I heard this rumor a while back, but didnt think much about it seeing as how it would just be an update to the current Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi. But given Nikon’s aggressive updates and product lifecycles.. it seems as though Canon is rising to the challenge. Canon’s current line up is as packed as Nikon’s.. something I thought would be confusing for the first-time DSLR buyer.. but as my Strategy professor said.. “if you don’t cannnibalize your own business, someone else will do it for you”.. Canon’s current line up looks like this:

Canon EOS XS
Canon EOS XSi
Canon EOS T1i
Canon EOS 40D
Canon EOS 50D
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

From the 50D and up.. the price differences are enough to justify each incremental model. But at the lower end of the product spectrum, you have a total of about $300 separating the Canon EOS XS from the Canon EOS 40D, not to mention the 2 model’s now sandwiched in between.

In any case, here’s the basic run down of the Canon EOS T1i:

15.1 megapixels
720p movie mode
Digic IV image processor
3.4 fps, 170 frame JPEG burst, or 9 RAW frames
3″ LCD 640×480 920k pixels
ISO 100-3200, with expansion to 6400 and 12,800
It uses SD/SDHC cards
Availability May 2009 @ ~$900 MSRP with kit lens

For a hands-on preview of the Canon EOS T1i, you can read about it at Imaging Resource.com or DP Review

Canon EOS 500D T1i

The Canon Speedlight 270EX will be a compact flash unit that’ll handle focal lengths from 28mm to 50mm automatically (head zoom) and will be powered by 2 AA batteries.. it should be pretty compact (and cheap).

To pre-order your Canon EOS T1i or Canon Speedlight 270EX, go to Amazon:

Canon EOS 500D T1i body only

Canon EOS 500D T1i with kit lens