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Canon EOS Rebel XS  (Source: PC Magazine)
Rebel XS will replace the Rebel XT/XTi

Canon announced this week that it would be adding a new D-SLR camera to its line in the U.S. and other countries. The new camera will be the Canon EOS Rebel XS. The Rebel XS will replace both the Rebel XT and XTi.

The Rebel XS gets a 2.5-inch LCD, 10-megapixel sensor and Live View feature. Live View allows you to frame a shot with the LCD and see the image live just like you would through the view finder.

The XS has a 7-point autofocus system and can shoot bursts at 3 fps until your memory card fills up. The camera saves images to SD/SDHC cards rather than the much more expensive CompactFlash cards of higher-end D-SLR cameras.

The kit lens included with the Rebel XS is an image stabilized EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Bundling a lens with image stabilization will help first time users of DSLR cameras get better shots. The Rebel XS will sit in the Canon line directly below the Rebel XSi.

Other features of the Rebel XS include integrated sensor cleaning system, shutter speed of 30 seconds to 1/4000 of a second and 12-bit analog to digital conversion. The battery used by the Rebel XS is a LP-E5 with 1080 mAH and the XS is compatible with a wired remote.

Pricing for the new Rebel XS is not yet announced, but its big brother the Rebel XSi retails in the $799 to $899 range. That would likely put the Rebel XS at about $200 less than the XSi. The EOS Rebel XTi the Rebel XS is replacing was first introduced way back in 2006.

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Quick question
By the goat on 6/10/2008 3:01:04 PM , Rating: 2
Does using the live view LCD change the autofocus to contrast mode?




RE: Quick question
By tdawg on 6/10/08, Rating: -1
RE: Quick question
By soydios on 6/10/2008 5:23:51 PM , Rating: 5
For the last bloody time, Live View is invaluable for Macro and Astro photography, where manual focus is preferred. Face it: the viewfinder is inadequate for such types of photography on cropped-sensor cameras, because it just isn't big enough to check focus.
Believe me, I've shot the moon at 1200mm f/5.6 equivalent with my APS-C DSLR, and it's almost impossible to get perfect focus. Live View using the main sensor would've been a godsend.

I will say that Live View is best confined to a tripod, however.


RE: Quick question
By chrispine on 6/10/2008 5:27:59 PM , Rating: 2
It's also good for camera hacks where you want to stick the lens really close to the sensor, but can't because the mirror is in the way. With LiveView (I think), you can keep the mirror up for as long as you want.

I think. I have the XTi, and I know there's no way to keep the mirror up... even using mirror-lock-up, it flips back down immediately after the picture is taken.


RE: Quick question
By Proxes on 6/10/2008 5:32:00 PM , Rating: 2
As long as you don't try to use auto focus you might get away with that. The auto focus sensors are in the mirror assembly, if you tell the camera to focus it'll drop the mirror down.


RE: Quick question
By jpeyton on 6/10/2008 6:40:42 PM , Rating: 4
Canon, for the love of God , please purchase a Nikon D40 for your product design team so they have a reference point for how to make a proper compact DSLR camera grip.

I know your company is capable of designing a good grip; just look at how comfortable to hold the 40D is. But you're now on your third generation (XT, XTi, XSi) of poorly designed consumer DSLRs. Nikon, Pentax and Sony have figured it out. Hopefully someday soon, you will too.


RE: Quick question
By PB PM on 6/10/2008 7:59:00 PM , Rating: 2
Got to agree, it looks a little small. I don't have a DSLR, but from the looks of it my S5IS has a better hand grip!


RE: Quick question
By shockf1 on 6/10/2008 9:17:22 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
It's also good for camera hacks where you want to stick the lens really close to the sensor, but can't because the mirror is in the way. With LiveView (I think), you can keep the mirror up for as long as you want.


Live view uses a prisim to direct light to the live view sensor. It has nothing to do with the shutter being up or down.
On some cameras you can force the shutter to stay up but its not live view related.


RE: Quick question
By ElFenix on 6/10/2008 10:41:53 PM , Rating: 3
not on canon it doesn't. or on any recent olympus. or on pentax. or on nikon. the only current cameras that have a special live view sensor that operates with the mirror down (allowing the phase detect AF sensor mounted on the floor of the mirror box to work) are sony.


