dpreview.com Canon Rebel EOS 300D Review Final Update

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos300d/' target='_blank'>http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos300d/</a><br /><br /></div>"Just posted! Our updated final Canon EOS 300D review. This review has been updated with test results from a final production EOS 300D, image samples have been re-shot and a new samples gallery added. The overall conclusion remains the same as the late pre-production camera we had for our initial review appears to be very similar in quality to the final camera. Also added is a new 20 image samples gallery including several long exposure night shots."<br /><br />The 300D review at dpreview is one of the most thorough out there, and now that the pictures are final, it's an even better resource. If you're considering this camera, this review is a must-read. As a 300D owner myself, I have nothing but great things to say about this camera, so I'm a little biased. ;-)

[Gary Sheynkman]

The Rebel is an awesome camera...and after learning another language I was able to understand that review in its entirety!

In the end though, what makes you a great photographer is not the camera, but your ability to work around the few imperfections in ANY piece of hardware. :wink:

[KH]

I have this camera and I love it - sort of...

I love the high pixel count and have actually become comfortable - well almost - with using the manual setting. I have some fantastic pictures, such as a shot of my daughter's Banty hen peeking out on a branch of our Christmas tree - it looks like something I should sell to Hallmark.

I take a lot of action shots of the kids jumping their horses, sometimes cross country, sometimes in an arena. And here I get to the sort-of. I need a high shutter speed - and sometimes the lighting is lower than I like. I've played with ISO settings and haven't really found the magic combination. I'm not a pro and moved up into this camera from a number of others - Canon Elphs and Olympus Ultra-Zooms mostly. Balancing performance, size and cost, I finally settled on a 135mm F2.0 EF lens, and I have to say it is quite good, but the lack of zoom can be annoying. When it gets to be summer and we have consistently better light I will use my zoom lens, but for now F5.6 at telephoto just doesn't work. The alternative is really expensive - and worse, BIG. The faster zooms are SO HEAVY! So I am beginning to think I need to supplement with a higher end point-and-shoot-plus digital such as the Olympus 750UZ or one of its successors. If you can pre-focus, the 10x zoom is great, and I think the lens is F3.7 at telephoto, which is quite good.

[Suhit Gupta]

Since i purchased the more expensive, and its much more badass big brother, the Canon EOS 10D, I have to defend it. I have seen the 300D and the 10D side by side and I prefer the 10D. It feels weird that the 300D has almost the same hardware as the 10D but a bunch of the cool features have been turned off in the software. Perhaps DMT needs a head to head on the two cameras abilities.

Suhit

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Actually I find the quality to be similar. As Suhit has put it, the main differences are in the nerfing of some features.

KH, I don't suggest you get another camera. The 300D should work well, after all, it is coming from a company who consistently boasts about AF speed the most. I'd think the 300D's AF is much better than the Olympus C750, along with the ability to select much high ISOs for faster shutter speeds. Have you tried ISO 1600?

[rlobrecht]

I need a high shutter speed

From DPReview's review of the Nikon D70 http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond70/default.asp

"the D70 manages 44 frames in 20 seconds, the EOS 300D just 23. More importantly the D70 shoots the first 17 of those frames at the full 3 frames per second, the EOS 300D managing only 4 frames at its slower 2.5 frames per second. Kudos Nikon."

I had my heart set on a Dgital Rebel until I read this. I do a lot of action photography also, and think that the higher shutter speed will be really nice. Of course the Nikon kit is supposed to be about $300 more than the Digital Rebel kit (when it finally comes out.)

[Crocuta]

From DPReview's review of the Nikon D70 http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond70/default.asp

That Nikon sounds sweet too! One comparison that really struck me was that it takes the Canon 3 seconds to power up while the Nikon was instant. I photograph wildlife and that 3 seconds could mean the difference to me between getting a shot or not. I tell you, Canon really threw down the gauntlet with the EOS 300D. Now Nikon is responding in kind. This is a great time to be a photographer! :D

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Frame advance speed isn't shutter speed.. if the light is bad, the shutter speed will be SLOW, no matter what.

Crocuta, where do you normally photograph your wildlife? Here, it's more mechanised beasts than wildlife... sigh.

[Suhit Gupta]

Don't you mean, it will 'need' to be slow. I mean you can set the shutter to be as fast/slow as you want regardless of the light, it is just that with fast shutter speeds in low light, there won't be enough light for a good exposure.

Suhit

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Hence the shutter speed will be slow. I'd think that we all want decently exposed photos. =) Okok, add a need to between will and be, hehe.

[Crocuta]

Crocuta, where do you normally photograph your wildlife? Here, it's more mechanised beasts than wildlife... sigh.

