Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Body Only)

I've had this camera for about a week and I have to say I'm more than a little impressed. I bought just the body as I have several Canon lenses already. I find the camera easy to use and not uncomfortable for my type of shooting. Some have said they find the grip just a little small. I find it to be quite comfortable so far. (I played football and boxed, so my hands are somewhat stiff and a little torn up.) I like the Main Control Wheel on this camera much better than the SX10/20 series. I have an older A2E and the wheel is similar. I was very frustrated by the SX10's wheel. I've used a 35-70mm Canon lens and the 100-300mm telephoto with exceptional results. (I tried contacting Canon about 2 weeks ago about using the older EF lenses with this camera. No answer from them to-date. And yes they work perfectly.) Some people call this an introductory camera. I don't think that classification does it justice. I started many years ago with a little 35mm Pentax, moved up to a Mamiya RB67 2¼ format, then a Hasselblad. I've won some awards and shot many a cover in my day. I left photography behind for many years, job, family, etc. One of the truths I've personally learned is that almost any camera can go beyond the "beginner" title if the person behind the viewfinder is willing to put in the time. I am NOT saying that I don't appreciate the more sophisticated elements that higher price cameras afford, just that to make really good photos doesn't always take real fancy equipment. I love really good equipment, I just think that people shouldn't think the camera is the ONLY variable. Clyde Butcher roams the Everglades with his large format cameras and stick to poke alligators on the nose so he can get his shots. Ansel Adams did not know anything about digital cameras and some would say he was a fairly good photographer and he even gave us the Zone system. And Stephen Frink shot some really incredible underwater stuff with a Nikonos underwater camera, which has never been known for its exotic capabilities other than being able to go deep underwater. Point being, these guys learned about photography, lighting and composition. Do those things first. Remember, a camera is light gathering device. If you can see it through the viewfinder, then you can find a way to record it. And this camera makes it so easy. I find that the automatic mode is fine for a lot of quick shooting. But if you shoot in bright sunlight, I find that with Canon lenses, it's best to set the exposure control down by 1/3rd of a stop. But this mostly a personal choice. The camera itself is absolutely wonderful. Balanced, easy to use and fast. Read the manual. I'm not kidding. Read it with the camera in front of you. Then study and shoot. Another good piece of advice I received when I was starting out was find a picture you like and try to shoot the same shot. Things look different through a viewfinder. Once you can duplicate with some degree of accuracy shots you like, you'll find your own work getting better. Sorry if you were expecting a more traditional review, but I thought something should be said about the photographer using it. As for video, I don't use it unless some guy is yelling "Don't tase me bro!" If you want video, get a video camera. Update: Had the camera now for over a month and I'm really very happy with it. It shoots well and fast. If you buy this or the T2, spend some time using the different metering modes so you can see which is best for each situation. Learn about lighting. It's crucial to getting good shots. If you want to see some remarkable examples of lighting technique, look at the Dutch painter, Vermeer. Look here: but ignore some of the junk people have added: [...] Once you get a feel for this camera, changing metering modes and settings is really very easy. And get the best lens you can afford. Don't gow with third party lenses if you can afford Canon lenses. After awhile, you'll really be able to tell the difference.

