Mon, 19 Sep 2011 Canon EOS 600D review
Though pricier than its 1100D sibling, we feel the tilt-and-twist LCD screen and slightly better spec is worth the extra cost
- Manufacturer: Canon
- Manufacturer: Canon
- Pros: Compact, lightweight, easier to use than ever; angle-adjustable LCD and large resolution are a boon for those who want more from their photography
- Cons: Occasional clipped highlights; integral mic picks up adjustment noise
- Min specs: Digital SLR camera; 18Mp CMOS; sensor size 14.9x22.3mm; 3in colour LCD active matrix screen; USB 2.0; composite video/audio output; Lithium ion rechargeable battery; EOS integrated cleaning system/self cleaning sensor unit; ISO 12,800, ISO 100-6,400; shutter speed 1/4000 sec to 30 sec; exposure range EV 1-20; face detection; Jpeg/RAW; 3.7fps continuous shooting; max video resolution 1920x1080; supports SD/SDXC/SDHC cards; 133x80x100mm; 570g
- Price: £603.23 inc VAT
- Star rating:
The EOS 600D is also beginner friendly but sits above the EOS 1100D in the Canon DSLR range, where it’s arguably more of a direct threat to Nikon’s equally new D5100. The asking price is £779 with 18-55mm IS zoom or £679 for body only. Like the earlier 550D, the 600D features a high 18-megapixel effective resolution from an APS-C CMOS sensor, and adds a tilting LCD. Screen resolution is a high 1040k dots and size is 3in, which is quite a distraction from the optical viewfinder perched directly above. As with more compact DSLRs, your nose squashes up against the screen if you attempt to use the viewfinder.
At the same time the nine-point AF system camera still sits well in the palm, with space for three fingers to snake around its grip. Again controls are on the chunky side, with 14 options on the shooting mode dial. Also included is a Feature Guide that provides a brief explanatory text with each subsequent twist of the dial, so anyone with basic knowledge can start taking photos straight away.
Shooting Full HD video is a little trickier, in that Video mode needs to be first selected on the dial, then Live View enabled. Manual focus adjustment is also required, whereby the on-board microphone inevitably picks up handling noise. There’s a port for an additional off-camera microphone, however, plus expected HDMI output.
There are a couple of further movie-related features on the 600D, including the fun video diary-style Video Snapshot mode, which shoots two, four or eight second bursts each time you take a still and edits them together into a single playable file. You also get a less essential Movie Digital Zoom which carries out a sensor crop.
Though pricier than its 1100D sibling, we feel the tilt-and-twist LCD screen and slightly better spec is worth the extra cost
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