Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

I'm just an average guy who's trying to break into the professional world of photography... I've been eyeing the Canon 50D and was so close to buying one when I heard of the T1i. So I compared notes and found the T1i was nearly identical to the Canon 50D minus a few things I couldn't really notice (or care about) since I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about photography. After reading what few reviews there were on the internet because this item was new, I decided to take the plunge and buy this camera and lucky me, I ordered it the day it was released to the world so it came quickly! The results? I LOVE IT! But before I say more... Now, if you're a big guy like me who has BIG HANDS, YOU WILL WANT THE BATTERY GRIP that is extra. TRUST ME... It's a no-brainer... get it because it will make the camera feel so much better and make it look even more professional! That, and the battery grip comes with 2 extra 1800mA batteries which will give you a total of 3 batteries all together. I've been playing with it for several days and still haven't made a dent in draining these batteries! How's it operate? GREAT! Let me go into more detail... It's got several settings that I will sum up for you in Regular English, not Geek speak because I wish more people would speak this way instead of beating around the bush... It's got old fashioned digital camera settings (you know the little icons of the flower or mountain, sports guy, etc) so if you know how to use these settings, you'll be able to use this quickly and comfortably. It's got a full auto mode (which I like to call "No Brainer Mode") because this feature is a no-brainer! You just shoot and let it think for you! It will do EVERYTHING for you and do an incredible job! (NICE :-D) And it's got the Advanced Modes so if you are a pro or want the controls of a professional camera (you know, to change the ISO settings or F-stops, etc) You can do that too! They really put a lot of thinking into this camera and its nice, inside and out. One of the things I've discovered that's extra credit is the software that comes with it called Digital Photo Professional. If you've read some of these reviews that talks about a picture maybe soft somewhere or the ISO noise (for whatever reason)... Digital Photo Professional has some sweet settings that will get rid of that for you and enhance your pictures to STUNNING! There's so much potential in this camera and remember, it's made by the same folks who made the 50D and all the other versions! So what if its got minor tweaks that others don't... the bottom line is that this is an incredible camera! I'm not crazy about the "Rebel" name in it because it makes it sound Amateurish... This should be called The Canon EOS AWESOME T1i because it looks, feels and is just that! Even better is the High Definition Video you can record if you want to. Sure its not equal to a dedicated HD camcorder but its nice to have if you want to record something important and look sharp too! Personally, I can't tell the difference between the 1080p and 720p so don't let these little nit-pickers bother you. Go with your gut and DO GET A GOOD LENS to compliment the one it comes with. Your next best bet is to get a 28mm to 200mm LENS so you can do those zoom and up close shots. With so many lenses, it will just open up all kinds of creative things you can do. I hope my review answered your questions! I'm glad I bought it and look forward to all the possibilities! So if you're looking to be a professional, this is a great start! If you're looking to have a nice camera that you want to enjoy as a hobby, this is also for you! As I said in the title... the best of both worlds! :-) UPDATE: While I've had it for about a month now, I'm very impressed with its performance and battery life! And to the person who commented, I'm a happy customer who's good at wording. I don't work for anyone but myself. Check my website in my profile if you want proof. I just call it as it is. :-)

This is my first SLR camera and after a lot of research, reading all kind of reviews, including Dpreview and comparing many pictures on flickr, I was still having a hard time deciding between Nikon's similar model D5000 and this one from Canon. I went to best buy to feel both of them in my hands and take a close look at all the buttons. anybody who is going through this dilemma should try to hold the cameras for a few minutes. Anyways... What made up my mind? - According to dozens of Flickr photos both had pretty much the same quality. - Nikon lenses are really expansive and even if you're not planing on getting other lenses than the one that comes in this kit, well.. better safe than sorry you never know, maybe you will find yourself as a great photographer and might want to explore your talent at some point - I was used to canon buttons, which it made a whole lot easier to handle this camera, I was a little lost with the Nikon buttons, I know it wouldn't take long to get use to them , but still it made me a little nervous Why am I happy with this camera? - great low light conditions shots - fast (Please, get a CLASS 10 card for better performance) - I can get different lens for way cheaper than Nikon lenses, so glad i don't have a Nikon - no flash photos are perfect - nice 3" LCD with great quality - LiveView helps me when I need people to take my pictures and they don't know how to use dSLR cameras. - Video is better than I imagine and with the different lenses you can get you make nice shots, though I would recommend a tripod for better image stabilization, specially with zoom lenses. - Battery life is fan-tas-tic! I got a second battery along with the camera, which it was great, but I never had to switch batteries on a same day or trip. Considering that I went to London in the winter (the battery life is always shorter in the cold) and the battery lasts almost my whole trip. I took a whole bunch of pictures because I was just testing my new camera. Tips: - Get a second battery just in case, though its battery doesn't take that long to charge and lasts a long time - get UV filter to protect your lens, even the cheap ones, at least you know that your lens is safe. - take off the filter for night shots with a lot of lights ot they will ruin your pictures. - if you are still not sure if you want get this camera go to flickr and examine some samples ;) - Get its manual for Dummies, it helps a lot - Buy it from Amazon, they were great. I bought it for my trip and I only had a week before my departure, so i call Amazon costumer service and they said I would have to cancel my order to have the shipping speed changed, but since I bought it with an international credit card I would lose money on the transaction, so they had it shipping 2-day shipping for free, just for understanding my needs. I love Amazon Costumer Service. If there is any problem with your camera you are safe with Amazon. This is a small camera comparing to other SLR but if you are new in the SLR camera world you really don't need to go with the big fancy cameras, this camera has plenty of possibilities to explore different set ups, but it's still easy to use. I hope this was somehow helpful.