I'm just an average guy who's trying to break into the professional world of photography... I've been eyeing the Canon 50D and was so close to buying one when I heard of the T1i. So I compared notes and found the T1i was nearly identical to the Canon 50D minus a few things I couldn't really notice (or care about) since I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about photography. After reading what few reviews there were on the internet because this item was new, I decided to take the plunge and buy this camera and lucky me, I ordered it the day it was released to the world so it came quickly! The results? I LOVE IT! But before I say more... Now, if you're a big guy like me who has BIG HANDS, YOU WILL WANT THE BATTERY GRIP that is extra. TRUST ME... It's a no-brainer... get it because it will make the camera feel so much better and make it look even more professional! That, and the battery grip comes with 2 extra 1800mA batteries which will give you a total of 3 batteries all together. I've been playing with it for several days and still haven't made a dent in draining these batteries! How's it operate? GREAT! Let me go into more detail... It's got several settings that I will sum up for you in Regular English, not Geek speak because I wish more people would speak this way instead of beating around the bush... It's got old fashioned digital camera settings (you know the little icons of the flower or mountain, sports guy, etc) so if you know how to use these settings, you'll be able to use this quickly and comfortably. It's got a full auto mode (which I like to call "No Brainer Mode") because this feature is a no-brainer! You just shoot and let it think for you! It will do EVERYTHING for you and do an incredible job! (NICE :-D) And it's got the Advanced Modes so if you are a pro or want the controls of a professional camera (you know, to change the ISO settings or F-stops, etc) You can do that too! They really put a lot of thinking into this camera and its nice, inside and out. One of the things I've discovered that's extra credit is the software that comes with it called Digital Photo Professional. If you've read some of these reviews that talks about a picture maybe soft somewhere or the ISO noise (for whatever reason)... Digital Photo Professional has some sweet settings that will get rid of that for you and enhance your pictures to STUNNING! There's so much potential in this camera and remember, it's made by the same folks who made the 50D and all the other versions! So what if its got minor tweaks that others don't... the bottom line is that this is an incredible camera! I'm not crazy about the "Rebel" name in it because it makes it sound Amateurish... This should be called The Canon EOS AWESOME T1i because it looks, feels and is just that! Even better is the High Definition Video you can record if you want to. Sure its not equal to a dedicated HD camcorder but its nice to have if you want to record something important and look sharp too! Personally, I can't tell the difference between the 1080p and 720p so don't let these little nit-pickers bother you. Go with your gut and DO GET A GOOD LENS to compliment the one it comes with. Your next best bet is to get a 28mm to 200mm LENS so you can do those zoom and up close shots. With so many lenses, it will just open up all kinds of creative things you can do. I hope my review answered your questions! I'm glad I bought it and look forward to all the possibilities! So if you're looking to be a professional, this is a great start! If you're looking to have a nice camera that you want to enjoy as a hobby, this is also for you! As I said in the title... the best of both worlds! :-) UPDATE: While I've had it for about a month now, I'm very impressed with its performance and battery life! And to the person who commented, I'm a happy customer who's good at wording. I don't work for anyone but myself. Check my website in my profile if you want proof. I just call it as it is. :-)

I have had a Canon T1i since Christmas, when my husband gave it to me as a gift with the explanation, "This has to be both of ours because it is so expensive." Well, I can't really picture swapping the same camera back and forth during photo opportunities - it is SO HARD to get them just right to begin with, let alone having someone standing at your shoulder saying, "Give it to me! Give it to me!" SO... ... we just ordered a SECOND T1i (a motivated woman can find money, TRUST me!) for him, with overnight shipping, in hopes that we'll have it by his next day off (Saturday). For Christmas I had asked for a DSLR camera for Christmas. My father taught me how to shoot a 35mm and do macro photography when I was in high school, and bought me my own SLR camera as a young adult. When I couldn't afford my own darkroom, etc., over time I finally went to digital point-and-shoots because they were affordable - no film, no developing. However, when I went to do macro with a point-and-shoot, frequently it would aim behind, or before, and I would have to go out to normal, switch back to macro, try again... taking macro shots of small flowers, etc., was aggravating and ruined my fun. After two different summer vacations with float trips and