Looking to spice up some of your portrait photography? Cross filters provide a nice way to expand your special effects arsenal at low cost. As their name implies, these filters create a cross like diffraction pattern most visible on highlights. Cross filters typically come in 4, 6, and 8 point varietys. For our testing, we used a Hoya 67mm 6-point filter we obtained from Adorama Camera. Test images shown here were taken with our Tamron 28-75mm f2.5 XR Di lens on a Canon EOS 20D.

One strength of the Rebel XT is its small size. Unfortunately, for those with big hands or big lenses, the camera can be a bit too small for a firm feel. The pictures better illustrate the wandering pinky problem with the XT. Notice the 20D really is somewhat larger.

Another sacrifice for the smaller size was the use of the NB-2LH Battery which has significantly less power capicity than the EOS 20D's BP-511A. Canon's BG-E3 battery grip solves both the ergonomic and power problems with the added bonus of providing a full set of shooting controls for portrait work. The BG-E3 is a must have for most XT owners and at about $150.00 it won't break the bank. Read on to see why.