Introduction Canon's Digital Rebel series make excellent introduction to digital SLR (DSLR) photography. Although Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony have carved their niche, Canon and Nikon are the DSLR market leader. Having a large market share means wider range of lenses and accessories to choose from, not to mention excellent third party software support. Canon and Nikon have an army of detractors and supporters, but both make great DSLRs. Visit a store to play with each and determine which feels right in your hands and your wallet.
The latest incarnation, Digital Rebel XSi (EOS 450D) is the best in its series, capable of capturing amazing photographs. Canon has recently announced cheaper Digital Rebel XS (EOS 1000D). For about $200 less than XSi, it features lower resolution image sensor (10.1 vs. 12.2, both of which should be more than plenty), 7-point auto focus vs. 9-point on XSi, slower continuous shooting speed, smaller viewfinder, and 2.5-inch LCD instead of 3.0-inch. It excludes handy spot metering included on XSi. Both models make excellent choice for photography enthusiasts.
Although you won't find many professionals using Digital Rebel series, that is mostly due to durability, ergonomics, high ISO performance, and slower shooting performance. With a good lens and most importantly, discipline and desire to learn photography, you can take photos virtually indistinguishable from top-of-the-line DSLR. For hobbyist and enthusiasts alike, Digital Rebels are plenty responsive and durable.
Basic Accessories Out of the box, Digital Rebels are very usable. Minimally, you will need at least one lens and memory card. And to protect your investment, you should pickup a decent carrying case.
Starter Lenses One of the best buys is Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens. For well under $100, it delivers peak performance between f/2.8 and f/11. Its images take on 3-dimensional look unlike anything the kit lens can capture. As one would expect at the price level, it is built like a toy with very basic focus mechanism. Keep in mind that this lens has fixed focal length of 50mm. Due to Digital Rebel's 1.6x crop image sensor, 50mm becomes 80mm in 35mm print-format equivalent. In other words, you will need to step back to get everyone in the frame.
If you require normal-to-telephoto focal lengths, Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras is one of the best performing lenses under $500. At nearly 5x zoom range, 45mm to 216mm on Digital Rebel, it is great for normal, portraits, and moderate telephoto shooting. In addition, it is armed with 2-stop image stabilizer and superior USM focus. The image stabilizer won't help against moving subjects (e.g., children playing), but it is very effective against still subjects (think of it as a built-in tripod).
If you can stretch your budget further, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras will put smile to your face. This is a high-end L-series lens that pros use but at "attainable to enthusiasts" price level. L-series lenses such as this one have amazing build-quality (weather and dust proofing), excellent optical performance, and include value added accessories such as lens hood (blocks undesirable sunlight) and a carrying pouch. At only 40mm telephoto, it is not a telephoto lens, but 17mm wide angle will let you capture landscape and architecture from a close range. As you go longer to 24 and 40mm, it becomes ideal for capturing people and other subject types with imperceptible distortion.
If you prefer all-in-one zoom lens solution, Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 Image Stabilized USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLR's is a popular choice. Like Sigma and Tamron lenses mentioned earlier, this lens works only with EF-S lens mount. Although distortion and chroma aberrations are significant at wide angle, and images look considerably soft around the corners, its wide focal lengths and image stabilizer make it an ideal travel lens.
For telephoto needs, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras offers best bang for the buck. While not built like a tank, its image quality is close to that of L-series. Built-in 3-stop image stabilizer will help you get steadier shots without tripod (crucial for telephoto range).
Going Semi Crazy Now The general rule of thumb of well-focused shots: excluding gifted photographers with extremely steady hands, the shutter speed needs to be identical (or faster) to the focal length. At 200mm, you will need 1/200 second shutter speed. Under bright sunlight, 1/200 second is easily attainable. At indoor or when sun goes down, you will be lucky to get 1/30 second without flash. High ISO speed can sometimes help you get 1/200 second, but at the expense of added noise. Image stabilizer can help, but not against moving subjects. External flash is the most effective solution, which with diffuser (e.g., Sto-Fen OMEW Omni-Bounce Diffuser), can help you get well-focused images while delivering more natural color and contrast than Digital Rebel's built-in flash. Canon 430EX Speedlite Flash for Canon Pro1, Pro 90, G Series and all EOS SLR Cameras is Canon's most cost effective offering (it will soon be updated with 430EX II).
Polarizing filter is the "sunglasses" for your lens. It reduces unwanted light, improve color saturation, and eliminate glare. Sky becomes bluer, ocean takes on clearer look. There are two types of polarizing filters, linear polarizer and circular polarizer. Although linear polarizer can yield better performance, most auto focus lenses do not function properly with linear polarizer. I recommend B+W 77mm Circular Polarizer MRC Filter (be sure to get the filter that matches your lens size).
To protect the lens, get B+W or Heliopan's UV filters, such as B+W 77mm UVA (Ultra Violet) Haze MRC Filter #010. Cheaper filters can degrade image quality but not these. Be sure to get one that matches your lens's filter diameter.
For zoom lens needs, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras is often measured as the benchmark of all EF-S lenses, with performance exceeding many L-series lenses. Its build-quality is not quite L-quality (and no dust and weather sealing) but still pretty nice. And it being an EF-S lens means the lens will not work with full-frame cameras.
If you want more forward upgrade possibility, in addition to 17-40mm lens mentioned earlier, pick up either Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras or Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras. These L-series lenses are at the pinnacle of standard zoom category. 24-70mm is the benchmark for indoor photography and 24-105mm is one of the favorites among outdoor professional photographers. At 2.1 lbs., I find 24-70mm to be a bit heavy for casual "walkaround" use. If you already have a walkaround lens, 24-70mm is well suited for low light situations such as wedding, indoor portraits, and sporting events. Since XTi performs well at ISO speeds between 100 and 800, f/4 aperture on 24-105mm maybe acceptable to some. And if subjects can remain still, 24-105mm's image stabilizer helps it perform closer to 24-70mm.
For telephoto zoom needs, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras is an excellent buy with top-notch optics and reference level performance. At 320mm telephoto (35mm equivalent), it's got you covered. For even longer zoom, Canon EF 1.4X II Extender Telephoto Accessory will extend the focal length even further (2x extender is also available, but it will significantly degrade the image quality). Keep in mind that getting steady telephoto shots require very steady hands, and in many cases, tripod or monopod. If using tripod or monopod is not desirable, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras adds state-of-the-art 4-stop image stabilizer without adding weight. This lens is widely regarded as the best zoom lenses ever made.
Going All Out If you are ready for the next step, you should start by upgrading your camera body to Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) or Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only). 40D has improved CMOS and 14-bit RAW DIGIC III image processor, and has many compelling advantages over Digital Rebels: 35-zone metering with spot, faster shooting speed (6.5 RAW frames per second vs. XSi's 3.5), magnesium alloy (vs. plastic) body with better ergonomics, larger viewfinder with more information, higher battery capacity, and larger 3.0" view finder with live image preview and dedicated info display panel.
Unlike Digital Rebels and 40D, EOS 5D is a full-frame body, which means EF-S lenses will NOT work with this camera. On the other hand, full-frame image sensor has no image crop -- 24 and 28mm lenses become wide angle whereas 16 and 17mm become ultra wide. Their zoom range will diminish as a result, so you may want to pick up longer telephoto lenses such as Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras. 5D has even better auto focus, better high ISO performance, larger view finder, and 12.8 MP image sensor over 40D. Like all professional-class SLRs, 5D does not have built-in flash. Add Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras for its flash needs. This flash covers significantly longer distance and can act as a master flash to trigger "slave" flash (such as 430EX).
