a new window

A while back, I mentioned that I was upgrading my old-and-busted S200 to a new(er)-and-shiny XTi, and, well, the toy got here:

(As in most cases, click on the image for a much larger version.)
I rapidly wrapped said shiny new toy in some silicone armor (trust me, this is a good thing):

… and I have pretty much been taking pictures ever since:



I have no real complaints as of yet, except that focusing with a DSLR is a little different than focusing with a point-and-shoot, and you really have to pay attention as to which little dot flashes red. A lot of the pictures from my sister-in-law’s high school graduation were focused on… something… and that “something” was not what I wanted it to be. However, the picture quality, even with the kit lens, is amazing, and the form factor really is significantly smaller than I was afraid. You cannot exactly go stuffing this thing in your pocket, but it does not get in the way that often.
Also, added bonus: the XTi can take RAW and *.jpg pictures simultaneously, allowing you to take images like this:

… and create HDRs out of just that single frame:

Canon’s free RAW-editing program lets you fiddle around with the EV stops, and then I just used QTPFSGUI and the Mantiuk filter to create the above image. As always, though, be aware that RAW files are frakking huge.
Anywise, this is definitely a cool toy, and something tells me I will be taking a few pictures over the next few weeks…