[This is the same review I posted for the kit. If you're getting the body because you don't like the 18-55 lens, keep in mind that some dealers offer this camera in a kit with the much nicer 17-85 USM IS (image stabalization) zoom.]

The new Digital Rebel XTi camera should appeal to a wide variety of users: those wishing to upgrade from a point & shoot digital, or those wishing to improve upon their first generation digital SLRs. Features and value make this a 5-star camera, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

Compared to the previous Digital Rebel XT, important improvements are:

1) 10.1 megapixels. In digital camera circles, this is like saying a car has more horsepower than an older car. While this alone doesn't mean "better" pictures, in reality, combined with other improvements in hardware & software, the results typically are better.;

2) 2.5" LCD panel. This alone has more than one advantage. The obvious first one is that our... Read more

You'll find plenty of technical reviews on the web regarding features and specs for this camera.

The best thing I think I can provide is my short experience with this camera, so if you used to have a high end P&S camera and is looking to dive into the DSLR world, you are where I was a few weeks ago.

I owned a Sony F717 which I really loved, but honestly, all I did was set it to Auto and take good pictures. The problem was that I had a toddler at home that doesn't really like to wait till the camera took a few secs to focus and take the pic. I was missing those smiles and moments just because the Sony couldn't take pics fast enough.

I decided to look into newer cameras... Initially my budget was around $400 and I was looking to buy the Canon S3. But after spending several weeks online reading reviews (like you probably are right now), I decided that I wanted a DSLR (you'll find plenty of technical reasons in the web and other reviews). I was then ready... Read more

I had the Rebel XT and about 8 lenses and was thinking of getting an upgraded second camera body. So when it came out the 30D was a logical choice, but it was not really much of an upgrade from the 20D, which I resisted, so I was not really sure what to do. Then I had all but decided to just take the plunge and get the 30D when I heard the first rumblings about the XTi.

Then I started to learn the details about the XTi, more mega pixels, same auto focus, same screen, picture styles, dust cleaning! The only areas that the 30D won in my opinion were build quality, spot meter, and estimated shutter life. Those 3 categories were not enough to convince me that the 30D was worth $300-$400 more than the XTi especially since the XTi had won or tied in most categories. The way I look at it is that the camera bodies are not nearly as important as the lenses, they change so fast that it is not worth it to me to spend more for longevity when it will be outdated in a year anyway... Read more