Posted on 02 March 2007, at 2:23 am, by Judie Lipsett
I’ve never owned a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera before, and it took much cajoling, prompting, begging, and bribing (mostly with promised gift purchases of guides and field reference cards) before I finally took the plunge and bought a Canon Rebel XTi. See, I’ve been using a Casio EX-Z1000, and while I like the camera well enough…let’s just say that my pictures won’t be winning any blue ribbons at the state fair. And although the Rebel isn’t as professional as say, a 30D, 5D, or a 1D, it’s a huge step up for me.
My box from Amazon actually arrived Wednesday, but I showed supreme self control and waited until Thursday to tear into it - because I was working on the OtterBox 1920 Treo Case review and needed to finish! My ex wasn’t quite as reserved, however. He cut the tape and peeked in the box to make sure the camera was actually in there - and then he nicely sealed it back so I could still share the unboxing with you all.
So let’s take a look…
Clearing away the air-filled packing insulation…
…the Rebel’s red box is revealed!
Warranty paperwork…
…program CDs…
…and two user manuals. I am sure that there is a perfectly good reason for two, but I hope to never really have to read them. I was given a copy of the Digital Rebel XTi/400D Digital Field Guide which includes tons of color pictures - and was not written by a droid. Hopefully it will answer all of my questions as they occur.
Underneath the paper section, I immediately see a neck-strap that I can’t imagine ever wearing…
…the battery charger, starter lens…
…and the camera body, wrapped in double layers of protection.
The body feels solid, not overly large, and it looks a bit odd without a lens attached.
A protective cap covers what would otherwise be the camera’s gaping maw…
It will take me a while to get used to not using the camera’s display to take all of my photos.
I do have a Speedlite 580EX flash on order, so there will be something to fit in that top mount. You can’t really tell, but the dial is set to the “green box”, or Automatic. I suspect it will need to stay there for a little while, as I learn my way around this thing.
Here is the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens which came with the set. It is supposed to be a pretty good all-purpose lens; I really doubt that I will outgrow it anytime soon.
Once the lens is attached, the camera suddenly looks so professional! I’ll bet my pictures start looking better almost immediately! Okay…maybe not for a while and after lots of practice.
I also ordered a 4GB CF card and a two light shooting kit; hopefully there will soon be a marked improvement in my review photos.
I still need to get a tripod, however. Anyone have any good recommendations? Or are they all about the same? Or did I just utter blasphemy? ![]()
[...] So enough excuses! With the guidance of Jerry & G-A, I decided to get a Canon Rebel XTi / 400D, which I unboxed a little while ago. Today I am going to show my new light kit which I’ve just unboxed and set up. Will it make my photos better? I certainly hope so. Anything has got to be an improvement over my breakfast nook’s spotty lighting. [...]
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March 2nd, 2007 at 5:50 am
That is one gorgeous camera!! Love the black case much better than a more common silver one. You will be taking some sweet photos with that baby
Nice box too!!
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:33 am
Jeez! I’m becoming like a modern day Pavlov’s Dog, drooling every time I see a unboxing and then going to Amazon.
Must. Get. Help.
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:42 am
The camera looks like something Darth Vader would use (LOL).
I prefer the silver body of my Canon Powershot A630 though.
I didnt read the manual and user guide that came with my cam,
Judie are you going to read yours or just stick with the Field Guide?
Oh, btw… my cam came with two manuals and users guides, one in english and one in spanish. I think your manuals are the same too.
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:51 am
Congrats Judie! You are going to love that camera!
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:02 am
is this the camera that comes with a live preview, or am I thinking of another camera?
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:05 am
As for tripods, I currently use a short table top one for my camera. While mine has no pan and tilt ability, it does raise the height of the cam to take nice pictures with the self-timer… I imagine that the Rebel is very heavy and that maybe could limit the choices for certain types of tripods.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:38 am
Thanks guys!
@Allen - I am going to set it to “green box” and scan through the field guide. My hope is that I’ll eventually be able to take photos in full manual mode…but I have no illusions that it will be anytime soon.
The Rebel really isn’t that heavy. It is light enough that I wouldn’t mind taking it on a hike. However, with some of the available lenses it could quickly become very bulky. Crumpler is supposed to be sending a camera bag for me to review, so hopefully that will make everything even more portable.
@Handy - it doesn’t show a preview before taking a picture, but it does show a couple second captured image after the fact.
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Judie,
Maybe an future article is in order as to how you arrived at making this particular purchase? Price, features, reviews, recommendations? With all the various choices out there, how does one make a good decision for a good buy?
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Ha - it’s called compromise! I wanted a 30D but couln’t justify the expense!
Nah, there were obviously other factors, and maybe you are right - I should just write an article about it. 
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Congrats on the new camera. We (my wife and I) picked up a 350D 8MP XTi right before Christmas and I love it.
March 3rd, 2007 at 6:10 pm
netsyd, that’s good to hear. Was there a big learning curve?
I am still having trouble with the whole “use the viewfinder” thing. I don’t like my nose touching the LCD.
March 5th, 2007 at 12:45 am
I wouldn’t say there’s a giant learning curve… I’ve done a couple posts at JAMM with pictures taken by the Canon.
But I keep hitting the 5 second timer with my nose
My wife took some really good black and whites with it not too long ago. Personally I’m looking forward to my daughter’s soccer season - that’s when I’ll really get a good chance to mess with it. Doing reviews with a good camera helps a lot in getting the reader a true view of whatever it is you’re reviewing, but the family stuff is what I really want to remember!