Feature: Canon XSI is the latest in carnation of the venerable Canon Rebel XT
Idea: How does it compare against the new Sony A350 in image quality
These two cameras are relatively closely matched in features with Sony having 3 advantages: 1) a tiltable Live Screen for shooting;
2) a faster focusing Live Screen when shooting;
3) an in camera image stabilization capability that provides 1-3 ev extra exposure control;
So when I tried the Canon XSi I was also very interested in how well it pefromed against the Sony A350. Fortunately, I had an opportunity to test both in the same handheld conditions and lighting at Hentry's, a Toronto camera shop.

Now as before, these tests have had two primary goals. First, to approximate real picture taking experiences. The orientation is towards "informed" snapshot taking; so there is no tripod, no special setting in the camera - I have used the default mode wherever possible. This means automatic auto-focus, auto-white balance and auto-exposure is the preferred options. Also the shots are biased towards my particular favorite exposure range: 1/2 to 1/30th of a second, lowlight, handheld. Second, all of the test images shown below are straight crop extracts of maximum size JPEGs cropped to 790 x 250 pixels with no other photofinishing done to the images. So given these constraints please discount the color values because absolutely no effort has been made to optimize them. Without further to do, lets look at the photos:

Canon Xsi ISO800, f5.6 1/50th sec, 55mm - Pinned Cards
It is hard to differentiate these two shots - the Canon is at the higher ISO, the Sony at the slower speed and in a bit tighter. Both are producing a bit more speckling and noise than I had expected. Also the Canon shot is a bit punchier but that might be expected from the faster shutter speed. And as stated before ignore the color differences, given the mixed lighting conditions.
Sony A350 ISO400, F5.6 1/30th sec, 55mm - Pinned Cards



Canon Xsi ISO800, f5.6 1/50th sec, 55mm - Old Camera Lens
In contrast to the previous shot, here the Canon is a clear winner on nearly identically the same overall shot. The image details are sharper with less softness than the Sony image. There is less noise but the overall exposure is roughly equal. However, given the better fstop, shutter speed, and ISO the Sony should have been at least equal. Maybe it was handheld camera shake - but the Sony in-camera image stabilization was on ...
Sony A350 ISO400, F6.3 1/80th sec, 50mm - Old Camera Lens



Canon Xsi ISO800, f5.6 1/50th sec, 55mm - Arch out the Window
Unfortunately these are not the same Window arches - but next to each other, that is why the blinds are shut in the Canon shot, open in the Sony shot. Despite being at a higher ISO, the Canon comes out a clear winner here because of less noise and color speckling. Otherwise the sharpness and exposure are roughly the same with maybe a slight advantage to the Canon.
Sony A350 ISO400, F5.6 1/100th sec, 55mm - Arch 2 out the Window



Canon Xsi ISO800, f5.6 1/30th sec, 55mm - Background Cloth
I was hoping to coax out a difference between the cameras with thos low light condition - perhaps a more definitive look at sharpness and noise control. But it appears to be a wash to this viewer with a slight noise control edge to the Canon. One result seems consistent - Canon's exposures seem to be 1/2 stop darker than Sony's.
Sony A350 ISO400, F5.6 1/25th sec, 70mm - Background Cloth




Canon Xsi ISO800, f5.6 1/25th sec, 55mm - Box Camera Bellows
Here we have a close up with reversal of fortunes. The Canon fails to match the sharpness of the Sony (and as before I searched the Canon shot for the best possible crop strip). But the Sony had the benefit of a better ISO setting.
Sony A350 ISO400, F5.6 1/20th sec, 55mm


Summary

These shots show what a difficulty it can be to assess cameras and their image quality. From these shots I would give the Canon a better noise reduction rating and possibly a slightly better sharpness. But the Canon appeared a bit punchy in exposure. But these are JPEGS and in their respective camera RAW formats the two cameras may well have more information. But I did not want to get into a postprocessing derby (did you do identically the same Lightroom processing for the two RAW images???). But certainly the Canon would be on my shortlist, given the number of lens I have already.