Canon EOS Rebel was announced in 2003 and is an APS-C (22.7 x 15.1 mm) DSLR camera with 6 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 100 to 1,600. The camera has a Fixed 1.8" screen with 118k dot resolution and built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder.
Canon EOS Rebel

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Overview
Pros and Cons
In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS Rebel.
PROS
- Built-in Flash
- Orientation Sensor
CONS
- No Video Capture
- Low Resolution Sensor - 6 Megapixel
- 1,600 Highest Native ISO
- Timelapse Recording
- 7 Focus Points
- No Face Detection
- No Image Stabilization
- Fixed Screen
- Small Screen - 1.8"
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
- No Live View
- Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
- Low DxO Overall Score - 55
- Low USB Speed
- No HDMI Output
- No Microphone Input
- No Headphone Output
- No Built-in GPS
- No Built-In Wi-Fi
- No Built-In Bluetooth
- No Environmental Sealing
And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:
AVERAGE
- 100 Lowest Native ISO
- Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
- Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
- Weight - 645 g (1.42 lb / 22.75 oz)
Successor
In 2005 Canon EOS Rebel was replaced by Canon EOS Rebel XT. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Canon EOS Rebel and its successor.
UPGRADES | Canon EOS Rebel XT | vs | Canon EOS Rebel |
---|---|---|---|
Higher Sensor Resolution | 8 Megapixel | vs | 6 Megapixel |
Max Image Resolution | 3456 x 2304 | vs | 3072 x 2048 |
Higher Max Continuous Shooting | 2.8 fps | vs | 2.5 fps |
Higher DxO Low Light ISO | 637 | vs | 544 |
Higher DxO Color Depth | 21.8 | vs | 21.0 |
Higher DxO Overall Score | 60 | vs | 55 |
Higher USB Speed | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | vs | USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) |
Lighter | 540 g (1.19 lb / 19.05 oz) | vs | 645 g (1.42 lb / 22.75 oz) |
DOWNGRADES | Canon EOS Rebel XT | vs | Canon EOS Rebel |
---|---|---|---|
Lower Resolution Screen | 115k dot | vs | 118k dot |
For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Canon EOS Rebel vs EOS Rebel XT.
Screen and Viewfinder
Fixed screen
Canon EOS Rebel has a 1.8" Fixed screen with 118k dot resolution which is quite low by today's standards.
Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
Camera has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.80x (0.50x 35mm equivalent) magnification.
Sensor
Canon EOS Rebel features a 6 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.7 x 15.1 mm and a total area of 342.8 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600.
Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Canon EOS Rebel's APS-C sensor compares with other types of sensors:
Sensor | Dimensions | Area | Aspect Ratio | Crop Factor | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Medium Format | 44 x 33 mm | 1452 mm2 | 4:3 | 0.79x |
![]() | Full Frame | 36 x 24 mm | 864 mm2 | 3:2 | 1x |
![]() | APS-H | 27 x 18 mm | 486 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.3x |
![]() | APS-C | 23.6 x 15.6 mm | 368.2 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.5x |
![]() | APS-C (Canon) | 22.7 x 15.1 mm | 342.8 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.6x |
![]() | Micro Four Thirds | 17.4 x 13 mm | 226.2 mm2 | 4:3 | 2x |
![]() | 1-inch | 13.2 x 8.8 mm | 116.2 mm2 | 3:2 | 2.7x |
![]() | 1/1.7-inch | 7.44 x 5.58 mm | 41.5 mm2 | 4:3 | 4.7x |
![]() | 1/2.3-inch | 6.17 x 4.55 mm | 28.1 mm2 | 4:3 | 5.6x |
Photography Features
Camera can take pictures up to 3072 x 2048 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 2048 x 1360, 1536 x 1024 with 3:2 aspect ratios.
Lens Mount
Canon EOS Rebel has Canon EF/EF-S lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 1.6x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6.
No In-Body Image Stabilization
The camera does not have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) so it needs lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction.
Check out the cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS Rebel.
Connectivity, Battery and Storage
USB Input
Canon EOS Rebel has a USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer.
External Storage Slots
The camera has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II) card slot.
Other Features
Shutter
Canon EOS Rebel's shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 2.5 fps.
Flash
Canon EOS Rebel has a built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec.
Physical Parameters
Canon EOS Rebel has dimensions of 142 x 99 x 72 mm (5.59 x 3.9 x 2.83"). It weighs 645 g (1.42 lb / 22.75 oz) which is neither heavy nor lightweight.
142 mm (5.59")
99 mm (3.9")

99 mm (3.9")

72 mm (2.83")

Canon EOS Rebel dimensions
Canon EOS Rebel for Different Types of Photography
We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Canon EOS Rebel is suitable for six different types of photography.
Landscape Photography
Canon EOS Rebel gets a score of 62 and is AVERAGE choice for Landscape photography.
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
- No Live View
- No Built-in GPS
- No Environmental Sealing
Sports Photography
Canon EOS Rebel gets a score of 52 and is POOR choice for Sports photography.
- 1,600 Highest Native ISO
- 7 Focus Points
- No Face Detection
- No Image Stabilization
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
- No Live View
- Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
- Orientation Sensor
Wildlife Photography
Canon EOS Rebel gets a score of 50 and is POOR choice for Wildlife photography.
- 1,600 Highest Native ISO
- 7 Focus Points
- No Image Stabilization
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
- No Live View
- Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
- No Environmental Sealing
- Orientation Sensor
Portrait Photography
Canon EOS Rebel gets a score of 69 and is AVERAGE choice for Portrait photography.
- 7 Focus Points
- No Face Detection
- No Image Stabilization
- Small Screen - 1.8"
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
- No Live View
- Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
- Orientation Sensor
Street Photography
Canon EOS Rebel gets a score of 75 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.
- 7 Focus Points
- No Image Stabilization
- Fixed Screen
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
- No Live View
- No Built-in GPS
- No Environmental Sealing
- Weight - 645 g (1.42 lb / 22.75 oz)
Travel Photography
Canon EOS Rebel gets a score of 77 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.
- No Image Stabilization
- Fixed Screen
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
- No Built-in GPS
- No Environmental Sealing
- Weight - 645 g (1.42 lb / 22.75 oz)
Canon EOS Rebel Evaluation
We evaluate Canon EOS Rebel and give score of 52 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.
Sensor
We give Canon EOS Rebel a score of 67 for Sensor parameters.
- Low Resolution Sensor - 6 Megapixel
- 100 Lowest Native ISO
- 1,600 Highest Native ISO
- Low DxO Overall Score - 55
Photo
We give Canon EOS Rebel a score of 51 for Photo parameters.
- Timelapse Recording
- No Image Stabilization
- Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
- Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
- Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
Video
We give Canon EOS Rebel a score of 0 for Video parameters.
- No Image Stabilization
Focusing
We give Canon EOS Rebel a score of 69 for Focusing parameters.
- 7 Focus Points
- No Face Detection
Screen and Viewfinder
We give Canon EOS Rebel a score of 60 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.
- Fixed Screen
- Small Screen - 1.8"
- Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
Connectivity
We give Canon EOS Rebel a score of 34 for Connectivity parameters.
- Low USB Speed
- No HDMI Output
- No Microphone Input
- No Headphone Output
- No Built-in GPS
- No Built-In Wi-Fi
- No Built-In Bluetooth
Battery, Storage and Physical
We give Canon EOS Rebel a score of 41 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.
- No Environmental Sealing
- Weight - 645 g (1.42 lb / 22.75 oz)
For a full specification list please go to the specifications page: