Canon EOS 450D digital SLR
Truth be told, we hoped for more
Review The EOS 450D is more like a step-up than a follow-on to the EOS 400D entry-level digital SLR we recently looked at. The question is, what does the extra 50 in the model number mean in terms of improvement?
Well, quite a few things, both from a cosmetic and from a performance point of view. That said, this is no massive leap forward in terms of technological advances, but there are some nice new enhancements. The EOS 450D uses a 22.2 x 14.8mm CMOS image sensor with 12.2 megapixels - the 400D has 10.1 megapixels - and it also uses a DIGIC III image processor to the 400's DIGIC II.
Canon's EOS 450D: not a massive technological advance
The LCD screen size has also been increased from 2.5 to 3in, although both versions have 230,000 pixels. Not that you notice the lower resolution on the new screen, but you do notice how much clearer and easier it is to see all the relevant camera data – the new screen is 50 per cent brighter.
Then there are some nice little touches, like putting the ISO button close to the control dial and shutter button for even easier operation. The viewfinder also provides extra information, including the ISO speed, which means you spend even less time checking the LCD screen during a shoot.
Appealing to wider target audience
Canon has also opted to use SD/SDHC memory cards in place of the Compact Flash used by the EOS 400D and most other DSLRs. To the purist, this might seem like a retrograde step, but in fact, the SD/SDHC card format offers very high capacities these days (up to 32GB) and fast writing speeds.
COMMENTS
600 is excessive but 375 is not
Dixons Duty Free are selling them for 425 and with the 50 cashback, you're quids in!
I had a 350d before and upgraded for the improved low light performance and believe me, its worth every penny.
Just got mine!
Just upgraded from a 300D, about 3 days ago. Amazing range of features on the 450D, I've only had a chance to play with the bog standard stuff, auto mode, manual mode, can't wait to get out and start playing with my ND filters and doing the time lapse stuff.
Canon do now make a "budget" 70-250mm telephoto lens for around £210, if you can't stretch to a full 300mm at £700, the budget lens has a "plastic" barrel but does come with IS built-in.
About the Live View
"The benefit is that it allows you to zoom in on a subject ... as it allows you to achieve critical focus"
That's what I would have expected, indeed was my interest in live view too ... until I downloaded the user manual and read the "live view" pages to see:
"When you magnify the image, the image sharpness may look more pronounced than it really is".
Ooh, nasty. So we have a feature that COULD have been very useful for getting the focus spot on, and we discover that it artificially sharpens the image -- thereby, presumably, making it harder to be CERTAIN that the image really is as sharp as it looks.
By my calculations, the live preview COULD offer a pixel-by-pixel representation of part of the image sensor, at a magnification of about 7 to 1 ... thereby needing no resampling and therefore no artificial sharpening of the result.
Full review
For those saying this review isn't full enough, or that you can tell by an IT pro, why are you expecting a professional camera review on El Reg?
I used this review to help make my mind up: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/
70%? I doubt he has ever used an Hitachi camera then!
Nice review which tells those who know about cameras what they want to know, but fails miserably to help the novice (who may actually be the target of this review).
to give a camera like the 450D 70% because it doesnt do enough to warrant an upgrade shows a total lack of respect for both the camera and the people who want to use it. If the reviewer looked at it from a scratch point of view he would have scored it in high 90s.
I have a 300D. I have had it since they came out, and i love it. It is easy to use and gives lovely pictures which are....wait for it....only 6 megapixels in size. They are still too big to see on a computer screen, and when was the last time you printed a snap anything bigger than a4? Would i upgrade to a 350d? no, 400d? still no. 450d? yes. It pretty much matches the 40d for what i want and for a lot less money. I will have to buy different memory cards, and also a SDHD reader (as my multicard reader isnt), but still worth it if this camera will last me another 10000 shots.
So my review would be.....
canon 450d... even more for your entry level pound. get an L lens to be as good as any paparazzo!
Paris would make a great subject for any 450d photos.....
