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I know that these are no longer on the open market, so my review is simply to explain why I think these are an excellent value on the used market.Bottom line is this - unless you are going to blow up your photos to poster sized, the 8MP XT is a great choice. The upgrades to later versions give you a larger display screen, sure, but the basic functionality doesn't change much for at least two generations. While I'd like to be able to preview the picture in the display (which you can't do on this model), the quality of photos as well as the excellent feature set (all laid out in other reviews) make this an excellent choice.Combined with the incredible array of excellent lenses, the compact size, excellent battery life and great feature set make the Rebel XT a great choice on the used market.
the camera it's very good for the price, the lens it's mediocre but.again, for that price what do you want.I purchased this camera at Target, it was the last one on the shelf. I shipped the camera back to Canon and they wanted to charge me for the repair. THEY WEREN'T. as I purchased the cf card (in another place since they were out) I noticed the infamous "Err CF" message: the pins were bent. Some cameras have it some don't. But not only.I decided (shame on me for not returning it) to ship the camera to Canon, I thought it would be fixed for free and then it would be ok. I got a great price but then I realized why. They said the pins were bent.
I received the camera back and for a while it's been working fine. Then it started giving that message again, every now and then, to the point that it was hard to take pictures. There is a problem with the firmware/hardware in the card reading/writing process. I wouldn't reccomend this camera.
I owned the 6.0 MP Canon EOS Rebel (300D), which was Canon's first digital SLR, for several years until an internal mirror latch broke and for just a little more than it would have cost to fix, I purchased (refurbished) the next model up - which is the 350D or EOS Rebel XT. The image sensor (8MP) is comparable to the 20D's which is 8.2 MP.The continues shooting speed is also a bit better at 3.0 fps.The control layout was redesigned with a new drive mode button, new metering mode and AF buttons. The XT has been fantastic and a substantial upgrade. It's lighter (which really does matter when you have a heavy lens on) and faster in many respects than the 300D because of the DIGIC II image processor. I'm still getting used to that but it should not take long. Overall, I can recognize and feel the model upgrade and I'm once again enjoying taking Canon high quality images with this camera.
Not too much shy of what a person might buy a used or rebuilt camera for on here. Up to this point in my ownership of the camera---two years---I have been quite happy with this camera as a camera to get into photography with. However, I was recently performing some lens sharpness testing, and in the middle of it, my mirror lock-up feature stopped working: it would not record an image at all while that custom function was enabled. Instead, I got an email notification of the repairs estimate, and it was $210. I would have to say that I think Canon's repair charges are a bit steep though given the total worth of such a camera. I called Canon's technical support number, and the guy on their end was very friendly and we tried resetting the camera to its default settings and custom functions.
I think that would be well worth it, since you know you will pay significantly more than that in repair costs if and when your camera goes south. I have pulled quite a few shots I have been extremely impressed with. For $50, a person can get an extended warranty from Canon for an additional 4 years. When this failed to work, he gave me the address to return it for repairs, not really mentioning that because I was out of warranty that this wouldn't be a cheap expenditure. I'm sure he couldn't really speculate as to how much since he didn't know the problem, but a heads up of the possibility would have been nice. Something to think seriously about, because it is an electronic item, and the standard warranty of a year doesn't get you very far.
I can't say that I'll take my shopping to another brand's camera lineup though, because I do like Canon's products, but I was just disappointed this time that they couldn't get that function back up and running for considerably less.
If you're reading a review for a Rebel, I'm going to assume you're deciding on your first DSLR camera. I wish the display showed the ISO, as I'm notorious for not checking the ISO and shooting in broad daylight at 800 or 1600 ISO. The Canon neck strap sucks, so shop around for a better one at your local camera shop.Keep in mind, you'll also need to purchase a CF Card (I'd suggest 4 gigs or higher) a tripod, a camera bag and a better neck strap. This model also lacks the self-cleaning system, which may or may not be helpful in getting dust out of your camera. The same lens will work fine with Rebels and higher-end SLRs, but it'll never fit a Nikon D-anything.The kit lens is okay, and if you're new to Digital SLR's the kit lens makes a great first lens. The camera body is the cheapest part of the camera you're likely to purchase, and it's really the easiest to make a decision on: go to a store, pick up a Rebel, pick up a D80 (the Nikon more or less equivalent) and decide which feels RIGHT.
Come back to Amazon and buy that camera. Keep in mind that you'll probably be a life-long Canon or Nikon SLR owner at that point, as the lenses you'll later buy for your camera are brand-specific. The Canon Rebel XT is a great entry level camera for the new Digital SLR photographer. I'm looking forward to upgrading to a newer, fancier Rebel next year, but only because I like giving my money to Amazon. Battery life is really great, and I hardly ever need to swap batteries when out. Newer models display the ISO on the back of the camera. There's no reason I need to upgrade, and there's no reason not to buy a Rebel XT.
It'll be a good lens for your first year, and you'll learn a lot with it.I love the XT's size and feel, the buttons and knobs are in good places, and the camera looks impressive and feels well built. Let me save you some trouble and stress by saying ALL the entry-level DSLRs, from Canon and Nikon, are fine choices and you really can't go wrong. Also consider a remote and the $90 Canon 50mm 1.8/f lens for low depth of field and low light shooting. There is a lot of noticeable distortion at the 18-20mm zoom range, and it feels like the cheapest part of the camera, but if you're buying your first Digital SLR it's no fun to have the UPS guy hand you a brand new camera that can't take pictures. It's an older model camera but it's priced very well, especially for new photographers. Finally, you might want Understanding Exposure, a great book on explaining how light works with ISO, shutter speed and aperture.If I had to do it all over again I'd happily buy a Rebel XT. I couldn't be happier.
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