Canon's consumer SLR line has a new flagship: the 15.1-megapixel Canon EOS Rebel T1i. Once again, we see a new SLR from Canon in less than 18 months from the last in a given line. It's actually only eight months since the XS was announced, and about 14 since the XSi; either way you look at it, competition has shortened product cycles in the digital SLR space.
Now at the top of the Rebel line, the Canon T1i takes on the Nikon D90, with its video mode, while the XS and XSi are left to challenge the Nikon D40 and D60. With the Rebel T1i, Canon is answering the pincer move that Nikon's put on it in the past few years, now matching them model-to-model at the low end, because the XS and XSi will remain in the lineup.
While the new HD movie mode is going to be the gee-whiz feature on the Canon Rebel T1i, the important feature for most photographers is the still image quality at 15.1 megapixels. According to our tests on a beta (prototype) Rebel T1i, its only rival even near this price point is the Canon EOS 50D.
Controls and body styling are nearly identical (differences are broken down in the User Report below); the main changes are internal. The Canon T1i's new sensor is ever slightly larger at 22.3 x 14.9mm compared to the 22.2 x 14.8mm measurement of the XSi's sensor, but the bigger change is the new sensor's high ISO capabilities, running from 100 to 3,200, with two expanded settings: 6,400 and 12,800.
Canon's new DIGIC 4 processor handles the larger 4,752 x 3,168 at a slightly reduced speed of 3.4 frames per second (at 1/500 second or greater -- down from the XSi's 3.5 fps), with a maximum JPEG burst of 170 frames or 9 RAW frames. You can also now capture RAW images in all of the Canon T1i's modes, whether Basic or Creative Zone. The Canon T1i's 3-inch LCD is a 640x480 design with 920,000 dots, making for a noticeably sharper onscreen image, great for focusing and confirming sharpness after capture. The Canon T1i is the first Rebel to have such a high-res screen. - 30452
Now at the top of the Rebel line, the Canon T1i takes on the Nikon D90, with its video mode, while the XS and XSi are left to challenge the Nikon D40 and D60. With the Rebel T1i, Canon is answering the pincer move that Nikon's put on it in the past few years, now matching them model-to-model at the low end, because the XS and XSi will remain in the lineup.
While the new HD movie mode is going to be the gee-whiz feature on the Canon Rebel T1i, the important feature for most photographers is the still image quality at 15.1 megapixels. According to our tests on a beta (prototype) Rebel T1i, its only rival even near this price point is the Canon EOS 50D.
Controls and body styling are nearly identical (differences are broken down in the User Report below); the main changes are internal. The Canon T1i's new sensor is ever slightly larger at 22.3 x 14.9mm compared to the 22.2 x 14.8mm measurement of the XSi's sensor, but the bigger change is the new sensor's high ISO capabilities, running from 100 to 3,200, with two expanded settings: 6,400 and 12,800.
Canon's new DIGIC 4 processor handles the larger 4,752 x 3,168 at a slightly reduced speed of 3.4 frames per second (at 1/500 second or greater -- down from the XSi's 3.5 fps), with a maximum JPEG burst of 170 frames or 9 RAW frames. You can also now capture RAW images in all of the Canon T1i's modes, whether Basic or Creative Zone. The Canon T1i's 3-inch LCD is a 640x480 design with 920,000 dots, making for a noticeably sharper onscreen image, great for focusing and confirming sharpness after capture. The Canon T1i is the first Rebel to have such a high-res screen. - 30452
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