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thw2
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Registered: Dec 26, 2004
Location: N/A
Posts: 2493
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Review Date: Dec 23, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $860.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Compact and lightweight. AF accuracy far superior to that on 350D. Anti-dust feature is marvellous.
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Cons:
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Not so impressive high ISO (800 and 1600) performance. Large RAW files. Grip could have been larger.
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Had the 350D for 1.5 years. Totally delighted by its performance. But AF accuracy was not very encouraging. So when the 400D was announced with the 30D AF unit, I thought I would compare the 400D and 30D side-by-side in a showroom. In the end, I chose the 400D because of its reduced weight.
I have been testing the 400D against my old and trusty 350D side-by-side frequently these days.
- 400D has improved grip; 2.5" LCD is a pleasure to use
- Both 350D & 400D have identical metering behavior with the 400D about 0.1 to 0.2 eV less sensitive
- AF accuracy on 400D EASILY trashes the 350D; improvement is NOT just limited to f/2.8 or faster lenses (verified with my slow 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS lens at 300 mm)
- High ISO performance on 400D is significantly poorer; may be better than competition but still not up to the usual Canon standards
- dislike the increase in file size, particularly for RAW files
Would have preferred the Canon 350D sensor in the 400D body. 
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 Dec 23, 2006
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Methos
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Registered: Mar 23, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Dec 17, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $799.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Light , easy to carry , Sharp Images , Good Color , Great Camera for the price ! Nice Big LCD , 10 MPs for BIG prints
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Cons:
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Small build for big hands (but you get used to it) , Buy the Body only - forget the lens kit , small viewfinder (especially if you wear glasses)
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I used the Canon XT for a year before I "upgraded" to the XTi. I DO NOT regret the move. Sure I could have gone to the 20D or 30D, but I wanted to keep with a camera that was light and speedy, and easy to transport. The XTi fit the bill perfectly. All my lenses and the camera fit into one backpack for hiking with the family.
This camera has all the options needed for a beginner or the advanced amateur, but Pros may be disappointed with the choice of options. ISO noise reduction is great and the built in Sensor Dust removal is a god-send. Speed is top notch (3 captures a second) with a fast CF card and I've had no problems getting plenty of good sport/nature shots. Startup time is amazing as well.
Skip the Lens Kit and buy a 70-200mm F4 L and a 17-40 F4 L and you got the camera outfit to get you threw all the major things necessary for awesome shooting. It also works wonderfully with the much maligned EFS 17-85mm IS, which is a very good walk-about lens.
Whatever camera you see reviewed, there are going to be people who hate this and love that , but love this and hate that. As far as I'm concerned (and I am NO Pro user or photographer!), this camera is the best bang for the buck that can be found from Canon.
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Dec 17, 2006
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yuvakt
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Registered: Jun 19, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 16, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $699.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Compact yet has many great functions, same auto focus as 30d, 5 D
Dust cleaning, lightweight, affordable, build quality is good considering you are not keeping it for thirty years like a Leica. I upgraded it from 10d and am very happy about it. It doesn't have spot metering but it doesn't bother me. I bracket shots and shoot in raw anyway. Noise is very low even in high iso setting. Auto focus is a leap ahead from Canon 10d I still own.
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Cons:
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None for the price and the designation
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Dec 16, 2006
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Peter Wirtoft
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Registered: Sep 7, 2006
Location: Sweden
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Dec 5, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,000.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Lots of features. Big display, easy to use.
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Cons:
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Worse image quality than my 350D
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Yes the 400D has a lot of impressive stuff stucked in it, but what about the image quality?
I have from the day (15 sept) I got my new 400D been worried about the image quality it produces.
So I finally tested it together with my older 350D.
And as I suspected all the time the 350D produces better images with the same settings, same lens, same light settings, same time, and the exakt same spot.
http://www.wirtoft.com/foto/Compare350Dwith400D/index.html
I have now contacted Canon to see if they can help me find out if there is something wrong with my copy of the 400D.
