Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Body Only)

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I bought this camera as a replacement for my old XTi. I am no professional but I shoot a lot, especially family, sports and children events. I usually do not rework the pictures much beyond sorting out the bad ones and some reframing and exposure correction, simply due to a lack of time. The XTi essentially satisfied my needs though access to some advanced features was not practical or just not available. I had a happy 40,000 pictures from it and it is still fully functional, to the point I am passing it on to my father whose one was stolen from him. The picture quality of the XTi was enough for my needs. I also wanted to do stop motion which is not easy with the XTi for lack of a video feed. So I bought a new T1i two months ago. After some playing around and testing as well as about 1000 pictures in real conditions, here are my thoughts: * Access to the so called "advanced" features is much more intuitive than with the XTi, allowing for very easy usage of for instajnce first or second curtain sync on the flash, or complex exposure modes. I thought these were difficult to use with the XTi to the point I did not. * Exposition metering is really excellent, thanks in good part to the capability to shoot with auto ISO and a very low noise in very high ISO (3200). * The 15+ Mp sensor gives very nice picture details as long as you shoot with a boosted sharpness for the picture mode - this to correct IMHO overly soft pictures in the default settings. The results are visibly improved using my L 70/200 IS USM f4.0 which I must admit was a little overkill for the XTi. * Capability to have a video feed and to take good 780p movies (@1080p the motion does tend to be jerky). Although this is a nice side capability that can come in handy in some cases, I would not buy this camera just for the capability especially considering the price of HD camcorders these days. For me it mostly means that I can use the camera for the video feed and shoot full resolution stop motion movies. * The LCD is gorgeous - not a necessity buit a pretty nice icing on the cake. A quick note on full resolution stop motion movies: It is worth trying with just the 1080p resolution if you want to play them on a decently powered compute for full frame movies @24fps will not play well. In practice I just capture the video feed and avoid using the shutter to spare the camera, but it is nice to know you can if you want to. I am overall extremely satisfied with this camera as a main camera for what I do most; I tend to shoot a lot of pictures in kids parties and my rejection ratio has dropped significantly compared with my previous camera, using the same lens and external flash. On my particular concern with stop motion, the T1i appears not necessarily best suited for the level of quality I am aiming for: it delivers way more that what is necessary for a hobbyist and would be best suited for professional work. It delivers, mind you, but it is clearly overkill.

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This was my first DSLR but I have used many SLRs and I feel that this is the perfect starter DSLR for anyone. Also I have owned it for about 13 months now. Pros: 1. Owned for over 1 year, aprox 50,000 photos, not a single problem. 2. I have 3 friends who own this exact camera and only one had a problem with his kit lens (see #3). 3. The autofocus on my friends 18-55mm kit lens stopped functioning properly and he sent it into canon for free service under the included warranty. He says they were very nice and quick. 4. Great starter camera. Sadly most people who buy this will never take it out of auto and do anything cool with it. Personally I prefer any type of long term exposer. My favorite light painter, known on flickr as {tcb}, owns a T1i and shows its true potential. 5. Nice and easy interface with easy to learn buttons. 6. Live view works well but AF is very slow in it. I always use manual focus in live view and movie mode. 7. Video shoots better than most point and shoots. 8. It has survived some pretty stupid situations, such as pep-rallies, following Snoop Dogg during a light drizzle in the hands of a very unexperienced photographer (I was using an $11,000 JVC camcorder... with a canon lens), hundreds of hours of being carried on my side or in my hands. 9. Nice strap. Cons: 1. GET SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE KIT LENS. The kit lens is great for beginners but look up people who have fixed SLR lenses to the iPhone and you will see how important having nice glass is. If you have the cash to invest purchase the body only and a nice lens, such as the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. I sadly have not yet replaced my kit lens (I currently also own a EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 thats pretty good). 2. Does not have the waterproofing of the 1D and 1Ds series. If your even reading this review chances are your not going to buy a 1D or 1Ds. They are nice. Very nice. 3. Video mode leaves allot to be desired but this is one of the first HDSLRs to have video so if video is that important to you, buy a T2i or a 7D. The T2i is basically the T1i with upgraded video. 4. Auto focus in video mode is useless as with 99% of HDSLRs on the market right now. Manual focus is not hard. All pro video cameras are manual focus anyways. Basically get something other than the kit lens and dont buy for video. If I really wanted nice video I would rate it 4 stars but I purchased it knowing I wanted mostly pictures.

