Canon EOS 500D review

At least manual focussing is a joy. At first glance, the 500D's screen is the same as the 450D's: a whopping 3in diagonal means it swamps the back of the camera. But, like the 5D Mark II and Nikon D90, it has 920,000 pixels - four times the resolution of the 450D. This means that both image and video playback looks stunning: the screen is bright and reproduces colours extremely well. It also means that it's easy to tell whether or not a frame is focussed in live view and video mode.

It's an undeniable luxury, and one which may be responsible for the 500D's decreased battery life. Where the 450D could manage around 500 shots before running out of batteries, the 500D shoots about a hundred fewer. If you shoot a lot of video you'll find battery life worse still: you can at least buy Canon's BG-E5 battery grip, which allows you to use two lithium-ion batteries at once for twice the battery life.

But even with excellent video quality and expanded ISO range, the 500D struggles to justify the enormous price increase versus the 450D. Since its launch a year ago the 450D has dropped to around £435 exc VAT: the 500D costs £696 exc VAT. Neither the minor resolution increase, nor the video capabilities are sufficient reasons for the extra outlay. And that's before you consider the Nikon D90, which costs under £700 (£740 inc VAT), and offers a superior lens, more comfortable handling and 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting to the 500D's 3.4. If you're keen to have an HD-capable DSLR and are put off by the D90's five minute maximum shooting, the 500D is currently your only choice without having to consider the expensive 5D Mark II. But it's still too expensive.

Author: Dave Stevenson