Canon EOS 200D
AN AFFORDABLE LITTLE DSLR PACKAGE THAT PACKS QUITE A PUNCH.
CANON HAS DESIGNED its new 200D camera to appeal not only to beginners — with a guided menu system on its vari-angle touchscreen display — but also to those looking for an easy-to-use shooter with reliable picture quality without the usual hefty bulk of most DSLRs. It’s one of the most compact and lightweight DSLRs available today, only marginally larger than its predecessor, the 100D.
The combination of a 24.2MP crop sensor (the same being employed in the very capable EOS 800D) and Canon’s DIGIC 7 processor makes the 200D capable of handling up to 14 times more information than the outgoing 100D, upping the light sensitivity in the new camera to ISO 51,200 in expanded ‘Hi’ mode (accessible via the menu), making the 200D’s low-light performance better than the 100D. The new processor also improves the camera’s autofocus (AF) performance and bumps the max burst speed up to 5fps (from the 4fps in the 100D) but video capture still only remains at Full HD 1080p.
It’s great to see Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system trickle down to the cheaper DSLRs — it’s previously meant forking out over $1,700 for a higher-end model such as the Canon EOS 80D. This sensor-based phase-detection autofocus system adds Servo AF tracking to the new camera and removes the sluggish Live View autofocus performance found in many older Canon DSLRs. The 200D, however, only has a rather disappointing nine autofocus points which are distributed in a diamond formation covering only a small area of the frame. This makes it harder to focus on specific points, however 49 contrast-detect focus points are available in Live View.
Apart from the full complement of manual shooting options, the Scene Intelligent Auto mode features a handful of Creative Filters alongside 11 scene modes, all of which are easily accessible from the mode dial. The dial opens up the menu system on the LCD, which, in turn, provides beginner-friendly instructions on what to do next. This Guide Mode can be disabled if more experienced users wish to stick to Canon’s traditional menu system. The touchscreen is extremely responsive, but does put a slight strain on the otherwise decent battery life of the camera.
Other handy additions in the 200D include a connectivity button to one side of the pop-up flash, which sets up a reasonably fast wireless connection with a smartphone or tablet, and a depth-of-field preview button found below the lens release. The 200D is also NFCenabled, so users can transfer images via Bluetooth as well. RAW image processing and conversion is available in-camera, making it easy to share high-res images immediately with friends and family.
Canon has also made some lens aberration corrections on the 200D and thrown-in a time lapse movie mode to increase its movie- making chops. In terms of image quality, we found the 200D’s colour performance quite reliable, and the 24MP sensor captures relatively noiseless images in low-light conditions. White balance performance was likewise very good, with the addition of the optional Ambience Priority that adds a warmer look to images to help retain mood and atmosphere.
Although some may be put off by its plasticky build and lack of 4K video recording, there’s still plenty going for the 200D that makes it a serious contender in the beginner DSLR market. It’s a very capable and versatile shooter that comes paired with Canon’s excellent EF-S 18–55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, making this one of the best kits out there to get anyone started on their photography journey.