REVIEWS / DSLRS / CANON INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

Canon EOS 500D

16 Jun, 2009, 2:57 pm IST | by Gagan Gupta | DSLRs DSLRs


Features
As I mentioned earlier, the live view is very functional this time. Gone is the video lag, and the focus issues that we've witnessed in cameras from this category before. This time, the EOS 500D bridges the gap between consumer cam and DSLR pretty well. The only slight hindrance is that in live view, you'll have to press a separate button (the zoom out) to autofocus instead of the half-button press on the shutter release. Still, that's not really a big issue; the live view works and it works well.

Another major feature of the 500D is that it boasts full HD (1080p) video recording, which is quite awesome for a DSLR of its category. Even the closest competition, the Nikon D5000 records up to 720p, which may give the Canon camera a bit of an edge in its marketing.

That said, the video shooting feature uses live view for its basic functionality, which is a big problem as you have to manually keep adjusting the focus using the zoom out button. Considering that getting the right focus can easily take a few seconds, this can be a slow process. This limitation pretty much eliminates the idea of using the 500D as a handheld video recorder, and warrants a still surface or a tripod, and a set point of focus for its basic function.

The point is — don't throw that camcorder away just yet.

The EOS 500D supports sensitivity levels of up to ISO 6400, and as you can judge from the comparison image below, the performance is not too shabby even on the highest ISO setting.

Another major feature of the 500D is that it boasts full HD (1080p) video recording, which is quite awesome for a DSLR of its category. Even the closest competition, the Nikon D5000 records up to 720p, which may give the Canon camera a bit of an edge in its marketing.

That said, the video shooting feature uses live view for its basic functionality, which is a big problem as you have to manually keep adjusting the focus using the zoom out button. Considering that getting the right focus can easily take a few seconds, this can be a slow process. This limitation pretty much eliminates the idea of using the 500D as a handheld video recorder, and warrants a still surface or a tripod, and a set point of focus for its basic function.

The point is — don't throw that camcorder away just yet.

The EOS 500D supports sensitivity levels of up to ISO 6400, and as you can judge from the comparison image below, the performance is not too shabby even on the highest ISO setting.

There's a lot you can do with a clean and crisp 15 megapixel resolution that the EOS 500D promises, but that's considering how good the images it delivers are. The 9-point autofocus certainly helps to keep the right parts in perspective.

Tags: Canon , 15 megapixel , DSLR , digicam , digital camera

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