Canon XS: 10.1 Megapixels, Live View, and a Lower Price
by Wesley Fink on July 8, 2008 5:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
Our Take
Canon’s current DSLR line is in our estimation the best of the entry offerings. However, the XSi is priced more like the Sony A350 and Nikon D80 than the entry models from both these manufacturers. The XSi competes well against these pricier models, but some complained the older XTi was not really a proper competitor at entry.
Canon has answered those critics with the introduction of the XS. At $200 less than the XSi the XS gives up surprisingly little for those savings. The biggest item would be the 10.1mp sensor instead of the 12.2mp sensor used in the XSi. However, both sensors are CMOS and famous for low noise, while their entry competition is still using the Sony 10 megapixel CCD sensor.
The XS competes very well at its entry price point. It is amazing how quickly it has happened but ALL of the current entry line-up come complete with in-body Image Stabilization or Optical Image Stabilization in the form of an IS or VR kit lens. The only exception is the Olympus E-420, which forgoes IS to remain the smallest production DSLR camera. Olympus does provide IS in the E-520 which sells at about the same price as the XS.
In particular the Nikon D60 does not compare well to the XS. The XS features both 2-mode Live View and an optional Battery Grip, which are both features missing from the D60. The XS also uses a reasonable 7-point AF instead of the older 3-point in the Nikon D60 or Olympus E-520/E-420. The XS also features both contrast-detection and phase-detection AF, missing from the Nikon or the Sony A200. Sony does offer Live View for $100 more in the A300 – and it ups the ante with a tilt LCD. The Pentax D200D competes well with the XS at a slightly higher price and it also features real weather and dust sealing.
Canon has met their goal of providing a lower cost and very competitive XS model. With the XS and XSi offerings it is pretty easy to argue that Canon has the best entry model lineup for now. Those who mainly want a truly useful Live View should probably choose the Sony A300/A350, but they will give up the better viewfinder and control of the XS and XSi. The Sony models are very easy to use if that is also an important criteria.
In crafting the XS Canon also left plenty of reasons to upgrade or choose the XSi instead. It is 12.2 megapixels instead of 10.1, a 3” screen instead of 2.5”, and the AF module is the more recent and likely faster 9-point module. The XSi is also a bit faster in continuous shooting, and has features like Spot Metering, more options for Dynamic Range Expansion, and a better viewfinder view than the XS. These differences will matter to Advanced Amateurs who will likely choose the XSi, but they don’t amount to a hill of beans for those seeking their first DSLR camera. That means Canon generally got their choices right on the XS versus the XSi.
Today’s entry DSLR models, at $500 to $700 with a lens, are the most capable we have seen. With the introduction of the XS Canon entry models are more than competitive. For many the new Canons will be the standard against which other entry models are measured – as they have been for many years.
Things do not look so rosy for Canon in the prosumer and Professional space. Nikon seems to have the upper hand with the D3/D300 and now the second full-frame D700. The Canon 40D is early in its product cycle but it is already having to compete with other prosumer entries primarily on price. Similarly the pioneering full-frame 5D is now nearly 3 years old and it is long overdue for replacement.
It was not long ago that Nikon Pros were jumping ship for Canon’s innovative Pro products. Now the tables have turned with Nikon viewed as the pro innovator again. Sony is also on the side lines preparing for their own 24- megapixel full-frame introduction. With Sony manufacturing the Nikon-designed D3/D700 full-frame sensor we have to wonder if a Nikon D3X is also on the near horizon.
With many things in the air Photokina should be very interesting in late September. Canon will undoubtedly have a few more surprises for the market.
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CSMR - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 - link
"if IQ is not as good as the competition we all would probably be better off with a $300 P&S"Er, no; that's a pretty inane remark.
yyrkoon - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link
Not really, I have a $300 Sony (DSC-P200)that will do most of what my Nikon DSLR here will do. Granted my DSLR has way more control, but typically under good lighting conditions I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between them. Now I do know that my Nikon is not the Rebel XS . . . and my Sony will not do RAW. I guess what I was hoping, or wanting to see was IF the IQ with this camera was on par with the 'old' 350D(at the time of release).Having said the above, I guess that if IQ were that important, a person would not be using this camera to begin with.
CSMR - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link
It doesn't have a large sensor; it only has one non-specialised lens which will not be particularly good. There are certain situations in which compacts can give adequate shots (in good light, when you want wide dof) but it's a pretty narrow range of situations, depending on your tastes.melgross - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link
The IQ of the XS1 is considered to be very high for a camera anywhere around its price.The question is how close this model will approach it.
Wesley Fink - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 - link
The XS was announced today and, as stated in the review and the Canon Press Release, it will not be available for purchase until sometime in August. This is the way items are normally introduced in the Digital SLR market. You will not find a real IQ review of the XS anywhere as the camera is not available. Also Canon does not pre-release Press samples under NDA. Nothing is available for review until the cameras ship.Since the 10.1 megapixel Canon CMOS sensor is currently used in both the Canon XTi and the 40D, and the Digic III processing engine is used in the XSi and 40D we do not expect any performance surprises with the XS sensor. The Canon 10.1 mp sensor is already well-known for low-noise across the ISO range.
yyrkoon - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - link
Ah, ok, I read this as more of a review, when in fact I suppose it was a preview instead. Or maybe just an announcement ? Not used to you guys just making 'announcements' as such.