a total lack of good macro photography, I sadly admitted to my new husband that all I REALLY wanted for Christmas was a DSLR camera. Since we're older and have to be more careful (we only do purchases like this cash) with finances, I actually shopped cheap, even finding a close-out several years old never sold by Wal-mart Olympus and began researching it to see if I could work with it. Hubby encouraged me to learn a little more about DSLR's with internet research and I read him some highlights and once again suggested that he divide up whatever was budgeted for ME for Christmas amongst our grown children or the grandkids. Hubby, unfortunately, is a bit of a Luddite. He never figured out his Blackberry before it DIED and then went back to a Nokia brick phone. This makes me a LITTLE worried about him having his own T1i, because it might NEVER get out of automatic mode, but at least he'll be happy and leave me alone with mine. This, however, contributed to his choice of camera. He went to Wal-mart and bought the most expensive DSLR they had in stock (LITERALLY). He couldn't have made a better choice (sorry for the long intro - wanted you to know where my point of view comes from). Opened it up Christmas morning and did NOT have time to read the manual before Christmas day went crazy (I knew he got it - he handed it to me, with receipt, for me to wrap it - men are romantic that way - at least it gave me a chance to take the battery out to have it ready for the morning!) so I just put it on all automatic, in hopes that the pictures would turn out well. It was a great day! Got wonderful candids of my grandson and his parents (they dote on him and he believes he is the center of the world), and it only took explaining where "the button" was to my hubby's father and step-mother (both in their 80s) for them to be able to use the camera easily. No - the pictures didn't always have only natural light, but the TTL control in the flash also helps reduce the "this is a flash picture" look unless things are really dark. On automatic, it worked really well. Then I went home and read most of the manual and switched to the programmed modes. They work pretty well, too, and once again, don't require a whole lot of attention. The most likely settings are chosen for you, and you then pretty much just point and shoot. A caveat - I don't like how high this thing prefers to default the ISO if given a choice. I'm going to switch to tripod a lot more and choose my own ISO - just like in the old film, you add a lot of light sensitivity and the noise (graininess) gets worse. Your best pictures are in your lower number ISOs, and if possible, never above 400 (though 800 actually isn't bad). The kit lens, I think, might be painted as more of a villain than necessary. The various "photo style" modes change sharpness, etc., and those possibilities need to be addressed too before you announce the lens itself is too soft. I've noticed that I can sharpen images afterwards in processing and haven't gotten to the point I'm messing TOO much with the image quality in photo style yet - it's on the list for the next few days. As someone who has been away from SLR cameras and film development for more than a decade(only had a brief window of developing in my life, but loved it tremendously), I have been surprised at how much things have been coming back in the past month. The interrelation between aperture, shutter speed and ISO came back pretty quickly, and aperture and depth of field control was almost immediate. I believe, though, that the simplicity of the controls AND the way that you can slowly "take over" more of the control as your comfort level improves, is AWESOME. It allows a user to start at the most basic level of photography - get what you want a picture of in the viewfinder and press the button - and move up from there, all the while actually preparing them to realize there are differences required to MAKE better pictures with various subjects. At this point I've started taking RAW plus JPG (and there is an immediate clarity difference between RAW and JPG before you change anything in the RAW files - wow) and am starting to work with the bundled software to try to figure out digital processing. I found a video tutorial for the software on the internet as well as the manual which came WITH the camera in its box. If you're someone who has NEVER had an SLR camera and/or have gotten "spoiled" by some of the higher-end digital point and shoots, I want to give you advance warning. The kit lens will NOT zoom far enough for you to be happy with it, especially if you like taking pictures of wildlife or sports, etc. For hubby I already purchased a Sigma 50-200mm zoom with optical stabilization (similar to Canon's IS) for less than $150. When he gets his camera it will be his. I'm going to try the Canon 55-250mm and see if there is an appreciable difference (besides the range) in color saturation and clarity. For the price, the Sigma was about the cheapest zoom lens I could find with optical stabilization (hubby and I both have shaky hands - one of those lovely things about aging). Hubby, after taking two pictures with my T1i with its kit lens refused to let me buy him ANY DSLR unless I already