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LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Feb. 17, 2005 – The Canon EOS Digital Rebel camera
that rocked the world of consumer digital SLRs little more than a year ago now
has a new, faster, even smaller, big brother. Sibling rivalries aside, the 8.0
megapixel Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR, which will be showcased at PMA 2005,
February 20-23 (Canon Booth #3503), in Orlando, Fla., adds resolution, speed, an
extra dollop of creative control and enhanced comfort in the hand, to one of the
smallest and lightest digital cameras in its class. Despite its advancements in
ergonomic design and technology, this easy to use EOS digital camera is
compatible with all of Canon’s EF lenses including the EF-S lenses and
still retains the sub-$1,000 price point, proven crucial to entry-level digital
SLR consumers.
“As we have with the Digital Rebel’s 35mm film-based cousins, we
are expanding the line-up of Digital Rebel SLRs, offering consumers a wider
variety of features and price points based on their needs and budgets,”
said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer
imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc, a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ).
“Even though we have increased the resolution, speed, responsiveness and
energy efficiency on the new EOS Digital Rebel XT camera, we have decreased its
size and weight, making it more comfortable to hold and use. Indeed, it is nearly
three ounces lighter and more than a half-inch smaller than the original EOS
Digital Rebel model.”
Rebel Without A Choice No More
In stores beginning in March, the EOS Digital Rebel XT camera will take its
place alongside the original 6.3 megapixel EOS Digital Rebel camera that first
placed an affordable, high resolution digital SLR into the hands of Canon
consumers. The EOS Digital Rebel XT model is offered in two kit configurations:
with and without Canon’s high-quality EF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens.
The estimated street price for the zoom lens kit will be $999* while the
estimated street price for the body only kit will be $899*. The original Digital
Rebel will be available at the same time for a reduced estimated street price of
$799* for the zoom lens kit. Standard accessories in both camera kits include a
battery pack and charger, software, manuals, interface cables, neckstrap and
Canon U.S.A. limited warranty. The EOS Digital Rebel XT camera will be offered in
both the stylish brushed silver patina and the sleek Canon matte-black
finish.
While many of the feature advancements and innovations on the new EOS Digital
Rebel XT digital camera are inherited from Canon’s recently introduced EOS
20D “prosumer” SLR (which carries a and estimated street price of
approximately $1,599*), the two cameras’ most striking technological
similarities are their use of Canon’s newly-developed, large single plate,
high sensitivity, high resolution color CMOS imaging sensor technology. While the
size of the APS-C CMOS sensor on the EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR is fractionally
smaller than the APS-C CMOS sensor on the EOS 20D camera (22.2 x 14.8 mm versus
22.5 x15.0 mm respectively) accounting in part for the cameras 8.0 vs. 8.2
megapixel resolution rating, individual pixel dimensions are identical, and they
both provide the same effective angle of view, equivalent to 1.6 x the normal EF
lens focal length.
“As tempting as it is to compare the EOS Digital Rebel XT digital camera
with the more advanced EOS 20D model based on their technological kinship, there
are, of course, some very real differences between them. While the 20D SLR
includes performance features such as faster continuous shooting speed (five
frames-per-second (fps) vs. three fps) with larger burst capability (23 frames
vs. 14) and custom function settings (18 vs. 9) that more than justify its
heftier price tag, this new Rebel XT model was created for those dedicated SLR
users who are migrating to digital for the first time and do not wish to give up
the flexibility that an SLR system offers,” explained Hashimoto. “For
that discerning yet still entry-level digital SLR consumer, having the EOS
Digital Rebel and the EOS Digital Rebel XT cameras to choose from is
Canon’s latest one/two combination, and it’s a real
knockout.”
Finer Photos Faster
The new EOS Digital Rebel XT digital camera can shoot up to 14 consecutive
Large/Fine (8.0 megapixel) JPEGs, five RAW files, or four RAW + Large/Fine JPEGs
at a rate of up to three frames-per-second. The EOS Digital Rebel camera’s
smaller buffer permits bursts of only four Large/Fine (6.3 megapixel) JPEG or RAW
frames at a rate of up to 2.5 frames per second.
While reprising the Digital Rebel SLR’s ISO range of 100, 200, 400, 800
and 1600, Canon raised the Auto ISO setting on the Digital Rebel XT model to 400
in order to help improve image quality, reduce camera shake and brighten the
scene behind the subject when taking a flash photo. The new Digital Rebel XT
camera also offers 12 exposure modes that are user selectable at the turn of a
conveniently placed dial. The exposure modes take into account virtually all
shooting conditions and preferences are: Full Auto, Portrait, Landscape,
Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, Flash Off, Program AE, Shutter speed-priority
AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual and Auto Depth-of-Field AE.
In addition to its lossless compression 8.0 megapixel RAW image file option,
the Rebel XT Digital SLR offers users the option of shooting in a range of sizes
and quality JPEG settings (based on shooter’s preference, need and end-use
requirements) from large (8.0 megapixels) and medium (4.15 megapixels), to small
(2.0 megapixels). Within each resolution option, the user may also select quality
settings: large/fine, large/normal, medium/fine, medium/normal, small/fine and
small/normal.
