C WHITE PAPER THE CANON EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi CAMERA: MORE REGAL THAN REBEL: THE FINEST PERFORMANCE AND THE BEST VALUE IN THE UNDER $1000 CATEGORY
Table of Contents I OVERVIEW 3 II NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES 5 III FEATURE DISCUSSION Newly Developed 10.1 MP Sensor Comprehensive Dust Reduction System 6 6 7 New 9-point AF System New 2.5-in. TFT LCD Screen Display-off Sensor New User Interface Basic Operation Concept New Info Display Items Viewfinder SET Button, Cross-Keys, DISP.
I. OVERVIEW The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi is the best entry-level digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera on the market today. Compared with its competitors at the sub-$1000 price point, lens included, the XTi produces the finest images with the purest colors and the lowest noise, and has the most comprehensive solution to the problem of dust on the sensor. It also has the clearest and most elegant user interface, the fastest and most precise autofocus, and the most powerful and useful software package.
• Canon designs, develops and manufactures its own EF lenses, its own CMOS image sensors, and its own DIGIC image processors, with proprietary technologies that it doesn’t sell to anyone else. • Canon’s original EOS Integrated Cleaning System gives the Digital Rebel XTi a comprehensive dust cleaning and management system offered by no other camera at any price. • The Digital Rebel XTi has a 9-point, high-precision autofocus unit that it shares with the EOS 30D.
II. NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES • New class-leading 10.1 megapixel Canon CMOS image sensor with improved microlens array • Comprehensive EOS Integrated Cleaning System including Self Cleaning Sensor Unit and Dust Delete Data detection • Large and bright 2.
III. FEATURE DISCUSSION Newly Developed, HighResolution 10.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor The all-new Canon CMOS sensor in the EOS Digital Rebel XTi gives this camera the highest overall performance in its class. Like all other Canon CMOS sensors, this unit is designed and manufactured by Canon using semiconductor manufacturing equipment which was also designed and manufactured by Canon. This fully-integrated design 10.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and manufacturing system makes Canon unique in the photo industry.
images horizontally. The phase plate, or phaser layer, converts the images separated by LPF #1 from linear polarization to circular polarization and prepares these polarized components to be correctly separated into four square images by low-pass filter #2. The hybrid infrared-absorption glass reflects and absorbs infrared light, effectively suppressing red ghosting and color casts caused by reflections on the sensor surface.
The removed dust then sticks to an absorbent material ringing the low-pass filter. The sensor unit also has an internal O-ring around the perimeter to keep out dust. The area between LPF #1 and the CMOS sensor is thus sealed; dust cannot enter from the side. Low-pass filter 1 Instead of a dust-removal system which uses a vibrating glass, the Digital Rebel XTi uses its low-pass filter to vibrate directly, shaking off dust.
operation. Also, if the self-cleaning unit is operated 5 consecutive times within 10 sec., it will not work for 10 sec. afterward. Turning the power off does not reset this. The restriction does reset if the cleaning function is not activated for at least 60 seconds. While the self-cleaning unit is disabled, if you select [Sensor cleaning: Auto] from the menu, the [Clean now] option will be grayed out and cannot be selected.
If you use the Dust Delete Data feature and do not want to change the data of the dust coordinates, you can disable the default self-cleaning operation so it does not operate when the power is turned on or off. If you want to stop the Dust Delete Data from being appended to the images, the Dust Delete Data must be erased with the [Clear all camera settings] menu item. DPP Ver. 2.1 had the copy stamp tool for manually selecting and erasing round dust spots. This feature has been improved with the DPP Ver. 2.
EV 18. Finally, the wider focusing area with nine AF points and the diagonal configuration of AF points in and around the center afford improved subject focus tracking. Focusing speed is on a par with that of the EOS 30D because the Digital Rebel XTi shares its high-speed 32-bit RISC microcomputer. The algorithm for AI SERVO AF continuous shooting has been fine-tuned and optimized for 3 frames per second.
meters at the other 8 AF points. When an external EOS Speedlite is used, the AF-assist beam of the external unit is used. Speedlite AutomaticSelection 580EX Manual Selection Center Top/Bottom Left/Right Mid-left/Mid-right Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 550EX Yes Yes — Yes Yes 430EX Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 420EX Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 380EX Yes* Yes — — — 220EX Yes* Yes — — — ST-E2 Yes Yes — Yes Yes * Focus can be achieved only with the center AF point.
in lenses such as the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM or the EF 600mm f/4L IS USM. All over the world, photographers depend on Canon IS to help them achieve the highest possible image quality. At some point, in-body stabilization may improve to the point at which such technology may be appropriate for certain segments of Canon’s DSLR range. It would be senseless to rule out such a possibility. Even now, differences in unit cost are not enough to be significant factors in such a decision.
disabled by setting the [LCD auto off] menu item to [Disable]. The camera setting display can also be turned off and on manually with the button (formerly INFO) . If the camera setting display is disabled, it might be difficult to discern whether the camera is turned on or not. A power lamp on the top of the camera is therefore provided to indicate that it is on.
New info display items The large LCD screen has enabled 8 new items to be added to the info display compared with the Digital Rebel XT: ISO speed, Dimmer offset, AF frame display, White balance adjustment, White balance bracketing, Beep, Red-eye reduction mode, and Shooting display mode. Camera side in effect External flash side in effect The least obvious of these, and perhaps the most clever, is Dimmer offset.
cross keys are assigned with functions to set the ISO speed, AF mode, white balance, and metering mode. The procedures to set the ISO speed, AF mode, white balance, and metering mode are the same as with the Canon EOS 30D. Settings take effect from the moment they are selected. You no longer need to press the SET button to register the setting. Although the default setting for the SET button gives direct access to Picture Style, C.Fn.
