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In A League Of Its Own

After setting the market on fire and creating a new category of affordable D-SLRs, Canon ups the ante by launching the successor to the hugely popular 350D. The new EOS 400D—also known as the 400D Rebel XTi in other parts of the world—is a 10 MP compact digital SLR. For an amateur, the plethora of settings available might overwhelm, but then that’s what should be expected of an SLR.

Light and compact it surely is; however, manual controls and performance are pretty much there despite the camera being an entry level D-SLR. New features include a nine-point AF sensor, a dust cleaning system via an anti-static coating on the sensor, and software-based dust pattern removal. There’s a large 2.5-inch LCD, but the status LCD has been shown its way out. An eye proximity sensor makes the LCD switch off while the frame is being composed.

Ergonomically, the Canon 400D is near-perfect: nice large buttons, solid-looking command dials, and a massive grip.

The new nine-point AF offers a significant advantage in terms of focusing sharply on the subject. “Nine-point” means the viewfinder has nine spots that light up green when the shutter is half depressed, indicating the selected area.

ISO speeds are available from 100 all the way up to 1600—good for taking low-light photographs. Twelve shooting modes and eight white balance settings are available for instant shooting. Monochrome pictures can also be shot, apart from other available presets.
On the performance front, the 400D gives excellent results; colours are typical Canon—natural and soothing. Noise is pretty well restricted till ISO 400, after which you do get to see significant noise (chroma noise; colour speckles that happen when photos are taken in poorly-lit areas or when the ISO is cranked up). The sharpness, however, remains intact. White balance isn’t the camera’s strong point, and in our studio test, a yellow cast was prominent.

The 400D is pricey at Rs 56,995 for the body and the 18-55 kit lens. However, a good starting camera for amateur photographers, we think, would be Nikon’s D40. It makes for an excellent buy because of its aggressive pricing.

RATINGS
Performance  : 4
Features : 4
Ease of Use : 4
Value for Money : 3
Overall : 4

Specifications
10.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, Digic II Imaging processor, Nine-point AF Sensor, 3 FPS continuous shooting, 1/4000 to 1/200 sec maximum shutter speed and ISO 100-1600

Contact : Canon India Pvt Ltd
Phone : 1800-345-3366
Email : info@canon.co.in
Web site : www.canon.co.in
Price : 56,995