Yesterday, I was surprised by the rumuor that Canon plans to launch the Canon EOS Rebel T1 (1500D), which will be their newest Rebel series camera and the third Canon DSLR cameras launched this year (following the introduction of the Canon EOS Rebel T1i in March and Canon EOS 7D in just several weeks ago). Also, this is considered as the direct substitute of the Rebel XS (1000D) model.

The EOS Rebel T1 camera has high image resolution with the CMOS sensor of 12.2 million effective pixels, like the Rebel XSi. However, the major improvements, compared to the Rebel XS or Rebel XSi, are that some of the technologies are updated to match the Rebel T1i. For example, the image processor available in the camera is improved to DUAL DIGIC IV and the Rebel T1 also offers a High definition (HD 1080p) video with the frame rate of 30 fps. The LCD screen consists of 460,000 dots and the continuous shooting frame rate is up to 3.5 fps

According to the rumour, it’s still not sure whether the image stabilization technology is available. It is also suggested that the Rebel T1 is in the final testing stage, which means the camera may already be sent out for consumer testing. And, there is no major change in terms of size, weight and selling price. It is believed that the price will be just like the Rebel XS when it was released back in June 2008. The new EOS Rebel T1 camera is expected to be available for sales around Christmas season this year.

In overall, although there is no exciting technology development in the EOS Rebel T1, I think this could be good news for those of you who are looking for a new camera for yourself or as a Christmas gift for your friends or family members. But as I said, this is only a rumor leaked on many camera forums in the internet. So it’s better to wait and see the story pans out. But for the time being, I will definitely save the money for this one.

The Canon EOS Rebel T1i (a.k.a. 500D or Kiss X3 outside the U.S.) is the fifth model of Canon DSLR camera, which illustrates only few changes to the previous camera model (EOS Rebel XSi). After testing the camera, you will be surprised about how easy it can be used because the functions and interface provided is very powerful but still simple to use – just like the a point-and-shoot digital camera.

This camera is definitely made for amateur photographers and professionals and is the top entry-level SLR camera. It is very easy to use and comes with ranges of software such as Digital Photo Professional, EOS Utility and Photo Stitch, which give you some flexibility to edit after shooting.

The technical characteristics of this Rebel T1i seem to spark a competition in market with the other rival brands that we all know. It is also very helpful for amateurs when shooting as it can help shooting from difficult angles. The interesting feature is the presence of an HDMI connection that allows playback of high definition video and images on HD televisions. The camera provides excellent 9-point AF system, cross sensor high sensitivity. It is also equipped with EOS cleaning system for dust prevention.

Another obvious strength I can see is the image quality. The Rebel T1i has a 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, which is the most superior pixel density in all Canon EOS Rebel models. It can produce extremely sharp photos whether you decide to select a full-auto mode to shoot, or opt to fine-tune it manually.

The camera offers 3.0 inches LCD screen with a stunning 920,000 dots, which clearly intensify competition between Canon and other competitors. The maximum ISO range is 3,200 but can be expand to incredible 12,800.

If you are a professional photographer and understand the meaning of some terminology such as shutter speed, aperture, metering and white-balance, you’ll love the new processor, the DIGIC 4, featured in this Rebel T1i. It gives you a tremendous start up time, noise reduction and super fast focus. However, if you are just a beginner and are not familiar with the functions of DSLR camera, you don’t have to stress out at all. You can still shoot great photos with the new Rebel T1i, using automatic mode.

In overall, the Rebel T1i is available with a very cheap price, compared with its superior features. I hardly see any DSLR camera that has better quality and has lower price than the T1i. Compared with the rival manufacturer like Nikon, the Rebel T1i can be comparable with Nikon D5000. It is quite difficult to decide which is the better. To me, what struck me personally about the Rebel T1i is its finishing touch. So why don’t you give it a try? The shots speak for themselves.

Hi there! I think it’s better to wrap up everything together, including features, reviews and price, into table as I think this side-by-side comparison is a lot easier to understand. So I Hope this comparison help you choose the right camera that fits your needs and budgets.

