Canon EOS 450D (EOS Digital Rebel XSi / EOS Kiss X2) review

Construction: I think the plastic on the body is great. Half a year of quite an extensive use but it does not have a scratch. I really don't like the handle, too small as if it was designed for girly hands. In comparison the handle on Nikon low end DSLRs feels much better, so do the ON/OFF switch and the shutter button. The sound of the 450Ds flipping mirror feels cheap. The eye sensors under the viewfinder are a pain in the ass too, their functionality can't be turned off and it's disturbing to notice the screen blinking when you don't want it. I also don't like the sudden popping out of the flash when the camera is in one of the scene modes, extra options in the menus would have been a good solution.
Features: For the money the camera has quite a few useful ones. 3.5 frames/second, Ai servo focusing and spot metering are implemented nicely. Dust cleaning system actually works. Live view is present and I guess it is enough to check the focusing on a stationary object if the camera is on a tripod, but nothing more. It would have been a good idea to add another button for live view. The contrast-based auto focusing often fails even when it's hard to miss. I don't quite understand why in live view the mirror has to flip between shots. The 3" LCD is a bit big for 320x240 resolution. I could also say it would be good to see more white balance modes or a faster operation with manual white balance.
IQ: The image is not that great as many try to say. Chroma-noise is very much visible starting at 400 ISO with the noise reduction turned off. On http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_50_1p4_c16/Samples/issues/IMG_9364.JPG this nifty-fifty shot it's apparent even at 200 ISO, just look at the shadowed surfaces of the Peugeot. I understand this is the most likely result of the Auto Lighting Optimizer kicking in, but even if it is turned off the images are not much better. Turning on the noise reduction results in tremendous loss of continuous shooting speed, also contrast gets worse and pixels get smudged. The same problem is with the 40D and the 1000D. The new generation of Canon cameras with the DIGIC 4 processor deals with this much more effectively it seems. Other manufacturers have their issues with IQ.
Ease of use: The 450D is fairly easy to use I think. The ISO and DOF buttons are a real treat. The menus may seem a little complicated for a first time canon holder, but in time navigating gets easier. I don't like the fact hat the wheel doesn't work in Metering, AF, Picture Style, Drive Mode and White balance menus. A Canon jog wheel like on pro and semi-pro bodies would have been great.
Value for the money: I think it was a good idea to buy the 450D with the 18-55 IS kit lens for the price. Now there is a 18-200 IS kit available. Canons 18-200 is not as good as the Nikon's version, but for the kit price as starter lens, I'd say it's a bargain.

Problems:

A few dead pixels, not a big deal