khurram1
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 p.8 #17 · •Hands-On• EOS 400D/XTi Body | |
i'll add in my two cents of my xti experience.
I purchased the xti on my way to Moab to serve as a backup for my 1DIIN for my trip through Moab, monument valley, sedona, page, bryce, tetons and yellowstone. I've got to say it saved me during the end of my trip, coz i managed to smudge the sensor on my 1dIIN while cleaning with the eclipse solution/swabs and ran out of swabs.
My first impressiions of the files are very positive - although i shot predominately at ISO 100, with some at 200 and 400 (still going through the files, so can't post definitive experience yet).
This is my first experience with a rebel body - in the old film cameras i did have expereince with the 10s, A2E, elan 7e/7n consumer level bodies. I have to say that build wise, i am not to impressed - particularly with the lack of sealing for the CF compartment. I realize that this is a consumer entry level DSLR, but do think that a little bit more sealing should have been done for the CF card compartment, as in the slot canyons i managed to get dust in there - despite, never opening the compartment in the field (was using a 4gig card).
I don't really like the control layout at all. It is way to easy to change the AF mode, ISO setting, WB and metering. And i absolutely hate how the Aperture controls when shooting in manual mode (99% of my shooting is done in the manual mode). but i guess being an entry level camera, a lot of users are going to be using the auto modes, which do limit manually setting these controls. I have to admit i do like the large shooting data lcd layout on the back, but have to get used to how it turns off.
The camera body without the grip is VERY small, so i returned the RRS L-Plate i had ordered while i was on my trip to exchange for the L-plate to be used with the batter grip - which was a terrible idea. my battery grip just arrivved today, and i have to say, this is by far the WORST battery grip i have ever had - and i have had a grip extention for every camera i've owned with the exception of the Pentax SF1n and Nikon F801. shooting vertically, it is OK, but it is very awkward to hold. Just a terrible design, which doesn't make a lot of sense, since making grip extensions is not exactly something new for canon. I think if i hadn't sent back my L-plate for exchange to RRS in exchange for the L-plate that is built for the camera/grip combo, i would have returned the battery grip.
One featue that i think there is no excuse for excluding on any camera is spot metering. I had the same gripe for all my consumer level canon film cameras. I may be wrong but i think all of nikons digital cameras have spot metering.
The dust removal function does work - but is not infallible. I didn't use the dust data mapping most of the time, mainly because, i didn't remember to take the test shot, so i'm not sure how well it works. One additinal feature i think canon should have added was a way to remove dust on a series of shots that have the dust in the same place - after the fact. it would have been nice to be able to go into DPP identify dust in one shot, and then copy that mapping to a number of other shots.
I suppose with a bit more experience using the camera, i may actually get in the habit of taking a test shot to map the dust data before a shoot, but it would be nice to be able to use dust data in a shot in dpp and then copy that information to other shots that have dust in the same place.
As the 1DIIn was my first digital camera, i have to say that i found 3fps of the xti and the burst rate too slow for wildlife. I think 3fps woudl have been fine on a film camera, but is to slow for digital. but again, for the price it is adequte.
Overall, it is a good camera for most consumers looking for an entry level body, but if it didn't have the dust removal feature, i would have bought the 30d as a backup. When canon gets around to replacing the 5D and adding the dust removal feature, i doubt i'll be hanging on to the xti. but for now, for the price, it will serve as an adequete backup for most situations.
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Ehhh... not too hard a question to answer that, (particularly if you own and use one) - use the off switch on the IS lens, leave the in body on 