What are some of the impressive features associated with the EOS Canon digital XT SLR camera, and how do they stack up against the pros offered by its competitors? Users typically point out the Digital Rebel XT's boot time, image quality, and responsiveness as its best attributes. Cons include its overly lightweight body--it weighs only 17 ounces--and 'yawn worthy' lens kit.

If you're taking pictures of athletic activities or other fast-moving actions, you can speed up the Digital Rebel XT's input and grab up to three frames a second. While this does not a movie make, it's a wonderful tool for grabbing cool scenes or documenting arguments between friends. Moreover, the shutter speed is so fast that you get crisp shots without a lot of blurring or image deterioration.

Augmenting the Digital Rebel XT's image capacity is its DIGIC II processor. This state-of-the-art processor is even better than the highly-lauded DIGIC I processor introduced on such models as the PowerShot G3. It may take some time to get used to the lightweight balance of the camera, but it helps to know that you can snap eight megapixel shots, which upload conveniently as JPEGs or RAWs.

The fast boot time of the Rebel XT is also a huge advantage. By contrast, consider the earlier Nikon CoolPix units, which take seemingly forever to get started. Given that picture opportunities can happen literally in a flash, it's nice to have the Digital Rebel XT on your side, if only for those fleeting opportunities to grab a shot that other digital cameras could never catch.