CanonUSA sets Rebel XS Price at $699

Canon is getting serious about taking back the entry-level DSLR market from Nikon. CanonUSA announced today that it will ship the Rebel XS in August 2008 at a price of $699 and sell it only as a kit with the EF-S 18-55mm IS lens.

The company has also announced that it plans to build a new camera production plant in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, to ramp up production of DSLRs and digicams. This is the first new plant to built by Canon in a quarter century.

See the official press release for more details about the XS:


http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedata/pressrelease/20080708_rebel_xs.html

I'm skeptical about how effective a D40(x)-killer this will be. Nikon's cameras have nice ergonomics, glitzy menus, and a price advantage over Canon which have already won over many soccer moms and boy-scout dads.

Frankly, if I were looking to purchase my first entry-level DSLR, I'd push the trigger on a Pentax K200D in a heartbeat. Many in my family own Pentax DSLRs, and they seriously kick booty compared to the price paid