DSLR Deals Idea, New Canon Info Leaked

[santookie]

So everyone information was correct they did release a model above the XSi.

http://i.gizmodo.com/5182772/canon-eos-rebel-t1i-first-hands-on-50ds-sensor-1080p-vids-899-

It's pretty awesome. This is a continuation of the talk yuseeit, joe, and kyzen were having. It's pretty freaking awesome. Sigh I don't see it getting cheap anytime soon. But I do hope it makes the XS and XSi deals come down quick and put some pressure on Nikon to release more models.

[tlmtlm59]

That doesn't seem like a bad price actually. $900? I'll wait for the reviews.

I was going to try to get an xsi cheap, but now.......

[kyzen]

The info isn't "leaked" if it's an official announcement :P

But yeah, this is a damn sexy camera. The images at ISO 1600 even look usable; hell, 3200 isn't bad.

[kyzen]

The info isn't "leaked" if it's an official announcement :P

But yeah, this is a damn sexy camera. The images at ISO 1600 even look usable; hell, 3200 isn't bad.

Some more thoughts:

Canon now has 6 active bodies in a relatively close linear price range (prices from Amazon, body only):

XS/1000D - $400 - 10MP (approx; hard to find outside a kit)
XTi/400D - $500 - 10MP (technically, this is still not discontinued)
XSi/450D - $580 - 12MP
T1i/500D - $800 - 15MP
40D - $890 - 10MP (also not discontinued, despite the existence of the 50D)
50D - $1130 - 15MP

I'm guessing within a few weeks the XTi will finally be officially discontinued. By the end of the year, the XS or XSi will be gone. Canon could choose to kill off the XS and move the XSi down a bit in pricepoint, thus spending no more money on R&D for a new camera, and still having an entry level device.

Keep in mind that the xxxD and xxxxD series are all meant for the average consumer - the type who goes to Best Buy and buys whatever camera the salesperson tells them to buy; and those people are often motivated by megapixels and arguably gimmicky features like video or a swivel screen, so having the XSi's 12MP at entry level really sticks it to Sony/Nikon/Olympus/Pentax.

Assuming the XS is discontinued and not the XSi, I wouldn't expect a new xxxD series this year at all. I wouldn't be surprised however to see another xxxxD series to replace the XSi entirely late this year. On that camera I'd expect 12MP, 720p video, and the XSi's screen. Canon already cannibalized some higher end cameras with this T1i, so I would be shocked for them to do it again with an xxxxD successor.

This fall I think we'll finally see the fabled 60D (or 50D mkII?); and it's clearly going to come with 15MP as a minimum, and 1080p video @ 30fps. They're also going to have to do something fancy to really set that device apart from the T1i, so I'd expect some new, potentially gimmicky feature. I'd hope to see their recently patented Live View autofocus system used, but that may not be around for awhile. Instead, maybe a better AF package; the 9 points have been completely eclipsed by the D300's 51 points.

Anyways, if you're looking for an entry level camera, I think the T1i will be king for awhile. If you're looking for an xxD series, I'd suggest waiting till fall :)

[sanjeeva7]

So what does this mean for the price of the xsi? I've seen the recent Dell deals for $500 + tax. I'd love to see the xsi kit for $299. :yummy:

[kyzen]

So what does this mean for the price of the xsi? I've seen the recent Dell deals for $500 + tax. I'd love to see the xsi kit for $299. :yummy:

Your font color is hard to read for those of us using the dark forum background ;)

The XSi won't be dipping below an MSRP of $600 for quite awhile. Assuming Canon elects to keep it alive, I think the lowest we could expect to see it is an MSRP of $500. If Canon does elect to discontinue it this year, expect that to be rather late this year; they'll use it as a loss leader for Black Friday. The retailers get business, and Canon gets a bunch more people who need to buy their lenses.

[santookie]

So what does this mean for the price of the xsi? I've seen the recent Dell deals for $500 + tax. I'd love to see the xsi kit for $299. :yummy:

Haha $299 for an XSi is probably not going to happen anytime in the immediate future. But I do see sales where it hits around $500 coming pretty soon. Still lots of people are saying the D90 has better image quality than this camera. No idea until solid reviews are out. But the D90 is better at high ISO from what I understand in addition more auto focus points. I got in on the Sony, so I'll be waiting for this camera to come down 2-3 years from now.

[sanjeeva7]

Haha $299 for an XSi is probably not going to happen anytime in the immediate future. But I do see sales where it hits around $500 coming pretty soon. Still lots of people are saying the D90 has better image quality than this camera. No idea until solid reviews are out. But the D90 is better at high ISO from what I understand in addition more auto focus points. I got in on the Sony, so I'll be waiting for this camera to come down 2-3 years from now.

How long did it take for the xti to come down in price? I know the retail price is still like $500+ at Worst Buy, Ritz, and other big box retailers. The xti was found for $299 or less at Sears recently. Considering the xsi just went for $480+tax on Saturday at Dell, how much lower will the xsi get in the fall?

[kyzen]

The XTi at Sears was a clearance item, serious ymmv on that.

I believe the XTi had an MSRP of $799 at launch in August 06, which fell to $599 via 2 $100 price drops over the months after the XSi came out in January 08, and that's where it's still at. The XSi launched at, and is still at, an official MSRP of $799. What retailers themselves charge of course is often totally different; both cameras can frequently be found for $100+ less than MSRP, and yet the Nikon D90 is still often sold for over MSRP ($1000).

I wouldn't expect the XSi to drop to $300, or even $400 levels on a regular basis (occasional deals where the retailers likely take a loss, like the Dell sale, are outside the norm and really can't be predicted).

[langaha]

I agree. You cannot predict where or when, but with constant searching and intelligent coupon stacking one can get some pretty interesting deals!

[sanjeeva7]

That's why I have a deal alert set up. :nod:

[sustundag]

how can I set up a deal alert?

[sanjeeva7]

how can I set up a deal alert?

See the Home, Coupons, Fourms, Blog, Tools at the top of your screen?

Under Tools select "deal alert"