Canon Digital Rebel XT: Hardly an Entry-Level DSLR

Final Words

There is no doubt about it. The Canon EOS 350D is incredibly impressive for an entry-level digital SLR. In virtually all of our tests, it performed on par with its older and more expensive prosumer brother - the Canon EOS 20D. One of the biggest performance upgrades from the original digital rebel is the DIGIC II image processor. The DIGIC II processor provides the 350D with blazing fast processing speed and very low-noise images. In our timing tests, the 350D proved to be just as fast as the 20D, which is leaps and bounds faster than the original DRebel (300D). It has a remarkable startup time of 0.31 sec and, of course, shutter lag is of no concern. Where the 350D truly shines is with regard to cycle/write times. You are almost never left waiting for the camera to process/write images. The 350D has a much larger buffer than the 300D and thanks to the DIGIC II processor, the images are processed and dumped to the CF card at a very high speed.

With regard to image quality, the 350D does not disappoint. With the neutral processing parameter (2) selected, we found images to have excellent detail and overall exposure. The 350D also provides several preset and adjustable parameters allowing users to tweak the in-camera processing levels. Of course, as with all SLR cameras, it is expected that users will spend some time fine-tuning sharpness, contrast, etc. in post-processing. In comparing resolution capabilities, we found the 350D to have an identical resolution performance to the 20D. In addition, both the 350D and 20D show the same low level of noise in our noise analysis. The advantage of the 20D is that it has an option for ISO 3200 where the 350D only goes to ISO 1600.

As you can see, we couldn't find a lot to complain about with the 350D. We did think that the LCD monitor was a bit darker than it was on the 300D. This meant that we had to shield the monitor from the sun when reviewing images outdoors. Also, we are still rather disappointed with the Auto WB system under tungsten light as it produces a fairly strong yellowish cast. Finally, the size of the handgrip was a bit too small for us, which caused an uncomfortable strain in our hand after long periods of shooting. Anyone with larger hands will want to try holding the camera before purchasing it to make sure it feels right. Otherwise, we recommend getting the BG-E3 battery grip to provide more gripping support for ~$150. Along with the smaller body came a smaller battery as well. However, we are happy to see that the battery had no trouble lasting through several thousand frames in our battery test. All in all, the Canon 350D is an amazing deal at ~$890 for the body itself or ~$940 with the kit lens. If this camera looks appealing to you, take our word of caution about the grip seriously. Try to get your hands on one so that you can really get an idea of how it feels. It is exciting to see that the digital SLR market is rapidly expanding with faster and higher-quality cameras, and we are looking forward to what will come next.

Pros	Cons
Instantaneous startup time Lightning fast write speed thanks to DIGIC II Very fast shutter lag Excellent resolution Impressive noise control Roomy buffer (14 JPEG, 5 RAW) Custom functions Smaller and lighter body Incredible battery life	LCD hard to see in bright sun Handgrip uncomfortable for regular/large hands Yellowish cast with Auto WB in tungsten light

Thanks again to Newegg.com for loaning us the Canon Rebel XT for review.