Canon Rebel Cameras

When digital cameras first came onto the market they seemed like a great idea, but as cameras they really weren’t very good. Most of them had low resolutions which produced grainy photos which were fine for emailing to friends but didn’t look very good as prints, and they looked even worse if they were blown up to 5x7 or larger. Though a few high-end cameras were available they were expensive and tough to use.

Professionals still used 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) cameras, and amateurs who wanted pro-level cameras without pro-level prices used SLRs like the Canon Rebel. Canon Rebel cameras set the bar for “prosumer” single lens reflexes with the original Canon Rebel, which combined a tough, sturdy camera body with a wide range of interchangeable lenses for far less than the $1,000 body price that most professional level SLRs carried. The Rebel took fast, clear photos, was easy to use, and was supported by a great range of lenses from wide-angle fisheyes to long-reaching telephotos.

As digital cameras got more advanced, people started making more and more noise about some professional photographers going over to the dark side and shooting in digital instead of 35mm; some even switched completely to digital photography for the ease of use of the cameras, the ability to digitally remaster their photos quickly and easily, and the ability to take hundreds of photos and delete all but the very best. The technology caught up as well, with professional-level digital SLRs weighing in at over ten mega pixels apiece, enough for just about all but wall-size enlargements.

The Canon Rebel camera series answered with the Digital Rebel which, like the original Rebel, brought professional-level technology down a half step for the prosumer. The Digital Rebel offered eight mega pixel resolution, high enough for just about any conceivable amateur use, and a host of new, high-quality Canon lenses. Not only that, the Digital Rebel also supported all of the lenses the original 35mm Rebel accepted. Many enterprising amateurs who already had 35mm Rebels bought Digital Rebels as well, since their lenses could interchange easily between the two camera bodies.

Canon Rebel cameras have set the bar and established the prosumer range of cameras, both in 35mm and digital formats, between the high-end professional cameras and the lower-end point and shoots. Not surprisingly, the Digital Rebel has become the best-selling digital SLR, and the 35mm Rebel is one of the best selling 35mm SLRs.