No answer yet.
Anyone else out there having the same feeling about the 400D? (producing noisy pictures?)
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Dec 5, 2006
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AlexanderBrocK
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Registered: Dec 4, 2006
Location: Oman
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 4, 2006
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Cons:
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program modes are terrible and my camera is underexposing
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I have just upgraded from a 300D and bought a new 400D.
This camera is much better in many ways than my 300D but the program modes are terrible.
Many of my taken pictures are underexposed and not really sharp.
I love Canon but his is ridiculous. I rely on Canon to give me a decent working product.
I honestly hope that Canon accepts that there is something wrong and
that it can and will correct this with new firmware.
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Dec 4, 2006
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Indy Iskandar
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Registered: Nov 30, 2006
Location: N/A
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 30, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Size, Light Weight, ISO Quality, Price, Easy Of Use.
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Cons:
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Viewfinder somewhat small.
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Previously owned Canon G5 and jump up to DSLR. I choose Rebel XTi, woowww... what a jump! I love it! Never look back to point and shoot camera again.
I like this camera because of light weight, affordable price and compatible with any Canon lens. 18-55 kits lens is not really bad though, I got alot of good sharp photo with it. Only need small touch up with Photoshop.
The Viewfinder a liitle bit small comparing to 20/30D, but it doesn't really bother me too much. I think it's a matter of time, you'll get use to it sooner or later.
2.5 Lcd is really helpfull with white color make it easy to read but it's is easy to get dirty (oily), my suggestion is buy viewfinder shade from Delkin or Hoodman, it will protect your lcd from dirty and scratches.
I took lots of photo with lower to higher ISO, everything perfect and high ISO is usable. No noise found.
I also just bought Canon 70-200 f/4L USM lens for my XTi, worked perfectly... good match. Pictures, color, contrast always tack sharp. Never doubt the "L" lens, of course I bought this lens after found out alot of good review from this site. Compare to kit lens wih scale 1 to 10, kit lens got 5 and L lens got 10. It's really big different eventhough kit lens is fairly sharp.
So if you still confused which DSLR camera you should buy...
especially if you also first timer like me, don't think too much!!!
Buy this Xti, trust me you'll never regret! Don't worry about the body that some people said too plasticy... cause this is the reason the camera so light, but overall the body and material inside is really strong to hold really heavy lens like Canon 70-200 f/2.8L.
I hope my opinion about this camera really helpfull.
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Nov 30, 2006
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sunkistzzang
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Registered: Sep 12, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Nov 28, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $800.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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10.2mp, easy to use for a first time SLR user, everything was rather straight forward and reminded me a lot of the 6 Canon Powershot series cameras I've owned before moving up into the SLR realm.
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Cons:
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Save yourself the $100 and get the body only, the kit lens is horrible. My hands are average size and it makes my fingers ache quite a bit after a day of shooting.
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As a first time SLR user I opted to go for Canon because all of my previous digital cameras were from the Powershot series. A lot of the XTi's settings/menu were nearly identical to that of the Powershot cameras, so it made it quite easy for me to start shooting immediately after my purchase.
I wish I could give a better comparison review to the other SLR's. All I can say is that for the price you pay you get way more for your money than you'd expect. I'm totally digging everything about this camera. Its been 6-7 weeks since I've owned this camera and I cannot stop taking photos with it. It's so light that I can take it around with me anywhere and just hand hold it all day long.
Almost all the photos I have on my flickr are straight out of the camera! www.flickr.com/photos/jason_kim
There will always be new bodies being released, save your money and buy some nice glass. I'm glad I went with this body instead of the 5D. With my allotted budget I was able to buy a 50mm f/1.4 and the 24-70mm f/2.8L glass. Both of those lens purchases were also attributed to the helpful reviews from the community here at fredmiranda.
