Canon EOS 500D/Rebel T1i

Review Index – (updated 19 February’10)

LapTopMag
“The Canon EOS Rebel T1i / 500D inhabits an exclusive class of DSLRs that provide strong image quality, fast speeds, and HD video for a reasonable price. Overall, we prefer the Nikon D5000 because of its more intuitive interface and low-light performance, Plus, it costs $170 less. Nevertheless, the T1i is a very strong contender.”
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HardwareSecrets
This is a good choice for those looking for a mid-range DSLR. Even beginners will feel comfortable with it’s easy to use photo and auto settings. If you’re a new shooter and you have the time you could gradually add to your photo knowledge while learning the cameras numerous functions. On the downside, beginners might not appreciate the massive number of functions and menus and could find it a little intimidating.

Trusted Reviews
“This is noted successor to the 450D and has added a lot of new useful features like HD video, a sensor with more power, and a nicer LCD. Other aspects of the camera remain top notch, like how it’s built, ease-of-use, and performance which makes it equal to any of the other cameras in its class. With a world class combination of quality and usability this camera is destined to be a best seller.”
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Wired
“WIRED Creative Auto mode provides intuitive tools for newbies. Though there’s no full autofocus for video, you can refocus manually while shooting. Offers some advanced image controls for video. TIRED Pronounced orange hue in most photos, especially indoor shots. Reds look weak. Outdoor pics usually come out overexposed. 3-inch LCD doesn’t swivel, so you have to hold the camera in front of your nose while filming.”
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ImagingResource
“Our experience with the Canon T1i was excellent, and shows that Canon is taking its digital SLR challengers quite seriously. Indeed, our test results show that the Canon T1i is one of the best values on the market, offering Canon 50D quality in a significantly less expensive package.”

PCAuthority
“But even with excellent video quality and expanded ISO range, the 500D struggles to justify the price increase over the 450D. Since its launch, the 450D has dropped to around $1000: the 500D costs $1400. And that’s before you consider the Nikon D90, which costs $1400 and offers a superior lens, better handling and 4.5fps continuous shooting to the 500D’s 3.4.”
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DPS
“Sitting in the middle of Canon’s seven model range, the Canon EOS T1i (Canon EOS 500D in some parts of the world) should service the ambitions of the eager amateur and budget-conscious semi-pro. It is possibly a little too restrictive for full-flight pros.”

PopPhoto
“The image quality the Rebel T1i offers with its 14-bit RAW capture, Digic 4 processing, and accurate 35-zone metering is astonishing given its price. Just a few years ago, you couldn’t hope to get talent like this for under $1,000. In all, an amazing first—or step-up—DSLR.”

LetsGoDigital
“The EOS body is of high quality and generates a lot of photography fun. The camera is user-friendly and provides an extremely high image quality. The Canon 500D is everybody’s friend. The camera will offer the ideal learning curve for the beginning photographer and help elevate him or her to new level of photography. As far as we’re concerned, the Canon EOS 500D is a complete camera and therefore a camera that will suit every user.”
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Photocrati
“Buy it. The Rebel T1i may not be as much fun to use as some cameras in this size or price range, but it delivers plenty of bang for the buck. Just be sure to buy a second lens, in case the kit lens should meet with an untimely demise.”

Shutterbug
“True, the price tag is a bit higher than recent Rebel models, but if going to a higher megapixel count and especially having HD video is what you had in mind, the Rebel T1i will fill the bill. Then again, the price tag is lower than some advanced amateur models we’ve seen of late, and the features and output of the Rebel T1i could be seen as competing in that arena as well.”

Photozone
“The EOS 500D is yet another milestone in Canon’s success story in the popular consumer DSLR class. An excellent all-round camera for beginners but also for enthusiasts who are looking for a light-weight DSLR at a very fair price level. Nevertheless, the EOS 500D is another recommendable masterpiece from Canon. However, Canon EOS 450D users don’t really need to upgrade unless there’s a critical need for the movie mode functionality. “

Ken Rockwell
“If you’re looking, the image files from the Rebel T1i looks poor at large magnifications. The common technical issues of noise and resolution and sharpness are fine. The problem is that the noise reduction is so strong, even at low ISOs, that while sharp edges remain sharp, even moderate textures get smoothed over.”

Bob Adkins
“Overall I think the Digital Rebel T1i is one of the best bargains in Canon’s (or anyone else’s) DSLR lineup. You get a high resolution sensor, ISO capabilities up to 12,800, HD video and most of the “bells and whistles” that the average photographer will ever need.”

DCResource
“The Rebel T1i takes well-exposed photos, though it does clip highlights a bit more than I’d like. Colors were pleasing the majority of the time, except with the night and indoor church shots, which had noticeable brown color casts. As with other Canon D-SLRs, images straight out of the camera are on the soft side. You can bump up the in-camera sharpening by using the Picture Styles feature if you think so too. The camera keeps noise levels very low — you won’t have an issue with it until ISO 1600 in low light and ISO 3200 in normal lighting. Higher sensitivities are quite usable if you don’t mind shooting RAW and post-processing a bit. Like with its predecessors, the Rebel T1i has a bit of redeye problem, and there’s no way to remove it on the camera. Purple fringing levels were fairly low.”

