The first user reports are coming in for the Canon Rebel T1i/EOS 500D/Kiss X3.

Have a tip, a video, or a Canon Rebel T1i/500D product to announce? Give us a shout

This one is pretty good in that it details the user’s progression from point and shoot cameras to the Kiss X3. And he’s included quite a few sample shots (one included below:)

A bit of text from the post – read the entire post

“Yesterday I received by mail the Canon Kiss X3, the third generation. Has the novelty of that you can take video and it looks very good, at least if you do not need Full HD is at 20 fps. Instead of purchasing the lenses to come, got a second hand 17-85 mm. The goal is the same size of the camera. I love that fits in the suitcase load floor and a total weight less than 1 kg to 800 g. Connects to TV via an HDMI cable and it looks very good.” (Translated from Spanish)

(Photo credit: Story image taken from snap from the first user report)

Have a tip, a video, or a Canon Rebel T1i/500D product to announce? Give us a shout

They’ve already cranked out the first “Hands On” video of a production unit that we’re aware of around the world:

“Brought to you by www.digitalrev.com. With 1080p Movie Recording and 15.1 megapixels, the Canon EOS 500D has truly raised the bar for the consumer DSLR. Find out more with our hands-on review.”

Please check out our buyer’s guide on info on who has stock in the Canon Rebel T1i/500D around the world.

(Photo credit: snap from youtube video)

Foto Actualidad posted this just a bit ago (translated to English)
“The date of availability of the new Canon 500D / T1i / Kiss X3, has taken a few days, at least in Japan, will start its mass availability on April 24″

We also had an Australian in the forums last night (at least in the USA) post:
“Just preordered my 500D body. Advice from the shop is that they might arrive this week or next even!”

I asked where and he responded:
“Here – I was in there on Wednesday and he had just spoken to someone advising that delivery was due very soon. In his words ‘possibly this week’”

The Amazon UK site still shows “This item is due to be released on May 5, 2009.”

UPDATE: 10:45am CDT
Jessop’s in the UK has updated all their pages with this:
“ORDER NOW for delivery THIS TUESDAY 21 April!”

(Photo credit: planetMitch – farm and pond – canon 5D)

As expected, Canon has announced a new consumer digital SLR (dSLR) in the “Rebel” line, the T1i. Continuing with the naming conventions of previous cameras like the 400D, it has multiple names depending on where you live. In the USA, it is the “Rebel T1i”, in Japan the “EOS Kiss Digital X3″ and in the rest of the world, it is the “EOS 500D”. The image for this story comes from DPReview’s coverage.

The new camera does do video and has the DIGIC 4 processor as previously rumored, but the ‘articulating’ LCD that was rumored didn’t come to pass.

$899 MSRP with kit EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens, $799 MSRP body only

Highlights:

• Full HD Video (20fps at 1080p and 30fps at 720p)
• 3″ LCD with live view
• Integrated Sensor Cleaning
• ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 12800)
• 3.4 fps burst

From the press release:
“Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 25 March 2009: Canon announces the new 15.1MP EOS 500D which offers photographers an outstanding combination of features. Following the launch of the first Canon EOS camera to shoot movies – the EOS 5D Mark II in September 2008 – Canon now brings Full High Definition (HD) video capability to consumers in a compact and lightweight DSLR.

The new EOS 500D features a 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor – ideal for large detailed prints or enormous cropping possibilities. For shooting in near-dark conditions, the EOS 500D offers a high ISO sensitivity up to 3200 which is expandable to 12800, giving photographers the power to shoot in the dimmest light conditions. Outstanding noise reduction is made possible by Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor.

The EOS 500D heralds a new way for photography enthusiasts to capture their world. It pairs outstanding still image capture with Full HD 1080P video recording. For longer video shoots, users can also choose lower shooting resolutions of 720P or VGA.*”

DPReview already has a pretty thorough release information page. And they’ve released more info on this preview page. And the best page of all if you’re interested in what is new on the camera (compared to previous Rebels).

Ephotozine.com has a hands on report (with a preview copy of the camera).

CameraLabs.com has posted an interesting comparison of the 500D with the Nikon D90 as well as the Canon 450D/Xsi

Gizmodo’s article has sample video from the 500D and ISO comparisons with the 5D mk ii. “So with the T1i, you get a sizable chunk of the more expensive 50D’s imaging performance plus an arguably better spec-wise video capture mode than the D90—a pretty sweet deal here at an entry-level price where even the MSRP beats the street price of the 50D and D90 both.”

Amazon has pages set up for the body and the kit

Canon also announced a new Speedlight 270ex (coverage on Canonrumors)

Canonrumors also pointed us to this CNet.com video preview of the 500D

Differences between the 5D and 500D:

Ok, so should I be upset that Canon releases this camera so soon after the 5D mk ii? I don’t think so.

so here are some of the major differences I see:

• HD video on the 500D is only 20fps – still not the 24p that everyone hopes for but less than standard video
• the mic input is MONO and there’s no plug for an external mic!
• ISO range lower than the 5D mk ii
• Doesn’t have the microAdjust feature for lenses
• Not rated as weather resistant like the 5D mk ii
• Uses SD memory cards (some people don’t like SD because they’re not as sturdy as CF)
• Aimed at ‘top-end entry level’ users – 5D mk ii is aimed at Pros
• Doesn’t have the smart batteries
• Has the smaller compact design (I really like the bigger 5D)
• Incorporates some of the newer menu design, but doesn’t include the wheel on the back of the body (which had been rumored as well)

cameratown.com’s post entitled Canon EOS Rebel T1i HD Video Misses the Mark

Update:

Focus Numerique has a hands on report from the Canon announcement with photos and a sample 1080 video.