Canon EOS 450D - A Big Step Ahead
Reviewed on 30 January 2008

Consistent with their 18-month new product cycle, Canon has just officially announced the release of the Canon EOS 450D, a timely replacement to the ever popular EOS 400D. With rumours of the 450D running wild on the internet prior to the official announcement, a lot of the expectations gathered in the rumours and predictions have actually turned true as revealed in Canon’s press release. In an effort to better the EOS 400D, Canon graces the 450D with powerful refinements, additions and changes to make sure this is not just your routine upgrade with a higher resolution.

With the Canon EOS 450D being the successor of the 400D, the main question that all Canon fans want to know is how this new camera differs from its predecessor. So far, from what we can see, the 450D is a very significant improvement. Starting right off from its sensor, Canon’s done the usual upgrading work by offering us even more megapixels with a 12.2 megapixels CMOS sensor. With a better sensor, it only made sense for Canon to also incorporate its latest DIGIC III image processor, an upgrade from the previous DIGIC II. Providing the shooting flexibility of a point and shoot, the new 450D also comes with the increasingly popular Live View shooting mode that goes perfect with the 450D's larger 3-inch LCD.

Beyond just higher resolutions, Canon's made sure the 450D would also perform faster. Processing image data at 14 bits and a burst rate of 3.5 frames per second, this essentially translates to a total of 53 JPEGS (6 in RAW) in a single burst. Of course, none of this would be possible without the new DIGIC III image processor inside. What’s also worth mentioning is the inclusion of a different lens kit that gives a redesigned and image stabilised version of Canon’s 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Matched with the high image precision of an improved 9-point AF system and spot metering, the 450D clearly holds a quality advantage over the 400D.

Physically, with a larger LCD screen and larger viewfinder, the 450D does come in a slightly larger body than the 400D. While larger in size, the body is actually sculpted much rounder and surprisingly looks more compact than before. With the bigger body, it also introduces a bigger and redesigned handgrip for better grasp. The noticeably larger viewfinder will now display ISO information inside to complement the new dedicated ISO button placed above the handgrip. Perhaps one of the biggest changes to note on the 450D could quite possibly be the fact that the Canon 450D now only takes SD and SDHC memory card support, which says goodbye to the old CF card used on the 400D. With the adoption of a larger capacity battery to give extended performance for every shoot, this may hold users off the need on buying an extra battery grip.

With so many updates, changes and significant improvements, the Canon EOS 450D is a tempting choice for both 400D owners and those looking to own a 400D. While the 450D is Canon’s replacement to the 400D, the vast improvements actually makes it feel like an entirely different camera that sits at a higher level than 400D. Realising the expectations stirred from rumours and delivering a wealth of features that DSLR users now lust after, Canon has again listened well to its fans to deliver yet again a stunningly good camera. Already looking mighty fine on paper and also in photos, the Canon EOS 450D will be making its grand appearance at the PMA’s this year and should be meeting us all this March.