Since reviewing press releases is like half of what passes for online photography journalism right now, I might as well get in on it, ya hurd?
It’s as inevitable as the tide, every time Nikon or Canon release a new camera, the trans-intertube butthurt extravaganza commences. All over blogs and forums, self-styled expert photographers dismiss the new features and functions of cameras they’re going to buy anyway. Mad that, once again, none of the 4 or 5 bodies made by either company fits their exact shooting style. “Why isn’t this dedicated studio camera made from a diamond-titanium alloy!?”, they ask before making a joke about how their wife won’t let them buy it anyway. Ha-ha, you’re so funny!
In a big ol’ fuck you to PMA, Canon released the Rebel T1i/500D a couple weeks later, and what can I say – it’s a Rebel, what the hell were you expecting? The days of revolution are over, it’s all evolution now in pseudo-35mm land. It looks like one of the previous Rebels, I think. I’m not really sure what they look like. No second dial, you set all the options on that big LCD on the back, nothing new here.
What’s new is the HD video. It’s a shame dudes crippled it the way they did, with that 20fps 1080P mode. On the other hand, if your main camera costs $600, do you really need 1080P? What you have here is a $600 (that’s how much the XSi is right now) HD movie camera. How fucking awesome is that? You get a sensor the size of a movie frame, changeable lenses and high quality 3200 ISO for $600! Goddddamn.
It has all the limitations of using a film camera: short max clip run time, it requires external audio so you’ll have to have a dude clapping to mark it, it requires a tripod, etc. You actually have to shoot video like it’s on purpose. You can’t videocam it, shoot a 3 hour take and cut it down to 15 minutes, you actually have to plan ahead. As someone who watches that stuff later, that’s not a bad thing.
My prediction on who’s going to buy this: anybody who was going to buy a Rebel anyway and film students.
And possibly Ken Rockwell.
Filed under: reviews
This Picture Sucks 
there will be hot-shoe mount stereo mics in no time and 64GB memory cards will alleviate the clip size problem. don’t count on higher content quality due to fleeting technical limitations.
I guess I fall more into the film student category. I never had guessed they’d make a slr video camera, but it solves all my problems. I like your comments – a hotshoe mount stereo microphone! My 16GB card can shoot 30minutes of 720p, but the battery starts to get warm and a warning light comes on indicating that the quality is going to decrease.
I just bought the T1i, anybody know which lenses are silent when focusing and zooming?
Keep using the word “sucks” — that’s what I use when I’m googling about a product to see what it’s downfalls are. That or “alternative”
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Canon 500D rocks!
1080p 20p is not that bad. Canon Rebel t1i rocks!
I have the T1i / 500D. Worst camera I’ve ever owned. I can’t think of anything that makes it worth more than $150.