Canon EOS 1000D

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As point-and-shoots become more mainstream and affordable, more people are getting interested in digital photography and wants to learn more about it. When compact shooters no longer suffice, some of them want to turn to a dSLR but will be held back by the cost and complex operations. This is where budget dSLRs come into play, and recently there has been an increased influx of such models.

Canon's EOS 1000D was announced in June and to date is the company's most affordable, lightest and smallest dSLR. Targeted at novices, the shooter has only the most basic set of functions to help them start shooting. While we were not exactly impressed with its build and features, we have to admit the image quality was on par with the cameras's more expensive siblings.

Editors' note:

The previous review published for this camera was done by our sister site CNET.com. You can read the article here.

Design

The EOS 1000D was styled after the EOS 450D, and a non-discerning eye may not be able to tell the difference between the two if not for the label on the front of the camera that states the camera's make. We found the placement of certain buttons, like the one for adjusting ISO, slightly awkward and had to fumble to find it. However, this shouldn't pose a big problem for first-time dSLR users who are not accustomed to any particular dSLR button layout. Canon also kept the rear interface neater by mapping more than one operation to each button, and they were clearly indicative of their functions.

The plastic body feels a little bit cheap, and the grip isn't fantastic, too.
(click for larger image)

While the shooter has a relatively decent grip, its build was too compact and we found our pinkie dangling from the shooter, which didn't feel too secure. However, ladies had an easier time holding the dSLR as most of them liked the small size and weight. Those with larger hands may want to consider attaching the optional BG-E5 vertical grip for a better grip.

In terms of build quality, the 1000D felt too plasticky for our liking. Although its competitor, the Olympus E-420, doesn't have as deep a grip as the Canon, it does have a more solidly-built body.

If we had it our way, we would put a scroll wheel on every camera we designed, and this is exactly what the 1000D lacks. Call us fussy, but navigating menus via a scroll wheel is often a much easier affair compared to using the four-way directional pad. Some compact cameras come with them, so why not a budget dSLR?

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