Review: Canon EOS 400D digital SLR

The EOS 400D is Canon’s latest entry-level digital SLR and the successor to the best-selling EOS 350D.

Coming to market just before Nikon's D80 (read a review of the Nikon D80), it features a number of improvements over the EOS 350D including a higher-resolution sensor and a bigger LCD screen.

It is the first Canon digital SLR to actively combat the problem of dust getting inside the body.

But first the resolution: the EOS 400D employs a brand new 10.1 megapixel Cmos sensor that delivers images with a maximum resolution of 3,888x2,592 pixels.

If you’re printing at 300dpi, that’s enough to make a 13x8.5in enlargement (about 1.5in bigger than the earlier EOS 350D ), and is sufficient to produce great-looking A3 inkjet prints.

Like its predecessor, the 400D can take any Canon EF or EF-S lens .

Thanks to the physical size of its sensor, it will effectively multiply the lens focal length by 1.6, so the optionally bundled 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens will act like a 29-88mm model.

The advantage of SLRs is the ability to swap lenses, but doing so increases the chance of dust entering the body and leaving small but annoying dark marks on your images.

Like the Olympus SSWF (super sonic wave filter) system as featured in the Olympus E330 DSLR , the EOS 400D combats this by vibrating a filter in front of the sensor in an attempt to shake dust particles off.

This process takes one second and occurs every time the camera is switched on or off.

Unlike the Olympus system, you can interrupt it and snap a picture should an opportunity arise.

The 400D can also record a reference frame to identify the positions of dust particles, which is then tagged onto subsequent images.

There’s virtually no impact on file size and you can update the frame before important events.

This data can later be used by Canon’s supplied software to automatically retouch-out dust marks on your PC.

Both are well thought-out approaches that, while not 100 per cent infallible in our tests, are a welcome step forward.

At first glance the 400D looks identical to the earlier 350D, and remains one of the smallest and lightest digital SLRs on the market.

The build quality is good for the price and while some may find the grip a little small, you can’t argue against its overall portability.

At the back though, Canon has upgraded the 350D’s tiny 1.8in screen to a far more acceptable 2.5in display.

It’s also brighter, features a wider viewing angle and, like the Sony A100 , is used to display all shooting information.

This, coupled with the anti-dust system, results in the Lithium Ion battery lasting about 10 per cent less time than the 350D.

On the upside the display can show a vast array of shooting information and is easily visible in direct sunlight.

Unlike the Sony though, the text doesn’t flip by 90º when you turn the camera on its side.

Continue to page 2 for Performance and handling...