Canon's New "Mid-range" DSLR


10-megapixel cameras seem to be the rage these days and we are not just strictly referring to the professional range. Be it in the realm of digital SLRs or compacts, there are enough signs to tell you that the 10-megapixel camera race is on. Here over at www.hardwarezone.com, we have already featured several 10-megapixel cameras with the most recent ones being the D80 and Alpha A100 from Nikon and Sony respectively.

Our focus today is the new entry-level 400D DSLR from Canon. While many might say that the 400D is a response to Nikon and Sony, the fact that it outguns the mid-range 30D (8.0-megapixel) with a revolutionary 10-megapixel image sensor just drives home the point that the 400D is more a natural progression than a knee-jerk reaction.

The 400D may have the same pixel count and imaging flexibility as the D80 and Alpha A100 but that's really where the similarities end. The Canon 400D sits comfortably on the other side of the fence because it uses a more advanced CMOS image sensor as opposed to the CCD variants installed in the D80 and Alpha A100. Hence, it's quite a different ball game of imaging performance and value comparison altogether. Also, Canon is the only manufacturer mentioned here that produces and designs camera components in-house, from lenses and image sensors right down to image processors.

The all new Canon 400D

Conventional wisdom will tell you that the 400D is the successor to the 350D. Well, you'd be right in most cases of modeling based on ascending numbers but in the case of the 400D, it is quite the contrary. We were told that the 350D will continue to coexist with 400D in the entry-level DSLR space (with a price drop for the 350D of course). Realistically, the Canon 400D was designed to sit in between the 350D and 30D, which is Canon's way of stretching its product range to cater to an increasingly diverse consumer group. In terms of features, it shares numerous features with its more established brethrens, the 30D and the 5D, but it does have a brand new anti-dust system (finally) that is not even available on the top-of-the-range 1Ds Mark II. Let us take a few seconds to inspect the attributes of the new 400D shall we?

Contents in Standard Kit

EOS 400D

EF 18-55mm Lens

Battery Pack NB-2LH w/cover

Battery Charger CB-2LWE

2 Pin Power Cord for the Battery Charger

Interface Cable IFC-400PCU

Video Cable VC-100

Strap EW-100DB11

EOS Digital Software Instruction Manual

EOX Digital Solution Disk

Pocket Guide

EOS 400D Digital Instruction Manual

Software Guide

Warranty Card