had a zoom lens to go with it. It is THAT frustrating if you're someone used to being able to zoom whenever you want to. I would recommend one of those two lenses or possibly looking for a "walk around" lens like one with a 28-200 or 28-300 range. Remember, though, that zoom lenses have some trade off on optical quality, but if you're used to a digital point and shoot, you won't be disappointed by the quality, especially if you pay attention to the settings you are using. I love this camera. Loyalty and love to my father makes me refuse to call this my favorite camera or Christmas gift ever (since both were Christmas presents and nice cameras), but if it weren't for that, I probably would call this my favorite. It has reawakened or maybe better allowed my passion for photography and to share the art in every day. To use this camera to its full capacity (not including lenses, filters and those choices, just to learn features and software) is going to take me at least another month or two. Remember when you choose a camera (as a lot of the more informed people in here will tell you), you are buying into a "system." If you have an existing one, it's easier to continue in that product line. It will be exciting for us to have two alike because we can swap some things we won't use quite as often and/or get extras that can be shared (extra battery packs and the two-pack-at-a-time AC/DC charger, for one; and lenses that are more specialized). Canon says that their newer Rebels (including T1i) have an estimated 100,000 shutter release life before the assembly fails and needs replaced. To me that means this camera will last me two years, three on the outside (but unlikely), which is plenty of time to continue to acquire lenses, etc., and improve on what I have AND let the nicer technology get into my price range so I can afford to upgrade to something that is even better than this (who knows WHAT DSLRs will be like three years from now!). This is NOT a "professional" level DSLR, but what I've done with changing the various settings on the camera plus options available in the software allows me to create MUCH nicer images than I would with any point-and-shoot, and the ability to switch to lenses which work better for certain subjects as well as having absolute control over how my image is created is absolutely great. It is a camera that allows you to move on, a little bit at a time, as you grow to understand both photography and how its functions work. I CONSIDERED offering to get a Rebel XS to save money and give him my T1i. The biggest differences were the amount of megapixels (but 10.1 megapixels can blow up to a very LARGE image), speed of the processor (Digic III vs Digic IV), size of screen... I looked at a lot of these things and figured they didn't really matter. I also believed that the thing that would frustrate hubby MOST from the XS was the fact the screen doesn't have the nice "auto shut-off" feature where it turns the screen off as you bring the camera up to your face, which keeps you from having the glare from the screen distracting you as you look through the viewfinder. From what I read and what I know about photography, I believed I could get fairly equal images from either camera, but the T1i had a few easier features and I worried that I loved it too much to actually enjoy the XS after a month with the T1i. I ended up not pushing him into the XS because I realized that the fact there were VISIBLE differences it would seem to him that I "sold him down" and kept "nicer" for me. That and I think that one little thing - the screen shutoff, would REALLY matter to him (and the MP count, though it is really irrelevant at those levels for the kind of photography he does). If you're interested in a good camera that has a well-respected company behind it and a large array of 3rd party accessories to keep costs competitive, I would really recommend this one. I have been surprised at how fast I've remembered what I needed, and how the controls have felt increasingly intuitive the longer I've used them. Also - though there is an admittedly small shutter lag (more than 3fps in burst mode, by the way), it feels like an "old-fashioned" camera when you take pictures with it compared to the digital point-and-shoots. You point at what you want a shot of and if you've got auto-focus on and everything was already set for where you were aiming (I do a lot of bird pictures), you usually can get your shot when you expect to. I can't speak to seeking for autofocus, because that will be lens dependent and wouldn't be a fault of the camera itself. If it were ME I wouldn't upgrade from an XS or XSi to a T1i; there aren't enough major changes yet. Earlier models though, or migrating from point and shoot cameras - those situations make the T1i a very good value.