Thank you all!
Hope this is a helpful review.
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Nov 28, 2006
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JRaNL
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Registered: Nov 15, 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Nov 28, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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handy, small, light, handsome, inconspicuous camera, logical control buttons, good sensor, RAW, various picture styles, easy to access ISO, WB, metering and AF modes, soft shutter sound, excellent results, price
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Cons:
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viewfinder image may be bigger, no permanent ISO status
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While, to me, the EOS 350D/XT is not so appealing as an up-grade to my 300D and 10D, the launching of this 400D/XTi
is a different story. Again, what a lovely product is this! To give some impression, I have put some images taken with this small marvel here:
http://www.photo.net/photos/jim_rais
Of course you'll hear remarks from people who put their noses high in the air for such a "toy" camera, but in fact this "toy" is made for beginners AND advanced photographers alike who - as pointed by other reviewers correctly - know what to do to get excellent results out of this "toy". Everybody knows the old saying that not the camera but the person behind it rules, but only a few people dare to admit this. I'm glad that the manufacturer has understood this stream of photography philosophy well and put the better ingredients into this little EOS 400D/XTi which make the camera not less or inferior than its (professional) big brothers, imaging-result wise. And that at such a hallelujah price? Thanks, Canon!
Of course the grip is small, but like in the old days of analogue photography when nobody complained about the disasterous ergonomic grips of those bricks, it's more an issue of being used to something new. With a proper handling of camera/lens combination - where the left hand plays a major role to sustain the combo firmly just under the lens - there will be less cramp-in-my-right-hand issue, as now the right hand is the command centre only to control the shutter, the aperture wheel and other right-situated control buttons. What's left of these all? A handy, small, light, handsome, inconspicuous camera with logical control buttons, a good sensor, RAW possibility, various Picture Styles to everyone's taste, easy to access ISO, WB, metering and AF modes without having to dig deep into the menu pages first, intuitive handling and - the most important thing - excellent results.
Provided one knows what to do - or if one doesn't know what to do but isn't a snob who's after "show-off elements", this is the right back-up or main camera for you. For the latter group of users, there's always the hyper automatic green zone built in this camera to learn the photography at one's own pace. This camera is a truly photographic TOOL in the right sense of the word except to hit the nail on the wall with. Highly recommended.
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Nov 28, 2006
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procabbie
Offline
[ X ]
Registered: Dec 1, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Nov 26, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Size, weight, price, functionality/capability, and included SW
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Cons:
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For the price, NONE at all.
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I've been shooting with a 20D for nearly 2 years now. Got the 400D instead of waiting for the 40D. This camera is easy for beginners, but competent for those who know what to do with it. I have tested so far with 17~85 IS, Sigma 12~24, and Tamrons: 90mm 1:1 macro; 28~200 and 200~500. Excellent. Apply your knowledge to shooting and PP, and this cam is simply world class. Keep in mind that at the same focal length, the 1.6x sensor is exposing the very same number of pixels as the 5D. This works in favor of the XTi in telephoto, and gets lost at normal length and below, if there is no cropping from the 5D image.
This cam is a very sophisticated instrument. Treat it as such, and you will find that it will respond to the extent of your capabilities. Don't be thrown by the battery capacity. If your battery is fairly new, it will last all day. Get a spare. It has the very best 10 Mp. sensor on earth. DR is superior to the 20D (!). It is marketed as entry level, but performs at the cutting edge. By all means, put this feather in your cap.
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Nov 26, 2006
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MotoPhoto
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Registered: Nov 8, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 26, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Small & lightweight
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Cons:
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I wish the information in the viewfinder would remain illuminated longer.
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This camera takes a beating from people who say the grip is too small and the build quality is poor. Let's talk about that.
The build quality is excellent and fit of parts and seams is very good it's just that the entire camera is plastic. So big deal? It's not a problem for me but I think it's a problem for many people who like to pose with expensive equipment as if they think anybody cares and for them the Xti does not look expensive enough.