Top 5 EOS Rebel Cameras Comparison	Canon EOS Rebel XT	Canon EOS Rebel XTi	Canon EOS Rebel XS	Canon EOS Rebel XSi	Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Amazon Rating	Rating:	Rating:	Rating:	Rating:	Rating:
Reviews from CNET.com	It is exceptionally small and lightweight camera designed for amateur DSLR photographers, but it delivers the responsiveness and image quality you'd expect from a semi-pro model.	The Canon EOS Rebel XTi remains a very good first DSLR, but ultimately a disappointing followup to the XT, which cedes its lead to the Nikon D80.	The Canon EOS Rebel XS is a good entry-level DSLR, but only its photo quality stands out among the competition.	It doesn't stand out for its feature set or design, but the Canon EOS Rebel XSi delivers on performance and photo quality.	A solid, slightly better-than-basic dSLR, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i delivers photo quality and performance that adequately compensates for most of its annoyances.
List Price	$599.99	$699.99	$599.99	$749.99	$899.99
Amazon Price*	$849.85	$899.95	$509.97	$621.89	$799.95
Features
Max Resolution	3456 x 2304	3888 x 2592	3888 x 2592	4272 x 2848	4752 x 3168
Image Ratio W:H	3:02	3:02	3:02	3:02	3:02
Effective Pixels	8 million	10.1 million	10.1 million	12.2 million	15.1 million
Sensor Size	22.2 x 14.8 (3.28 cm?)	22.2 x 14.8 (3.28 cm?)	22.2 x 14.8 mm (3.28 cm?)	22.2 x 14.8 mm (3.28 cm?)	22.3 x 14.9 mm (3.32 cm?)
Pixel Density	2.4 MP/cm?	3.1 MP/cm?	3.1 MP/cm?	3.7 MP/cm?	4.5 MP/cm?
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS
ISO rating	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (6400-12800 expandable)
Auto Focus	Multi-BASIS TTL, 7 focus points	Multi-BASIS TTL, 9 focus points	Multi-BASIS TTL, 7 focus points	Multi-BASIS TTL, 9 focus points	Multi-BASIS TTL, 9 focus points
Max Shutter	1/4000 sec	1/4000 sec	1/4000 sec	1/4000 sec	1/4000 sec
Flash Range	12 m (ISO 100)	12 m (ISO 100)	13 m (ISO 100)	13 m (ISO 100)	13 m (ISO 100)
Exposure Compensation	-2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps	-2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps	-2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps	-2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps	-2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps
Metering	35 area eval, center weighted, partial	35 area eval, center weighted, partial	35 area eval, center weighted, partial	35 area eval, center weighted, partial, spot	35 area eval, center weighted, partial, spot
Movie Clips	No	No	No	No	Yes, 1920 x 1080 (1080P, 16:9) @ 20 fps, 1280 x 720 (720P, 16:9) @ 30 fps, 640 x 480 (4:3) @ 30 fps
Uncompressed Format	Yes, RAW	Yes, RAW	Yes, RAW	Yes, RAW	Yes, RAW
Viewfinder	Optical (Pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.8x magnification)	Optical (Pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.8x magnification)	Optical (Pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.81x magnification)	Optical (Pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.87x magnification)	Optical (Pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.87x magnification)
LCD Screen	1.8 "	2.5 "	2.5 "	3 "	3 "
LCD Dots	115,000	230,000	230,000	230,000	920,000
HDMI	No	No	No	No	Yes
Battery	Canon 720mAh Li-Ion & Charger	Canon 720mAh Li-Ion & Charger	Canon 1050mAh Li-Ion & Charger	Canon 1050mAh Li-Ion & Charger	Canon 1050mAh Li-Ion & Charger
Weight (Including batteries)	540 g (19 oz)	556 g (19.6 oz)	502 g (17.7 oz)	524 g (18.5 oz)	520 g (18.3 oz)
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 64 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.5 in)	127 x 94 x 65 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.6 in)	126 x 98 x 65 mm. (5 x 3.9 x 2.6 in)	129 x 98 x 62 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 in)	129 x 98 x 62 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 in)

*The Amazon price may be subject to shipping cost and can be changed periodically. To check out the latest price, simply click “Check latest price” button provided. Note that you may need to click “add to Shopping Cart” in the Amazon webpage to see the price but you can always delete the item from the cart at any time if you decide not to purchase it.

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Elib Directory:
Information about Prices in USA – California:in this category are located websites with price comparison

Shooting portraits is absolutely enjoyable for photographers, whether you are shooting your friends, family or even stranger. Sometimes, this style of photographing can be difficult for amateurs as they always try to over-complicate their photoes. So here is my tips and techniques, which might help you get the best from your portrait.

Background

You should use a plain or simple background for your portraits. In other words, you can shoot better portraits if you have less distraction from your model. I understand that sometimes there’re immovable objects in the scene. So, if you can’t really move them away, then you could try using camera with a long lens and try to open the aperture a little wider to move them out of focus.

