To show you just how quickly digital cameras can improve, let's take a look at the Canon Rebel Xti -- a mid-range camera released in 2006 -- and the Canon Rebel XS -- an entry-level camera released in 2008. In those two short years, Canon made a lot of the features that were formerly available in more expensive cameras available in its most basic digital single-lens reflex (D-SLR) cameras.
Megapixels
Often the first thing you look at when comparing cameras, megapixels are the key factor in printing high-quality prints -- the more megapixels your camera has, the bigger high-quality print you can make. Both the Xti and the XS have 10.1 megapixels, more than enough to print a high-quality 16-by-20-inch print, according to digicamhelp.com, a website dedicated to answering frequently asked questions.
LCD
A camera's LCD screen allows you to see how you're lining your photo up without having to use the camera's viewfinder and also lets you review your photos right after you take them. The Xti and the Xs have similar LCDs, both measuring in at 2.5 inches, measured diagonally, and both have 230,000 pixels. The primary difference between the two screens is that the Xti's has 160 degrees of vertical and horizontal viewing, whereas the XS has a 170-degree viewing range.
Rechargeable Battery
Both the Xti and the XS come supplied with their own rechargeable Lithium-ion battery packs. The Xti's battery pack -- the NB-2LN -- will allow you to shoot about 500 photos between charges. Using no flash and in mild temperatures, the XS' battery pack -- the LP-E5 -- will allow you to take up to 600 pictures between charges.
Continuous Shooting
One of the main things that separate a D-SLR from a point-and-shoot digital camera is its ability to take a lot of photos quickly and in a row. The more frames a camera can shoot per second, the better it will perform in fast-pace settings. Both the Xti and the XS can shoot up to 3 frames per second, but the XS can take up to 514 consecutive JPEGs, compared to the 27 consecutive shots that can be taken by the Xti.
Memory
To save photos you take on the Xti, you use a Compact Flash (CF) card and on the XS you use either Secure Digital (SD) or Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards. Lexar produces 4GB CF and SDHC cards that will store up to 1,300 photos from either the Xti or the XS.
Size
Not only has the XS been able to mimic many of the features of the Xti, but it's been able to do it in a slightly smaller package. The XS measures in at 4.96 inches wide, 3.8 inches high and 2.4 inches deep, while weighing in at 15.9 ounces. The Xti comes in at 4.98 inches wide, 3.71 inches high and 2.56 inches deep, while weighing in at 18 ounces.
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