Never before in the history of digital imaging has so much misinformation been spread, especially on the Web, about any camera since Canon's introduction of the EOS Digital Rebel. Don't kid yourself; this is a watershed camera in much the same way as the original Canon AE-1, and as the AE-1, was not intended as a replacement for Canon's top-of-the-line cameras. And like the AE-1, the Digital Rebel will find its way into many pro's gear bags as a back up-especially because of it's sub $1000 price, compatibility with Canon lenses and flash, and 6MP image capture.

The other misconception is that the Digital Rebel is just an EOS 10D in a plastic body. That's like saying a Subaru WRX STi is the same as an Imprezza; hell, they look similar don't they? Yes, the DR has a plastic body, but that's as much of the statement is true. Let's look at the similarities: they have the same imaging chip and similar electronics, so the image quality should be as good as the 10D and when using both cameras back to back, I haven't noticed any difference in image quality. What differences have I noticed in the way the two cameras function under professional usage?

While Photographing an American Lemans Series race, I dragged a Digital Rebel around the Laguna Seca racetrack at Monterey California and produced some of the best motor sports images I've ever made. This is certainly due, in part, to the DR's ability to use Canon's fast long and Image Stabilized zoom lenses. I schlepped a Digital Rebel all over Japan attaching lenses from the standard 18-35mm zoom, to a Russian-made 16mm eBay cheapie, to some of my own EF lenses and most of the time (more on this later) it performed perfectly. More importantly, I never missed a shot that I wanted to make during the week I visited Japan.

This is the kind of image you expect a photographer to make in Japan, so I'm gonna humor you and show TWO (no more) of the typical shots I made while visiting Japan. The rest will be images I made for fun.  For this shot, I really liked the Kodachromey (forgive me Paul Simon) look of the colors of the sky and temple together.  Canon Digital Rebel, 18-35mm zoom at f/10 with 1/250th of a second (Program mode) and ISO 200.

This photograph of a Japanese dancer was made indoors after dinner in a restaurant while under the influence of just a wee bit of sake and under who knows what kind of godawful lighting.  I set the camera to Auto white balance mode but I still had to tweak the color in Photoshop to get what you see here.  Nevertheless, while shot at ISO 1600 to get a handholdable shutter speed, the image is not as noisy as the ISO 400 setting on most digital point-and-shoot cameras.  Canon Digital Rebel, 28-105mm zoom at f/6.3 with 1/100th of a second.

Standing in the same kind of pouring rain that I shot the Olympus E-1 at the US Grand Prix, (only this time in a damp temple square in Japan) the Digital Rebel occasionally threw error messages at me and had to be shut down and turned back on to reboot the system software. This pattern continued on the following drier day in Kyoto, but then stopped suddenly. When I returned home from Japan, I downloaded the latest Canon firmware for the Digital Rebel and the problem never recurred.

Welcome to my Japan, a country in love with making photographs.  Here at the site of one of the three largest statues of The Buddha in the country, a teacher pauses to make a group picture of his students.  Unlike most Japanese school kids these guys aren't wearing uniforms. I especially like the dude to the right of the cat in the pink shirt who is off in space somewhere.  Canon Digital Rebel, 18-35mm zoom at f/10 with 1/200th of a second (Program mode) and ISO 400.

Although made of the same kind of synthetic materials, the Digital Rebel somehow seems more solidly made than a typical Rebel film camera, and I love my Rebel Ti. Some have criticized the Digital Rebel because of its light weight but others may think that's an attribute. It wasn't a big deal to me because the ergonomics and control placement of the camera are superb. 