Exposure

You should be very familiar with the exposure modes of your camera. In the event of the dark or shady moment, you could use a spot meter-reading from the face of your model as it can help you get correct exposure on the model’s face, the most significant area of the image. You can also use reflector to make your model’s face brighter.

Composition

You should ensure about you use the right composition for your portraits. Sometimes, you model may look small if you shoot too high. On the other hand, your model may look tall if you shoot too low. The best advice I can give is you should not stick with any rules. Remember that creativity is the most important thing for portrait shooting.

Pose

No matter how nice your scene, background or composition is, your photo will never be good if your model doesn’t how to pose. Also, if your model starts to feel awkward or not comfortable with the pose, this will likely destroy your photo. So, your job as a photographer is to make your model more relaxed. Maybe, it is better to talk with your model more often as this will make her feel comfortable.

Colour

Like I mentioned in background, you shouldn’t include too much colour in your scene as it will distract the attention away from your model. Ensure that you use only few colours, maybe two or three, in the scene to make your shooting frame outstanding.

Lens

There’re many good lenses for portrait shooting but here I’d like to suggest two lenses, 24-105 mm lens and 70-200 mm lens. For the low-to-middle zoom range, the 24-105 mm lens is recommended because you can shoot with a wide angle and you can also make your model stand out by making background out of focus. The 70-200 mm lens, on the other hand, give you more options for long distance shooting and can provide a great depth of field to your photo.

Others

There’re some other tips for taking portraits. Before shooting, your image quality should be set at uncompressed or RAW. This will give larger size and allow you to work with your photo later with some computer programs such as Photoshop. Also, you should know your camera gears really well including functions in your camera and lens. Finally, you should be relaxed and have fun with your shooting. Remember that you will never shoot great photos unless you enjoy doing it.

The Canon EOS Rebel XTi represents a major leap of EOS technology. The body is available in both black and silver color and the body is made by stainless steel/polycarbonate. The silver body sold in Australia is known as the EOS 400D silver body, while it’s under the name Rebel XTi silver body in the US. The size is relatively the same as the previous Rebel XT model, which is quite small for average men’s hands.

The LCD screen in Rebel XTi is bigger than before. With the 2.5″ LCD display for a large thumbnail image, the screen can display about 230,000 pixel, which is much more superior compared to the previous Rebel XT camera model whose screen is only 1.8″ wide. The pop-up flash, enhanced with the latest versions, is capable of pulling up to 36 meters away. The shooting modes include A-Dep, M, Av, Tv, P, Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sport, Night and No Flash.

The CMOS optical sensor has improved significantly in Rebel XTi, up to 10.1 megapixels compared with 8.0 megapixels available in the older Rebel XT model. Also, the ISO is wider ranging from 100 up 1,600 allowing you to shoot even in the dark. And the camera is newly equipped with the automatic cleansing system, which help reduce dust from the camera lens. The shutter speed goes from 1/ 4,000, which is great for sports shooting, to several seconds. Another real advantage is that it allows 9-area autofocus system, with faster image processing.

Furthermore, the Rebel XTi allows you to take photos in uncompressed format (RAW), which means you are able to shoot photos with super high resolution images and can also be adjusted in Photoshop CS2 and CS3 as well. The Digic II image processor is provided with approximately 0.2 second start-up time. Users can choose either NTSC or PAL video outputs and the it is compatible with major operating systems such as Windows and Mac.

The Rebel XTi usually comes with kit lens (f/18-55) but can easily be replaced with a big 70-300 or a 75-300 with image stabilizer system (Recommend!). In fact, it is absolutely compatible with the whole Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites.

The criticism for the Rebel XTi, like the Rebel XT, is that it doesn’t possess a spot meter. It only supplies center and partial center weighted metering. This might be a problem when the object is standing right before the shining background as it is difficult to judge. Probably, this is the most significant limitation of this camera model.

In overall, the Rebel XTi enables you to capture solid pictures with options under a wide variety of circumstances; especially in moderate and high light levels. Also, it’s a good-choice camera for photographers, who desired of having an affordable camera. Definitely, there are some pro features which help you take some great photos, and it would make you hungry for more advanced pro cameras. So, this Rebel XTi is recommended for semi-professionals or amateurs like me as the price is approximately USD 899, which is not expensive at all.

Note – See more product featues and latest price from Amazon

Sometimes, I take tons of photos a day but only some of them are worth printing out. So, I think it would be great if those photos are printed out with the quality just like what we see in camera’s LCD screen. So I have some of the tips and techniques for you. Let’s check it out.