My Requirements for a DSLR were as below: 1. High Resolution LCD Screen. 2. Great/Easy to use - User Interface. 3. HD Video - 720 (30FPS) - (1080 was optional for me). 4. Live View. 5. Amazing Image Quality. 6. Comprehensive Software Package. 7. Large Variety of Lens options. 8. Performance. 9. Obviously, Cost (<1000$). In the curent market, i narrowed down to 2 cameras - Canon EOS 500D/T1i or Nikon D5000 (Since i trust both brands for amazing image quality). Canon EOS 500D Scored over Nikon in below areas: 1. LCD Screen 3inch 920,000 dot compared to Nikon's 2.7inch 230,000. For me high resolution screen is very important to enjoy the pics in the camera itself and obviously for better judgement of the focus. I bet, you will fall in love with T1i, immidietly after seeing pics in its brilliant LCD screen. 2. I verified both Ti1 and D5000 user interface and i felt T1i's user interface/menus were well organised keeping in mind of the entry level DSLR users. Again i love this on T1i. 3. I have seen many people complaining about T1i's 1080 (20 FPS) HD video. But Nikon doesn't even have this feature. And T1i has HD video 720 at 30 FPS which is a treat to eyes when you see it on HDTV. But Nikon provides 720 at just 24 FPS. 4. Both has Live View - Here T1i has the advantage of better resolution screen and D5000 has Lower resolution vari angle screen. My preferenece was high resolution screen. 5. Image Quality, I am very very happy about the Super sharp images of Canon T1i. My interest is mainly Macro and Landscape. And T1i gives me Amazing Quality images (I don't believe much in camera reviews) combined with Canon's brilliant lenses. 6. Canon's provides the best - with camera software package. Digital Photo Professional, EOS Utility, Photostitch and many more are very simple to use and powerful tools and provides necessary inventory for more than basic image editing (Don't compare this with specialized photo editing tools like Adobe Photoshop). 7. Again Canon has the most comprehensive Lens set to choose compared to Nikon (Again don't bring in the theory of 3rd party lenses). I own the kit lens, Canon 100mm Macro, Canon 10mm super wide angle. And these leses combined with T1i produce breathtaking images. 8. When it comes to performance, T1i has got very great start up time, fast focus and good continious burst (9RAW/170 JPEGS at 3.4 FPS) which satisfies my needs. Nikon D5000 can shoot at 4FPS. 9. Cost wise, T1i is cheaper than Nikon D90 and Canon 50D. I have read many reviews comparing T1i and D5000, saying Nikon has better Low light performance. It may be true, but T1i produces brilliant pics till ISO3200 (Nikon may produce little better than this at same ISO range), but I use my camera very less for low light photograpy and Canon T1i's JPEG quality in normal light is a very sharp, captures more detail due to its 15MP resolution and it is better than that of Nikon D5000. Handling wise i never felt T1i as bad. It has a great grip and due to its less weight, it is very portable compared to Nikon D5000. Final word: For my use/requirements Canon T1i fits perfectly and it produces Amazing Super sharp images with market leading feature set for an Entry level DSLR. T1i has many improvements compared to that of 450D XSi keeping the similar (Better JPEG quality - compared to both 450D XSi and 50D) image quality and it is way ahead of Nikon D5000. Hats off to Canon for giving a Brilliant Entry Level DSLR again.

You will take great pictures with this camera. You will take pictures that will amaze you. I have owned and used Canon: Rebel XT, Powershot AS570 IS, EOS Elan 35mm, mechanical FTb 35mm. I have enjoyed using the Canon T1i for almost a year now and have taken some really beautiful photographs with the 15.1 MP APS-C sensor (1.6x compared to 35mm Full Frame Sensor). Good controls when using as a digital camera, you can make it very simple or complex as per your skills. Lots of helpful features and settings that will make your life easier and your pictures even better. Multi button pushing for movie/video mode is not so easy, but works ok with some practice. Overall very good camera. Easy to use and I can say I learned a lot of new things about digital photography by using this camera. T1i has made me a better photographer because I wanted to learn how to use all of the camera's features and technology to my advantage. I use the camera 95% of the time for digital photography. So most of my 5 Star review is based on that. But there is a video mode. Video good at 720p and 30fps for most subjects. 1080 and 20 fps has nice quality but not good for anything that is in motion as picture skips due to frame rate. But I must say it is really nice to have the video function on a digital camera, so much nicer to carry one camera instead of two (a video camera and a digital slr). Digital photo quality is good with kit lens (18-55mm), but much better colors and sharper image with a good lens. Same with built in flash, it works fine and photos look good, but pictures look so much better with a flash unit attached. Remember to make good use of 15.1 MP sensor (this is same sensor as in 50D), so use good equipment with this body. You will be happy with the results. One of the nicest 3 inch LCD screens for live view and photo review. Body build quality is good, just as long as you aren't too rough on your equipment (marks or scratches show when bumped against other photo equipment). Buy this camera if it is in your budget. If you can spend more consider T2i with the updates to camera controls and video controls. Have fun and take a lot of pictures. You will be very happy with this camera.

