Product Reviews

The EOS 300D is the most expensive digital stills camera we've reviewed in the past year, but for a camera of this calibre its price is a breakthrough. It was the first digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera to cost less than £1,000, and at its latest price it remains the most affordable one on the market. But the 300D shows no signs of being built to a tight budget. It provides the control, image quality and sheer pleasure you'd expect from an enthusiasts' camera and gives models that cost twice as much a run for their money.

Considering the first digital cameras appeared just eight years ago, their success in revolutionising every corner of the photography market from cheap instants to professional models has been extraordinary. However, one of the last strongholds of film photography has been in the amateur enthusiast market. Such users are undoubtedly tempted by the creative potential of computer image manipulation, but those who cut their teeth on SLR technology were never going to settle for a small LCD screen that makes manual focusing all but impossible. At the same time, few amateur photographers could afford to pay the hefty premium digital SLRs commanded.

The EOS 300D plugged the gap and didn't disappoint those who eagerly awaited its arrival. It is, in essence, a feature-reduced version of the EOS 10D - itself a keenly priced SLR at £1,250 including VAT -

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housed in a plastic rather than magnesium alloy case. At its heart is the same 6.3-megapixel CMOS sensor and, although its features aren't quite as extensive as the 10D's, it offers everything most users could wish for. This includes aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual exposure, a seven-point auto-focus system, automatic, preset and manual white balance and a 3,072x2,048-pixel top resolution.

The camera comes with a 3x zoom lens, but it also accepts other lenses and accessories from Canon's well-established EOS range of film cameras. With 58 lenses currently available, this adds a staggering amount of versatility. There's no flash sync socket for connecting studio equipment directly, but hotshoe and remote control connectors are included, and you can add a flash sync socket that fits in the hotshoe for less than £10.

Our reviewer was unable to fault the camera's image quality, which performed superbly even in tricky low-light conditions, while its controls felt instantly familiar, being closely modelled on traditional SLR designs. A CompactFlash slot allows the use of high-capacity cards and Microdrives, which is particularly useful when using the camera's lossless RAW image format. The 1100mAh battery lasted much longer than expected, although it was helped considerably by the fact that a digital SLR doesn't use its LCD screen to compose shots.

We've seen some fantastic advances in digital photography in the past couple of years, and there are plenty of cameras that are worthy of a place on our shortlist. However, the EOS 300D takes the top accolade, not just because of its fantastic quality for the price, but also because it redefines what is possible from a camera aimed at non-professionals.

EXPERT'S VERDICT

"If you're looking for a digital alternative to SLR film photography, this is the perfect candidate."

EDITOR'S VERDICT

"The first digital camera that truly meets the needs of amateur enthusiasts."