Canon XSi: 12.2 Megapixels, Image Stabilized Lens, and Double Live View

Two Live View Modes

When Canon first announced the XSi at the PMA show in late January, they created quite a stir with the announcement that Live View would be available in two modes on the XSi. The first mode was what everyone has been including, namely that the mirror is flipped up and you can see the sensor image on the LCD and manually focus. In this mode Auto Focus requires that the mirror be flipped back down, for AF measurement, which is slow and also momentarily blacks out the Live View.

Mode 2 for Canon Live View uses contrast detection for focusing. The image does not blank on the LCD and focus can happen while you are viewing the LCD. These appear to be the same two Live View modes that are implemented on the $1800 Nikon D300. Unfortunately the contrast detection Live View is still painfully slow on the XSi, meaning that neither mode is very useful for sports or fast moving subjects.

Live View is this year's check box feature and the XSi has one of the best Live View implementations using the main sensor. The only current production camera that uses a different Live View approach is the Sony A350 we recently reviewed. Sony uses a second sensor to provide real-time Live View on the A350 and A300 that is just as fast as using the viewfinder for shooting. The A350 is 14.2MP while the A300 is 10MP, but both feature a flip-down/flip-up LCD for convenient Live View use.

In terms of focusing speed the Sony A350 is clearly a faster and more convenient implementation of Live View. However, the second sensor in the Sony brings its own set of compromises. The Canon XSi provides basically a 100% view of the image on the LCD, where the Sony second sensor only shows about 90%. Sony also offers no image zoom feature for easier focusing, where the Canon XSi allows selection of an area and Live View zooming for more precise focusing.

The contrast in Live View approaches is pretty dramatic between the Sony A350 and the XSi. If you want to use Live View instead of the viewfinder and shoot using the LCD, Sony Live View is better. If you prefer using Live View for studio-type static or macro shooting, the Canon XSi Live View offers more precise framing and more precise control of the final image.

In addition, the much larger and brighter Canon XSi optical viewfinder makes using the viewfinder easier on the XSi compared to the mediocre tunnel-vision finder in the Sony A350. If you plan to shoot mainly using the traditional viewfinder then the Canon XSi is the better choice, with slow but decent Live View shooting options.