RE: Quick question
By ElFenix on 6/10/2008 9:20:11 PM , Rating: 2
people have stuck MLU lenses into 5Ds. you just lift the mirror up and hold it up while you put the lens in. you may want to damp the top of the lens with something like some foam, though, as the camera will attempt to actuate the mirror. with live view you could at least focus (though MLU lenses tend to be slow wide angle lenses where scale focus works well enough due to the large DoF). no idea if it works on cameras that have motorized mirrors (the 5D might have a motorized mirror, i simply do not know).


RE: Quick question
By tdawg on 6/10/2008 6:14:19 PM , Rating: 2
Sorry, I was thinking purely for people using AF. You are correct that macro and astro photography may be easier using the live view screen (though quality of lcd determines ability to determine perfect focus; plus mirror slap in either situation may negate any attempt to gain perfect focus). And yes, a tripod definitely seems necessary. For AF uses, I don't see much point.


RE: Quick question
By Proxes on 6/10/2008 5:29:44 PM , Rating: 2
People that are planning on using a DSLR as a Point and Shoot because it has Live View will be disappointed.

Live View is for fine tuning focus in macro and helps in astrophotography too. It excels in those applications but fails if you try to walk around taking pictures with it. Don't make it something it's not.


RE: Quick question
By tdawg on 6/11/2008 4:25:51 PM , Rating: 2
I'm just curious how effective it is. For those that have actually used the Live View feature to compose macro or astro shots, is the LCD sharp enough vs the eye's ability to resolve the world? Except for those that are using a D300 or the Sony with the High-res LCD, the 230,000 pixel LCDs on these consumer entry bodies don't seem like they could offer enough clarity and sharpness.

As I said earlier, I have no desire to have this feature on an SLR, but I've seen numerous excellent macro and astro shots from crop cameras that don't have live view.


RE: Quick question
By EidolWays on 6/10/2008 8:33:27 PM , Rating: 2
I'm not sure how it will work for the XS, but as an owner of the XSi, I can tell you that it's up to you which focus mode you use. You can switch the camera between contrast focus or standard focus.

In contrast focus, the mirror stays up and the camera focuses by analyzing the image. In standard focus, the mirror flips back down and the camera focuses while you're holding the focus button. The mirror flips back up when you release the focus button.

I just found there's an article about the XS at DPReview.com

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/Canon_1000D/

There's also a review of the XSi on the site. Check it out if you want to know more!


RE: Quick question
By sgtdisturbed47 on 6/10/2008 9:50:24 PM , Rating: 2
Why would anyone WANT to use some silly live view feature anyway? That's for point and shoot "digicams".

I see the XS has a 7-point AF system, but I honestly prefer my Nikon D80's 11-point system, for the rare occasion of needing multiple focus points.

In my opinion, if Canon wants to come up with something cool for the mid-range DSLR's, why not engineer a better friggin grip. I can't stand those small grips. I dunno, maybe the D80 has spoiled me too much.


Huh?
By tdawg on 6/10/2008 4:51:10 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The camera saves images to SD/SDHC cards rather than the much more expensive CompactFlash cards of higher-end D-SLR cameras.


Never mind it being completely incorrect, but is it even necessary in this posting? Just mention that it used SD/SDHC cards and move on.




RE: Huh?
By Fnoob on 6/10/2008 7:55:38 PM , Rating: 2
What's incorrect about that line? It uses SD cards... and SD cards are cheaper than pro CF cards. Wallyworld had a 2pack of 2G SD cards for under $20 a few weeks back - whereas the 8G UDMA CF card I just bought runs about $200.


RE: Huh?
By tdawg on 6/10/2008 10:24:51 PM , Rating: 3
He claims SD cards are dirt cheap in comparison to super expensive CF cards, which may be true if you compare a 2gb basic card vs a 8gb Sandisk Ultra IV or the latest Lexar.

If you look at SD vs. CF cards within a product line, the difference may be a couple of dollars. That's not outrageous. 2gb Sandisk Ultra II SD cards are just about the same price as 2gb Sandisk Ultra II CF cards.

I'm not saying that SD is bad or anything, I'm just saying that the author's assertion that camera manufacturers are helping us save a lot of money by switching over to SD card storage from CF card storage is wrong and unnecessary in this article.


RE: Huh?
By exanimas on 6/10/2008 10:39:39 PM , Rating: 3
I'm not picking a side in this argument, but for reference my 4GB Sandisk Extreme III CF card cost me about $45. There's a 4GB Sandisk Extremem III SDHC card on The Egg for $42 + shipping. Looks about the same to me.