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| Along with a full range of advanced modes, the Digital Rebel provides several PIC modes that make it easy for less-advanced users to shoot nice portraits, landscapes, close-ups, sports action and more. |
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| The Digital Rebel has a very efficient autofocus system. This is an uncropped image shot hand-held with the EF 300mm f/4L IS image-stabilizer lens (equivalent to a 480mm lens on a 35mm Rebel), in Sports mode. |
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| The EF 18–55mm zoom has excellent close-up capabilities. This is the full frame. |
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| The EF 18–55mm zoom has an efficient anti-flare coating. It provides the popularequivalent focal lengths of 28–90mm—quite versatile. |
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| The 35-zone evaluative meter and good dynamic range held detail throughout this contrasty and dimly lit cave shot. |
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A high-performance 6.3-megapixel digital SLR...for $899!
A year ago, the lowest-priced digital SLR you could buy cost over $2000. Now, Canon is selling an excellent one for under $900.
When Canon introduced its first EOS Rebel entry-level 35mm film SLR back in 1990, it represented a tremendous value—excellent performance, good group of features, and rock-bottom price. The newest Rebel—the Digital Rebel—continues this long-established Rebel-family tradition. Sharing many features with Canon's hugely popular EOS 10D pro digital SLR (including a 6.3-effective-megapixel CMOS image sensor, excellent 7-point AF and 35-zone metering systems, and terrific performance), the new camera should be a huge hit.
Focusing
Like the EOS 10D, the Digital Rebel provides all three EOS-camera AF modes: One-Shot, Predictive AI Servo (continuous), and AI Focus, which automatically switches between One-Shot and AI Servo for subjects that start or stop moving. But where the 10D lets you choose the AF mode when you want to, the Digital Rebel doesn't, instead automatically employing the one it deems most appropriate: One-Shot in portrait, close-up, landscape, night portrait and A-DEP modes, AI Servo in sports mode, and AI Focus in full-auto, flash-off and the "serious" modes (shiftable program AE, shutter- and aperture-priority AE and metered manual). Of course, you can also focus manually in any mode, by moving the AF/MF switch on the lens to MF and rotating the lens' focusing ring until the image appears sharp in the finder. The continuous AF mode is quick enough to keep up with the camera's maximum 2.5-fps advance rate.
Seven AF points (indicated by little rectangles in the viewfinder) provide a wide focusing area for quick and easy shooting. The camera will automatically select the appropriate focusing point (the one covering the closest subject), or you can (in the "serious" modes) select any AF point yourself by pressing the AF-point selector button and rotating the main dial until a red dot appears in the desired point's rectangle in the viewfinder. When automatic focusing point selection is combined with AI Servo mode, the camera will automatically switch AF points to keep focus on an autofocused subject that moves off the original point, very handy when tracking a bird in flight.
The AF system functions in light levels down to EV 0.5, and the built-in flash will (when activated in dim light) automatically provide an AF-assist beam effective out to around 13 feet.
Exposure
The Digital Rebel shares the EOS 10D's three metering systems: 35-zone evaluative, 9% partial, and center-weighted average (the latter engaged automatically in manual exposure mode). We gave the EOS 10D five stars for metering performance when we reviewed that camera, and saw no reason to change that for the Digital Rebel: same excellent systems.
The Digital Rebel also provides the same exposure modes as the EOS 10D: shiftable program AE, shutter- and aperture-priority AE and metered manual for serious shooters, A-DEP (in which the camera will automatically set an aperture and focus distance that will keep the nearest and most-distant subjects to full under any of the AF sensors sharp, if possible with the lens and light level), plus six PIC (Programmed Image Control) modes for point-and-shooting portraits, close-ups, landscapes, sports action and night portraits with flash (in which the camera properly exposes both the flash-lit nearby subject and the ambient-lit night background—use a tripod due to the long exposure time) and a flash-off mode for available-light photography. These modes provide users from novice to expert with all the automation or control they need to get great shots.
In the "serious" modes, you can set ISOs from 100 to 1600 by pressing the ISO button and rotating the main dial until the desired setting appears on the external LCD panel. In the PIC modes the camera automatically sets the ISO from 100 to 400.
You can set +/-2 stops of exposure compensation, in 1/3-stop increments, by pressing the exposure-compensation button and rotating the main dial until the desired amount is displayed on the LCD panel (and in the viewfinder). Three-shot automatic exposure bracketing is engaged via the LCD monitor menus. There's also an AE lock button that allows you to recompose a shot without altering the exposure.
Flash
The Digital Rebel shares the EOS 10D's built-in pop-up flash unit, with its ISO 100 guide number of 43 (in feet) and angle of coverage sufficient for use with an 18mm lens (equivalent to a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera). Flash metering is E-TTL (which fires a pre-flash for metering) and linked to the AF points of optimal performance. The flash unit automatically pops up and fires when needed in the PIC modes (except landscape and action), and can be popped-up manually when desired in the other modes.
While it lacks the EOS 10D's PC terminal for studio flash, the Digital Rebel does have a dedicated hot-shoe atop the finder that accepts Canon EX-series Speedlites for additional flash power. Maximum flash-sync shutter speed is 1/200 with built-in and dedicated units. The Digital Rebel does not provide high-speed sync or second-curtain sync, but does provide flash-exposure lock via the flash-exposure lock button.
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