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Although this is considered as a more amateur DSLR, I find that its in the middle of pro/amateur scale. The camera has tons of bells and whistles on some of its sibling pro models and has preset modes to full manual. It uses all of the main and major lenses Canon puts out including their top of the line "L" series. The newest digic 4 processor, 15mega pixles, HD video, sharp bright 3" lcd screen. Its comfortable to hold and isnt too heavy. I recommend getting a different neck strap ( OP/TECH 1501372 Pro Loop Strap for Camera Equipment (Black) )cause the one it comes with is uncomfortable and makes you sweat. The pop up flash isnt that powerful so dont rely on it. Battery life is amazing, I own 4 batteries because I purchased a grip that holds 2 at a time and the batteries last very long. Ive had this camera for a year now and have had the opportunity to use it in all sorts of ways. Its held up quite well, and is very easy to adjust and capture that shot quickly. I recommend sticking with Canon lenses or Tamron as they seem to have the fastest autofocuses. The live view on this particular model for me doesnt work great. I find I have more problems focusing and getting things setup taking longer to get the shot I want rather than just using the viewfinder. This kit comes with the 18-55 lens that takes decent photos. It feels plastic-ish and barely weighs anything so dont drop it! Its not really a stupendous lens but for a beginner or to have a lens that you dont care what happens to it its perfect. It can take nice up close shots too, has image stabilization also but I recommend getting a better lens. A few things to watch out for is that I found that I needed to calibrate settings to get the sharpest photos. Example, I switched the 9 point auto focus spots to stay on the center. This seems to achieve the sharpest shots for me. I also (when shooting in jpg) upped the saturation and sharpness. When shooting raw files I fix all this in photoshop and get spectacular results. Ive used the opteca and kenko extension tubes for super macro shots and they both work quite well with not too much focusing issues. I also recommend getting one of those blower bulb things because changing lenses even when being careful can let dust into the camera and then youll have spots on our sensor. Although this has sensor cleaning (vibrates when u turn it off) It still doesnt work as good as a blower. Works flawlessly with a Mac computer and even has the capability to be remotely used with an iphone/ipod touch using OnOne apps that allow you to control the cameras functions and take photos from your iphone. The camera has to be hooked up to a computer via usb for this to work but its a neat option. If your just starting photography or want to upgrade from a previous dslr or point-and-shoot I recommend this camera. Theres not a big difference between this and its newer version the T2i so if your on a budget go with the T1i. I also recommend this book David Buschs Canon EOS Rebel T1i/500D Guide to Digital SLR Photography (First Edition) it really helps out with learning all the functions this camera offers.

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As someone who has been shooting Canon EOS cameras since the 1980s I can safely say without a doubt that the Canon T1i is easily the most advanced camera under $1000. I showed this camera to my Nikon and Pentax friends and they were in awe of not only its picture quality but also the features. It is a pretty straight forward camera with those little Canon touches that have been around for years like the sports mode and portrait mode. In fact, if you are considering your very first DSLR, you will not find one that is more intuitive or easier to understand right out of the box. It took Nikon, Minolta (now Sony) and Pentax literally years to come up to Canons autofocus lens capabilities and even today, very few can argue against a Canon Lens image quality for price ratio. The standard lens in the kit is the best yet of the inexpensive lenses. It has a handy image stabilizer and focus fairly quickly. The on-camera flash is sufficent for snapshot photography and fill-in duty but you will need to consider a 480EX II or a 580EXII flash for the best results. For the money, this is the best yet and Canon is the world-wide preferred brand of DSLR cameras. The T1i will no doubt reinforce Canons lead in the industry.

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For its price and size, this camera is an excellent choice. This is not the best Canon camera--it is not a 7D for example. The size of blow-ups and severity of cropping will determine how many MP are needed. Fifteen megapixels are more than enough for decent sized blow-ups. The T1i is a lot smaller and lighter than the 7D, which was important for me because I planned to take it while backpacking in the Sierra Nevadas. In deciding which camera to buy, I finally realized that now digital DSLRs are really light-capturing computers, and we should purchase the camera with some of the same expectations that we have when buying computers: we dont plan to use them for a decade, but instead expect to upgrade. So the price (less than half that of a 7D) was a big factor. The money not spent on the body can then go into lenses. I have had no problems with the camera so far (1700 exposures). Folks having experience with Canon DSLRs (I was upgrading from the 300D) will have no trouble navigating the buttons and selections. The large screen and screen resolution are good features. The smaller physical size is not a problem for folks with large hands (as mine are). This comes with Canon Digital Professional software. This software allows cropping, rotating, level adjustment, white balance adjustment, etc. of the RAW files. As far as I can see, the software allows application of all of the menu choices that one might make in the camera if one were saving images as JPEG files. I have found that I dont actually need to go to Photoshop unless I am doing "special effects" as long as I work with RAW files. Also, I find that printing from the Canon software produces prints on Canon printers that very closely match what I see on my iMac screen. The RAW format for this camera is CR2, which was not supported by my version of Adobe Photoshop. I did upgrade my Adobe software (unanticipated additional expense), but it is possible from the Canon software to write a JPEG file ("Convert and Save" from the "File" menu) that can be handled with the older versions of Photoshop. When upgrading the camera, I decided to upgrade my photo habits by recording all photos as RAW (CR2) files. This of course means upgrading storage capacity--I could only fit 200 images on a DVD-R. This meant that I had to buy a 650 GB external hard drive.