For those shooters who prefer a heftier camera, my suggestion is to order it with the optional BG-E1 battery pack which provides more bulk, a vertical shutter release, and space for an additional battery pack so you will never run out of power during a typical, even atypical, day of shooting. Much as the BG-ED3 battery grip is an indispensable accessory for the Canon EOS D30/D60/10D, I would not buy a Digital Rebel without a BG-E1. It only costs a little more than one hundred bucks and you'll be glad you did. Because the CMOS chip is not as much a battery hog as the CCD, you can shoot all day with a single battery and shoot extensively with two without any concern about running out of battery power even if you spend time editing or chimping images on the LCD screen.

The biggest difference, other than physical construction and some menu choices, between the DR and the 10D is the control layout. The DR controls represent a "Vulcan Mind Meld" between the 10D and the G5 point-and-shoot model. As much as I was prepared to hate these kind of controls, it took me about one minute to get used to them and in one way-the inclusion of a control panel on the back instead of the top of the camera ala Fuji S2-I preferred the DR layout better. Out in the field, I'm always adjusting exposure compensation and found that it was much faster to do by looking at the back of the camera rather than the top. OK, camera settings are visible in the 10D's viewfinder, but everybody has their own way of working and I really liked the back mounted panel on the DR.

If you ever used any kind of Canon SLR you will be comfortable with the Digital Rebel. In fact, I get more confused when switching back and forth between a 10D and D60 than when using either of them and the Digital Rebel. That's probably because the D60 and 10D feel so much alike but have located some controls differently.

In typical Canon fashion, the Digital Rebel can be purchased as a "kit" that includes an 18-55mm EF-S zoom lens that won't fit any other Canon film or digital SLR. The lens, at its widest setting, just covers the 6MP chip, so while it measures 18mm at the widest setting, it only covers an area the equivalent of a 33mm lens on a 35mm camera. 

I enjoyed using the DR's proprietary 18-55mm zoom; it was my lens of choice when making scenic images of Japan and was a big help when photographing both cars and models at the Tokyo Motor Show. 

While it's an inexpensive (under $100) lens its optical performance was excellent and belied the cheapo price tag. If you don't already have a lens as wide as 18mm, you should definitely order your Digital Rebel with this lens. You can't beat it for the price.

No it's not the movie set from Blade Runner or the TV's Max Headroom it's the aki-habara section of Tokyo famed for its wall-to-wall electronics stores.  Canon Digital Rebel, 18-35mm zoom at f/15 with 1/5th of a second and ISO 400. It ain't that sharp but I like it anyway. Next time I'll bring a tripod.

While the DR's built-in flash is not noticeably more or less powerful than the tiny one that built into the 10D, its design places the flash head itself a bit higher making it ideal for use as fill flash both indoors and out. 

Under these conditions, I typically set the camera in program mode, pop up the flash and adjust ISO or exposure compensation, which is a delight to use on the DR, until I see something on the 1.8-inch LCD screen that I like.

The Tokyo Motor Show is held every two years and I was lucky to be able to attend while visiting Japan. The show is famous for it's outrageous concept cars and beautiful models, which love to pose for photographs.  Canon Digital Rebel, 18-35mm zoom at f/19 with 1/60th of a second (Program mode) and ISO 400 with the built-in flash used for fill.

So what's the scorecard look like? The Canon EOS Digital Rebel wins the price/performance battle by providing the best pixel per dollar for any digital SLR up to this time. Its popularity has got to be the reason Nikon pre-announced the not-as-yet-available D75 with skimpy details except a price that's close, yet higher than the Digital Rebel. It's easy to use for new photographers transitioning from digital point-and-shoots, and just as easy for SLR users, especially Rebel shooters. Is it strong enough to stand up to Pro usage? Probably not for a newspaper or magazine where the photographers don't have to pay for their gear the way you and I do, but I would call it "reasonably rugged." For many pros or aspiring professionals, it will make an excellent back-up camera.

The Digital Rebel is a solidly made camera that is true to its US model name. In Japan, it's the digital KISS, a name that I like even better.

Also see This One Changes Everything. Canon's New Rebel, the First Digital SLR Under $1,000 

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Text and images © 2004 Joe Farace