Canon has melded the EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D and EOS Rebel XSi/450D to create the EOS Rebel XS/1000D, its latest entry-level digital SLR. Announced today, the new model combines the body, control layout, battery, SD/SDHC card slot and DIGIC III processing circuitry of the XSi/450D with the 10.08 million image pixel CMOS sensor and 2.5 inch (diagonal) rear LCD of the XTi/400D to come up with a starter camera that is expected to sell for about US$200 less than the XSi/450D.








Other differences include:

• While most of what constitutes the XS/1000D comes from either the XSi/450D or XTi/400D, the 7-point autofocus system hails from 2005's XT/350D.
• The XSi/450D fires at 3.5 fps, the XS/1000D at 3 fps. Canon is stating the Large Fine JPEG burst depth specification a bit differently with the new model, to emphasize that its smaller files (owing to the XS/1000D's lower resolution sensor) and reasonably quick SD/SDHC slot enable the camera to shoot continuously, at 3 fps, until the card is full (this trick will undoubtedly require a fast memory card). When set to RAW, the XS/1000D's frame rate drops to 1.5 fps, for a total of 6 frames before buffer stall sets in.
• The XS/1000D shares its DIGIC III processor with the XSi/450D, but the new model's analog-to-digital conversions are at 12 bits per colour, rather than the 14 bits per colour of the XSi/450D (and all other DIGIC III-based Canon digital SLRs). The XS/1000D lacks the Highlight Tone Priority option of other DIGIC III SLRs too. It does have Live View, however, implemented with the same range of features and options as in the XSi/450D.
• The XS/1000D's viewfinder magnification is slightly reduced from the XSi/450D.
• The XS/1000D metering options are comprised of Evaluative, Centre Weighted and Partial but not the XSi/450D's Spot.
• The new camera is compatible with Battery Grip BG-E5 and Remote Switch RS-60E3 (a wired remote), but not Wireless Remote Controller RC-1 or RC-5.

The price and ship date for the EOS Rebel XS/1000D will be revealed for the U.S. market on July 8, 2008. As noted, the price is expected to be about US$200 less than the EOS Rebel XSi/450D, which would make it roughly the price of the EOS Rebel XTi/400D now. The XTi/400D will continue to be sold in the U.S. through the month of June and into July at least, says Chuck Westfall, Technical Advisor at Canon USA.


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