Review: Canon 600D

Review: Canon 600D

The Canon 600D is the newest entry level DSLR from Canon, engineered for those looking to break into photography on a budget. The camera boasts many excellent features on paper, but we put the camera through its paces to see whether it can deliver on its claims.

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In the Box

Canon 600D
Canon LP-E8 battery pack (same as the one in Canon 550D)
Canon LC-E8E charger
EOS Digital Solution CD
Standard USB Cable
Audio-Video out cable
Canon camera strap
Warranty cards and manuals

Features
The Canon 600D has a really amazing feature set for the beginner photographer. It boasts the same 18-megapixel sensor as the 60D and the 7D. It also supports video recording at various resolutions to cater to both, the quality “Nazi” and those looking to save space on their memory card by shooting lower resolutions. Speaking of memory cards, the 600D sports a standard SD card slot like its predecessor and supports SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.

The pop-up flash on the 600D is a nifty little thing if you ask us. For one, it rises higher than its predecessors. This has been something of a long awaited upgrade as the higher rise on the flash eliminates any shadow when shooting with a longer lens (we tested this with the Canon 100 f/2.8 Macro USM, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and even the 18-55mm kit lens). The flash also borrows the 7D’s ability to remotely control Canon flashes, allowing for creative lighting.

The 600D also features six “picture styles” along with the option for saving three user-defined styles. The 600D gets more points for creativity with the five built-in “creative filters” (Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Fish-Eye effect, Toy Camera effect and Miniature effect). In our testing, each of these filters worked wonderfully for images that had the capacity to look good when a certain filter was applied. We especially loved the “miniature effect” as it gave our images the sort of look you’d only get from lenses capable of selective focus.

The 600D gains a mini-HDMI port on the left of the camera that can be used to view photos and videos on an HD TV. The port can also be used to control the camera over HDMI using a compatible remote control.

Focus System
The 600D sports a 9-point autofocus system, no different from that found in the 550D. The center focus point is a cross type focus point with a sensitivity of up to f/5.6. What this means is that when the aperture of the lens is more than f/5.6 (such as f/8) the focusing points will not be able to track the subject.

Speaking of tracking, the 600D has three focus modes; One Point for stationary subjects that don’t require tracking, AI Servo for maintaining focus on moving targets and AI Focus is a hybrid that gauges whether the subject is moving or not and effectively decides whether to engage tracking or not.

We tested all the modes in two different lighting conditions; mid-day and dusk (until sunset) using the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens with the aperture set to f.2.0. During our daytime test, we found all three modes to be very effective, with the camera locking focus on the subject almost instantaneously. The center cross-type focus point was also capable of keeping track of an 8 year old that found it hard to sit still.

Things got a little disappointing once the lights had dimmed down. The 600D found it a little cumbersome to perform its focusing duties. The outer 8 focus points hardly locked focus, unless the target was significantly large. Only the center focus point was able to effectively lock focus in One-Shot mode. Once we switched to AI Focus, the camera could not keep up with our tracking needs.

Image Quality
Before we begin our review of the image quality of the 600D, we must take a moment to clarify something. Firstly, we tested our 600D with a few different lenses (the 18-55 Kit lens, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 prime lens and the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L lens) to eliminate any quality bumps expensive lenses might have. Second of all, image quality is very subjective (as often evidenced in the Canon vs. Nikon debate), so we will try to be as objective as possible while giving our feedback on the images. We shot all images in RAW+JPG format with the picture styles set to standard to see how the two would compare.

Verdict
The 600D, in our opinion, is a great beginners camera that offers a great megapixel count along with the capability to record HD video, however, it suffers from some pitfalls.

The first, in our opinion would be the body’s construction. While this is PURELY a personal preference, we like the sturdy and solid build of the magnesium-alloy based 7D. The 600D sort of feels like it might crack if it took a tumble, something that made us very vary of how we carried it around. The lack of any kind of weather sealing didn’t help our paranoia either.

Those looking to use the 600D to record live performances will be disappointed as there is a recording limit of 29 minutes and 59 seconds (or 4GB, whichever is reached sooner) that Canon has placed on the camera. We are not sure whether this was to preserve sensor integrity, or just a ploy to get people to invest in higher-grade bodies, but either ways, it was not appreciated.

The camera is not all bad though. The ability to control remote flashes and a dedicated video button come straight from the high-end 7D and are a very pleasant addition to the feature set. The small form-factor will also be appealing to those with small hands who are looking to avoid lifting anything heavy.

Pros18-megapixel sensor, the same as in the 60D and the 7D
Records full HD video at various frame rates
Vari-angle 1,040K dot swivel screen is great for shooting in awkward positions
USB and mini-HDMI output
Compact form factor that doesn’t feel cramped
Excellent dynamic range for shooting in harsh lighting conditions
Nice in-camera effects that can be applied to any photo

Cons
Video limit of 29 minutes and 59 seconds
Significant noise in video in low light conditions
Noise is prominent in photos shot at ISO 1600 and above
No weather sealing
Autofocus is unable to perform in lowlight

Price
Body only: Rs. 46,990
Body with 18-55 IS Lens: Rs. 50,990
Body with 18-135 IS Lens: Rs. 67,990

Rating
Performance: 4
Features: 4
Ease of use: 5
Ergonomics: 3.5
Wow Factor: 4
Value for Money: 4
Overall: 4