My next camera DSLR (not the pro type)?

I am waiting for the Canon EOS 450D (in USA EOS Rebel XSi , in Japan EOS Kiss Digital x2) to be launched in Malaysia. Hope the price is reasonable.

The EOS 450D features:

• 12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor
• Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• 3.5 frames per second
• 3.0” LCD with Live View shooting
• 9-point wide-area AF system with f/2.8 cross-type centre point
• Picture Style image processing parameters
  
• DIGIC III image processor
• Digital Photo Professional RAW processing software1
• Compact and Lightweight body
• Fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites

The storage for this camera is SD / SDHC card, instead of CF cards for the other EOS models.

http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2008/1/29/prodit/20132205&sec=prodit
Extracted from The Star Online...

Canon unveils entry-level DSLR

CANON has just announced its new entry-level DSLR, the EOS 450D, which features a 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor and a host of other improvements over its predecessor, the EOS 400D.

While not much bigger than the EOS 400D, the 450D now sports a new large 3in LCD with Live View shooting, an improved 9-point wide-area autofocus system, a larger viewfinder image, self-cleaning image sensor and a spot metering feature.

Most notable is the Live View mode, which allows you to view and frame your shots using the LCD panel on the back.

Like all the new Live View-capable DSLRs that have come out in the past few months, the EOS 450D has two autofocus modes – the more common phase detect autofocus found on all DSLRs and the new contrast detect autofocus which allows full autofocus without losing the Live View image.

Canon has also updated the image processing engine to the current DIGIC III image processor found on other higher-end Canon DSLRs, which means faster response times and 14-bit analogue-to-digital conversion – all of which should mean an improvement in image quality.

Continuous shooting speeds have also been slightly upgraded to 3.5fps (frames per second) and up to a maximum of 53 JPEG images (up from the 3fps and up to 27 JPEGs on the EOS 400D).

The EOS 450D will also be offered as a bundle together with a newly redesigned version of the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, which now has Canon’s Image Stabiliser built-in.

One major change in the EOS 450D compared with its predecessors is the switch to Secure Digital (SD) cards from CompactFlash (CF) cards.

The new SD slot on the EOS 450D is SDHC compatible, which means it can accept new, high-speed and high-capacity (over 4GB) SD cards.

Battery life has also been improved, thanks to the inclusion of a higher-capacity battery.

Availability and pricing have yet to be announced. – TAN KIT HOONG

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http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08012403canoneos450d.asp

http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedata/pressrelease/20080123_xsi.html

Compare to Nikon's latest D60, which replaces the D40
http://www.nikon.com.my/productitem.php?pid=1229-ca88cdad9e