I love this camera. As an independent photographer I have been more than ready to upgrade to a DSLR for a long time but I had to wait till I had the money for it - this is quite an investment especially considering future purchases of lenses, filters and other accessories. But it's completely worth it for a serious photographer.

I had my first experience with this camera several months ago when I was working with another photographer who owns this camera. We had a long chat about various cameras and he recommended I get the xTi because it's a great "learning" camera and it will last a long time. You really get your money's worth from it.

The feel of the camera is just right for me personally, and how a camera feels is one of the most important things to consider when shipping. The features are easy to use, and the picture quality is wonderful. You can get very high quality poster sized prints from the photos taken with this camera.

It should be said though this camera is NOT for a casual photographer, and it's not really a "spur of the moment picture opportunity" camera. If you aren't familiar with advanced photography and have no intentions to learn photography in depth, this is too much camera and you're better off with a cheaper point and shoot. But if you are serious about photography and know more advanced techniques or are looking to learn, this is a great starter camera and very worth the investment. I'd really recommend this to anyone who is working toward a career as a photographer, but not for an occasional hobbyist - unless you have plenty of money to spare for such a hobby.

It's been a while coming but I've wanted a Digital SLR camera for a while now......and i got it :)

Okay, it's an early birthday persent but it's worth every penny.

Why?
Less than a year ago Ali and I bought our last digital camera, also a Canon, it takes great pictures but in every day use, especially with ChickAdvisor it's not great for every occasion.

We bought this in the US while on vacation because it was 30% cheaper than buying it in Canada. Don't ask me why but it was about $730 dollars here in TO but the Best Buy in San Diego price matched what we saw online.

Just how good is it?
I agonized over the purchase - it's not cheap. Canon and Nikon are head to head in features. Canon had a small edge for newbies as an entry level camera. Most Pro reviews I read basically said it's a total toss up.

Am I (we) happy?

Absolutely, this camera is super fun to use. Super easy on full auto settings and ultra high resolution at 10 mega pixels. Our pictures turned out great. I say we because Ali was using our 1 year old Canon (7.1 mega-pixels) and I was using this one. This one shoots faster and as one would think in much higher resolution.

Downside?
Lenses. Once you're hooked on this as a hobby it's expensive because additional lenses cost $300 plus.
The benefit however is that lenses can be resold because they hold their value.