This is my first SLR camera and after a lot of research, reading all kind of reviews, including Dpreview and comparing many pictures on flickr, I was still having a hard time deciding between Nikon's similar model D5000 and this one from Canon. I went to best buy to feel both of them in my hands and take a close look at all the buttons. anybody who is going through this dilemma should try to hold the cameras for a few minutes. Anyways... What made up my mind? - According to dozens of Flickr photos both had pretty much the same quality. - Nikon lenses are really expansive and even if you're not planing on getting other lenses than the one that comes in this kit, well.. better safe than sorry you never know, maybe you will find yourself as a great photographer and might want to explore your talent at some point - I was used to canon buttons, which it made a whole lot easier to handle this camera, I was a little lost with the Nikon buttons, I know it wouldn't take long to get use to them , but still it made me a little nervous Why am I happy with this camera? - great low light conditions shots - fast (Please, get a CLASS 10 card for better performance) - I can get different lens for way cheaper than Nikon lenses, so glad i don't have a Nikon - no flash photos are perfect - nice 3" LCD with great quality - LiveView helps me when I need people to take my pictures and they don't know how to use dSLR cameras. - Video is better than I imagine and with the different lenses you can get you make nice shots, though I would recommend a tripod for better image stabilization, specially with zoom lenses. - Battery life is fan-tas-tic! I got a second battery along with the camera, which it was great, but I never had to switch batteries on a same day or trip. Considering that I went to London in the winter (the battery life is always shorter in the cold) and the battery lasts almost my whole trip. I took a whole bunch of pictures because I was just testing my new camera. Tips: - Get a second battery just in case, though its battery doesn't take that long to charge and lasts a long time - get UV filter to protect your lens, even the cheap ones, at least you know that your lens is safe. - take off the filter for night shots with a lot of lights ot they will ruin your pictures. - if you are still not sure if you want get this camera go to flickr and examine some samples ;) - Get its manual for Dummies, it helps a lot - Buy it from Amazon, they were great. I bought it for my trip and I only had a week before my departure, so i call Amazon costumer service and they said I would have to cancel my order to have the shipping speed changed, but since I bought it with an international credit card I would lose money on the transaction, so they had it shipping 2-day shipping for free, just for understanding my needs. I love Amazon Costumer Service. If there is any problem with your camera you are safe with Amazon. This is a small camera comparing to other SLR but if you are new in the SLR camera world you really don't need to go with the big fancy cameras, this camera has plenty of possibilities to explore different set ups, but it's still easy to use. I hope this was somehow helpful.

I had been planning to upgrade my Olympus SP-510 to a newer point-and-shoot, but when prodded by my wife to get a "really good" camera I upgraded to the T1i instead. It was, of course, a considerable increase in price ($350 to $700, body only), but seems well worth the cost. Along with the camera I also bought the Canon 18-200mm lens because I did not want to be constantly changing lenses. My overall impression in the last 6 weeks has been very positive. The photos are full of deep, rich colors, the images are clear and do not seem to have much distortion. I find I can take pictures at ISO 800 without any really noticeable noise and, when needed, even at 1600. The camera has a rich feature set and, in general, I have not been disappointed by much. On the positive side I found the following: 1) The camera fits in my hands well and the buttons are all easy to reach and use when taking pictures, 2) The auto-focus using the viewfinder works well (OK, this is a function of the lens, not the camera, but when taking pictures I tend to group both together), 3) As I stated above I find the pictures up through ISO 800 to be clear and 1600 more than just usable, 4) There seems to be much less shutter lag with this camera compared to my previous point-and-shoot, 5) Write time to the memory is much shorter than with my Olympus, 6) I love the ability to bracket my exposures so I can be reasonably sure I will actually get a decent picture, 7) I have had a chance to use the continuous picture setting and it works very well, 8) The HD movie mode (1280 x 720) takes excellent movies. This was important to me and was the reason I bought the T1i instead of the Olympus E-620, 9) I like the ability to create and use my own set of menu items for most of the functionality I usually need, 10) The battery life for the included battery is very good. I can usually take 600+ pictures without having to change the battery. There are, however, some things about this camera that I find disappointing: 1) When taking panoramas using the optical viewfinder Canon provides a way to lock the exposure setting so subsequent pictures will be taken using the same setting. The manual tells you to push the * button and use it for subsequent pictures. This works well, but since the * button is co-opted as auto-focus when using