and I define that as a person who loves her hobby, spends a moderate amount of money to build a system, does much research (online, community, friends, etc.), spends adequate time with her equipment, and is self-critical and analytical about her efforts. A sense of humor is a plus. Not exactly the dictionary definition, but hope that helps put my review in perspective. As far as camera experience, I handled and took photographs with many point and shoots, a few medium format cameras, SLRs, and even disposables (underwater mostly).

I saw my first family member-taken photo in 1969 (a b/w taken with my father's Leica and a 50mm lens). The photograph was of my father's closest friend. The individual grey and white hairs on his moustache were visible and finely focused. Impressive (hint: it was the excellent lens). I used various Leicas after that, but couldn't afford the lenses. I gave the Leica to my brother who bought me the Olympus OM-2. Loved that little camera and used it to learn photography. I spent some time in the lab smelling and handling chemicals. Some obstinate South Asian fungus finally claimed that camera (it was my inexperience in caring for electronic equipment in humid conditions). Then, I bought a Canon A2E/A5 and loved the eye focus feature. I couldn't find anything wrong with the camera; just my own inexperience contributed to imperfect images.

My first DSLR was the Canon 400D. I waited 8 months for this camera and during that time, I read as much as I could on digital photography. I bought the 400D with the kit lens (the 18-55 mm which I will comment on later). I took the camera on 4 trips --a tropical island getaway, two city tours, and a village tour. I took about 4000 photos so far. Only about 50 images didn't come out as expected. The bad images were due to hand shake, inappropriate use of Picture Styles and human subject movement. And there were some poor exposures due to light entering through the viewfinder when I raised the camera above my head to take photos. The camera manual tells you to cover the viewfinder with the rubber cover attached to the camera strap during those situations when your eye is not next to the viewfinder.

There is more than one way to manipulate some stuff with the 400D so if something doesn't quite fit right for you, use an alternate method (multiple choices are covered in the manual and online tips). As with all new DSLRs, you can stick with the auto/green/novice mode and take mostly excellent photos, but why limit yourself? Try out the various factory presets and then experiment with the adjustable features.

My hands are small and the camera is a perfect fit. All the controls are in the right places for me. There are many features in this camera that you will love and use, if you read the manual and online tips and have the confidence to begin experimenting with them. The Canon 400D is extremely user-friendly and, being a digital camera, is eco-friendly.

What the camera is and is not. The Canon 400D is not a professional camera. But it is one of the best in its class. So what class is that? It’s interchangeable lens capability, more than a point and shoot, a low weight model, near-pro features, choice of accessories and upgradeability. Oh, a special feature about this camera is its near instant ready-to-shoot capability from power off to power on. And the pro-level dust reduction feature is a confidence builder, but that should not prevent you from exercising the usual level of care in adverse shooting conditions.

What about the kit lens? 18m-55mm is a very good spread for most of the photos you will take. Although this lens is not a high quality model and almost every website I visited recommends against getting the kit lens, I say this lens keeps the initial cost down and is good for everyday use. I will not go into technical details because you can get all of that stuff at your favorite online photography sites (I like many sites but my personal choice of "technical" site is www.dpreview.com).

A few words about lenses. Seriously folks, once you are done practicing, get quality lenses. You will see an amazing difference in the photos you take. You may get used lenses if you trust your local dealer or the friend who is selling them to you. If you settle on a brand (Canon, Nikon, Olympus, etc.), you can gradually invest in good lenses for your base camera body and not lose your investment to obsolescence. I recommend three lenses--a wide-angle zoom (18 to 70mm-ish), a telephoto zoom (70 to 200/250/300mm) and a fast f1.8 or f1.4 50mm (remember the 1.6 conversion factor) for low light situations. Don't forget to check out third party lens manufacturers (Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, etc., but first read the professional reviews) who make good to excellent lenses with mounts specific to your camera. Since the Canon 400D does not have in-body image shake reduction/stabilization, consider getting the Canon IS series lenses. You won't need them for wider angle lenses, but the image stabilization models immensely help in telephoto/zoom situations. The better (more expensive) lenses have superior weather proofing (against dust, moisture and stuff like that).

Some suggestions on shooting. Consider taking photographs of everything you see, during all times of the day and night. Once again, remember, this is digital so cost is nil after you are all set up. Look at subjects in a new way, compose with the camera differently than how you are normally seeing the subject with your eyes, move in or back up to see things differently, take more extreme close-ups, and try different light conditions for the same subject, etc. That rose in the morning will look different in the afternoon. Take photos of children and pets at their height. One strategy that really works for me is to look at online or calendar photos that I really like and then try to figure out why I like that photo. Is it the composition, the subject matter, the lighting, something unique about the perspective or what is it about the photo that makes me think it is fantastic? Then try to replicate what you learned in your own photos. Additional tip: remember to press the shutter halfway to let the camera do its calculations, and then gently press it all the way to take the photo. Above all, learn good camera holding posture and keep your hands steady. You will love the results.

Comments about image editing software programs. Yes, they are amazing but honestly, please first try to take a good photograph because the quality of your source/original photo does matter. You cannot fix a poorly focused photo in a program (unless you deliberately wanted a creative shot). You can crop a poor composition and end up with a better photo and you can adjust stuff to your heart's content if you shoot RAW images with the Canon 400D, but all these won't make you a better photographer, just a better digital artist.

A few words on accessories. Get some 1, 2 or 4 gigabyte capacity memory cards, extra batteries, a filter to protect your primary lens, a comfortable strap, a comfortable bag, and a good quality local print shop (optionally, a computer to edit photos and a good quality direct-print color printer). A tripod is a must. Most models in the US$ 50-100 range are excellent. Get a cable release for shake-free shooting. You will probably want an external flash. Get a good cleaning kit and keep your camera clean and in good working condition.

Bottom line on photography. I have yet to find any photographer who can conclusively tell me which camera was used to take a photo just by looking at the print or the digital image. My point here is that the person pressing the shutter button is responsible for timing, subject, preparedness, equipment, composition, exposure, etc. And the beauty of photography is like the perception of beauty of everything else. The beauty or quality of the end result may depend on the eye of the beholder.

Some recommendations on improving your photo-taking with the Canon 400D. Definitely read the manual more than once (I carry it in my bag), try out every single feature in your camera (you may learn many amazing things or be refreshed about stuff you forgot), remember this is a digital camera so you can experiment endlessly (with adequate battery power and memory card capacity, of course) without having to print photos, keep your hands steady, move around and up and down to get a different angle and look at your subject, and just keeping on taking photos. You spent your hard-earned cash on this camera and accessories, so you need to have fun. We are not war-zone, documentary, fashion, portrait or commercial photographers. We are in it as a hobby, at least at first. So, go ahead, get the 400D or if you already have it, start taking photographs. I believe you will be happy with your Canon EOS Rebel XTi/400D. I absolutely love mine.