Digital Home Thoughts: Comparison of the Canon Rebel XSi, XTi and EOS 40D

"Whenever a new camera is released the inevitable question is "Should I get A, B or C", or sometimes "Should I upgrade from A to B"? Well, this time is no different. I'm sure there will be lots of people asking "Should I get a Rebel XTi, XSi or 40D" or "Should I upgrade from my XTi to an XSi or an EOS 40D"? Everything really depends on what you shoot, how you shoot, and, of course, how much money you have! The first and most obvious thing that the new Rebel XSi has and the Xti and EOS 40D don't is a 12MP sensor. The other two are 10MP, so how much difference will that make. The most likely answer is "not very much". Going from 8MP (EPOS 20D) to 10MP (EOS 40D) results in a barely discernible increase in image resolution. You can see it if you look really closely, but it's not a big deal. The jump from 10MP to 12MP is smaller (+20%) than the jump from 8MP to 10MP was (+25%), so for the most part it won't be a significant difference."

Interesting read. From an image quality point of view, the XSi will be pretty close to that of the EOS 40D and XTi, just as the image quality of the XTi, EOS 20D, EOS 30D and EOS 40D aren't too far apart either although the 40D wins when it comes to ergonomics. Overall, the XSi is a clear winner over the XTi and even seems to hold its own when compared to the 40D. I a little surprised by this since both cameras (the 40D and the XSi) are quite new and since the XSi is quite a bit cheaper than the 40D, I wonder if it will effect the sales of the latter?