Starts at beginner and works its way up as you gain more experience (Canon EOS 1000D)

Member Name: pineapplejelly

Product:	Canon EOS 1000D
Date:	09/06/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: superior image quality, easy to use, good to look at

Disadvantages: cost, perhaps? But that's not specific to this model, just DSLRs in general

This is a great entry-level DSLR. It eases you in with the auto and scene modes; the next step up is the semi-manual modes where you can select aperture or shutter speed and the camera adjusts the other accordingly, then program mode which the camera "suggests" an exposure which you can correct if you like, and of course the fully manual mode.

This basically means you can run out and take pictures immediately, before reading the whole manual, and as your experience grows you can gradually utilise the other features of the camera.

It has easy menu navigation and the buttons are straightforwardly laid out. It's very easy to use and if you hear of something your camera can do but you're not sure how to do it (which has happened to me several times) it's really easy to find in the manual.

It has 10.1 MP. I know that this will print at high quality up to at least A4 but haven't tested it for higher. According to this website:
http://www.design215.com/toolbox/megapixels .php
10MP will give you prints of up to 13 x 8.5 inches. (at 300ppi)

There are only 7 autofocus points on this camera, and it's got a bit of bad feedback on this front because the 450D and the 400D both have 9 (and it's supposed to be better than the 400D). Occasionally it does struggle to focus but once you've learnt how to manual focus you can just use that if it's a tricky shot. Although I have found I've missed a shot or two here or there because the focus has been off (shots of moving things like people). I can't compare it to a camera with 9 autofocus points though since I haven't used one. It's possible that this is just a feature of Canon's autofocus system, or of a lot of non-professional (i.e. similarly-priced) DSLRs.

Other statistics:
* 10.1 MP CMOS sensor
* Up to 3 frames per second
* 7-point wide-area AF
* Self-Cleaning Image Sensor
* 2.5" LCD with Live View mode
* DIGIC III processor
* SD/SDHC card slot
* Picture Styles processing
* Compact and lightweight
* Compatible with EF/EF-S lenses and EX Speedlites

You can get a good deal with this camera if you buy it as a "kit" with the 18-55mm "kit lens"; this saves you buying a separate lens and the deals for buying both together can often save you up to £100 on a lens.

Finally, if you're new to SLRs and are trying to decide between Canon and Nikon (the two major brands), you would expect me to give you a list of why you should pick Canon, right? To be honest, it's fairly arbitrary. They're both market leaders and they're both fantastic at what they do. If you haven't yet invested in or the other (or another) then it's totally fine to invest in one for a superficial reason. Go to a camera shop and see which one you like the feel of better. I just went with Canon because to me they looked and felt much sexier than the Nikon models!

Summary: Great quality, easy to use, market leader

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