And yes the grip is small but when the camera is properly held this should not be a problem. If you have large hands and you want to sling the Xti around like a P & S you are in for a surprise. I am 185 pound and 5'11' and I have no issues holding the Xti.
The Xti is a great camera and produces wonderful images for the right people.
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Nov 26, 2006
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ward1066
Offline
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Registered: Feb 3, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2563
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Review Date: Nov 21, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Weight, ease of use, image quality, affordability, iso quality
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Cons:
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dust on sensor out of the box,
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I have had the 300D, 20D, 1Dmark2N, 5D, and now this one. I currently have the 1Dmark2N and the XTI as a backup. I love what they have done with the buttons and menu on the back LCD, very easy to read especially if you are over 40 I bought this as a travel camera and mainly use it with the 16-35mm as a walkaround. I also plan to use it for wildlife. Focus speed and accuracy is very good. In poor light I think it does very well. The viewfinder isnt as bad as what I have heard, actually it stays cleaner than the 5D. I plan on using it for a long time. Worth every penny I spent.
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Nov 21, 2006
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mlade10
Offline
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Registered: Oct 7, 2005
Location: Serbia & Montenegro
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 19, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Value for the money is unbeatable.
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Cons:
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None.
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If you are not a professional photographer this camera is, in my humble opinion, just the best option.
Get just the body, and you have a rainbow range of lenses to allow you to make just TOP photos. No reason to go for any of more expensive Canon digital camera models. All is just here.
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Nov 19, 2006
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mathie
Offline
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Registered: Sep 25, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Nov 18, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $800.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Good user-interface, affordable, light-weight, good for beginners, compatible with EF & EF-S lenses
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Cons:
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Battery is relative weak, viewfinder is somewhat small
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This is my first SLR and I love it, so many things to learn. This body is definitely a good starting point for beginners like myself before we upgrade to something higher (like 5D) while still continue to able to use our collection of lenses. Canon definitely has a good marketing strategy to strengthen its penetration for SLR camera line.
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Nov 18, 2006
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hipmatt
Offline
[ X ]
Registered: May 9, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 56
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Review Date: Nov 16, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Improved 2.5" lcd. Now there are more black ones which look better.
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Cons:
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Camera feels so small, many people that try it at my store immediately complain about the size. The step up from 8 to 10 mp in reality does nothing to very little for better image performance.
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For those of you who think this is better than a 20d/30d, you are drinking bad cool aid. Build quality is weak compared to competition. Most people considering this camera should do themselves a favor and skip it for a nice small point and shoot.
When I hand people the camera on P mode, most people turn the dial straight to auto, portrait, or some other scene mode. This defeats the purpose for owning a DSLR. Be prepared to take the time to learn the basics of photography if you want this, otherwise you will be much happier with a small point and shoot that you can throw into your purse.
I actually prefer the rebel XT to this cam, but even better yet would be a used 20d from ebay. You might want to look at the new D40 from Nikon too. The 18-55 lens pretty much sucks. If I was looking into getting into dslr photography, I would either go used 20/30d or Nikon D80 or D40. Get a body only, then get yourself a sharp lense. Your rig will feel better in your hands, take sharper images, and it will be tougher!
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Nov 16, 2006
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John Macri
Offline
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Registered: Oct 6, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 151
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Review Date: Nov 15, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Light weight; Large LCD Screen with helpful information; Aniti-Dust System means no risky do-it-yourself for newbies like myself
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Cons:
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Viewfinder could be brighter but that's getting picky though
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The most consistent negative appears to be the size and build of this camera. Ironically, both are positives for me.
First the size:
I handled a few full size camera's and felt these were too large for me. Yes, I guess I have average or small paws. I suspect most women also have smaller hands compared to the folks not liking the small size. The point is not everyone does have the same size hands and believe it or not, many of us think the XTi feels just fine in our hands.