Get your camera ready

Generally, camera that you buy from store doesn’t give you the best quality of image. To get the most accuracy image, you should, if possible, manually calibrate you LCD monitor screen. Firstly, you have to turn your camera on for about 30 minutes to warm up the CCD lamp to the right temperature. Then, you adjust the ambient lighting and switch your camera to user adjust mode in order to adjust contrast, brightness, etc., to match with your printer setting. There is also a tool, such as colormunki, to help you calibrate your screen.

Resize your image

In some case, you may need to resize your photo to suit your particular need. The easiest choice would be to leave the resizing to Photoshop program since it has its automatically resizing feature called “Scale to Fit Media”. This feature is excellent if you’d like to have only small amount of snap shots. However, if you want to make quality printing, then this method isn’t the best option because it may lead to several issues related to framing, cropping and resizing. To resize your image properly, you can either use the crop tool or the image and Canvas Size commands. In addition, when you open the Photoshop, go Preferences and then under the Image Interpolation menu, please ensure that Bicubic is selected rather than the Bicubic Smooth or Bicubic sharpening options.

Properly maintain your printer

It’s not a good idea to leave your printer without using for a long period of time as the ink contained may be dry up. Normally, this type of problem can occur if your printer is left for more than two months. So, if you realize that you’re not a frequent print maker, you should turn you printer on at least every week or two weeks.

Gloss or matte paper

If you like color saturation, contrast and tonal range, the gloss paper is the choice for you. On the other hand, matte paper is a lot more subtle and suitable for portrait or landscape photos very well. All in all, both types have advantages and you have to decide which is the best for you. Trying to print photos using both types and then compare is probably the option that I would do.

Use color checker

Sometimes, you may be subjective about color. So color checker allows you to make comparison in terms of color with non-subjective standard. The color checker consists of variety of colors which represent particular subjects like sky, foliage and human skin as well as black and white. It will reflect light pretty much like the visible spectrum. Given this feature, the squares of each color will match the colors of natural objects for any illumination and with any color reproduction process. Therefore, it will help you find the true balance of any color rendition system.

Canon has launched the new EOS 7D digital SLR camera model to enhance your DSLR system to the next step, which is particularly suitable for professional photographers. The new EOS 7D model provides photographers with a large APS-C size CMOS image sensors and the new 18 megapixel resolution with Dual DIGIC 4 imaging processor. Moreover, photo can be taken using maximum of ISO 12800, as well as the continuous shooting mode of as much as 8 frames per second.

The auto focus used in EOS 7D model is the 19-point cross-type AF sensor system with the improved AI Servo AF focus system, which enables users to have more control on tracking moving objects. Another feature that could help you save time is the AF Point switching. Under this feature, photographers are allowed to choose one AF spot from vertical shooting and another spot for horizontal. This will be a perfect fit for portrait shooting and studio shooting.

Canon EOS 7D offers an intelligent viewfinder using liquid crystal overlay for providing clearer and brighter display. It is perfectly designed to display focus point, customized gridlines and spot metering circle in the LCD screen. Furthermore, the new optical measuring system, iFCL Metering, provide 63-zone dual-layer metering sensor, which will measure the light based on the data from the focus spot and color to keep exposure levels more constant in every shot, even though the light source changes.

The special feature included in this Canon E7 is that photographers can shoot a high quality video. The full HD video can be captured at 1920 x 1080 pixels in the frame rate of up to 30p with the speed of 29.97 frames per second for smooth natural images found in general video camera. Alternatively, photographers can choose 25p, which enables photo with the softness just like a Hollywood film. Photographers can also completely adjust the video mode manually and can change brightness of the light while recording.

Other interesting features of the EOS 7D are that the body is made from magnesium alloy for better durability and is sealed to prevent dust and water droplets. Shutter can last more than 150,000 times used and this E7 model supports more than 60 types of Canon EF and EF-S lenses as well as other Canon accessories.

The Canon EOS 7D camera is expected to be available for in the US by the end of September 2009. The body is predicted to have a retail price of USD 1,699. For the body plus kit lens with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom, the price will be around USD 1,899.

For those of you who are new to digital camera, the task of choosing your desirable digital camera from tons of choices with wide variety of features could be extremely difficult. It’s maybe true that there are a number of brands, specifications and prices available for you to select. However, understanding some technical vocabulary would help you choose the best digital camera. Here are some technical terms that you should know before you start looking for your camera.

Pixels

Given the technology of digital camera, digital images nowadays consist of millions of very small squares. This is also known as pixels, which normally have their own colors. These tiny little squares are smoothly compiled into digital image like we normally see every day. Therefore, when this image is magnified using computer program, then you are able to see the actual appearance to pixels.