MacWorld
“This is the best Canon yet. If you need a faster burst rate, or don’t like the Rebel’s button-centered interface, or the camera is too small for your hands, then you’ll also want to look at the EOS 50D, the next camera up in Canon’s line. (Note that you won’t get video shooting with that camera.) If you’re looking for an SLR under $1,000 that takes great images and movies, then this camera is an excellent choice.”
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PhotographyBay
“Overall, I highly recommend the Canon Rebel T1i to anyone looking for a feature-rich and very capable DSLR on an entry-level budget. There are plenty of great DSLRs on the market – some offer more features and some may be cheaper. However, this is the best Rebel yet. Image quality rivals cameras much more expensive than it and, if you buy something cheaper, you’re going to miss out on some cutting edge stuff that only the Rebel T1i offers.”

The Digital Story (Field Test at Bodie State Park)
“There are two major pitfalls with this camera in the field that you should be aware of. First, this is not a weather proof camera and will not stand up to harsh elements the way the Canon pro models will. So you have to protect the body when things get stormy. Also, as I mentioned before, there isn’t an external mic jack for video capture. So your audio options are pretty limited.”

DigitalCameraReview
“Not only do you get some of the trickle down technology from the mid-level 50D, you get it for less than its sticker price. Like most Canons that come off the assembly line, the T1i is great in low-light, has a respectable AF system, shoots great video and show impressive dynamic and tonal range in the images it produces. Best of all, you get the whole kit for $899. This is one of the better DSLRs I have shot with in the past few years, and by far the best Rebel yet to hit the market.”

DPReview
“If you currently own an EOS 450D or another fairly recent entry-level DSLR from an image quality point of view there is not necessarily a need to upgrade to the EOS 500D. However, the HD video mode, new high-resolution screen or extended ISO range make it easier to justify the expense if you’re likely to use these features. For anybody buying their first DSLR the 500D is an easy recommendation.”
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Pocket-lint
“In general use, the Canon EOS 500D is an excellent point and shoot DSLR, for those who want an uncomplicated camera that offers greater potential than compact models. The Creative Auto may convince you to click that mode dial, but will perhaps be lost on more experienced users. The still image performance is compelling but we can’t help but feel the video is something of a novelty. Yes, you can capture crisp and detailed high-definition video, but it comes with a list of limitations.”
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The Digital Story
“Derrick Story takes the 500D/T1i through it’s paces in this hands-on review. I recently published a field report with sample images tited, Street Shooting with Canon 500D/T1i, but I wanted to spend a little more time talking about the specifications and usability of the DSLR. And that’s exactly what I do in this week’s podcast.”

Demystifying Digital
“Overall though, since I can only comment superficially on the images and video and since this model doesn’t differ drastically from other recent Rebel cameras – aside from the bump in resolution and the HD feature – there’s not a lot more I can say about the Rebel T1i at this point.”

The Digital Story (Street Shooting)
“Overall, I think this is a fine camera for street shooting. It’s not a quiet picture taker, nor does it have Silent Shooting in Live View as does the Canon 5D Mark II. But with street noise, most people never hear you working anyway. This might be more of an issue, however, at weddings, I’ll continue to test the Canon T1i in other situations and let you know. For this type of work, however, it’s terrific.”

Steve’s Digicams
“This camera possesses a high degree of appeal with loads of exposure options, and class leading ISO capabilities, performance, and image quality. With a sticker price of US $799.99 for the body only or US $899.99 with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens, we feel the Canon Rebel T1i / EOS 500D offers a very competitive price for a camera that delivers so much.”

Camera Labs
“If you had to come up with a list of expected enhancements over its predecessor, the EOS 500D / T1i would probably come as little surprise. HD video recording will become de-rigueur for DSLRs over the coming year, HDMI is a natural complement, while VGA screens and continued boosts in resolution are inevitable. It’s also not surprising to find Canon effectively recycling the 450D / XSi’s body, viewfinder, AF and battery system.”
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DigitalCameraInfo
“In our lab testing, we hit some significant problems with the T1i. It performed very well in terms of color accuracy, but in many other areas it disappointed, especially sharpness. We were also unimpressed by the lack of manual controls in video mode, one of the major draws of shooting video with an SLR.”

The Digital Picture
“While not a pro model, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i / 500D’s image quality is very pro-grade. And for the price, this image quality is a bargain. I see no reason to expect the T1i to vary from the sales path taken by the best-selling XSi. There will be many family memories richly preserved by the T1i / 500D.”

