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A satisfying, somewhat better-than-basic dSLR, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i delivers photograph quality and performance that adequately compensates for most of its annoyances.

Slipping neatly into the company’s dSLR product line between the XSi and the 40D, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i (also known as the 500D elsewhere in the world) pushes the XTi off the edge of the bed into discontinuity. Joined by models like the Nikon D5000 and the Olympus E-620 in that $800-to-$900-with-lens market segment, it’s not quite a budget model; more for the entry-level buyer who wants higher resolution and a better AF system, and perhaps video, than you can get for $700.

In addition to the kit with the veteran f3.5-5.6 18-55mm IS lens, Canon is shipping a body-only version for those of you who already have a lens or two lying around.

Since the body is almost identical to the XSi, including the 1.2-pound weight, the shooting experience is unsurprisingly similar. On that camera, I complained that the plastic body felt a bit cheap and I wasn’t crazy about the grip, but I think I have gotten used to it for this class of camera in the year since that review. Overall, it is comfortable and feels solid enough. It keeps the same large, fixed 3-inch LCD; more models in this form are offering humbler but articulated LCDs, which is starting to make this seem like a competitive disfavor. Almost all the buttons lie under your right hand, and each feels slightly different so that you can grope them without looking. None requires two-handed operation: when you push the button to change ISO, white balance, metering, and so forth, the menu remains while you navigate the options.

Although the modes on the dial persist largely unchanged, there’s now a dedicated movie selection. Having it on the dial makes jumping between stills and movies more awkward than necessary; the dedicated Live View button doubles as a record stop/start when in movie mode. Canon also added the Creative Auto mode that debuted in its higher-end models, but which makes a lot more sense in this one. CA is a semimanual mode with capabilities you can view as an advanced Auto mode or dumbed-down Program mode, depending upon your viewpoint. All functions in CA are automated, with a few exceptions. Notably, it replaces shutter and aperture adjustment options with two sliding scales–Exposure (brighter/darker) and Background (blurred/sharp)–that implicitly adjust shutter speed and aperture. It has an interesting approach for beginners who would like to take some chances.