Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT White Paper

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WHITE PAPER

THE CANON EOS DIGITAL
REBEL XT CAMERA:

AN EXCEPTIONAL
COMBINATION OF
DESIGN, PERFORMANCE
AND AFFORDABILITY

able of Contents I OVERVIEW 3

T

SUMMARY OF NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES 7

II

esign 7

D

age Recording 7

Im

age Processing 7

Im

anced User Controls 8

Enh
Flash Performance 8
Connectivity and Compatibility 9
Power Issues 9
Software Package 9

III FEATURE DISCUSSION 10

New 8 Megapixel Image Sensor 10
New DIGIC II Imaging Processor 11
Autofocus 12
E-TTL II Autoflash 13
White Balance 14
Controls 15

Processing Parameters 16
Custom Functions 16
Menus 17
Image Display 18
Exposure Controls 19

Power Management 20
Recording System 20
Design and Construction 21
Interfaces and Compatibility 23
Camera Direct Printing 23
Software 24

IV CONCLUSION 26

Contents ©2005 by Canon U.S.A., Inc. All Rights Reserved. Excerpts from this material may be quoted in

shed product reviews and articles. For further information, please contact Canon U.S.A., Inc. Public

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ub

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Relations Dept., [phone].

I. OVERVIEW

Canon’s EOS®Digital Rebel XT camera combines outstanding performance and creative
control in a small and elegant package for an estimated retail price of under $1,000*
complete with zoom lens. This makes the XT an exceptional value in digital single lens
reflex cameras. With its DIGIC®II image processor and Canon-designed and manufac­tured CMOS sensor, the EOS Digital Rebel XT camera has very high 8.0 megapixel
resolution, low noise, exquisite color, near-instantaneous startup, speedy handling,
enhanced flash control, an extensive range of settings, full compatibility with EOS
system accessories, reduced power consumption and an ease of use which makes it
truly remarkable.

The Digital Rebel XT camera’s closest relatives in the Canon DSLR lineup are the original
EOS Digital Rebel and the EOS 20D models. The original Digital Rebel is the
breakthrough camera that established the under $1,000 category for DSLR (Digital
Single Lens Reflex) cameras when it was introduced in 2003. It has 6.3 megapixel
resolution, wonderful picture quality and true ease of use. The Digital Rebel remains in
the Canon lineup at a new, lower price point (estimated retail price $799* with EF-S
18-55mm zoom lens). The EOS 20D body has an estimated retail price of $1599* (with
the EF-S 18-55mm lens) and is faster than the Digital Rebel XT (5 frames per second vs.

3), shoots longer bursts (23 Large/Fine JPEGs vs. 14), focuses faster, has more extensive
Custom Functions (18 vs. 9) and magnesium alloy body covers (vs. polycarbonate for
the Digital Rebel XT). The 20D has 8.2 megapixels to the 8.0 of the XT; the sensors have
the same size pixels. The 20D’s aficionados include advanced amateurs, prosumers and
professionals who need to keep an eye on equipment expenses. Of course, all these
cameras have full compatibility with the vast system of Canon EF and EF-S lenses, as
well as many other EOS system accessories.

(* Actual selling prices are set by the dealer and may vary.)

The EOS Digital Rebel, EOS Digital Rebel XT and EOS 20D are members of a family that
also includes the 8.2 megapixel, 8.5 frames per second EOS-1D Mark II and the 16.7
megapixel EOS-1Ds Mark II. These cameras, and an extensive line of consumer-focused
digital point-andshoots, have propelled Canon to the number one position in the digital
camera business according to the NPD Group, a leading provider of retail market
information. In 2004, Canon had 20.4 percent of total digital camera sales, based on

Digital Rebel Digital Rebel XT 20D 1D Mark II

I. OVERVIEW 3

1Ds Mark II

nit sales and revenue figures of both compact cameras and digital SLR cameras

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ombined, according to NPD. In addition, Canon had 62.8 percent of the DSLR market

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and 18.6 per

. Further, according to NPD, Canon had the single best selling digital camera, the

NPD

owerShot A75, as well as the best selling digital SLR, the EOS Digital Rebel.

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s sell-through data is testimony to the extent to which consumers and professionals

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cent of the point-and-shoot market, also both number one according to

alike recognize Canon as the imaging industry leader. For example, the readers of PC
Magazine recently gave Canon’s digital cameras their highest rankings in quality,
reliability and support in an annual customer satisfaction survey. In 2004, Canon
digital cameras were also honored by Macworld, C/NET, American Photo, PC World,
Mobile PC Magazine, Best Magazine, Popular Science, Outside Magazine and PTN
Magazine, among others. Canon is listed as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies
in America and is number 35 on Business Week’s 2004 list of “Top 100 Brands.”