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Ive had this camera about a month now. It is my first dSLR after a decent run with point-and-shoots. Advice from friends who know more about photography than I do, coupled with good experiences with my SD850IS pushed me towards a Canon dSLR. I decided to go with the Rebel T1i over the XSi due to the video capability and the Creative Auto mode. The video, while nice, is not something Ive found myself using very much so far. Maybe once I get more of the still features figured out, I will delve into that further. It produces good video with sub-par audio (on-camera mic only). The Creative Auto mode has really helped me to get some better photos than the Auto mode without fear of screwing up a setting and ruining the shot. So far, Ive added a second battery, wired remote shutter release, a Canon 430 EX II speedlite, and a Canon 50mm/F1.8 lens. In retrospect, I almost wish I would have bought it without the kit lens and upgraded to the Sigma 18-50/F2.8 EX DC Macro lens. It is more expensive, but a faster lens and would do better in lower light. Overall, very pleased with the camera. And I couldnt be more pleased with Amazon.com. Twenty-nine days after receiving my camera, it was being sold for significantly less due to a price drop. I called and was informed that Amazon will not do price matches beyond two weeks time, and since the following day would be 30 since receipt of the shipment there was inadequate time to return and repurchase at the lower price without a restocking fee. However, Amazon gave me a credit and while it didnt account for the entire pricing difference, it made me very happy that they did something for me. I will be an Amazon customer for a long time.

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I have only had the T1i for one day, so I cant give you all the ins and outs, ups and downs of this product. But so far, I am in love. The first thing I noticed was that overall, the T1i body is VERY similar to the XTi body. With the exceptions of a larger screen (and the button placement changes because of that) and a repositioned ISO button, everything is very similar. The battery charges very quickly, and if it is anything like my other canon batteries, it will hold a charge for a very long time. The screen is large and displays everything, including the menu, gorgeously. The menus themselves are easy to navigate. The video feature would be great for interview or vlog style videos. Focusing while recording can be very loud (even with USM lenses) so as long as youre focused on one fixed point and you stay there, you should be fine. (Not to mention that trying to record any heavy action at 30fps isnt going to produce the greatest quality.) This SHOULD NOT be your main video setup. Its not equipped for that, and if thats why youre purchasing this camera, youre better off with a different model. I will most likely update this later with a more extensive review, but for 1 day out of the box, I am very happy with my purchase.

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I have had this camera for about 3 weeks now and I must say I love it. I purchased it to replace my older Canon Rebel 6.1 mp which I also loved and still do. (though its only a still picture camera) Its a great backup. This new Rebel T1i 15.1 mp has many options but what I really like is the HD video camera feature. No more bringing a separate video camera on vacation. This is a perfect all in one camera. I also bought the Canon 18-200 mm zoom lense which truly makes the camera and all in one. Its a little smaller than my old one and a lot lighter. The only thing that might not be 5 star would be the shutter sound. Its kind of loud but not a turn off in no way. Just have to get used to. Having said that, once I shoot with my old camera (hearing the lack of sound) and then shoot with the new camera (more sound) I am finding myself liking the new sound better. The battery is smaller and lighter and seems to last longer except when using the video mode, then it goes pretty quick. Best to get a backup battery anyway, especially if your going to be taking alot of pictures or video such as on vacation. I also purchased to San Disk Ultra 11 16GB, works great with the video BUT my card reader doesnt work with it. I have to unload the photos/video using the cable. It unloads very fast just a little inconvenient.

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i bought this camera about a month ago and have been experimenting with it ever since. i bought it after reading several rave reviews (was rated #1 customer-purchase last year in some worldwide research). i bought the lens kit and i would have to say that if you are SLR savvy then skip the lens kit because to me the quality and output of this lens is just "average" nothing special / you can buy or acquire a much nicer lenses (i.e. I bought some inexpensive canon FD and pentax super takumar lenses from ebay and works perfect with an adapter also available on ebay). just this weekend, i was at a family event, took pics using the T1i plus super-takumar 50mm f1.4 lens - results were real nice; crisp quality in image and in color! i did black/white video (same lens) and it looks real sharp / like proffessional grade! i would recommend the canon eos rebel T1i with a caveat to use other lenses / not the kit lens / just my opinion; canon makes real good products and someone told me that they even use canon lenses these days to film tv productions. last note from me, if you buy from amazon, be prepared to see the price fluctuate (most likely you will pay more for it today than next week / that happened to me / price was $20 cheaper the following week / and amazon will not give you a refund to guarantee lowest price.

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The deal I got on this camera is phenominal. The shipping time was excellent and I was able to track it all the way to the nearest drop-off point and I knew exactly when it would get to me. It was packed very well and no problems with anything. I was able to start taking pictures almost immediately. Since I already own the Canon PowerShot A640, S3is and the S5is, there was little that I had to read to find out where everything I needed was. I have taken over 350 photos and some videos and I still am useing the same battery and the 8gb card plus the 8gb class 6 video card. I really didnt expect that I would get that many pictures and videos on a camera with 15.1mp, but this camera is surprising me, and Im still not done taking pictures useing the same battery and cards. Its kind of like the bunny battery commercial. The view finder is easier to use during day-light because the sun makes it impossible to see what is on the LCD screen, but you can buy a piece that fits over the screen to block out the sun and also helps keep your screen from getting scratched. I will get that next on my list of things to get for my camera. I just wish that Canon would have put the same swivel LCD screen as it has on my other cameras because my nose is always in the way and on the screen when useing the view finder. All in all, I would definately recommend this camera.

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