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Review for Canon 400D EOS digital camera - also known as Canon Digital Rebel XTi

I am by no means a professional or long time user of SLR cameras. Therefore this review is from the viewpoint of an absolute beginner. I will be explaining what I like and what I don't like about the Canon 400D EOS digital camera so hopefully you can make an informed decision when it comes time for you to purchase your first SLR.

With a few short sentences, I would explain the Canon 400D EOS digital camera as being:

Great value for money.

Easy to use for the amateur photographer.

Highly customisable for the professional photographer.

Fantastic photographs. To see the quality of photos taken with this camera, click here for flickr pool canon 400D.

After using this camera for a few months, it's easy to see why the Canon 400D, or Rebel XTi as its also known, rates 4 1/2 stars on Amazon.com for customer reviews. It can be as easy or as technical as you need it to be. You can start off using it as a point and shoot, then work your way up to having full control over every aspect of your photograph.

As a beginner to SLR photography I found the automatic settings useful. For example, by changing a setting on the top of the camera you can choose between fully automatic, portrait, landscape, macro, sports or night shot. If more light is needed, the camera automatically sets off the onboard flash. Automatic settings take the guess work out of aperture, shutter speed and exposure, allowing the beginner to take fantastic photos from the start, while also giving them time to learn how to use an SLR camera.

Handy tips for beginners:

1. Set your Canon 400D camera to fully automatic until your familiar with manual settings. This also includes the lens. You should see a switch on the actual lens where you can turn the automatic focus on or off.

2. Pressing the shutter button half way in first (for a second or so) before fully taking the picture will result in better focused photographs.

3. One of the best websites to learn how to use the manual settings for your camera can be found at: Canon Digital SLR Camera online tutorial. I highly recommend beginners to read through the information at least once. It will help get you off to a quick start.

The Canon 400D digital camera includes a huge 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor. Why is this useful? The larger the megapixels, the larger you can print photographs while at the same time keeping quality. 10.1 megapixels allows you to capture enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch print outs.

Another advantage I found is that the size of the camera is relatively small when compared to other SLR camera bodies. Not being sexist (I am female myself), I find it very easy to hold and navigate in reference to the size. Therefore I would have to add that I highly recommend this particular SLR camera to women photographers.

I also find the 2.5" LCD panel on the back of the camera much better than other SLR's I first looked at purchasing. With the Canon 400D digital camera, you can view your manual settings such as shutter speed, aperture, shots left to take etc in the LCD panel. This is very useful for those with eyesight problems. Many other camera brands had a tiny window at the top which wasn't very practical. If your one to argue that a larger LCD panel drains your battery, then there is an option to turn it off or on at will.

A further advantage I utilise quite often, is that you are able to take photographs in both jpg or RAW format. This is an advantage when your first learning manual modes, as RAW format allows you to adjust all the settings later on with your computer, using software that comes with the camera. In RAW format you can't go wrong.

I always recommend the Canon 400D to parents of small children. With normal point and shoot cameras, there is a slight delay from pressing the button to when the photograph is actually taken. This can be really frustrating if you have a toddler on the move. In comparison, SLR cameras take the picture instantly, when you press the button.

The TV found on the top dial, is fast becoming one of my favorite manual settings. I find it really useful for night shots. You can set the shutter speed up to 30 seconds (and longer). What this means is the camera actually takes 30 seconds to take the photograph. This is really effective for night shots (set at 15 seconds) as it allows time for the light to hit the sensor and take beautiful photos like the example shown below.

With TV set at only one second you can easily take a photograph of a magical waterfall or water movement.

At the other end of the scale, you can set the TV up to 1/4000th of a second. At this setting you can get every single droplet of a waterfall so it looks beady. The main point is, the choice is yours. Your only limited by your imagination.

Another point I'd like to mention is that the battery seems to last a really long time. I can take over 800+ pictures without having to re-charge.

The ISO setting is the next function I use often. If I'm taking a night photo inside and don't want the flash to effect the end result, I simply change the ISO to 800. This helps let in enough light to take a beautiful shot without the use of a flash. For outside photography, I change the ISO back to 100.

You can find a full list of technical details for Canon 400D EOS digital camera at Amazon.

Disadvantages:

If you are used to purchasing point and click cameras in the past, then you may need to consider the following points. Personally I don't see them as disadvantages but can understand if others do.

1. SLR cameras are more expensive than point and click ones.

2. They are considerably more bulky and heavy to carry. ie SLR cameras won't fit in a handbag.

3. You will need to do some research when purchasing a lens. Not every lens fits every shot. For example, I've found the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens is fantastic for landscapes, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens is excellent for portraits, while the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 Telephoto lens is great for wildlife shots. The best way to choose a lens is to search through customer reviews at Amazon.

To help get you off to a quick start in understanding how to use your SLR camera, see our top 3 recommended digital photography books.

UPDATE: Our tutorials for photographers are now being continued over at SLR Photography Guide.