Only Canon Could Produce the EOS Digital Rebel XT

In 2004, IBM received the most U.S. patents, as it had in each of the previous ten
years.1Canon was third. In the past ten years, Canon has been second on six occasions
and third on four. Considering the differentials in size, sales volume and R&D
investment levels between Canon2and IBM3, Canon’s performance in this category is
nothing short of phenomenal.

1

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) <http://www.uspto.gov/>

2

Source: Canon Inc. 2003 Annual Report <http://www.canon.com/ir/annual/2003/index.html>

3

Source: IBM 2003 Annual Report <http://www.ibm.com/annualreport/2003/index.shtml>

Top 3 Organizations Receiving U.S. Patents: 1995-2004

Rank

2003 Gr

2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

1

2

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IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM

atsushitaCanonCanon

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Organization

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achiMicronCanonCanonCanon

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eue and R&D Investment

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IBM $89.1 Billion $5.08 Billion

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Net Sales R&D Investment

$29.9 Bil

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anonCanonCanonCanon

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$2.42 Bil

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Canon concentrates its research on what it calls “core technologies.” Currently, these
include nanotechnology, ultra-fine particle technology, organic electroluminescent
displays and thin-film displays. The company is in the forefront of computer-aided 3D-CAD
product design and software development and is one of the leading manufacturers of
semiconductor production equipment (“steppers,” etc.). Canon makes its own
mold production equipment, as well as the tuning and measuring tools required for the
development, maintenance and repair of the machinery it designs and manufactures.

I. OVERVIEW 4

anon’s patents are a measure of intellectual wealth and corporate ethos. Discoveries in

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ore technologies are applied to products for industry, healthcare, broadcasting,

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usiness and consumers. Because Canon continues to innovate at a furious pace, each new

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oduct incorporates significant advances in electronics, mechanics, optics and software.

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y new product from Canon, but especially a new digital single lens reflex camera, is

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the fruit of this intellectual wealth. For instance, virtually every significant piece of
hardware in the new EOS Digital Rebel XT is designed and made by Canon on machinery
that is also designed, made and maintained by Canon.

As early as the mid-1980s, Canon made the risky and challenging decision that it would,
eventually, design and manufacture its own image sensor chips for digital SLRs rather
than purchase off-the-shelf image sensors from an external supplier. Canon’s
extraordinary success in this venture has freed it from the syndrome of me-too products
with the same internals as everyone else’s. Similar achievements were made in the

®

design, development and manufacturing of Canon EF lenses and DIGIC

image
processors, which together with Canon CMOS image sensors comprise the three main
components of every Canon EOS digital camera. As it pushes the limits of technology,
Canon can optimize the design, performance and cost of every key component in every
new digital single lens reflex camera it makes.

Canon EOS DSLRs are unique in the photography industry in terms of their design and
manufacturing and, therefore, their performance and value. This is the heritage of the
EOS Digital Rebel XT camera.

EOS Digital Rebel XT Advantages

The EOS Digital Rebel XT camera has 8 million effective pixels on its sensor. Several
competitive models have about 6 million pixels. How much do those extra pixels
matter? Also, there are compact consumer or “prosumer” cameras that cost between
$700 and $1000 and also have 8 million pixels. How do they compare?

It is generally understood that if one has more pixels, one can make bigger prints.
Having more pixels also means that one can crop a bit from one’s original image and
still have lots of pixels left for printing. Pixel quantity also matters because several
components of image quality are resolution dependent. Aliasing, or “jaggies,” gives a
rough-edged appearance to lines that cut diagonally across the rectilinear grid of square
pixels. More pixels reduce the effects of aliasing and improve image quality. Based on
these factors, the EOS Digital Rebel XT has a clear advantage compared to any digital
SLR with lower resolution.

8-megapixel compact digital cameras use image sensors that are much smaller than the
unit in the EOS Digital Rebel XT camera. Most are 8.8 mm by 6.6 mm, compared to the

22.2 mm by 14.8 mm sensor in the XT. Each pixel is therefore much, much smaller in

I. OVERVIEW 5

ompact, all-in-one 8 megapixel cameras. These tiny pixels necessarily receive less

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during exposure. Their meager output signal needs to be amplified heavily in order

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o get useful information for image processing. That amplification gets applied not just

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o the image file, but also to any other non-image signal on the sensor, such as heat.

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The digit

al noise that results, particularly at high ISO speed settings, is unmistakable.

Image sensor size comparison: 8.0 megapixel Digital Rebel XT (Red) vs.

8.0 megapixel compact digital camera (Black)

Compact digital cameras are also typically equipped with noninterchangeable lenses,
surely a limitation. Their pre-set controls are mostly menu-driven and not suited to
in-the-moment operation; most if not all are also slow to start up and slow to take a
picture when the shutter button is pressed. Predictive autofocus with fast-moving
subjects is invariably out of the question. For a similar cost, the EOS Digital Rebel XT
camera offers compatibility with the entire range of Canon EF and EF-S lenses, Canon
EX-series Speedlites and most EOS system accessories, plus speed, responsiveness and
a complete set of controls to make the camera function superbly in any shooting
situation. And if in the past size and weight were problems with digital single lens reflex
cameras, the XT is a must-see.

