+ Great quality; Live View, superb feel
- Arguably a bit on the expensive side
The EOS 450D is the latest in the line of Canon models that pioneered affordable digital SLRs. Starting with the EOS 300D back in 2004. The 450D continues the heritage well, although things arent the way they were back then. When the 300D launched it was the cheapest digital SLR around by a big margin, but the new model is by no means the lowest-price option around.
Quality offering
If youre after the best image quality for a sensible amount of money, the 450D is possibly your best bet. In low light it edges away from the competition pretty convincingly, showing very little noise. In brighter conditions its the match of any other camera in the price range and the 14-bit resolution from the sensor gives it the ability to capture subtle light.
The big boon of Canon comes when you get into your photography and want to upgrade your lens. Theres a massive range by both Canon and third parties like Sigma and Tamron, and Canons own-brand high-end lenses generally cost a lot less than Nikons equivalents.
If youre not interested is swapping lenses about though, the stock 18-55mm unit is good enough, and also has optical image stabilisation to remedy minor wobbles while youre shooting.
Canon goes Live
The 450D brings with it the Live View feature, massively helped by the superb 3in screen. Its a huge boon for getting super-accurate focus, helped by the ability to digitally zoom into the frame. If you prefer auto focus, Live View helps there too, allowing you to overlay a movable box to indicate exactly the area of the frame you want to focus on.
On paper youd be forgiven for thinking that other cameras notably Sonys Alpha A350 offer more camera for less money. And youd be right except for that fact that the design and feel of the 450D have evolved almost perfectly to make it simply a great camera to take pictures with. It isnt the must-have offering its predecessor was, but the fact remains that you wont find a better picture-taking tool for the money.
They say: The EOS 450D bears the fruits of more than 20 years of ongoing investment into EOS.
We say: We wouldnt disagree but could you make it cheaper please?
Author:iGizmo
Copyright 2009 Dennis Publishing All Rights Reserved.
Canon EOS 450D