Those 3000 images were made in conditions ranging from hot and dry to cold and drizzly, and the XT didn’t miss a beat. Most of the shooting was with my EF 300mm f/4 IS lens, in continuous Autofocus mode with the image stabilizer on, which puts quite a strain on a camera’s battery. But I did as many as 547 exposures on a single charge—particularly amazing because the XT uses a new, smaller battery than the original Digital Rebel. Sensor Size The XT’s CMOS sensor is a bit smaller than the one in Canon’s 8-megapixel EOS 20D: the 20D has a 22.5x15.0mm 8.5-megapixel sensor, with 8.2 megapixels used for image recording, while the XT has a 22.2x14.8mm 8.2-megapixel sensor with 8.0 megapixels used for images. The pixels are the same size; as the pixel counts suggest, the XT’s images are slightly smaller than the 20D’s, 3456x2304 pixels vs. 3504x2336. vs. 3504x2336. Image quality is excellent, even at ISO 800. Dynamic range seems a bit less than the EOS 20D, but is still among the best I’ve encountered in a DSLR. ISO 800, 1/800 at f/6.3, 300mm, handheld. Specifications CAMERA: EOS Digital Rebel XT LENS MOUNT: Canon EF bayonet RECORDING MEDIA: CompactFlash cards or Microdrives FOCUSING: Phase-detection single-shot AF, continuous AF, auto switching from single-shot to continuous when subject motion detected; 7 AF points selectable by user or automatically by camera; AF down to EV 0.5; manual focusing via ring on lens METERING: 35-segment evaluative, 9 percent partial, and center-weighted average EXPOSURE MODES: Shiftable program AE, shutter- and aperture-priority AE, metered manual, auto-depth, full auto, 6 subject programs SHUTTER SPEEDS: 30 sec to 1/4000 plus bulb for longer exposures DRIVE MODES: Single-shot, or continuous 3 frames per second (for up to 14 JPEG or 5 raw images) VIEWFINDER: Fixed eye-level pentamirror type shows 95 percent of actual image area; 21mm eyepoint; built-in adjustable eyepiece correction from –3.0 to + 1.0 diopter LCD MONITOR: 1.8-”. color TFT, 115,000 pixels FLASH: E-TTL II autoflash with built-in pop-up unit (ISO 100 GN 13/43 in meters/feet) and dedicated shoe-mount Canon Speedlites; flash exposure lock and flash exposure comp provided; max. flash-sync shutter speed 1/200 POWER SOURCE: One rechargeable NB-2LH battery pack; AC via optional adapter DIMENSIONS: 5.0x3.7x2.5” WEIGHT: 17.1 oz STREET PRICE: $899; $999 with EF-S 18–55mm zoom lens DISTRIBUTOR: Canon U.S.A., www.usa.canon.com