By now I should have been cited for a 'false start' and penalized 5 yards for talking about, but not replacing my Canon Rebel that I hike with, since it is having "issues." But I have been putting off the purchase of a new camera (body) because of an article I read last winter. In it a photography magazine reporter wrote that the price of amateur DSLRs was to plummet by year's end. The prices have dropped a little, but nothing like the article had implied.

My Rebel is so old that when the XTi replacement comes out as expected at next year's PMA show in January in Vegas, my ancient DSLR will be four generations back -- sort of like a WWI vet at the last week's Veteran's Day observance.

The XTi replacement (that will have the number 450D) will possibly be 12 megapixels, will have a larger (3") LCD versus the current 2.5", possibly have the ability to do video capture, will have the 40D's better image processor, will have a higher ISO and more frames per second, and possilby might switch from the larger CF cards to the smaller SD cards like Nikon uses.

(Reason for the possible card switch was said to be the size and that dust and dirt can clog the pinholes of the CF cards -- a bit more of an issue when using the camera doing something dirty like backpacking. Anyone here -- especially the Southwest hikers -- had that problem? I never have.)

So I've got a dilemma. Wait for the new, improved one and be like "those people" who waited all night outside the store for the iPhone only to watch the price tumble a few months later. Or go with the XTi that will be old hat -- but certainly better'n that old bonnet I been using.

The "given" is that the size of the 450D won't be any bigger -- meaning the weight should be the same, which is what I think is the biggest advantage to BPing with an XTi over the old 35mm's or even my ancient 300D Rebel.

I was pondering this dilemma when I came upon this tongue-in-cheek line in a story about the Nikon "90D" that said:

" I recently scooped the world by revealing the specifications of the Nikon D90, a camera that supersedes a model that is itself not even on the market yet!

The rest of that amusing article is here.

Since I'm not vested in an arsenal of Canon lenses (after trying -- and failing -- to find a friend or coworker who might be dumping their old Canon 35mm Rebel stuff -- i.e. lenses that work in Canon DSLRs ), I might as well investigate all the DSLRs that meet the light BP criteria. There might be something someone feels is 'better' out there. Any recommendations?