Canon Eos 400D digital camera

Canon Eos 400D digital camera
Rating: 8/10 Great
The lighter and smaller of the two, Canon has nevertheless made good use of the real estate to provide fingertip control without overburdening the camera with buttons. The left side of the top plate is empty of any controls at all, while the mode dial, power switch, command dial and shutter release are all based on the right. The majority of the camera's controls are on the back of the camera, which is dominated by the bright 2.5in LCD. A circular five-button set allows navigation of the menus, as well as allowing fast access to metering modes, white balance options, ISO speeds and AF modes.The central button, for the first time, acts as both the'set' button and gives access to Picture Style options.
The purchase around the right grip is a little tighter than that of the D80; my fingernails rub against the lens mount housing on the front of the camera, leaving some scratching on the plastic cover-something I'm sure would look
even worse after continued use. Furthermore the shallow depth of the camera forces my little fingerto curve beneath the body, which I find slightly uncomfortable.There's a nicely shaped ergonomic thumb rest on the back though, which helps to provide comfort and,thanks to a rubber thumb pad,a more reassuring grip.
The most notable aspect of the Canon over the Nikon is on the LCD.Canon has followed the design precedents set by Olympus and Konica Minolta/Sony to include the shooting information on the main LCD, when in shooting mode.This is a lot brighter than a grey LCD, and easierto see in the dark.The information is also bigger.so easier to read for long-sighted users. Proximity sensors beneath the viewfinder shut the screen down when the camera is placed to the eye. As an aside, while I like this system, I think Olympus and Konica Minolta (or Sony) do it better-especially Sony's self-orientating version.