Digital Trends
“We have no squawks on the camera section, other than noise becoming readily apparent beyond ISO 800. It’s responsive, and you’ll be more than happy with the prints, whether you making 4x6s or 13x19s. The HD videos are a mixed bag, with decent full HD results, but nothing you’d compare with a top-flight camcorder.”
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InfoSync
“On the other side of the fence, the Canon Eos 500D never sold us short on still image features, as we basked in the luxury of a full manual suite including Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual mode. But Canon tossed a little more gasoline into the fire with the addition of CA (Creative Auto) mode and A-DEP (Automatic Depth-of-field AE).”
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PCMag
“Overall, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i is a big step up from entry-level D-SLRs like the $700 Rebel XSi or the $600 Pentax K2000. Though these other two are both solid cameras for their low prices, the T1i serves up quicker operation, better low-light shots, a gorgeous high-res screen, and the ability to capture beautiful HD video”
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RegHardware
“What isn’t so great though, is the video performance. Video is in MOV (H.264) file format and the Full HD mode, with its disappointing 20fps, results in jerkiness on playback. The 720p/30fps mode offers smoother motion but it seems silly having to use the lower resolution setting in order to get better performance.”
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PhotographyBlog
“The new Canon EOS 500D / Digital Rebel T1i is a much-improved DSLR camera that’s easily worthy of our Highly Recommended award. It doesn’t quite merit our full 5-star rating due to the combination of its high recommended retail price and quirky video mode, but the 500D is still one of the best mid-range DSLRs around.”
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CNET Asia
“The EOS 500D is a good entry-level camera which will satisfy amateurs and first-time dSLR users alike. Although it has minor flaws such as small autofocus indicators, the image quality makes up for it. It’s a pity the audio pickup for video recording is in mono only and there are no ports for attaching an external microphone. That said, this shooter will be a good tool for budding photographers who want to advance their skills.”
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PhotoReview
“Long exposure noise reduction produced only slight image softening at ISO settings between 400 and 3200. Exposures at higher sensitivity settings were too short to test this function fully. The high ISO noise reduction reduced the visibility of colour noise at ISO 12,800, although the image was noticeably softened by the processing. This processing proved unnecessary at ISO settings between 400 and 3200.”
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GoodGearGuide
“All things considered, the Canon EOS 500D is a nice step up from the 400D and is a good model to consider if you also want the ability to capture high quality video with a still camera. It’s not perfect — it could use a better control layout, a flip-down screen, and an easier to use Live View mode — but at $1499 for the body, it’s just as good an option as Nikon’s D5000, although the latter is the better camera.”
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DPInterface
“Though the Canon Rebel T1i doesn’t provide as many stepping stones as its competitors (the Rebel T1i doesn’t have as many scene modes and has a very simple playback mode) for compact camera users to step up to the digital SLR world, it still is an easy-to-use camera with clearly labeled buttons, 5 preset scene modes and a Creative Auto mode which allows you to test the waters of manual exposure/depth of field control.”

DigitalRev (First Impressions Video)

CNET
“The T1i’s improvement in low-light AF may be a compelling upgrade for current XSi owners; the higher resolution and video capture capability may provide some allure as well. If you’re looking to buy an entry-level Canon, the EOS Rebel T1i won’t disappoint, and if you need high resolution, good high ISO performance, or 30fps movie capture in this price range, it’s the model to beat from any manufacturer.”
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TechRadar (Preview)
“We’re more impressed with the Digic 4 image processor and other noise reduction technologies, which really boost the ISO (light sensitivity) range on the 500D. With this camera, you can comfortably go as far as ISO 1200 without noise becoming a major headache.”
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Rob Galbraith (Preview)
“The most notable difference is resolution and frame rate: while the 5D Mark II is capable of capturing 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080p) at 30fps, at this same frame rate the Rebel T1i tops out at 1280 x 720 pixels (720p). The new camera has a 1080p option, but is limited to a slightly jerky 20fps. Both cameras have a 640 x 480 pixel capture setting too (at 30fps).”

Video Preview at CNET

DPReview (Preview)
“In general terms, it’s a gentle re-working of the 450D. So you get the 15MP sensor much like the one that appears in the 50D, helping this to become the first entry-level DSLR to feature video (and 1080p HD video at that). You also get the lovely 920,000 dot VGA monitor that has been slowly working its way down most manufacturer’s DSLR line-ups. There are a handful of other specification tweaks that come from the use of the latest Digic 4 processor but essentially this is most of a 50D stuffed into the familiar 450D body.”

Camera Labs (Preview)
“If you had to come up with a list of expected enhancements over its predecessor, the EOS 500D / T1i would probably come as little surprise. HD video recording will become de-rigueur for DSLRs over the coming year, HDMI is a natural complement, while VGA screens and continued boosts in resolution are inevitable. It’s also not surprising to find Canon effectively recycling the 450D / XSi’s body, viewfinder, AF and battery system.”

DigitalCameraInfo (Preview)
“Based on our initial shooting experience, we have high image quality expectations for stills, and a wait-and-see atittude about the video mode. As for a buy/don’t buy recommendation, that will wait for a final camera and lab-tested analysis.”

ePhotozine (Preview)
“Dipping into the menu shows a similar one to the newer cameras such as the Powershot G10, EOS 5D MkII and EOS 50D with the flashy graphics and compacted UI. Interestingly, the video menu will only come up when the camera is in video mode which is a nice touch as it lessens the amount of options in normal shooting mode.”