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Canon EOS 500D

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By Leonard Goh
May 12, 2009

Shutterbugs looking for an entry-level dSLR these days are spoilt for choice. Not only do they have different brands to consider, the shooters are also peppered with high-end features such as HD video-recording features and tilting LCDs. In such a saturated market, camera makers have to distinguish their products from rivals.

Canon's foray into affordable dSLRs was six years ago with the EOS 300D. This lineup is into its fifth iteration now, and the latest model, the EOS 500D, encompasses high-end features such as full-HD video recording and a high-resolution screen. But how does it fare against competitors such as Nikon and Olympus which recently dished out the D5000 and E-620, respectively, with articulated LCDs?

Design

The design of the EOS 500D doesn't deviate much from its predecessor, the EOS 450D. From the placement of buttons right down to the hand grip, everything feels pretty much the same. A defining feature of the new dSLR is its silver mode dial, first seen on the midrange EOS 50D on top of the camera. On the dial is a new mode--video recording--which is located all the way at one end. Unfortunately, the dial doesn't rotate 360 degrees, so you'll have to turn from one end to other if you want to switch from movie mode to, say, manual exposure.

The grip of the camera isn't too shallow like the Olympus E-450, and there are contours in the right places for a firm, solid hold on the shooter. At 480g for only the camera body, the EOS 500D isn't too heavy to lug around even when we coupled it with the EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS lens.

On the rear of the camera you'll find the record button, which is mapped to Live View. In movie mode, Live View is automatically activated so the button is used for starting and stopping video capture.

As with the EOS 450D, the four-way navigation pad can be used to call up menus for timer mode, white balance, focus mode and Color Style settings. The Set button can be customized to gain quick access to image quality, flash exposure compensation, LCD monitor on/off or menu display. This makes for a good shooting experience as you don't have to access the menus to make changes to commonly used settings such as the size of the image.



Tags: DSLR, Mode, Camera, 360-degree, LCD monitor
 
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