EOS 650D Camera Review

The Canon EOS 650D 18.0 megapixel sensor is superb for both still images and Full HD movies. The clear view LCD touchscreen makes shooting extremely easy. It captures images in stunning high resolution at a maximum size of 5184 x 3456 pixels and can be printed to poster sized images, or cropped to make new compositions with abundant detail.

Canon EOS 650D - 7 Key Features

1) 18 MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS sensor
2) Full-HD movies with manual controls and continuous Auto Focus
3) 5 fps continuous shooting
4) Vari-angle Clear View LCD II Touch screen
5) ISO 100-12,800 sensitivity, extendable to ISO 25,600
6) 9-point wide-area Auto Focus
7) Integrated Speedlite Transmitter

Positive Points
1) Fast performance
2) Good usability
3) Accurate Focusing
4) Light Body
5) Consistent metering system

Negative Points
1) Optical viewfinder leaves out some edge details
2) Auto white balance is not always entirely accurate
3) Auto Focus can be a little slow in low light conditions
4) Touchscreen icons are a little small
5) Easy to accidentally switch into video recording mode

10 Popular lenses to use
1) Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM
2) Canon EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM
3) Canon EF 300mm f2.8L IS USM
4) Canon 28-300mm f3.5-5.6L IS USM
5) Canon EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS
6) Sigma 150mm f2.8 EX APO Macro EX DG HSM
7) Sigma 50-500mm f4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM APO
8) Sigma 8-16mm f4.5-5.6 DC HSM
9) Canon EF 400mm f4 DO IS USM
10) Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX

Print Quality

ISO 100 shots are good at 24 x 36, (20 x 30-inch shots are preferred).
ISO 200 images look great at 20 x 30.
ISO 400 files are almost identical to ISO 200, also great at 20 x 30.
ISO 800 shots are a little softer at 20 x 30, but still quite good.
ISO 1,600 shots are better at 16 x 20. Noise suppression start started to affect.
ISO 3,200 shots are a bit too soft for 16 x 20, but are good at 13 x 19 inches.
ISO 6,400 images are a bit rough at 11 x 14, but quite good at 8 x 10.
ISO 12,800 images are usable at 8 x 10, but very nice at 5 x 7.
ISO 25,600 files are good but a bit grainy at 5 x 7, but tighten up nicely at 4 x 6.

Overall impression

The Canon EOS 650D takes the beginners DSLR to the next level. It's a very user friendly camera with lots of features. With a speed of 5 frames per second which is fast enough for action, sport or nature photography. Combining a touchscreen into a DSLR might be a step in the right direction but this will always be a very personal opinion. Another personal opinion is the two new Creative filters, Art Bold and Water Painting Effect, which can be applied when reviewing images.

Home movie fans can also record Full HD (1920x1080p) movies with full manual control of exposure and frame rates of 30, 25 and 24 fps at full resolution, with 60 and 50 fps available at 720p resolution. The new built-in stereo microphone also offers improved sound recording.