Note: The Canon EOS Rebel XT / 350D has been replaced by the Canon EOS Rebel XTi / 400D.

The Canon EOS 350D is a compact digital camera type SLR and professional. This model is part of the family of Canon Digital Rebel and Canon EOS which incorporates a TTL optical viewfinder and an LCD screen protected by 1.8 inches providing a resolution of 115,000 pixels. Download drivers, software, firmware and manuals for your Canon product and get access to online technical support resources and troubleshooting. The ideal setup would be to be able to see on a computer screen how the photograph would be before to take it. Therefore I need to use it as a kind of webcam, i.e. To get the video stream from the device and display it. I have a Canon 350D (and also a Canon Ixus 100 IS) to get the job done. I'm ok using any hacks or SDK to take control over it.

Canon expects the Digital SLR market to double in less than two years - largely because of the Canon EOS Rebel XT / 350D (Reuters). That is a high expectation for a new model. The 300D was a huge hit, and after using the XT, I expect it to be an even bigger hit. Canon has put much of their high end technology into a feature-filled, entry-level-priced DSLR. From fully automatic P&S (Point & Shoot) to fully manual control along with many modes between (including black & white), the XT offers something to both newbies and pros.

As with all of my reviews to date, my experience is based on use of a retail-purchased model.

Speaking very generally, the Canon XT is to the Canon 20D what the Digital Rebel 300D is to the Canon 10D (fewer features, lower price). And generally speaking some more, the Canon EOS Rebel XT / 350D is to the Digital Rebel 300D what the Canon 20D is to the Canon 10D (a technology and feature upgrade). The 350D/Rebel XT is a healthy upgrade from and less feature-handicapped than the 300D.

Who are the potential XT owners? P&S owners looking to move up to: focus that can keep up with a moving subject, near instant shutter release, low noise high ISO performance and DSLR performance/features in a compact body. Other 350D owner candidates include ... Film SLR users moving to digital format. Pro and enthusiast photographers who need a compact and affodable backup body. EOS 300D Digital Rebel users looking for more megapixels, better high ISO performance, faster startup/performance and smaller size. Pro photographers who don't need more than the XT provides. And anyone who wants their spouse to have their own Digital SLR.

The biggest buzz regarding the XT is about its size. Small. How small is a personal opinion as it is relative to what you are used to. Users of any of Canon's previously introduced Digital SLRs will think the XT is very small. Canon Rebel Film SLR users will feel right at home with the 350D. Enthusiast P&S users will feel comfortable and compact P&S users will think theXT is large. Overall size is of course determined by the lens you have attached. Following are some Canon comparison dimensions (WxHxD) and weights.

PowerShot G6	4.1 x 2.9 x 2.9'	(105 x 73 x 73mm)	13.4 oz (380g)
PowerShot Pro 1	4.6 x 2.8 x 3.6'	(118 x 72 x 90mm)	19.2 oz (545g)
Rebel T2 (Film SLR)	5.1 x 3.5 x 2.5'	(130 x 90 x 64mm)	12.9 oz (365g)
EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT	5.0 x 3.7 x 2.6'	(127 x 94 x 64mm)	17.1 oz (485g)
EOS 450D Digital Rebel XSi	5.1 x 3.8 x 2.4'	(128.8 x 97.5 x 61.9mm)	16.8 oz (475g)
EOS 400D Digital Rebel XTi	5.0 x 3.7 x 2.6'	(127 x 94 x 65mm)	18.0 oz (510g)
EOS 300D Digital Rebel	5.6 x 3.9 x 2.9'	(142 x 99 x 72mm)	19.7 oz (560g)
EOS 20D	5.6 x 4.2 x 2.8'	(144 x 106 x 72mm)	24.2 oz (685g)

Note: The above comparison between the different camera types is not exactly apples to apples. For example, the PowerShot models include the built-in lens but not other protrusions in their dimensions. But, the figures should be helpful for a general size/weight comparison as should the Canon PowerShot G6, Canon EOS 350D/Digital Rebel XT and Canon EOS 20D comparison picture below. Don't forget - the Digital SLRs still need a lens - and the G6 lens is retracted.

To me personally, the XT seems even smaller in comparison than the numbers imply. The 350D/Rebel XT is about 15% smaller than 300D. Besides taking up less space, the small size aids in the 350D's discreteness.

A small viewfinder comes as part of the XT compactness package. Once again, size is relative. Canon 1-series body users will think the 350D viewfinder is tiny. P&S users will think it is nice or even large depending on what they are used to - and much better than electronic viewfinders (in my opinion at least). BTW - P&S photographers - There is no live LCD image preview on a Digital SLR.

Although the XT shares a 1.6x FOVCF and 95% viewfinder with the 20D, it does not share the same viewfinder size. The viewfinder magnification of the 20D is .9x while the XT and 300D Digital Rebel share .8x viewfinder magnification. Although the 20D has a larger viewfinder (a nice feature), viewfinder brightness is similar in comparison. Another difference is that the 20D uses a pentaprism viewfinder design while the XT and the 300D Digital Rebel use a pentamirror. You get a rather small but bright optical SLR viewfinder on the XT.

As Digital SLRs get smaller in body size, there is less room for buttons, controls, displays and - grips. One of the most controversial aspects of the XT is the grip size. And again, the grip size is relative to what you are used to. Photographers used to the Canon 1-Series bodies will find the XT's grip very small. Enthusiast P&S photographers will find the grip similar to what they are used to - although the larger diameter lens may leave less finger tip room than some of the large enthusiast P&S digital cameras. Pocket P&S users will find the grip to be large. You can't dig your fingers into the grip as deeply as with Canon's larger bodies. Simply rotating your right hand around the back of the camera a bit yields a fine grip for a medium-large hand (in my opinion). My pinky comfortably slides under the bottom of the body. Canon has sacrificed some grip volume to achieve their compact design - You can't have a 1-Series-sized grip in a tiny camera.

What I wish Canon would have included on the XT grip is the rubberized material from the 20D's grip. The 300D Digital Rebel has a rubberized grip but it is not as sticky as the 20D's grip.

A downside to the smaller grip is increased difficulty controlling larger lenses while holding only the grip. The lens controls the body instead of vice versa. The solution to this problem is to simply hold the lens barrel for control. The Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip (shown attached below) is an even better solution, but the small overall size is then partially sacrificed. With the BG-E3 attached, the portrait grip is very nicely sized with a good tactile feel. The landscape orientation grip is better than without the BG-E3, but not as nice as the portrait grip. The BG-E3 can be quickly installed/removed to yield the best of both worlds. If you want a larger landscape grip, choose the 20D or the 300D.

Regardless of the Canon EOS Rebel XT / 350D's size, it is hard to argue with the light weight. With a small lens attached, the 350D/Rebel XT is easy to take with you.

The XT's styling is very attractive and overall fit/finish and build quality is relatively good. It is, of course, not a rugged, weather-sealed Canon 1-Series body, but there is a large cost differential as well. And while it may not be quite as rugged as the 20D, I wouldn't want to drop a 20D either. The slightly rough, matte-finished plastic exterior feels cheap/weak to some, but the build of the 350D Rebel XT does not give me concern (plastic technology is very good today). A quality rubberized grip would go far in creating a higher quality feel.

Buttons and doors do not have the top-of-the-line quality feel of a 1-Series body, b

Canon Eos 350d Firmware Hack