Normally, when we actually describe maximum resolution of pictures which digital camera can create, we use the word “megapixels” rather just pixel. The megapixels (or a million pixels) are probably the most important criteria for determining grades of camera and its price. Also, the bigger megapixels do not always mean superior picture quality. However, it would just mean larger size of image.

To identify how many megapixels your camera can produce, just multiply the amount of pixels in the horizontal line by that in the vertical line. For instance, the camera with the maximum resolution of 2000 by 1600 pixels is called 3.2 megapixel camera.

As mentioned earlier, the megapixels would determine the maximum image size that each camera could produce. So it’s important to bear in mind that, for example, 6.0 megapixels camera is not necessarily better than 5.0 megapixels camera. In fact, other feathers will also impact the performance of digital camera or even more significant than the megapixels. The greater megapixels camera would be important if you want to print out your images since it can create the larger prints.

CMOS and CCD Sensors

Generally, digital camera has a small sensor in order to capture image and then storing it in memory. Like megapixels, the sensors have various sizes ranging from 20 to 40 millimeters squared. Today, only two kinds of sensors will normally be used in digital camera, including CCD (Charged Couple Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The CMOS sensors are generally used in less superior cameras which can create lower image quality. On the contrary, CCD sensors are normally found in more superior cameras with the more expensive price. However, CMOS sensors are not necessarily better than CCD sensors. This is the case when Digital SLR cameras are used.

Zoom – Optical and Digital

Although zoom functions are provided in every camera, it is still important to know the type of zoom offered. There are two kinds of zoom, optical zoom and digital zoom. Optical zoom is offered only on a film camera, in which the camera lens actually moves in order to create the magnification. On the other hand, digital zoom utilize circuitry to produce larger size of image. To compare between these two types of zoom, the optical zoom can generally create a better image than the digital zoom (see picture above). However, the price of optical zoom is much more expensive than digital zoom but if you really want a quality picture, then the optical zoom should be a good choice for you.

There are still more features to come. Please stay tune to the part two of the terminology you should know.

As you begin looking for the new camera, there should be something that you have to ask yourself. By way of asking those questions, the answers that you have could ultimately give you a potential odd for getting the right camera for you and make your decision quicker. The following list is the basic criteria that I usually use for buying new digital camera. As your shopping continues, you can modify this list to suit your own needs.

Budget

Of course, I put this as the first criterion as it is probably the first thing I will consider. In reality, there are tons of digital cameras out there in the market with the difference in terms of size, shape and quality. So, to narrow down the list, you should consider what kind of camera you can afford to pay, given the specific budget that you have.

Size

Nowadays, as manufacturers try to put some modern technologies to digital cameras, they are as a result getting smaller in every year. What is good about this technological advancement is that it allows you to have more convenience since you are able to take the camera anywhere. However, some, especially men, may not like the small camera since handling camera and shooting photo could be uncomfortable. So, I would say that tiny body, grips and buttons may not necessarily be a good thing for everyone.

Features

Features are probably the most important things to consider when buying a new digital camera. Obviously, Megapixels is the one that will determine the price level of each digital camera. It will give you the resolution of photo, i.e. how much sharpness your camera is able to create.

The zooming ability is also important to consider. To determine the importance of this ability, you may have to think what occasion you need to use zoom and how often you would use. For example, when you go to wedding ceremony, do you usually shoot many wedding shots of bride and groom when you are in the back to the church or you just take the landscape photo inside? If you often take pictures of people (i.e. portrait pictures) or any specific objects, you may need to have high zooming ability. I advise you to think about this carefully as more zooming ability means more money spent.

Also, you should consider the quality of image when you buy digital camera. This is relatively difficult to judge but you can gain some more ideas from salespersons in camera shops. So, I think it is good to talk with them and keep asking questions that you may have.

Everyday Use

As I previously mentioned, you should always consider what kind of activities and where you will use the camera. Different kinds of events (such as indoor, outdoor, sports actions, landscape, portrait) require different kinds of cameras, lens and accessories. So, be true to yourself and try to express this to salespersons in store so that they will be able to help you find the right camera.

Others

When you have a plan to buy the new camera, you should find the camera that really does it for you. It is important not to go out shopping the camera with a brand name or buy it just because someone recommends to you. If your hands always shake, you may need an image stabilizer on your camera or lens. Also, some cameras have a function that can reduce a red eye.

In closing, you should carefully consider all of these criteria and features with the price or budget you can afford. Again, remember that realizing what you actually need or look for will help you get the camera that is right for you.