Most people agree that the Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT boasts excellent image quality, especially for its price point. However, the jury is still out on its small size. You either love it or you hate it. One of the criticisms that I share focuses not on the smallness of the grip, but on the hard (make that very hard) rubber that covers the grip handle.

The problem with the grip surface is that it is slippery. If Canon had just coated the handle with the softer faux leather rubber found on the XT’s cousins (the 20d and 30d), then I think there would be fewer complaints about size.

I have the Canon Battery Grip BG-E3. The weight, dimensions and nice rubber surface of the battery grip make the XT a lot easier to handle (especially with larger lenses). However, I still wish that Canon would upgrade the body’s grip material. If not, then I hope that an aftermarket accessory company comes up with a replacement grip handle. There is always egrips, but who wants something sticky on their camera?

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