Canon Rebel T2i or 550D, the successor of Canon Rebel T1i, was announced and will be available in early March. Canon Digital Rebel T1i or EOS 500D is the successor to the best-selling digital SLR Canon XSi or Canon 450D. Comparing with the Nikon D5000 and Nikon D90, Canon T1i has the best HD video mode with AF. Canon T1i may be one of the best entry level digital SLRs on the market at the moment. It quickly becomes one of the best selling digital SLRs on amazon. Here I collected some good previews, best lenses and essential accessories of Canon T1i or 500D.

Who is for?

Canon T1i or 500D is best for beginners who just switch from point and shoot cameras to DSLR, or for Canon people who want the second digital SLR for traveling, or for HD video recording.

Canon T1i / 500D reviews:

Dpreview just posted Canon T1i review

Digital picture posted Canon EOS 500D or T1i review which highlighted the high image quality.

Camera labs review of Canon Rebel T1i or EOS 500D: verdict 88%

Pro High resolution and broad sensitivity. HD movie mode and HDMI output. Remote control and RAW software supplied.

Con Some focusing issues with our sample

Amazon customer reviews of Canon Rebel T1i (4.6/5, 208 reviews)

For beginners, the most affordable options are the kit lens Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS with Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS. Canon EF-S 55-250mm uses Canon ET-60 hood.  

Polarizers can add “wow” factors to your photos: polarizers can saturate color, provide better contrast and remove unwanted reflections from non-metallic surfaces such as water or glass. However, the best walk-around lens to go with Canon T1i would be Canon EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS USM. This lens is very sharp with constant aperture and 3-stop image stabilization. Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 uses Canon EW-83J hood and 77mm filters. .

One of the best telephoto lenses is Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS USM. This lens is one of sharpest lenses around. It is relative light with 4- stop image stabilization.  For more details on canon lenses, read Best Canon lenses.

Canon T1i or 500D accessories:

• An extra battery: Canon T1i uses a Canon LP-E5 battery pack
• Opteka Battery Pack

The battery grip is great for Canon T1i or 500D. It not only provides 2x battery power, but also can balance the weight when using heavy lenses on the light T1i body. when shooting in portrait orientation, the grip comes with its own shutter, aperture, AF lock and AF select buttons as well as another selector dial. To prevent accidental use of these buttons, the grip is also equipped with an ON/OFF switch. If the battery is out of power, you can use 6 AA batteries in the grip. For $80, this five star rated battery grip is a steal!

• Digital SLR bags: many people like the photo backpack.
  
  

  A good shoulder bag: Lowepro Rezo 170AW camera bag. If you like a compact bag, Lowpro Rezo TLZ10 is an excellent one.

• Filters: circular polarizer is one of the most useful filters read here. For best polarizer filters, read here. For UV filters and where to buy, read here.

• SDHC/ SD Memory cards: You need at least a couple of memory cards with at least 4G-8G each. Canon T1i uses SD/SDHC cards. The recommend brands are lexar, SanDisk or Kingston.

• External flash: Canon 430EX II or Canon 580EX II or 270EX

• Tripod: Bogen Manfrotto 190XPROB (best price $159) and Bogen-Manfrotto 322RC2 ball head .

• Remote control: Opteka remote control cord for canon or canon wireless remote for digital rebel RC1