Review: Canon EOS 650D

CANON EOS 650D
Specs: 18 MP CMOS sensor; 1/4000 shutter speed; ISO 6400 expandable to 25600; Full HD 1920 x 1080 (30fps); SDHC card; 3-inch vari-angle TFT monitor. Price: Rs 55,995 (body only)

After lying low for a while Canon has come back to the DSLR stage with the EOD 650D, an 18 megapixel camera with many firsts to its name. Canon has not yet started pushing its megapixel numbers and is instead focusing on other features. The 650D for instance is its first camera with an intuitive variangle capacitive touchscreen which can be used to focus as well as click pictures.

PERFORMANCE
The camera features a new 9-point all cross-type auto focus supported by a Hybrid CMOS AF system. So the auto-focus is really fast when you are framing shots using the viewfinder. However, with the LCD, things were much slower and we had trouble focusing on moving objects. That is when we played around with the settings and discovered the Quick mode for live shooting. In this mode, it is as fast as possible. You can just choose the AF point you want and the camera clicks within a second. In the Full HD video mode, the focus was fast but not so smooth. But we were using an EFS 18-55mm lens. We believe the focus is much faster with the new STM lens, which have been optimised for this camera. The touchscreen is handy while changing settings as you are framing a shot. The burst mode is also super fast, about five shots a second.

DESIGN
Overall the 650D looks like the 500D or the 550D, but there are a whole bunch of changes in the operative end of the camera. To accommodate the 3-inch vari-angle LCD, which needs space to fold and swivel, all buttons on the left of the LCD have been shifted to the right. And this adjustment works real well as you can operate everything with the right hand. The menu and info buttons are now on the left of the viewfinder while the ISO button is towards the front of the dial. One of the best things about the camera is the fact that the LCD can be folded back, facing the camera thus protecting it from the elements when not in use.

RESULTS
As expected the results were really good. The colours were deep and vibrant. It was able to capture the subtle colours of a bright Delhi sky, which is no mean feat. Actually, with an LCD screen that gives you live preview as you change settings, it is hard to get the pictures wrong. The HD videos ended up with portions that were a bit out of focus, especially when we were moving the camera around. But overall for a mid-level camera the 650D ticks all the boxes.

VERDICT: Good upgrade if you are looking for something versatile.

Courtesy: Gadgets and Gizmos