Second, the build:
Plastic means a lighter camera. Yes, mucho plastic but let's consider who the XTi is marketed for - first time dSLRers and some photographers looking for a back up camera. Sprinkle in some early Rebel upgraders but you get my point. I line up with the first time dSLR crowd. We finally put aside camera's the size of a deck of cards. Okay, even if some of us came closer with a more sophisticated point & shoot model, the camera's weigh much less than the XTi and feel a whole lot cheaper. So yes, compared to a full size dSLR, the 400D is made cheaper but it costs less. A whole lot less. It weighs less. A whole lot less. In the right hands though, some photographers are holding their own with the best of them - which proves talent overrides build and size.
My goal is to move from a point & shoot picture taker to a photographer. When that happens, I hope to someday graduate up in camera class but for the immediate future, the remarkable XTi is more than enough technology for me.
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Nov 15, 2006
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Dkhan
Offline
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Registered: Nov 14, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Nov 14, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $800.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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functionality
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Cons:
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that I can't yet afford the 5D or higher... so I had to settle for this.
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I had a 350D for a while but decided to upgrade to the 400D as soon as it came out. While I wasn’t expecting much difference as there weren’t any reviews out, and I thought the extra resolution would only be a slight plus that Canon leveraged to be competitive, I still figured it would be better than the 350D. I was right.
I have the black body. The body alone is better than the 350D. It doesn’t get that ashy/dusty look as your fingers rub on it. I’m 6’3” with fairly large hands and it’s easy and comfortable for me to hold it for long periods. I’m sure everyone is going to have a different opinion on this. I shot the NYC Marathon for 5 hours w/ no tripod for instance.
This camera is much more user friendly than the 350D. The LCD is easy to read and especially when needing to know current settings at night or in low light. It’s easier to switch and confirm settings with the cross keys and since you don’t need to confirm by pressing set, you gain valuable seconds when switching things like ISO and White Balance. Only thing I am not crazy about is the small viewfinder. Not only is it small, but if you don’t have your eye properly on it, you can barely see the settings, much less through it. Which can take away all those valuable seconds you just gained switching settings if you are in a rush.
Regarding quality, using the same 28-135 IS lens as my 350D did, this camera focuses better. A few extra pixels don’t hurt the quality of the image. I haven’t noticed too much noise in my shots but I haven’t really pushed it with my outdoor night time shooting since summer is over. At first I found myself spending a bit of extra time working with exposure in low light as opposed to the 350D, but not w/ all shots so I’m assuming I just needed some more practice because I’m happy with it now.
With the 350D I had a dust problem most noticeably when I took shots of birds and planes and saw plenty of dust spots in the blue sky. I went out and purchased a blower to get the dust out of my shots. The 28-135 IS was my main lens and reviews here complained that it sucked in dust like a vacuum. Considering I shot the Blue Angels at Jones Beach and went on an African Safari, I can vouch for that.
Well since I purchased the 400D, I’ve changed between my 28-135 and 70-200f 2.8 a lot and have noticed no dust in my shots at all.
Battery life I think is a bit shorter. This because I fired off about 300 no-flash shots and then needed to switch. Whereas with the 350D I could get over 400. This is probably because of the LCD and it didn't really bother me as i have extra batteries.
I love reading reviews, but I think it’s much more useful to have pictures along with that review. So here are some of mine with the 400D.
http://evosphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/2096471
http://evosphotos.smugmug.com/photos/106050585-L-3.jpg
low light ISO 800 – 70-200 @ “320” f2.8
http://evosphotos.smugmug.com/photos/104292326-M-12.jpg
For what I paid i think I got a quality product. If it had been any better, they probably would have named it the 40D or 6D.
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Nov 14, 2006
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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98
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115059
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Sep 5, 2010
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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86% of reviewers
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$763.37
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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8.11
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9.13
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8.8
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