Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon EOS 450D Digital SLR Camera Kit (incl EF-S 18-55mm IS f/3.5-5.6 non USM Lens Kit)

I ordered through Amazon as they had the best price at the time, took a little longer than expected to arrive, over 2 weeks.

I had upgraded from a Sony Cybershot 7.2MP. Well you cant even compare the two. From only ever owning a point and shoot camera I now do not believe I could ever use anything but a dslr again.

The camera came with the 18-55mm canon lens, and the normal included accessories. This did not include a pouch, so I ordered the canon semi hard case EH19 L from 7dayshop for £27.99. Expensive but quality product. The only problem you might find is that the case fits the camera only with the 18-55mm lens, and so when I am using the 55-250mm lens I need to change the lens before I pack it away. Minor issue for me.

Ordered the Kingston Technology 4GB Secure Digital High Capacity Class4 Card - gets over 600 photos on a good quality setting (not RAW).

Having read all the other feedback I also ordered the 55-250mm canon lens through Amazon. Not being a pro photographer I can only give a layman's view - the 18-55 is great for normal shots, but useless for zooming. The 55-250mm is a telephoto lens, and the photos are magnificent. I tested it on numerous occasions eg day at Lords watching cricket, and the 55-250mm adds a whole new dimension to what you can take pictures of. Taking pics one after the other, and switching between the two lens', highlights how you cant really do with one or the other, you need both. I read some comments about buying the camera body only, and then not getting the 18-55mm and ordering other types, but my maths told me that the incremental cost to get the offered package meant I was only really paying in about £45 more to get the lens than just the body. You cant get any lens for that price. If you want a specific lens for your individual circumstance and you have more money to spend - go for it. If you arent really sure and were only going to do it because others recommended it, think again.

The extra lens doesnt come with a pouch either - I ordered a lowepro 1N through 7dayshop for £10. Fits perfectly, I had read that I should get the 1W - no good - its too big. I know lots of people order special backpacks for their cameras - this didnt suit me - I want to be able to pack my camera away, not carry a whole bag just for the camera.

Back to the camera - I am learning all types of new things. There are different pre-set modes that cover most scenarios, but as you read through the extensive manual you slowly learn more advanced techniques and begin to use the manual mode where you make your own decisions for the different settings. I have a long way to go, but anyone can see what a huge difference the camera has made to the quality of photos I am now taking. I honestly am not able to provide any info on flaws or problems because I havent come across any.

This camera is great quality, there are good accessories available, the photo's are stunning, and with the determination to learn how to use all the features you will increase your photography knowledge by a huge amount. Highly recommended.

Had one of these earlier in the year for a few months, as was very happy with a Canon Powershot A640 and wanted to upgrade to something a little more serious for work, while staying with the Canon brand. I took some great shots but ended up selling the EOS 450D and buying a Nikon. Why? Because of several reasons. Had serious problems with over exposure and focus when paired with a Sigma 70-300mm Lense, to the point of missing several great shots. I also don't like the position of the on/off switch, which is under the mode dial, as apposed to under the shutter release on Nikon models, which makes it harder to turn on, and easy to forget to turn off. Also, I was somewhat concerned with the build quality of this camera, which felt somewhat cheap and fragile.

Added to this, the kit lense is seriously inferior to almost everything being offered by other DSLR makers, and not only looks but feels cheap, which is a real shame given that canon can make such great products.

>THE BODY

this is the first slr camera i have owned myself despite having used others. without going into too much detail the body is very good quality with well laid out and easy to understand buttons. i would have like the grip to be a little more chunky particularly when using the exposure lock and AF selection as it can be slightly awkward although i do have large hands and i am probably being a bit picky.

the body of the camera is light and has more than enough features for someone who is just gettin into slr photography.
it has several point and shoot modes such as portrait, macro, sport etc as well as a full auto i guess is ok if you happen across something you need to shoot quickly. however you should really try to avoid these auto modes.
luckily the camera has many program modes including shutter and apature priority modes which once you master will dramatically improve your photos (particularly the apature mode)

>THE LENS

Unfortunately the lens that comes in this kit is not all that great. it is light and it does seem well built (i dropped mine just the other day and its fine) however its a lot slower to focus than the USM lenses canon offers and that can cause problems at times.
photos can appear a little soft unless shot at the narrower apatures (f16 and above really).
the thing that lets the lens down most in my opinion is the abilty to knock the backround out of focus. you really have to work hard to get a good amount of blur in the background, your gonna struggle to get good results at anything less than the full 55mm focal length at the widest apature making it a little poor for macro shots, whilst being just ok for portraits. this lens would be satisfactory if you dont wanna take photography too seriously but it does limit your results.

>CONCLUSION

In my opinion the body is well worth the money and comes in cheaper than some of the equivalant nikon cameras.
as for the lens i would suggest buying the body and choosing a seperate lens. i have only owned this camera 3 months and i am already wanting to replace the kit lens. look for a canon USM lens or one of sigmas image stabilizer lenses

I've had the 450D for a little while now, a great buy...easy to use, and once you get the hang of it you'll know where everything is. Granted you'll need to suss out the best ways of taking shots, and getting exposure right, but that will all come in time. The kit lens it comes with is pretty good - a good starter lens to go with this is the 50mm f1.8 MKII prime lens, cheap, and sharp...and pick your self up a couple of Sandisk SDHC 4GB Extreme III cards for your pics. Build wise, the camera feels solid, light and everything is where you need it, the screen is a decent size too.

Worth the money, I'd class the 450D as hybrid beginner/midrange camera.

moving from EOS 350d to the EOS 450 was a delight for me. The camera is just amazing. First thing that catches your eye is the brilliant 3 inch LCD display. It is very clear, the information is set in a very nice way as well. Menus are set logically, and if you have used Canon DSLRs before, you will have no problem at all navigating your way through immediately. First, I would recommend upgrading the firmware to the latest version, 1.0.9, available from Canon website, that was easy, and it took about a minute or so, and ready to go. There is a dedicated ISO button, which is excellent, and finally you can see which ISO setting you are using in the viewfinder, quite helpful. It is located in a kind of weird place though, just behind the main dial, and it gets some practice to get used to pressing it while you are looking through the viewfinder. Took lots of photos with it, with the image stabilizer on, and it works brilliantly, even at slow shutter speed, I managed to get extremely focused and sharp photos without a tripod, without any blur. The camera feels extremely solid, and very well made (it is a Canon after all!), the grip is good, and it just feels right in your hands. The standard kit lens so far works very well, and I am quite happy with it. Did not have any problems with focus whatsoever, tried so many photos, and they all came focused the way I wanted them. I tried the Live View as well, very good and useful with a tripod, but I switched it off, to save power, and because I rather use the view finder, did not feel very comfortable with the live view shooting mode. The Custom Function menu is awesome, so many options, you can have lots of fun trying them all, and they are quite handy for some situations. I was really happy about something, which is that Canon provided two electricity main cables, one for the UK, and one for the International Mains, that is amazing, and will save you some money so you do not have to buy any adapters. I could go on for a very long time on this awesome camera, but all I can say is that I have been doing a lot of research, and reading reviews and blogs about it, and I am not regretting getting it at all, there is no better DSLR in this category or price range, stunning camera, amazing photos, and would definitely recommend it. If you are new to DSLRs, it is always better to start right, so grab one of these, and it will change the way you take photos for ever.