Yslee, I do most of my wildlife photography in South Africa, though I've also done quite a bit in Australia and New Zealand. It's harder to get the dramatic shots in the US, but still possible. I haven't had much time for it in recent months due to work pressures, but will get back to it this summer when things ease up there.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Crocuta, that's sounds really great! Shoots like that are just but a dream for me. Do you have an online gallery of your photos? I'd like to take a look. =)

[Crocuta]

Crocuta, that's sounds really great! Shoots like that are just but a dream for me. Do you have an online gallery of your photos? I'd like to take a look. =)

It would just be a dream for me too if my work didn't take me there. It's one of the perks of working in wildlife conservation. Whenever I visit one of the reserves, I get up about 4am and drive around shooting from dawn until around 8am. My work usually starts around 9am and so I have plenty of time to shoot before work. Then when everone else goes home for dinner around 4:30pm, I just grab a cooler with drinks and a sandwich and head out until dusk. Since the best time for sighting wildlife is dawn and dusk, this system works out really well. The only thing it doesn't let me do is to plan my days around achieving a certain photogaphic goal like a pro wildlife photographer would do. But since I'm getting paid to do this, I try not to complain. :wink:

I do have an online photo gallery on my web site at
http://www.wildearthnet.org/photo/photo.htm. I hope you enjoy it.

[Later] Actually, I wonder if you could do me a favor. After working fine for some years, my web site doesn't seem to be showing all the photos in my gallery. They show up in the HTML editor and in the source code, but just don't show in my browser. I'm not sure if the problem is my web site or my browser. Would you look in the America section and tell me how many squirrel photos you see in the first part? Thanks!

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

It's one of the perks of working in wildlife conservation.


You lucky guy!

Since the best time for sighting wildlife is dawn and dusk, this system works out really well. The only thing it doesn't let me do is to plan my days around achieving a certain photogaphic goal like a pro wildlife photographer would do. But since I'm getting paid to do this, I try not to complain. :wink:

I think I'll go to a corner and whimper now.


I do have an online photo gallery on my web site at
http://www.wildearthnet.org/photo/photo.htm. I hope you enjoy it.

Great photos! I especially like those that show the animals in their environments; it gives a certain sense of scale, and looks really good!

[Later]Would you look in the America section and tell me how many squirrel photos you see in the first part? Thanks!

Five!

[Crocuta]

It's one of the perks of working in wildlife conservation.

You lucky guy!

Well, you'll never get rich working in this area, but there's more to life than money. I wouldn't trade it for anything.


Great photos! I especially like those that show the animals in their environments; it gives a certain sense of scale, and looks really good!

Thanks! I guess you can tell that I lean more toward the portrait style than the environmental. It's funny because I love it when other photographers concentrate on environment and scale, but when I get behind the lens, I just want to get close enough to touch. Maybe it's my frustration at not being able to pet the kitties! :lol:

Anyway, I think I'll concentrate on developing that aspect of my photgraphy for awhile. Thanks for the comment!

[Later]Would you look in the America section and tell me how many squirrel photos you see in the first part? Thanks!
Five!

Thanks so much! There should be five so you're getting them all, but my browser only shows two, and several other images are missing. I was just about to tear back into the site, but now I know to look on my own computer for the problem. Perhaps a clear of the cache will sort things out.

[Suhit Gupta]

I do have an online photo gallery on my web site at
http://www.wildearthnet.org/photo/photo.htm. I hope you enjoy it.
Wow, nice site. The pictures look great.

Suhit

[Crocuta]

Thanks!!! Now if all of my photos would show up, I'd be in business. :?

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Hehe, we've gone quite OT..

Anyway, I think I'll concentrate on developing that aspect of my photgraphy for awhile. Thanks for the comment!

I think that's a good idea. It's more exciting to look at. Animal portraiture has a very "documentative" feel after a while. Good photos of animals in their environments are more visually engaging to me.


Thanks so much! There should be five so you're getting them all, but my browser only shows two, and several other images are missing. I was just about to tear back into the site, but now I know to look on my own computer for the problem. Perhaps a clear of the cache will sort things out.

I think most of us should be seeing 5 images.. is everyone seeing 5 images?

[Suhit Gupta]

I think most of us should be seeing 5 images.. is everyone seeing 5 images?
I am definitely seeing 5. The breakdown of images on that entire page is as follows for me - 5/3/3/3/3/2/3. I confirmed this with Mozilla as well.

Suhit

[Crocuta]

Yeah, I guess we are way OT by now. It's probably time to wrap it up, but I do thank you for your help. What you guys are seeing is exactly right, but I can't figure out why my own computers aren't working. I checked with my main home computer, my laptop from work and my wife's desktop and they all show 2-2-0-3-3-2-3. They all have in common are that they use IE6 (w/ latest updates) and they're all viewing the site from my home cable connection. I'll have to investigate this further and see if I can narrow down the cause. In the meantime, it's just good to know that everyone else is seeing what they're supposed to.