New Canon kit
Canon aims its two new budget DSLRS squarely at photography beginners and smartphone upgraders
The Canon EOS 2000D and 4000D, plus EOS M50 CSC and amazing AI flashgun
the EOS 2000D effectively replaces the existing EOS 1300D, bringing a higher resolution sensor, while the EOS 4000D is a whole new camera, designed to be the cheapest entry point ever to the Canon DSLR
system. There are some key differences between these two new cameras, but they have a lot more in common. The EOS 2000D and EOS 4000D are both aimed at first-time DSLR users, and people who are upgrading from a smartphone to their first ‘proper’ camera.
Both, in Canon’s words, offer a “step up to effortless DSLR storytelling”. They offer Canon’s Scene Intelligent Auto mode for basic point-and-shoot photography, in-camera guides to help novices master photographic principles, and built-in Wi-fi for transferring photos to a smart device for sharing – the EOS 2000D also has NFC, so you can tap the camera against an Nfc-equipped Android device to establish a connection.
Naturally, you also get regular program AE, shutter-priority, aperture-priority and manual modes, so they are also ideal for beginners who want to move on and start taking manual control.
Inside, these cameras use some tried and trusted Canon technologies. Given their price and position in the market, there are no technical innovations here, just a focus on simplicity and value.
Both use Canon’s DIGIC 4+ processor to offer an ISO range up to 6400, expandable to ISO12,800. Autofocus is provided by the basic
but effective nine-point AF system we’ve seen many times on Canon’s entry-level DSLRS, and both have a modest 3fps continuous shooting speed. You should get around a 500-shot battery life, or about 1.5 hours of full HD video (slightly less for the EOS 4000D).
Canon EOS 2000D
The EOS 2000D is the more sophisticated of the two, and can be thought of as a replacement for the existing EOS 1300D. Externally, it’s very similar, though inside is a new 24.1-megapixel sensor. The extra resolution will be welcome, though we’re told it does not use Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF or Hybrid CMOS AF autofocus systems.
It’s not just the higher-resolution sensor that distinguishes it from the cheaper EOS 4000D – the 2000D also has a slightly larger 3-inch LCD display, with a higher resolution of 920,000 dots. The external controls are also a little more advanced, with colour-coded labelling and a separate on/off switch – an option missing on the cheaper camera.
The EOS 2000D will also be sold with an IS version of Canon’s 18-55mm kit lens, while the 4000D is likely to be sold with a cheaper, non-stabilized version.
Canon EOS 4000D
For those who thought Canon’s 1300D was as cheap as a DSLR could get, the new EOS 4000D is likely to be quite an education. It retains the long-running 18-megapixel sensor used in the 1300D and countless older models, but features some impressive costcutting elsewhere in the design.
The rear screen, for example, is by today’s standards very lowtech – it’s a 2.7-inch display with a resolution of just 230,000 dots. It’s not hard to see where money has been saved elsewhere, either. There’s no separate power switch on the body, and instead there’s an Off position on the mode dial.
To save even more cash, there’s no ‘green’ auto mode, because additional paint colours are an extra expense. As a result, all the button labelling is in the same white paint – this extends to the playback functions, which are normally picked out in blue. What’s more, as painting icons on buttons is more expensive (apparently), the control icons have been applied to the body alongside the buttons instead.
In another cost-saving move that we discovered for ourselves at the camera launch, the lens mount is plastic, rather than metal. Perhaps Canon doesn’t expect users of this camera to change lenses often enough for mount wear to become an issue.
Having said all of this, the EOS 4000D should still prove to be a perfectly effective low-cost camera, and there is something slightly endearing about its super-cheap approach to everything.
As far as Canon is concerned, the more people it can introduce to the EOS system, the better, and the arrival of both the EOS 2000D and the EOS 4000D means there are now no fewer than 15 cameras in the EOS line-up.