Canon EOS 200D
£679/$699 (with 18-55m STM kit lens) Canon’s baby DSLR gets a long-awaited replacement and now punches well above its weight
Canon’s dinky new beginner DSLR, which has an impressive host of upgraded specs for the reasonable price, gets an in-depth review
Speci ficati ons
Sensor 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Image processor Digic 7 AF points 9 (1 cross-type) ISO range 100-25,600 (51,200 exp) Max image size 6,000 x 4,000 Metering zones 63 HD Video 1080p at 60 and 50fps Viewfinder Pentamirror, 95% Memory card SD/SDHC/SDXC LCD 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1,040k dots Max burst 5fps (6 raw/Unlimited JPEG) Connectivity Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth Size 122 x 93 x 70mm Weight 453g The EOS 100D was blessed with such petite proportions that you could almost have called it cute. But size isn’t everything and, after four years of technology advances, the new EOS 200D is bristling with enhancements. At its heart is a new 24.2MP sensor and cutting-edge Digic 7 image processor, upping sensitivity to ISO 51,200 in expanded mode. Photographers new to DSLR shooting will appreciate Canon’s guided shooting mode.
One of the 200D’s most obvious new features is its articulating screen; this makes the 200D fractionally larger than its predecessor, and 46g heavier.
The 200D’s grip is relatively cramped if your paws are on the large side, and there isn’t much space to rest your thumb. The redesigned power switch is ideally positioned for your thumb to operate, though, while some responsive touchscreen controls easily help to compensate for the relatively fiddly rear directional pad. The display itself is also a pleasure to view, with excellent viewing angles, brightness and colour accuracy.
Canon’s Dual Pixel AF and stepping motor lens provide nearinstantaneous focussing in good light, and only a half-second pause with no focus hunting in dimmer conditions. Focusing is also rapid in Live View, and the STM kit lens manages silent focus transitions during video capture, albeit with a two-second lag when refocusing between near and far focal points.
Having just nine phase-detect AF points in viewfinder shooting, across a limited frame area, makes it tricky to lock onto off-centre objects, but you get 49 Dual Pixel focus points in Live View mode.
Canon’s 24.2MP sensor delivers pleasing colours and good dynamic range at lower sensitivities. Go past ISO 3,200 and highlights are prone to burning out, but noise is wellcontrolled, with images taken at ISO 12,800 being very usable, providing you can accept some fine detail loss.
Canon’s 24.2MP sensor delivers pleasing colours and good dynamic range at lower sensitivities 1 The grip is more deeply recessed than on the 100D, although there’s still room for improvement. 2 With its selfie mode and vari-angle screen, the EOS 200D is great when only a shot of you will do. 3 Canon continues to recognise the importance of direct controls on entry-level cameras, and the EOS 200D retains a dedicated ISO button. 4 A reworked power control gives instant access to the Full HD 60fps video mode.