Canon EOS Rebel T1i vs Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi
      62
      Image cannot be found
      56
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS Rebel T1i and the Canon EOS Rebel XSi, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i was introduced in June 2009 and Canon EOS Rebel XSi was introduced in May 2008. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i Highlights

      • 15.1 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 920k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.4 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi Highlights

      • 12.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel T1i
      4. Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel XSi
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Canon EOS Rebel XSi.

      PROS

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.4 fps
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.2 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   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

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      •   Sensor Resolution - 15.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 63
      •   Weight - 520 g (1.15 lb / 18.34 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 61
      •   Weight - 524 g (1.16 lb / 18.48 oz)

      Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon Rebel T1i
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS Rebel T1i over Canon EOS Rebel XSi.

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i vs Canon EOS Rebel XSi
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 15.1 Megapixel vs 12.2 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 3,200 vs 1,600
      Max Image Resolution 4752 x 3168 vs 4272 x 2848
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 920k dot vs 230k dot
      Multi-Segment Metering vs
      Center Weighted Metering vs
      Spot Metering vs
      Lower Min Metering -0.5 EV vs +1 EV
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.5 vs 10.8
      Higher DxO Overall Score 63 vs 61
      HDMI Output Mini vs
      Built-in Microphone Mono vs
      Lighter 520 g (1.15 lb / 18.34 oz) vs 524 g (1.16 lb / 18.48 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS Rebel T1i.

      Canon Rebel T7
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Canon R50
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon Rebel T6
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T4i
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel SL1
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T3
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.2 MP

      Canon Rebel T3i
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T8i
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Canon Rebel T6i
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T6s
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon Rebel T7i
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      Canon Rebel XSi
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS Rebel XSi over Canon EOS Rebel T1i.

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i vs Canon EOS Rebel XSi
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.4 fps vs 3.5 fps
      Higher Max Metering +18 EV vs +20 EV
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 663 vs 692
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.7 vs 21.9

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS Rebel XSi.

      Canon Rebel XT
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8 MP

      Canon Rebel XS
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon Rebel XTi
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.0 MP

      Canon 7D II
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Pentax ist DS2
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      6 MP

      Sony a6400
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon M5
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Pentax K-7
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      15 MP

      Fujifilm X-M1
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Canon 5DS
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Fujifilm X-T2
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Leica M8
      Image cannot be found

      APS-H

      10.35 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS Rebel T1i Canon EOS Rebel XSi
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS Rebel T1i Canon EOS Rebel XSi
        Low Native ISO3,2001,600
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points99
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Max Continuous Shooting3.4 fps3.5 fps
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi Connection possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Canon EOS Rebel XSi have 3.0" Fixed screens with 920k dot and 230k dot resolutions respectively.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinders. They both have 95% coverage and 0.87x (0.54x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i features a 15.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 332.3 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode. Canon EOS Rebel XSi features a 12.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.2 x 14.8 mm and a total area of 219 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4752 x 3168 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3456 x 2304, 2353 x 1568 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS Rebel XSi can take pictures up to 4272 x 2848 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3088 x 2056, 2256 x 1504 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Canon EF/EF-S lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 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 Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS Rebel T1i it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS Rebel XSi nothing can be done. On Canon EOS Rebel XSi it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS Rebel T1i nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i comes with LP-E5 battery pack with battery life of 440 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i has a single SD/SDHC card slot. Canon EOS Rebel XSi has a single SD/SDHC/MMC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i has Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Canon EOS Rebel XSi has Electronically-controlled Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS Rebel T1i, and up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS Rebel XSi. Canon EOS Rebel T1i can shoot continuously up to 3.4 fps. Canon EOS Rebel XSi can shoot continuously up to 3.5 fps.


      Focusing

      Both cameras have Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 9 focusing points..


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Canon EOS Rebel XSi range from -0.5 to +18 EV and +1 to +20 EV respectively and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±2 EV range. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS Rebel T1i and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS Rebel XSi.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 13.00 m on Canon EOS Rebel T1i and 13.00 m at ISO 100 on Canon EOS Rebel XSi. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Canon EOS Rebel T1i. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Canon EOS Rebel XSi bodies have the same dimensions of 129 x 98 x 62 mm (5.08 x 3.86 x 2.44"). Canon EOS Rebel T1i weighs 520 g (1.15 lb / 18.34 oz) and Canon EOS Rebel XSi weighs 524 g (1.16 lb / 18.48 oz).

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      129 mm

      98 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      129 mm

      98 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      98 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      98 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      62 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      62 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Canon EOS Rebel XSi for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      GOOD
      70
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.4 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      AVERAGE
      56
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.4 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      58
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      GOOD
      79
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      73
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      GOOD
      79
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 520 g (1.15 lb / 18.34 oz)
      GOOD
      78
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 524 g (1.16 lb / 18.48 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      GOOD
      78
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 520 g (1.15 lb / 18.34 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 524 g (1.16 lb / 18.48 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Canon EOS Rebel XSi and give them scores of 62 and 56 out of 100 recpectively. 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.


      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      OVERALL
      62
      OVERALL
      56

      Sensor

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 63
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 61

      Photo

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.4 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      AVERAGE
      58
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      GOOD
      81
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      78
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      AVERAGE
      61
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS Rebel T1i

      Canon EOS Rebel XSi

      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 520 g (1.15 lb / 18.34 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 440 shots
      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 524 g (1.16 lb / 18.48 oz)


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.