Canon EOS Digital Rabel Review
Affordable Digital SLR History 101 — In mid-2000 Canon rocked the
digital SLR camera world with the introduction of the
EOS D30, its large-area
3.25-megapixel CMOS image sensor and unbelievable $2999 street price. Canon made
it clear that the D30 was not a “professional” camera yet it still competed with
pro dSLR cameras costing five times as much. The next evolution came with the
EOS D60 in early 2002 — Canon
doubled the resolution with a 6-megapixel CMOS sensor, a more robust AF system
and image processor and lowered the price to $2399. The D60 was so popular that
dealers had a difficult time keeping them in stock, most were sold before they
even got to the store. At the PMA show in Las Vegas in March 2003 Canon
announced their most affordable digital SLR yet, the
EOS 10D with an estimated $1500
street price. The EOS 10D has an even faster AF system than the D60 and was the
first dSLR to use Canon’s new DIGIC image processor. And now, just six months
behind the 10D, Canon is launching their super-affordable EOS Digital Rebel SLR
with a street price of just $999 — and that includes the EF-S 18-55mm zoom lens.
The “magic” $1000 price mark for digital SLRs has been broken like the sound
barrier and Canon is positioning the EOS Digital Rebel as “the digital SLR for
everyone.” These cameras will be an instant hit with those wanting a
digital camera that works the same as their 35mm SLR, and dealers will no doubt
sell them as fast as Canon can make them. And Canon is planning on making a lot
of them. They announced at the London press event that production was set at an
amazing 70,000 units a month. The Digital Rebel may not be black, but don’t let
the silver-colored body fool you, this isn’t some cheap knock-off.
It’s loaded with state of the art imaging technology and is sure to please both
novice and seasoned photographers alike.
The EOS Digital Rebel incorporates a large-area 6.3 megapixel CMOS sensor
with Canon’s exclusive DIGIC Image Processor for maximum camera performance as
well as direct connectivity to several Canon Bubble Jet Direct printers and Card
Photo Printers. Advanced camera features include a very fast, wide area 7-point
autofocus system for precise focusing; 2.5 frames per second drive speed in
4-frame bursts, JPEG or simultaneous RAW + JPEG capture settings; an ISO range
of 100—1600; manual white balance mode; selectable color space options including
Adobe RGB and sRGB; a scrollable 10x zoom playback mode; and a Plug and Play USB
interface.
The EOS Digital Rebel is compatible with more than 50 Canon EF-series lenses
including the new EF-S lenses. The advanced AF system’s 7 focusing points are
conveniently superimposed on the viewfinder, cover a wide area for superb
precision, and are manually selectable for a high degree of control. Ideal focus
is achieved whether camera orientation is vertical or horizontal, with moving,
still or off-center subjects, and even in low light/low contrast situations. An
Intelligent Orientation Sensor to detect whether the camera is positioned
horizontally or vertically and uses that information to improve autofocus and
exposure metering accuracy and enables the camera to automatically rotate
vertical format images during playback.
seconds plus Bulb, while a built-in motor drive enables the camera to capture
2.5 frames per second in continuous shooting mode for bursts of up to four
shots. There are 12 shooting modes including Program AE, Shutter-priority AE,
Aperture-priority AE, Auto Depth-of-Field AE and Manual as well as Full Auto,
Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Action, Night Scene and Flash Off.Canon’s exclusive 35-zone Evaluative metering links to the active focusing
point and is the default metering pattern in AE modes, while center-weighted
average metering is automatically selected in Manual mode. Central-area partial
metering (measuring 9.5% of the picture area) is available on demand in Program
AE, Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Auto Depth-of-Field AE and
Manual. Canon’s new compact EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 zoom lens – created exclusively
for the Digital Rebel and available only in the Digital Rebel Kit – approximates
a 28–90mm zoom lens (in 35mm format). By reducing the distance from the rear of
the lens to the imaging sensor and reducing the size of the image circle to
accommodate the camera’s imaging sensor size, the lens produces high image
quality with superb resolution at all focal lengths. The new lens is also
smaller and lighter than conventional lenses because of the shorter backfocus
distance. Similarly, the newly developed Canon Zoom Lens EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6
II USM covers a 35mm equivalent zoom range of approximately 90–320mm when used
with the Digital Rebel. Together, these two lenses provide 35mm-equivalent zoom
coverage from 28mm to 320mm.
EOS Digital Rebel Features:
- Canon EF lens mount, compatible with all Canon EF including EF-S lenses
- 6.3 megapixel (effective) CMOS image sensor, RGB primary filter
- 3072 x 2048 pixel 24-bit JPEG and 36-bit RAW file formats. RAW files
include an embedded JPEG that is quickly extracted with the supplied
software - Fast, Wide-area TTL AF with 7 focusing points, manual or auto
selectable. - One shot AF, AI Servo AF with focus prediction, AI Focus AF, and manual
focus modes. - Canon DIGIC image processor speeds up image processing, camera functions
and improves image quality - Full range of exposure modes: Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority,
Depth-of-Field AE, Programmed AE with modes for Landscape, Macro, Night
Scene, Portrait, and Sports, and full Manual - 35-zone TTL metering, Evaluative (linked to all focusing points), Center
weighted average, or 9.5% central-area spot metering - White Balance: Auto, six presets and Manual color temperature
- Continuous Drive mode: 4 frames at 2.5 fps (1/250 second or faster)
- Shutter speeds: 30 to 1/4,000 seconds, plus Bulb
- Eye level TTL viewfinder with diopter adjustment, illuminated AF points,
depth-of-field preview and detailed information display. - Auto exposure bracketing: -/+2 EV in 1/2 EV or 1/3 EV increments
- 1.8 inch, color TFT LCD, 118,000 pixels, 5 levels of brightness
- Playback image zoom 1.5x–10x in 5 steps with scrolling
- ISO sensitivity range: 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,600
- Built-in E-TTL popup flash with red-eye reduction.
- Hot shoe for Canon EX Speedlites
- CompactFlash Type II card slot, Microdrive & FAT-32 compatible
- I/O ports: USB, Video Out (NTSC or PAL), N3 remote control socket
- High capacity Li-ion rechargeable battery and compact rapid charger
included - Direct Print to Canon CP-100/200/300, Bubble Jet Direct and PictBridge
compatible printers - Optional BG-E1 Battery Grip holds two BP-511 battery packs and adds
vertical grip, shutter release and controls