Live View, there does not seem to be any way to lock the exposure when using Live View. Canon's suggestion is to use the fully manual mode and set the shutter speed and exposure that way. However since there is a way to lock the exposure when using the viewfinder it seems reasonable to expect there to be a way to do the same when using Live View. And there is not, 2) The camera seems small to host the 18-200mm lens. The lens is so heavy that the camera ends up facing toward the ground all of the time when carrying it around. The lens has a lock on it to prevent it from "creeping" out to its full length and I use that all the time, but the weight of the lens for the camera seems high. Again, I know this is a lens issue, but it seems hard to separate from the camera, 3) Auto-focus seems to not work as well when using Live View as when using the optical viewfinder. In low light situations when I have no trouble getting a focus lock with the optical viewfinder I often cannot get a lock when using Live View, 4) As much as I like the videos that this camera produces, it uses the LCD screen when taking videos and I often find that the LCD to be almost useless in daylight because the LCD is so washed out by sunlight. Thus unless I am in some shade I cannot see the scene I am supposed to be taking making a movie of. And I have to trust that it will come out OK, 5) The 15 MP picture size on disk is typically greater than 5 MB by default. This seemed a little large and I wanted to set the size slightly smaller. However the next smaller picture size is 8 MP. 8 MP seems small and 15 MP seemed large. I was hoping for something in between (perhaps 10 or 12 MP), but there is no intermediate size. I currently have the picture size set for 8 MP but I would like something a little larger than half the full size. While these items are somewhat of a disappointment for me I have to say that overall this is a great camera. It takes great pictures that are sharp and full of color, it handles well, focuses quickly and takes and writes pictures very quickly. I am glad to have bought it and recommend it to anyone who, like me, is moving up to their first DSLR. And, as large and heavy as it is, I also recommend the 18-200mm lens. Its size is more than made up for by the convenience of not having to change lenses all the time. I would have liked to give this camera about 4 1/2 stars, but since I cannot give partial stars I am giving it 4 stars because of the items I listed above. But I find I really like this camera and think others like me would also.

I bought this camera as a replacement for my old XTi. I am no professional but I shoot a lot, especially family, sports and children events. I usually do not rework the pictures much beyond sorting out the bad ones and some reframing and exposure correction, simply due to a lack of time. The XTi essentially satisfied my needs though access to some advanced features was not practical or just not available. I had a happy 40,000 pictures from it and it is still fully functional, to the point I am passing it on to my father whose one was stolen from him. The picture quality of the XTi was enough for my needs. I also wanted to do stop motion which is not easy with the XTi for lack of a video feed. So I bought a new T1i two months ago. After some playing around and testing as well as about 1000 pictures in real conditions, here are my thoughts: * Access to the so called "advanced" features is much more intuitive than with the XTi, allowing for very easy usage of for instajnce first or second curtain sync on the flash, or complex exposure modes. I thought these were difficult to use with the XTi to the point I did not. * Exposition metering is really excellent, thanks in good part to the capability to shoot with auto ISO and a very low noise in very high ISO (3200). * The 15+ Mp sensor gives very nice picture details as long as you shoot with a boosted sharpness for the picture mode - this to correct IMHO overly soft pictures in the default settings. The results are visibly improved using my L 70/200 IS USM f4.0 which I must admit was a little overkill for the XTi. * Capability to have a video feed and to take good 780p movies (@1080p the motion does tend to be jerky). Although this is a nice side capability that can come in handy in some cases, I would not buy this camera just for the capability especially considering the price of HD camcorders these days. For me it mostly means that I can use the camera for the video feed and shoot full resolution stop motion movies. * The LCD is gorgeous - not a necessity buit a pretty nice icing on the cake. A quick note on full resolution stop motion movies: It is worth trying with just the 1080p resolution if you want to play them on a decently powered compute for full frame movies @24fps will not play well. In practice I just capture the video feed and avoid using the shutter to spare the camera, but it is nice to know you can if you want to. I am overall extremely satisfied with this camera as a main camera for what I do most; I tend to shoot a lot of pictures in kids parties and my rejection ratio has dropped significantly compared with my previous camera, using the same lens and external flash. On my particular concern with stop motion, the T1i appears not necessarily best suited for the level of quality I am aiming for: it delivers way more that what is necessary for a hobbyist and would be best suited for professional work. It delivers, mind you, but it is clearly overkill.