VR Features

Press Release for Canon EOS 450D
Canon's new DSLR puts performance in the hands of serious photo hobbyists

Prosumers and serious photo enthusiasts can expand their photographic endeavors with the launch of the Canon EOS 450D Digital SLR (DSLR) that incorporates high end functions and technology found in Canon’s professional DSLR models.

Modeled after the popular Canon EOS 400D, the new EOS 450D is an improved successor with a 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC III imaging processor that captures high definition images with true-to-life colours at amazingly fast processing speed. The EOS 450D is also the first EOS DSLR that uses the Secured Digital (SD) card as the storage media, moving away from the Compact Flash (CF) card, thus making it compact and light.

"The EOS 450D continues Canon’s technology leadership in taking technologies suitable in the professional photography space and making them available to consumers, regardless of their photography skills," says Andrew Koh, Director and General Manager of the Consumer Imaging and Information Division at Canon Singapore. "Packed with Canon’s most advanced photographic technologies, the EOS 450D is very accessible to prosumers and photo enthusiasts looking for value-for-money DSLR cameras with top notch performance."

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Handling

The redesigned grip on the body, and most importantly, the optional battery grip makes handling the camera a very pleasant one. It is a huge step up from the EOS 350D and the EOS 400D. The most noticable and applaudable change in design would be the all-new BG-E5 battery grip. With curved contours, we are definitely looking at a snug fit here. The outline of the body grip and the battery grip feel almost similar, gone are the days of Canon battery grips that feel nothing more than just a rectangular block. A big thumbs up to Canon on this one!


Autofocus

A new autofocus model has been thrown into the EOS 450D. Although it still retains 9 AF points, the speed and accuracy has been tweaked and improved. Non-center points performed well during our brief testing. The center AF point operates as a cross-type, high-precision point when lenses of f/2.8 or faster are used. In addition, the sensor is able to correct slight shifts in the point of focus that is caused by different light sources, thus improving AF accuracy.


Controls

A separate ISO button has been placed conveniently beside the on/off switch. The 3-inch LCD screen takes up much of the space on the back of the camera, but that does not mean there needs to be compromise of ease of controls. All the usual settings that one would touch while shooting can be done with just one hand on this camera. (And I just gotta love the very neat yet cool looking information display screen!)


Live View

Live View is a feature that is available on all new EOS cameras. To date, the 1D Mark III, 1Ds Mark III and the 40D have Live View. This makes the EOS 450D the forth camera in Canon's DSLR line-up to sport this function.

Live View can come in very handy when one is stuck in a hard-to-move-about situation. By using Live View, the photographer has the freedom to move the camera around until he/she finds the perfect angle because he/she will be able to see what will be captured being reflected real-time on the LCD monitor.


Picture styles

Interestingly, Canon has made some adjustments to the Standard Picture Style, the parameters for Sharpening, Contrast, Saturation and Color tone used to be 3, 0, 0, 0 previously. However, for the EOS 450D, it returned values of 4, 1, 1, 1. I believe it might be due to end-user feedback that the default colours out of the camera aren't punchy enough, unlike certain brands.

After our quick testing, we found that although the images produced will be somewhat more attractive than previous EOS models to users new to DSLRs, it has retained colour accuracy. Picture Style parameters for all the other styles remain the same. There are no new Picture Styles either.


Pricing

The suggested retail price for the Canon EOS 450D camera body alone is SGD$1349, while the camera kit that comes with the new EF-S 18-55mm IS (it's an excellent starter lens even though it looks almost just like the average-performing 18-55mm non-IS, mind you) goes for SGD$1499.


Our initial feeling?

The Canon EOS 450D will take the whole cake for the entry-level market once it hits retail stores. With good handling with/without grip, lightweight, and compact design, it would appeal to both sexes as well as people who are intending to take up photography as a hobby. It has a high megapixel count, a good AF system, and not to mention a wide range of EF/EF-S lenses to choose from.

 

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Test shots


Fill flash with +1/3 EV compensation


ISO 1600, taken at 85mm f/5.6 with EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS, no flash