Canon EOS 500D
|
||||||
| Canon 500D body only 06/05/2010 I bought this as my first dSLR, a significant step up from the compact cameras I had previously owned. However I have in the past had a Minolta SLR and my wife had a Canon SLR with a couple lenses, hence we went for Canon over other brands so we didn't have to buy the kit lens. Instead I bought the cheap (but excellent) 50mm f1.8 to go with the 28-90mm we already owned. I've now had it for a couple months, taken a few thousand photos, and added a 55-250mm zoom lens to my collection. Having a scientific background I have really enjoyed getting the hang of all the settings. I bought the "For Dummies" book for this camera which is a thousand times better than the manual for explaining how things work. The only key tripping point with this camera (and I assume this is the same for most other dSLR's) is that you really need to keep the ISO at 100 or 200. In the auto-ISO mode the camera trades off between f-stop, shutter speed and ISO, often using quite a high ISO setting which gives low quality images. A bit of thinking about the lighting normally allows pretty good indoor photos during the day with a 200 ISO and using the 50mm f1.8 lens, however a flash is definately on my wish list. Moving from a compact to a SLR is quite a culture change, and I have wrecked lots of pictures through not really knowing what I am doing. However as I have been getting the hang of things much better results have been forthcoming. To be safe I have oftened use the fully automatic mode however this does not give quite as good results as one might expect from the equivalent mode on a compact camera, probably because you don't but a dSLR to just use in auto mode! I have now switched to using the P mode or creative auto mode for "non-thinking" shots and use the advanced modes when I have time to play with settings. To be honest I don't use the live view function and the video facility is a bit of a gimmick, especially as it only really works with manual focusing. The video is all right for spontaneous filming however my middle-of-the-range Panasonic video camera is much better. The only point of getting a dSLR is to combine it with different lenses, so the financial commitment is more than just for the camera. I didn't previously realise quite how much lenses cost, and you do tend to get what you pay for. I am not serious (or rich) enough to buy any of the professional lenses, however the few cheaper lenses I have bought are perfectly good for family pictures and day outings to the zoo etc. Indeed this set up is excellent if you are just a beginner and want to learn about photography. I would recommend this camera whole-heartedly to any beginner or amateur photographer as easy to use and, once you get the hang of it, capable of pretty good pictures. By Financial Musings UK | ||||||
| Good camera 06/04/2010 The only real shortcoming of this camera is that the new model came out. Still, it is has gone up in price with the introduction of the new model, and it is supposed to stay in production. A good investment in lenses is needed to take advantage of the sensor.` The video focusing is pretty basic, not any good for moving objects. Battery life is quite good, similar to a 350D, focusing is faster and it has spot focus. By D.S. | ||||||
| Great Picture quality and easy to use. 10/03/2010 I previously had the Canon 400d and have had good use of it for 3 years since it was working well I was in two minds about whether to upgrade. I am so glad I did . This is compatible with all my old lenses and I am loving the results . By Weather Girl St Albans | ||||||
| Quite simply fantastic 29/01/2010 This is not my first camera, it's not even my first SLR, however this is by far and away the best camera I have ever owned. It is very user friendly, is compatible with the entire range of EF and EF-S lenses (which is good as one of mine is over 20 years old) and the clarity of image is simply brilliant. I could go on about the technology, but I am not going to. This is simply a great camera. By N. JOHNSON | ||||||
| Superb DLSR for all levels of competence. 29/01/2010 I recently bought this camera to replace my EOS 350D which had served me well for the past 4 years. There are a number a great improvements since the 350D. The ISO range has been extended to 128000 which is great for extremely low light applications (although a lot of digital noise is not surprisingly apparent). The viewing screen on the back of the camera is much larger and clearer and the menus easier to read and understand. It can also be used to view the image being taken as an alternative to using the SLR viewfinder (just like on a compact). It has an HD movie mode too although I haven't personally found a use for it yet. For novices it can be used in fully automatic or a range of preselected creative modes for landscape, portraiture etc. or be used in a range of semi automatic modes such as aperture or shutter priority or full manual control. I usually shoot in RAW format (only available in semi automatic modes) which requires post processing with the software supplied in order to creat jpeg or tiff images but for users in more of a hurry or who want to use pic bridge or direct from card printing it can also shoot in jpeg mode or both simultaneously. The buffer for continuous shooting is huge and will run at over 3 frames per second for over 300 shots in jpeg mode or 9 in RAW. Resolution is also fine at over 15 megapix. The lenses are Canon EF type which has an enormous range and are readily available both new and second hand, giving full autofocus or manual focus at the flick of a switch. Many lenses are also available with image stabilisation (have the letters IS in their model description). An all round great performer which is light and easy to carry about and simple to use. I am delighted with this camera and would recommend it to anyone looking for a first DSLR or an upgrade. By M. Lee London, England | ||||||