RAW Power
What’s more, where the original Digital Rebel camera required dedicated
software to extract embedded middle/fine resolution JPEGs from the larger,
uncompressed RAW image file, the new Rebel XT model saves RAW and large/fine
resolution images as separate files on the Compact Flash
card. The user also has the option of selecting RAW (8.0 megapixel) files
only, saving valuable space on the CF card. As with the EOS 20D, the Digital
Rebel XT camera’s RAW files are denoted by the CR2 extension.
Creative Control
Among the new features found on the EOS Digital Rebel XT camera are user
selectable metering and AF modes, flash exposure compensation control, improved
E-TTL II evaluative flash metering and for the first time in this product
category, custom function control. The Digital Rebel XT SLR even offers a
monochrome mode for consumers who enjoy the subtleties and shadings that only
black and white images offer. These additional controls greatly increase the
creative power of the Digital Rebel XT, without taking away any of the automated
functions that made the original Digital Rebel so popular with beginning
photographers.
The Rebel XT camera incorporates nine of the Custom Functions previously found
on the EOS 20D model. Designed to fine-tune camera operation according to
personal preferences, the custom functions offer users a set of programming
options for the SET button/Cross keys, as well as control over long exposure
noise reduction; flash sync speed in AV mode; AF start from the shutter button or
AE lock button; AF assist beam; mirror lockup; E-TTL II metering patterns, and
shutter curtain sync.
All This and DIGIC II
Canon’s newest and most powerful SLR imaging engine, DIGIC II provides
high-precision and high speed, natural color reproduction including
high-saturation, bright subjects, improved auto white balance, along with
increased white balance correction control and white balance bracketing (another
legacy of EOS 20D advances), compared to the original Digital Rebel camera.
The white balance correction control is a digital color filter that works like
a light balancing filter or a color-compensating filter. Both the blue/amber bias
and the magenta/green bias can be adjusted to +/- 9 levels. While the blue/amber
bias adjustment is standard on the original Digital Rebel model, the Rebel XT
camera’s additional magenta/green bias adjustment provides increased color
compensation from the earlier model.
The Rebel XT SLR’s white balance bracketing mode enables the camera to
automatically take three images for every shot snapped, each with a different
bias setting. The user can then select the best shot and discard the other two.
White balance bracketing can also be used in combination with white balance
correction. The benefit of all of this white balance wizardry can be found in the
photographs with colors captured accurately and precisely under a wide range of
conditions.
In addition to the legion of image quality improvements, DIGIC II speeds up
the camera’s performance from start up that is ten times faster on the EOS
Digital Rebel XT model than it is on the EOS Digital Rebel with the original
iteration of DIGIC (.2 of a second on the EOS Digital Rebel XT model compared
with 2 seconds on the EOS Digital Rebel camera).
Utilizing the same 7-point autofocus system as the EOS Digital Rebel camera,
the new EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR is capable of analyzing where a subject is --
even when it is off center – and almost immediately bringing it into focus.
It can also analyze subject movement and automatically select locking or tracking
AF modes as needed. These features simplify the camera’s operation and
optimize its performance. The Digital Rebel XT allows users to select locking or
tacking AF modes independently, adding a new dimension of creative control.
What’s more, even though both Digital Rebel SLRs use that identical
7-point autofocus system, the Rebel XT model’s new DIGIC II chip actually
help increase the speed of autofocus calculation and hence the responsiveness of
the autofocus itself. For greater creative control, both cameras also offer users
the option of automatic and manual focusing point selection.
Another feature improved by the presence of DIGIC II is the speed of the
direct printing function, which is PictBridge compatible. DIGIC II also produces
faster startup times, faster CompactFlash card writing speed; and approximately
10X faster data transfer speeds thanks to the processor’s new USB 2.0
high-speed interface. As an added bonus, the DIGIC II chip is so efficient, it
actually reduces the EOS Digital Rebel XT camera’s power consumption (and
extends battery life) by approximately 35%. Indeed, this new Rebel XT camera is
so energy efficient, it is powered by the same lighter-weight NB-2LH battery pack
used by the PowerShot S60 (as opposed to the larger BP-511A battery pack used by
the original Digital Rebel model). While the NB-2LH battery and charger are
included with the Digital Rebel XT camera, both a new vertical grip (BG-E3) that
accepts up to two NB-2LH battery packs or six AA-sized batteries and an AC
Adapter Kit (ACK700) for powering from an AC outlet, are available as optional
accessories.
E-TTL II: Exposure Control In A Flash
The new Rebel XT camera also features the next step in the evolution of
evaluative- through the lens exposure control, E-TTL II. Though compatible with
all Canon EX-series Speedlites, this “smarter” new E-TTL II system
helps ensure that, even in situations with highly reflective subjects or
backgrounds or when shooting in most other similarly difficult lighting
situations, the image will be optimally exposed.
The E-TTL II system compares the ambient light with the reflected pre-flash
off the subject reported in all 35 metering zones and selects the areas with a
small difference to be weighted for flash exposure calculation. This system also
helps eliminate or underweights areas with large differences, recognizing them as
an extremely reflective object in the background or a highly reflective
subject.
Bundled Software
Both the Rebel XT Camera and lens kit and the body only kit are shipped with
three software discs including EOS Digital Solutions Disc 10 featuring
ZoomBrowser EX, ImageBrowser and ArcSoft PhotoStudio together with other
utilities, another disc containing Digital Photo Professional 1.6 for RAW file
conversions, and a third disc containing PDF versions of the instruction manuals
for each application.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial
imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired
Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100
Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of
technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of
$33.3 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