Picture Style Picture Style, which Canon is implementing across its full EOS Digital range, is new to the sub-$1000 category. It can be selected directly with the SET button, or through Shooting menu 2. For the first 5 choices, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral and Faithful, the variables are sharpness, contrast, saturation and color tone. Each Style has preset values for these image characteristics that can be changed by the user in the menu.
• Red-eye reduction function • Face brightening correction function • Addition of supported paper sizes (4" x 8", 10" x 12", 8" x 10", 14" x 17") • Improved printing effects (Natural, Natural M, B/W, Cool Tone, Warm Tone added) • Adjustment of printing parameters • Addition of supported paper (Fine Art Photo Rag, Super Photo paper) Many of these items appeared on the EOS 30D. Beginners and advanced photographers alike will find them useful and appealing.
4. Select image and transfer-- Select images and transfer them to the PC. 5. Wallpaper for computer-- Select an image to use as the background (wallpaper) for the computer screen and transfer it to the PC. A JPEG file is automatically converted into a BMP file to be transferred and appears as the background (wallpaper) for the computer screen. RAW images cannot be transferred for this purpose.
The XTi’s weight is still very modest although it has increased by 25 grams to 510g/18 oz., excluding battery pack, CF card and body cap, but including the backup battery and the eyecup. While based on the Digital Rebel XT’s electrical components, the XTi’s electrical components are compatible with several significant new features, such as the 10.10megapixel CMOS sensor, Self Cleaning Sensor Unit, Display-off sensor, and the 2.5in. LCD screen.
to the output amp is cut off and the standard current for the circuit drive is also suspended, as in the case of the Digital Rebel XT. The maximum burst in Large/Fine mode is approx. 27 shots for JPEG and 10 shots for RAW, twice as many as with the Digital Rebel XT. Also, with white balance bracketing enabled, up to 6 shots can be taken continuously, whereas only 2 shots were possible with the XT. Recording Quality L/F L/N M/F M/N S/F S/N RAW RAW+L/F Max. Burst [Approx.
Accessories and System Compatibility The Digital Rebel XTi shares its major accessories with the its predecessor, the Digital Rebel XT. The BG-E3 battery grip makes it easy to shoot vertically and has magazines for either two NB-2LH batteries or three AA batteries. The EH18-L semi-hard case and EW100DBII wide strap continue.
Software With the Digital Rebel XTi, Canon continues its tradition of including a complete package of useful and appropriate software at no additional cost with each of its DSLR cameras. The EOS Digital Solution Disk (Ver. 13.0) includes the upgraded Zoom Browser EX (Ver. 5.7, Windows)/Image Browser (Ver. 5.7, Mac), Digital Photo Professional (Ver. 2.2), EOS Utility (Ver. 1.1), Photostitch (Ver. 3.1), and the PTP TWAIN/WIA driver (Windows).
IV. SPECIFICATIONS Type Image Sensor Recording System Type: Digital AF/AE SLR with built-in flash Recording Medium: CompactFlash (CF) Card Type I & II Image Sensor Size: 0.87 x 0.58 in./22.2 x 14.8mm (APS-C size sensor) Compatible Lenses: Canon EF and EF-S lenses Lens Mount: Canon EF mount Lens Focal Length Conversion Factor: 1.6x Type: High-sensitivity, high-resolution, single-plate, CMOS sensor Effective Pixels: Approx. 10.10 megapixels Total Pixels: Approx. 10.
Whtie Balance Settings: Auto, Preset (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash), Manual (Custom, or user-set Color Temperature) Auto White Balance: Auto white balance with the image sensor Color Temperature Compensation: White balance bracketing: +/- 3 stops in 1-stop increments; White balance correction: blue/amber bias +/- 9 levels, magenta/green bias +/- 9 levels.
Exposure Control Metering Modes: Max. aperture TTL metering with 35-zone SPC, (1) Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points), (2) Partial metering (approx. 9% at center of viewfinder), (3) Center-weighted average metering Metering Range: EV 1–20 (ISO 100 at 73°F/23°C with EF 50mm f/1.
LCD Monitor Playback Image Protection And Erase Type: TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor Monitor Size: 2.5 in. diagonal with a viewing angle of approx. 160° vertically and horizontally Pixels: Approx. 230,000 pixels Coverage: Approx. 100% Brightness Control: 7 levels provided Image Display Format: Single image, 9-image index, Magnified zoom (approx. 1.
Operating Environment Operating Temperature Range: 32–104ºF/0–40ºC Operating Humidity Range: 85% or less Canon and DIGIC are registered trademarks, and SELPHY and PIXMA are trademarks, of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries. IMAGEANYWARE is a trademark of Canon. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
V. CONCLUSION The Canon Digital Rebel XTi is a formidable camera on many levels. Its image quality is unequaled in its category and is good enough to be compared favorably with cameras costing up to twice as much. Its ease of use enables owners with any level of expertise to get superb results. Its comprehensive dust solution mitigates one of the true annoyances of DSLR ownership. Its compact body and refined ergonomics make it a pleasure to live with.
