The new Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera has an effective resolution of over ten million pixels and costs $799 (body only), or $899 with a high-quality 18-55mm zoom lens. Pictures can be snapped at three frames per second at full resolution, up to 27 shots in burst mode, and viewed on the camera’s exceptionally bright built-in 2.5-inch LCD display. Nikon’s new 10.2-megapixel D80, with an 18-135mm zoom lens, costs $1,300. Here’s the conclusion from Fortune:

“Designed for serious amateur photographers but also friendly to the casual point-and-shooter, the Canon Rebel XTi also features a built-in cleaning system that reduces the chance that dust inside the camera will spoil a shot, a bugaboo that plagues most other cameras in its class. No matter how careful one is when changing lenses, dust can enter the camera body to ruin subsequent shots. The XTi literally shakes any dust off the sensor when the camera is turned on or off, using ultrasonic vibrations. The motes are then immobilized on a sticky trap. Also, the camera can “map” stubborn dust particles on the sensor and then erase them from images via software.

The Nikon D80, in turn, borrows several features from Nikon’s professional-level DSLR cameras, including the image processor from the $4,000 Nikon D2X and the automatic focusing system and 2.5-inch LCD of the upscale D200. One thing the D80 inherits from smaller and cheaper Nikons, however, is an SD (secure digital) memory-card system. Most DSLR cameras today use the larger CF (compact flash) cards, and a ten-megapixel camera demands a high-capacity storage system. (I tested the Canon with Kingston’s new eight-gigabyte 133X-speed Ultimate CF card, an excellent performer at $449.) SD cards have smaller capacities than CF (no 8GB SD cards are available today), but the D80 is also compatible with next-generation SDHC cards, which promise to raise capacity to 32 gigabytes someday.

Although both the Canon Rebel XTi (usa.canon.com) and the Nikon D80 (nikonusa.com) are superb cameras, I did have two quibbles. The Canon has a plastic body that feels less than rugged. While the D80 has Nikon’s typically solid fit and finish, the SD card system is, for now, constraining for a high-quality camera. Even so, both are excellent performers that will fill your photo albums with mountains of happy memories. “

Website : Comparing Canon Rebel XTi and the Nikon D80 from Fortune