How does the EOS Digital Rebel XT camera compare with its DSLR brethren? Its
advantages are overwhelming. The XT has the highest image quality in its class. It is the
smallest and lightest EOS Digital SLR ever made, as of February, 2005. In fact, the least
expensive camera that equals its performance is its brother, the Canon EOS 20D,
costing approximately $600 more. Nothing else comes close. The XT has a complete
range of functions and controls. It is remarkably fast and easy to use and its
ultracompact body is a delight. The EOS Digital Rebel XT is the DSLR for everyone.

I. OVERVIEW 6

II. SUMMARY OF NEW AND

IMPROVED FEATURES

Design

Image Recording

• Smallest Canon EOS Digital SLR ever: 25% smaller in total volume and 2.5 ounces

lighter than the original EOS Digital Rebel/300D Digital

• Among the smallest and lightest cameras in its class

• Exterior color choice of black or silver

• As with the EOS 20D camera, Canon logo embossed and colored Image

• Entirely new 8.0 million pixel CMOS sensor designed and made by Canon with

improved microlenses and 2nd-generation on-chip noise reduction technology

®

• New DIGIC

reproduction, precisely optimized white balance and expanded dynamic range

• Maximum shooting speed: 3 frames per second with a burst rate up to 14 frames in

Large/Fine JPEG, 5 frames in RAW or 4 frames in RAW + Large/Fine JPEG

• New, high-performance, 3-layer optical low-pass filter, the same quality used in

top-of-the-range Canon DSLRs, provides high resolution while minimizing false colors

• Startup time now approximately 0.2 seconds

•

Shutter release time lag reduced from about 120 milliseconds to 100 milliseconds
(compared to Digital Rebel)

• Viewfinder blackout time reduced from about 225 milliseconds to 170 milliseconds

(compared to Digital Rebel)

• CF card data-writing speed approximately 3.5 times faster than Digital Rebel

• New RAW + JPEG setting with separate Large/Fine quality JPEG files written, rather than

embedded, and saved as separate files on the CF card

• No dedicated application needed to extract JPEG data

II image processor provides enormous speed gains, improved color

Image Processing

• Improved auto white balance performance, especially at higher ISO ratings and in

conjunction with flash color data transmission from the built-in flash or the accessory
580EX Speedlite

II. SUMMARY OF NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES 7

New white balance correction, same as on EOS 20D, allows fine tuning in Blue-Amber

•

and/or M
New white balance bracketing in Blue-Amber or Magenta-Green direction, +/- 3 steps

•

White balance bracketing can be used in combination with white balance correction

•

Six image processing Parameter Sets provide complete control of sharpness, contrast,

•

aturation, and color tone

s
New monochrome Parameter Set allows Standard B&W, B&W with filter effects or B&W

•

agenta-Green color ranges, +/- 9 levels

with toning effects

• Custom Function 2 provides optional dark frame subtraction noise reduction at shutter

speeds longer than 1 second Enhanced

Enhanced User Controls

• Selectable AF modes: One-Shot, AI Servo or AI Focus

• Selectable metering patterns: 35-zone Evaluative, Centerweighted Average, and Partial

(approx. 9% of viewfinder)

• Adjustable Flash Exposure Compensation up to +/- 2 stops

• Nine Custom Functions with 24 settings including mirror lock

• Three JPEG resolution options: Large, 8 megapixels; Medium, 4.1 megapixels; Small,

2 megapixels

• Cross keys can now be used to select the AF point directly via Custom Function 1-4

New Quick Menu function gives direct access to frequently used settings via cross keys

•

• Shutter speeds now user-settable in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments

• Exposure compensation now possible in any auto exposure mode, up to +/- 2 stops,

in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments

• Fifteen menu interface languages

• Playback options accessed with the Info button include single image with or without

basic info overlay, or with full shooting information

• Jump display now offers a choice of 10 or 100 images forward or back in single play

mode, or jump by the shooting date

• New, brighter, “Precision Matte” focusing screen for greater contrast and “snap” with

manual focusing

• E-TTL II improves accuracy and consistency of flash exposure

Flash Performance

• E-TTL II is available with built-in flash and all EX-series Speedlites

• E-TTL II works with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses

• Distance information from compatible Canon EF lenses now used in flash

exposure calculation

• Evaluative E-TTL II flash metering no longer linked to active AF point

• Average E-TTL II flash metering from all 35 zones now possible via Custom Function 8-1

• Digital Rebel XT has built-in adjustment for flash exposure compensation, up to +/- 2

stops in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments, and flash exposure bracketing with compatible
Canon Speedlites

• Digital Rebel XT supports new functions of accessory 580EX Speedlite, including auto

zoom adjustment for sensor size and color temperature data transmission

II. SUMMARY OF NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES 8