CANON EOS 1000D
The 1000D offers a solid set of entry-level specs: 10-megapixel, APS-C-size, CMOS sensor(for Canon’s traditional 1.6x focal-length multiplier) and 7-point user-selectable autofocus system. That falls behind the Nikon D3000’s 11-point AF system and the 9-point AF in the Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. We also mark the switch from CompactFlash to SD/SDHC in the plus column. Also, like the 450D, the 1000D includes Canon’s Auto Lighting Optimiser, which automatically adjusts contrast and brightness in case the image you captured isn’t quite perfect. Introduced in the 40D, the Auto Lighting Optimiser is now available in all exposure modes and employs face detection to prevent the underexposure of backlit faces we complained about in the 400D. Remaining specifications are in line with the 450D. For example, shutter speeds range from 30 seconds to 1/4000th of a second, with a flash sync speed of 1/200th of a second, and the camera employs a 35-zone TTL-metering system. Canon also offers the BG-E5 battery grip.
On the other hand, the 1000D lacks common perks Sony, Pentax, and Olympus include in their cameras, like in-body mechanical stabilisation and a wireless flash controller in the body — a feature that we occasionally find quite useful. The inclusion of an image-stabilising lens in some of the kits doesn’t quite compensate, since additional optically stabilised lenses tend to cost more in the long run. The 1000D’s sensitivity range also tops out at ISO 1600, whereas some others go to ISO 3200(but those models generally don’t have usable photo quality at that level). Though it offers a Live View shooting mode with contrast-detection AF, Live View’s usefulness is limited without support from an articulating LCD, and it functions too slowly to be of any use with live subjects. Furthermore, all the manufacturers seem to incorrectly think that the equivalent of Canon’s Picture Styles — custom contrast, sharpness saturation and colour tone — are more important in this market segment than the capability to save groups of custom exposure, white balance, metering, drive-mode settings, and so on. Our biggest peeve, though, is the lack of a spot meter — not even the huge four per cent spot from the 450D.