I finally got my new (to me) Canon 300D today. I also got a 512mb Compact
Flash card to start me off! The camera seems to work perfectly - and has 12
months warranty :)
I didn't get a data lead to connect it to the PC though. It looks like a
standard mini-USB port on the camera. Gonna check before I use any leads I
have. The flash works fine - the camera takes pics and plays them back ok.
I'll need to transfer a pic or two to my PC later to check for any defects
(e.g. any bad pixels) when viewed full size. So far, not had a chance to do
any proper photography with it yet. Took a couple of shots in the shop to
check it was in working order - and a couple of waste shots when showing my
son and a couple of friends it.
I will take it out this weekend and do a shoot somewhere - to check the
capacity of the flash card. Ok, first impressions: I *DO* like the feel of
the camera - even though it's a polycarbonate body. The controls have some
similarity to my A1 - but I can tell that my A1 is of better build quality.
The pics look great on the little LCD screen on the back of the camera. I
took a picture outside in my son's garden just as it got dark outside - the
flash auto-popped up and fired when I took a test shot on P mode. I then set
the camera to manual mode and it took a slightly underexposed but still very
acceptable picture in low light levels (without any flash) that I'd have
problems shooting in with a film SLR loaded with 400 ASA film. So I'm *very*
surprised and impressed with its performance in low light levels. Can't
remember offhand what ISO setting it was working on (I didn't adjust the ISO
setting).
The AF is *very* fast and responsive with no discernable 'hunting' -even in
low light conditions - and it seems accurate - again, even in very low light
conditions :)
The viewing area in the viewfinder seems to be quite a bit smaller in
physical size (if not viewing area) than I'm used to with SLRs. But the
camera seems to provide all the important info ok in the viewfinder. The
camera controls are well located, and very easy to use and not 'fiddly' :)
I've not played with any of its menus yet. There's enough audio feedback
when taking a shot to know that you've taken a shot - even if not quite as
nice and satisfying a noise as from my A1 (my A1 doesn't have the infamous
Canon cough or squeal). I miss the split-screen and Fresnel ring microprism
focusing aids for manual focusing - but the matte screen does work ok and
its still easy to find an acceptable focus quickly enough with manual focus
and I think I'll probably be using AF most of the time anyway. The zoom is
very fast and positive with no hint of zoom creep - in either AF or MF
modes no matter how I tilt the camera :) Although there's no mention of
macro on the lens, I can get up to within a couple of inches of the subject
and still get [fairly] sharp focus in MF mode - the AF mode isn't quite as
tolerant, but still lets me get pretty close to the subject :) The lens
mounts and unmounts quickly and easily enough - even if the angle of
rotation, when turning the lens from the white alignment mark to the lock
position, 'feels' a tad excessive (even though it's actually only around a
1/4 of a turn like most lenses/camera mounts are) - but the f 3.5/f 5.6
18-55mm EF-S lens does feel a little squat and bulky (like so many modern
lenses) which probably makes the angle of rotation feel a tad excessive. I
like the little DOF preview button (even though it's a bit small). In short,
so far I feel perfectly at home with the camera - even if it did feel a tad
eerie the first couple of shots - it is my first DSLR after all! The
viewfinder look does seem a little strange (due I think to the camera having
a mirror prism rather than my more usual pentaprisms). It's impossible to
describe how its different - but it is.
Cons:
So far, really only 1! - I really don't like the back LCD panel rubbing
against my coat when I let the camera hang on its strap - I think the LCD
panel will quickly get marked and scratched if I don't get some protective
covering for it.
Minor gripe:
The lens filter size is 58mm rather than 52mm so I've got to buy a 58mm UV
filter and 58mm Cokin adaptor ring (good excuse to get series P I think!)
Allan
PS No trees were harmed in the sending of this message and a very large
number of electrons were asked their permission to be terribly
inconvenienced. (And threw a party for them afterwards for being really cool
about it).
Disrupting the unnatural balance that you, as a conscious human being and a
confused mass of energy, have created.
-Disturb the mind -
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