Canon Digital SLR Cameras |
Page updated: March 2009 |
Before you hunt down the best Canon digital SLR to satisfy all of your photographic needs, ask yourself this: how much are you willing to pay?
Canon digital SLR cameras fall squarely into 4 groups: consumer, semi-professional, professional and über-professional.
As you jump to the next level of cameras, the price jumps accordingly.
With the jump in price, you also get a lot more features that the pros expect but can be overwhelming to beginners and even intermediate photographers. It makes no sense to pay for a slew of features that you'll never use.
With a clear budget in mind (and a sense of your skills as a photographer), you'll substantially limit the number of Canon digital SLR cameras you have to compare.
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A Brief History of Canon Digital SLRs
The first Canon digital SLR was the D30, released in 2000.
It was a 3.1 megapixel camera that had its quirks but produced fantastic photos.
The biggest issue with the D30 was its low megapixel count, which meant that print sizes were limited.
Canon addressed this with the D60. This Canon digital SLR was very similar to the D30, but it featured 6.3 megapixels for larger prints.
Breaking the $1,000 Barrier
First-generation digital SLR cameras cost anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500. The technology was so new and advanced that you just couldn't find a camera for anything less than that.
Enter the Canon digital Rebel.
The Canon EOS Digital Rebel (also called the 300D) was the first digital SLR camera to be offered for less than $1,000.
Canon used the same body style as their popular line of Rebel film cameras, and gave it a digital interior. It was a huge breakthrough, and made the digital SLR accessible to many people on limited budgets.
Consumer Cameras
There's no denying it: Canon's consumer digital SLR cameras are immensly popular.
Canon is the clear leader when it comes to the digital SLR category, and their cameras always generate a lot of buzz in the professional reviews and user forums.
Canon's dominance in the digital SLR market started with the EOS Digital Rebel, and Canon continues to upgrade their line or digital Rebel cameras.
Now you can get your hands on the Rebel XT (350D), the Rebel xTi (400D), the Rebel XS (1000D) and the Rebel XSi (450D). Both the Rebel xTi and XS are part of the many 10 megapixel digital SLR cameras while the XSi is one of a limited number of 12 megapixel digital SLRs.
Canon EOS Rebel xTi (400D) |
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Release Date | October 2006 |
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| Key Features | 10 megapixels, dust control, Picture Styles | |
| Uniqueness | Easy to use, exceptional image quality | |
| Great For | Parents, travel | |
| Level | Beginner | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $590  |
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| Competitors | Nikon D80, Olympus E-410 and E-510, Pentax K10D, Samsung GX-10, Sony A100 | |
| The Rebel xTi is one of two non-pro Canon digital SLRs with a 10 megapixel sensor and a dust control system (the other is the new 40D). The intuitive control layout on this camera make it very easy to use and it takes very high-quality photos when paired with the right lens. The xTi is one of the most inexpensive 10 megapixel digital SLRs you can buy. | ||
| Compare prices for the Rebel xTi at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Canon EOS Rebel XS (1000D) |
Release Date | August 2008 |
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| Key Features | 10 megapixels, dust control, live view | |
| Uniqueness | Lightest Canon DSLR | |
| Great For | Parents, travel | |
| Level | Beginner | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $460 | |
| Competitors | Nikon D60, Olympus E-420, Pentax K200D | |
| Compare prices for the Rebel XS at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Canon EOS Rebel XSi (450D) |
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Release Date | April 2008 |
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| Key Features | 12 megapixels, dust control, live view LCD | |
| Uniqueness | Compact and light | |
| Great For | Travel, spontaneous | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $650 | |
| Competitors | Olympus E-510, Nikon D80, Pentax K200D, Sony DSLR-A200 | |
| The Rebel XSi is the first Canon digital SLR to make the switch from Compact Flash cards to the smaller and lighter SD memory cards. The standard kit lens offered with the Rebel XSi is the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Image Stabilized lens: this means that the XSi has all of the top three features currently available in digital SLRs: dust control, live view and image stabilization. | ||
| Compare prices for the Rebel XSi at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Canon EOS Rebel T1i (500D) - NEW! |
Release Date | May 2008 |
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| Key Features | 15.1 megapixels, dust control, live view LCD | |
| Uniqueness | HD Video Capture | |
| Great For | Families | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $900 | |
| Competitors | Nikon D90 | |
| The Rebel T1i follows a trend that began late in 2008 - digital SLRs with video. The 15.1 megapixel sensor can capture High Definition (HD) video that can be played on a widescreen TV via HDMI. The T1i also steals some features from the more advanced 50D, including face detection autofocus, Canon's Auto Lighting Optimizer and the "Creative Auto" mode. | ||
Semi-Professional Cameras
The cameras in this category are for die-hard action photographers.
The major advantage that they offer over the Rebel XT and xTi is an increase in shooting speed, allowing you to rip through photos in seconds. However, neither one of these cameras features the same number of megapixels as the xTi.
