Review of the Canon 400D XTi: Exploring its Features and Performance

The EOS 400D, also known as the Rebel XTi, is a popular entry-level digital SLR camera that was first released in 2006.

Cost and Competition

At its launch, the camera had a retail price of £700 when purchased in a kit with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, or body only for £650. However, just six months later, the kit price had dropped to £475, and the body alone could be purchased for around £400. Compared to other 10MP DSLR cameras that were available at the time, it was slightly more expensive than the Sony Alpha A100 (£475 with 18-70mm, £430 body only), but cheaper than the Olympus E-400 (£500 with 14-42mm) and significantly cheaper than the Nikon D80 (£6700 with 18-70mm, £530 body only) or the new Pentax K10D (£675 with 18-55mm, £590 body only).

Size and Weight

The EOS 400D boasts a lightweight and compact body made of polycarbonate plastic over a stainless steel chassis, and has a good build quality that is an improvement over the 350D. It has a skinny handgrip compared to its Sony and Nikon competitors, but it is still comfortable and secure to hold. The camera’s LCD data display is larger and sharper, and the monitor has a proximity sensor under the viewfinder eyepiece to shut off when the camera is in use.

The 400D has a 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, which includes an automatic cleaning system to prevent dust from affecting image quality. It also uses the Digic II image processing engine and offers a wide range of picture adjustment and control options, including the Picture Style feature which allows for easy professional picture quality control.

Sensor and Dust

The EOS 400D from Canon stands out for its 10 megapixel sensor, nine-point AF sensor, and its ‘EOS Integrated Cleaning System.’ This feature addresses the issue of dust, which can occur in the mirror/shutter chamber from various sources such as fragments from moving components inside the camera, dust introduced from the body cap, lens changes, and from some of the more affordable lenses that have a more push-pull movement which can draw air in. Previously, the only way to clean this dust out of your camera was to use a blower, clean it using a swab (which can be dangerous), or take it back to Canon with a cost. Canon has now taken steps to address this issue by using materials in the mirror box and shutter chamber that are less likely to generate dust, improving the body cap to prevent dust generation, using an anti-static coating on the sensor surface, creating a new separated anti-alias filter that vibrates to shake off dust, and adding a Dust Delete Data feature which can map stubborn dust to be removed in software.

Overall, the EOS 400D is a great entry-level DSLR camera that offers a balance of accessibility and advanced features, making it suitable for both amateur and professional photographers.

Specifications

• 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• Nine point Auto Focus sensor t
• Continuous shooting burst up to 27 JPEG and 10 RAW images
• Single large, bright, 2.5″ LCD monitor with 160° viewing angles (horizontal and vertical)
• Proximity sensor below viewfinder eyepiece
• New viewfinder view includes 9 AF points as well as EOS 30D style status bar
• Picture Styles, larger range of image parameter adjustment (same as EOS 30D)
• Histogram available as RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or brightness
• Auto rotation with three options
• Up to 9999 images per folder on storage card
• Automatic storage of setting adjustments (no longer requires a press of the SET button)

To see my review on the Canon 650D, click here