Canon EOS Digital Rebel SLR Review

The EOS Digital Rebel uses a Canon EF lens mount (full electronic control type) and accepts the over 50 available Canon EF lenses from 14mm ultra-wide-angle to 1200mm super-telephoto including the new EF-S type.

The "heart" of the Digital Rebel is a Canon large single-plate CMOS image sensor with an effective 6.3 million pixels. The effective sensor size is 22.7 x 15.1 mm with the same 3:2 aspect ratio of 35mm film. The angle of view is 1.6x the normal EF lens focal length. This makes going ultra-wide a challenge but it yields longer telephoto focal lengths with no reduction of maximum aperture. The 75–300mm zoom becomes a 120–480mm lens!

Available only in the Digital Rebel kit, Canon's new compact EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 zoom lens 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.

Please note that this lens is ONLY available in the camera kit that includes the lens -- you cannot purchase it later as a separate accessory. If you want it, then be sure to buy the camera kit WITH the lens, not the $100 less expensive camera kit with just the body.

EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 specifications

Angle of view - 74° - 27°. The lens is constructed of 11 elements in 9 groups. Minimum aperture is f/22–36. Minimum focusing distance is 0.28m. Physical size is 69 x 66.2 mm/ 2.7 x 2.6 in. Weight is 190 g / 6.7 oz. Filter size is 58mm. Hood - Canon EW-60C.

Canon EF 55–200mm f/4.5–5.6 II USM

Announced at the same time as the EF-S 18–55mm was the newly developed Canon Zoom Lens EF 55–200mm f/4.5–5.6 II USM which covers a 35mm equivalent zoom range of approximately 90–320mm when used with the Digital Rebel.

Utilizing the same 7-point AF sensor found on the top-rated EOS 10D model, the Digital Rebel is capable of analyzing where a subject is – even when it is off-center – and immediately bring it into focus. It can also analyze subject movement and automatically select locking or tracking AF modes as appropriate. For even greater creative control, the Digital Rebel offers the choice of automatic and manual focusing point selection.

The Digital Rebel automatically selects the best of three focus modes: One-shot AF, AI Servo AF with focus prediction, AI Focus AF, and manual focus. Going from autofocus (AF) to manual focus (MF) is accomplished by flipping a switch on the lens itself. The AF system is able to work down to 0.5EV at ISO 100.

There is no external AF-assist lamp, the Digital Rebel emits a series of micro-flashes from the built-in flash to illuminate the subject in low-light conditions. The range of the AF-assist is approx. 13.1 feet (4m) at center.

The camera's high profile, built-in retractable flash unit makes taking pictures with well-balanced foreground and background exposures simple thanks to Canon's E-TTL (Evaluative Through-The-Lens) flash exposure metering system. The Digital Rebel also supports such advanced features as E-TTL Wireless Autoflash; Flash Exposure Compensation; Flash Exposure Lock, and FP Flash (high-speed sync).

When shooting in the AUTO mode or the Basic Zone modes (except landscape, sports or no flash mode), the built in flash will automatically pop up and fire in low-light or back lit conditions. In other recording modes you press the release button to pop it up when needed.

The Guide No. is 13/43 (at ISO 100 in meters/feet), the working range at ISO 100 is 2.3–12.1 ft at 18mm and 2.3–7.5 ft at 55mm (using EFS 18-55mm F3.5 lens.) Flash sync speed is 1/200 to 1/60 in "P" mode, in "Tv" mode use 1/200 or slower, in "Av" mode it's 1/200 to 30 sec., in "M" mode from 1/200 to Bulb and in A-DEP from 1/200 to 1/60.

The recycling time is only three seconds. The flash coverage is effective with lens focal lengths as short as 18mm however some lenses like the EF 16–35 or 17–35 zoom will cast a shadow when wider than 24mm due to their physical length.

If you need more flash power the Digital Rebel functions in full E-TTL with the Canon Speedlite 550EX (shown above), 420EX, 220EX, Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX or Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX.

The 550EX can be used as a master unit to trigger other 550EX or 420EX Speedlites without wires. The Canon ST-E2 wireless trigger unit may also be used.

The eye-level viewfinder shows approx 95% of the captured image. The focusing screen is fixed. There is a builtin -3.0 – +1.0 diopter adjustment and there are ten optional E-series dioptric adjustment lenses available which can be attached to the eyepiece. Around the viewfinder is a soft rubber type Ef eyepiece that fits comfortably against your face or eyeglasses, it provides a 21mm eye point. Canon offers optional eyepieces that fit on the Digital Rebel including the 90° Angle Finder C.

Inside the viewfinder are the seven focusing points, the active focus point(s) are illuminated so you know exactly which AF zone(s) has been selected. Along the bottom is a digital status line that displays - AF points, AE lock, FE lock, AEB in progress, flash ready, improper FE lock warning, high-speed sync, flash exposure compensation, shutter speed, bulb, FE lock, processing data, aperture, exposure level (exposure compensation, manual exposure level, AEB level, flash exposure compensation, red-eye reduction lamp-on indicator), Max. burst during continuous shooting, AF/MF focus confirmation, CF card full, CF card error, no CF card