Canon EOS 350D

Light as a feather, but soars like an eagle

Canon kick-started the market for budget, digital SLR cameras almost two years ago with the EOS 300D. Since then, however, it's faced stiff competition from the likes of Nikon's tougher D70 and Pentax's surprisingly compact *istDS (T3 110, 4/5). Now Canon's new 350D is set to trump its rivals in almost every aspect.

For starters, it sports eight megapixels -- the extra two make a visible difference on large prints or tight crops. The redesigned body is compact for an SLR and only fractionally bigger than the *istDS. At just 724g including the bundled 3x optical zoom lens, though, this is officially the lightest digital SLR around. It also feels more robust than the 300D and looks smarter with its black finish, although a silver version is also available.

The 350D is considerably quicker than its predecessor, starting-up ten times faster in just 0.2 seconds, and it's able to fire off 14 frames at a rate of three per second in burst mode -- the 300D could only muster four at 2.5fps.

There's a lot more for enthusiasts, including flash compensation, adjustable colour spaces and bags of creative control, although beginners in search of an easy life can just leave it on auto or one of the presets. In fact, there is very little to complain about.

The 1.8-inch screen is looking a little mean when cameras like the *istDS have a two-inch display but, that said, like other digital SLRs the screen is only used for playback and menus, as framing is done entirely through the optical viewfinder.

The combination of an eight megapixel sensor and the same processor -- as used in Canon's pro cameras -- delivers images that are detailed, silky-smooth and natural looking. Couple this with the quick handling and a compact body for £800, and you've got the best budget digital SLR available.

advertisement