This digital SLR is incredibly quick, a good value. Attached flash. Advanced features? Camera RAW lets you "develop" the digital image later on a PC with Canon software or Adobe Photoshop. Auto bracketing lets you take three images of the same scene then pick the exposure you like later. You pick the one of the three you like later and discard the others, or use two of them in advanced blending modes in Photoshop.
Two accessories to buy with this camera. If you are out away from electricity for some time get a second lithium ion battery. The other must have is two or more CF cards. I bought two, and easily fill them in one day's photography. Some advise an accessory grip with two batteries-easier to hold vertically--Some reviews mention the small size of the camera, and the accessory grip makes it larger. I don't find that a problem, and it is light and easily carried without the grip.
Gripes? yes. EFS lenses won't work on full frame cameras. Menus--really low contrast display and small letters.
The button for single, multiple and time delayed exposure is easily bumped. You press the shutter and instead of getting a picture, beep beep beep your are in countdown time mode instead and ten seconds later, the picture is taken.
If you take a lot of macro closeup pictures--get a different camera. The XT does not have manual focus split image focusing screens. It focuses very accurately in auto mode, but I could not tell what parts of an image were out of focus till I looked at them on a computer monitor. I read about an aftermarket hack to install a manual focusing screen but its an edgy procedure. The Nikon D200, D70 and the just announced D80 have a microscreen focus aid that is nice and bright. In addition, the Nikon closeup lenses appear to better control bright spots without allowing flare.
I tested a Rebel XT with Canon 60mm macro, and the D70 with a 100mm Nikkor macro lens. The colors produced by the two were virtually identical, but the specular reflections showed slightly less flare in the Nikon. I was also much better able to see the areas that were in and out of focus on the Nikon. Ironically, in macro mode, I could not tell which camera produced a finer grain image, they were both very good. In closeup work you want to fold the mirror up before releasing the shutter, choosing that function is deep in a menu--no single use button to do that.
For indoor or telephoto work in fast conditions, the Canon is ahead especially if you get the IS shake reduction lenses. The XT lets you use any EOS EF Canon lens but not the older FD manual lenses. Canon excels at telephoto lenses, particularly useful are the ones with Image Stabilization IS. Canon makes L series pro lenses--highly regarded, expensive, worth it, and keep their value over time. Kids and family indoors, sports teams, wildlife--Canon is best. For technical work Nikon has the edge, with years of science photo lenses that can be found here on Ebay. For wide angle work, keep your film camera-scan the negative and get a 40 megapixel equivalent image--many digital cameras have imaging problems with wide angle lenses, and to get the full benefit you want a full frame imaging chip--which comes in the Canon 5D-- 3X higher price.
For Ebay pictures, get a tripod, use a small 3 to 6 megapixel camera with a wide light source. I use a slide viewer upside down to illuminate the item from above. This creates soft shadows, and shows the colors and details.