Photographing with the Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi in 2024

Revisiting my first camera, the Canon EOS 400D, which I bought back in 2006 when it was the latest release from Canon. I'm curious to see how it is to use again after a long time, now when I (hopefully) have gained a lot more experience in photography!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:31 About the 400D
2:27 Using the 400D
4:00 Photos / Location 1
5:08 Comparison with Nikon D700
6:36 Photos / Location 2
7:21 Did I Choose the Right Camera?
9:00 Still Useful?
9:28 Photos / Some Early Photos

[@thecakeredux]

7:00 That's a great shot. The chaotic foreground created a sense of confusion and uncomfortable confinement, but when my eyes got caught by the background, I felt a sense of relief and a promise of calm beauty.

[@mikaelrphoto]

That's a very poetic way to express it!

[@YOUARELIEDEVERYDAY]

⚜️ Yes, good to know you have this solid gear, i have one too; and i have seen less videos about that camera.

[@mikaelrphoto]

Some of the photos from this video can be found on my Flickr page: flic.kr/s/aHBqjB5Pi7

[@Redlin5]

I recently picked up a second XTi body and some original batteries with it as a spare for one major reason: I know the camera and it's not gear I would be financially distraught by if it were smashed or grabbed. If you don't do photography for a living but for the pleasure of it, I find it freeing to not be worrying about the gear (respect it but don't fear it).
The fact my highschool camera still works so well all this time later for me is just money saved for other activities. I have a very nice print in my office at 8x10in from this camera at 1600 ISO, things often come to where you are and the camera that's in your hand more than fussing on the pixels too badly and staying home! It does show its age though if you want to get into cropping more than slightly from original composition so I carry an EOS m200 with me as a second body to use for all my wide angles.
I know I'm not efficient enough to make a go of transitioning into paid photography but running around with 4 lens in the bag and two cameras will entertain me until my spare XTi goes. I'll probably then finally look into a more modern APS-C replacement but I'm convinced my usage is modest enough to have this gear last for years if I'm not dropping it off cliffs.
I found this video very refreshing, there are too many gearheads in this hobby :)

[@ronjenkins4257]

400D was my first DSLR. I still have my original copy, it doesn't get much use these days because I have newer and better cameras. But the build quality of the 400D is better than that of later entry level cameras. Also, unlike even mid level cameras from Canon, the 400D would take a fully functioning battery grip. With that, the feel in the hand is better than anything I have had since, and battery life was fantastic.
Shooting within its limits (not higher than ISO400, for example) great images could be had.

[@mikaelrphoto]

Yeah, the build quality on the 1000D series is quite bad, the 400D and it's predecessors feels very sturdy in comparison! I never tried the battery grip, need to try it if I can find one!

[@kimsharp1987]

I snatched a cheap 400D on eBay last week, and having the northern lights here sparked an interest in astrophotography.
Doubt I'll be able to do much with it, but do you have any tips for shooting night sky? (If you're into that).

[@nandokrafft8926]

Great pictures

[@mikaelrphoto]

Thanks!

[@jereXIX]

Thanks for a great vid! I’ve had my dad’s old XTI for years but have recently started using it more and more and am looking for photography to be one of my main hobbies when I become semi-retired in a few years. Knowing that it’s the person and not the tech that results in a good photo do you think I’d still see some advantages if upgrading now to a R10 or R7?
My fave subjects are wildlife or baseball games and the IBIS in the R7 was attractive to me since I’m sometimes in spots where dragging a tripod around isn’t convenient.

[@mikaelrphoto]

I'm not familiar with Canon's mirrorless, I use Fujifilm myself, but the features are quite similar. The high ISO, autofocus/tracking and IBIS make a huge difference when shooting moving subjects and in low light, and not having to use a tripod is a big advantage. Low light and autofocus are the limiting factors of the XTI, the same subjects can of course be captured with this camera but it is much more difficult than using newer tech. Thanks for watching!

[@salieubaikamara9753]

I just got mine new in to photography need more tips

[@mikaelrphoto]

Anything specific you need help with ?

[@grimsdespise6774]

what kinda pics do you wanna take?

[@waheedhassan1643]

i just purchased a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM to add to my 400d. do you think that will make much better pics than the kit lens which was a 18-55 lens, FP 1:3.5-5.6

[@mikaelrphoto]

It's a good addition to the 400D, it's much sharper and better in low light than the kit lens.

[@waheedhassan1643]

@@mikaelrphoto thanks, i will be using it for portrait and photos of landscapes when mountain biking. what do you think?

[@gorkemylmaz6065]

How about its long exposure settings

[@mikaelrphoto]

Longest time is 30s, and Bulb after that

[@hatunnisass]

Is there a video mode? I could not find.

[@mikaelrphoto]

There's no video or live view, it's a too early model for that

[@hatunnisass]

@@mikaelrphoto Thank you. You have a nice way. 🌼

[@RatnaSari-ce4sk]

Give me tutorial setting it in midday / afternoon

[@IMRANEACHKI]

Prix plz❤