If you enjoy taking portraits and still life (where ultra-fast response is not required), you don't need one of these cameras - stick with the Rebel and save yourself the cash.
Canon EOS 30D |
Release Date | February 2006 |
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| Key Features | 8 megapixels, Picture Styles | |
| Uniqueness | Speed | |
| Great For | Action | |
| Level | Advanced to semi-professional | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $700 | |
| Competitors | Nikon D200 | |
| The Canon 30D is for advanced action photographers who want a fast, 5-photo-per-second continuous shot rate. This camera also includes the Picture Styles feature available on the Rebel xTi. | ||
| Compare prices for the 30D at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Canon EOS 40D |
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Release Date | September 2007 |
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| Key Features | 10 megapixels, dust control, 3 inch live view LCD, weather sealed | |
| Uniqueness | Fastest consumer DSLR | |
| Great For | Action | |
| Level | Advanced to semi-professional | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $1,000 | |
| Competitors | Nikon D300, Sony DSLR-A700, Olympus E-3 | |
| The Canon 40D is one of the fastest consumer digital SLR you can buy. It's can take 6.5 photos per second up to a maximum of 75 JPG images or 17 RAW. In addition to this blazing fast speed, the camera includes a completely updated 9-point autofocus, a fast image processor (to transfer photos to the memory card), Canon's dust control, and the addition of a live view mode on the camera's large 3 inch LCD screen. With a rugged frame and weather-resistant seals and gaskets, the 40D is designed for aggressive use. | ||
| Compare prices for the 40D at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Canon EOS 50D |
Release Date | October 2008 |
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| Key Features | 15 megapixels, dust control, 3 inch live view LCD, wide ISO range | |
| Uniqueness | Most megapixels | |
| Great For | Action, Low light, Portraits | |
| Level | Advanced to semi-professional | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $1,320 | |
| Competitors | Nikon D300, Sony DSLR-A700, Olympus E-3 | |
| The Canon EOS 50D is a digital SLR priced with amateurs in mind and packed with enough features satisfy the needs of professional photographers. The main enhancements over the 40D come in the form of a faster image processor (DIGIC 4), a wider ISO range (100 to 12800), an LCD with 4x more pixels than the 40D (for enhanced color and clarity) and a face-detection autofocus option. If you'd like to share your images at home, the 50D has an HDMI port that allows you to connect the camera to a flat screen TV. | ||
| Compare prices for the 50D at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Professional Cameras
We've now crossed the border into the professional cameras.
Who are these for? People who make a living taking photos.
If you're not a budding photojournalist, professional studio photographer or someone with a lot of money to burn, then these are not the best cameras for you.
It's a complete waste to pay for these if you just want to leave your camera in AUTO mode.
Canon EOS 5D |
Release Date | October 2005 |
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| Key Features | 12.8 megapixels, 9-point autofocus | |
| Uniqueness | Full frame sensor | |
| Great For | Film SLR converts | |
| Level | Advanced to semi-professional | |
| Avg. Kit Price | $2,000 | |
| Competitors | None | |
| The key feature of the Canon 5D is that it is a full-frame digital SLR, which means that this camera has no crop factor. This Canon digital SLR captures the same field of view as a similar Canon film SLR camera. | ||
| Compare prices for the 5D at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Canon EOS 5D Mark II - NEW! |
Release Date | November 2008 |
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| Key Features | 21.1 megapixels, 15 autofocus points, 3 inch live view LCD, HD video capture, dust control, enhanced dynamic range | |
| Uniqueness | Full frame sensor, HD video capture | |
| Great For | Photographer/Videographer | |
| Level | Advanced to semi-professional | |
| Body Only Price | $3,450 | |
| Competitors | Nikon D700, Sony A900 | |
| Advanced photographers and amateur hobbyists with enough money to burn may now rejoice: the camera that does it all has arrived. In addition to its full-frame 21.1 megapixel sensor (no crop factor), the Canon 5D Mark II can capture full High Definition (HD) video clips. Add on a 15-point autofocus system, dust control, 3 inch live view LCD, ISO range from 50 to 25,600 and the ability to capture an unlimited number of JPG images at 3.9 photos per second and you've got a camera that satisfies the needs of demanding photographers and videographers at the same time. | ||
| Compare prices for the 5D Mark II at Amazon, Adorama or B&H Photo Video | ||
Canon Über Professional Digital SLRs
Picture this: you're on a white sand beach on some tropical island, shooting an upcoming photo spread for New York's hottest fashion magazine.
Find that difficult? Then this category of Canon digital SLR cameras is probably not for you.
The sheer number of megapixels that they offer makes them ideal for magazine and advertising photographers, but fairly impractical for all the rest of us.
Since this web site is on CONSUMER digital SLR cameras, I won't include information about them here. If you'd really like to see what they have to offer, knock yourself out: find out more about the Canon EOS 1D Mark III or the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III.
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