Canon EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D review

Canon EOS Rebel SL3 D review

So you wanna buy a new camera. Well, You are on the right place. Here we review products for you and then you decide whether to buy or not? As ultimately it is your decision.

Today we are reviewing about a new released camera of 2020 Canon EOS Rebel SL3.

Canon's DSLR range are the quiet common type of the DSLR's in the market. Well, this makes this a long runner in the DSLR market.

The new EOS Rebel SL3 is the newer version of  EOS Rebel SL2. As per Canon's technical performance the newer version is pretty much to the perfection. But beginners don't care about this. They only care about what this camera costs and what it does.

Beginners don't need the latest tech, they just need the easy to handle camera. So for them, this a better choice than any other latest DSLR'S  available in the market.

SPECIFICATIONS

The new Canon EOS Rebel SL3 comes with - 

Sensor: 24.1MP APS-C CMOS, 22.3 x 14.9mm
Image processor: DIGIC 8
AF points: 9-point phase detection (viewfinder), xxx
ISO range: 100 to 25,600 (exp. 51,200)
Max image size: 6,000 x 4,000
Metering modes: Evaluative, Centre-weighted, Spot, Partial
Video: 4K UHD at 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p
Viewfinder: Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.87x magnification
Memory card: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS I compatible)
LCD: 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04m dots
Max burst: 5fps
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Size: 122.4 x 92.6 x 69.8mm (body only)
Weight: 451g (body only, with battery and SD card)

KEY FEATURES

Canon is pitching the EOS Rebel SL3/ 250D as the world's lightest DSLR with a movable screen. There are mirrorless cameras smaller than this one, to be sure, but as far as DSLRs go, Canon is quite correct. The only thing buyers need to remember is that for now the older EOS Rebel SL2 / 200D is still on sale, just as small, and likely to be cheaper that its replacement. So what are the key differences? Our Canon EOS 250D vs EOS 200D / Rebel SL3 vs Rebel SL2 article spells them out in depth.

Despite the debate around DSLRs vs mirrorless cameras, the DSLR design still has a lot going for it. DSLRs are chunkier and easier to grip than most beginner-orientated mirrorless cameras, they have clear optical viewfinders which many still prefer over digital versions, and the batteries last a lot longer because they're not continually powering a digital display.

Canon is going for the same entry-level market, though, with a combination of point-and-shoot simplicity, a Guided UI (user interface) to walk new users through the basics of photography, and a Creative Assist mode for more adventurous photographic effects. Underlying all this is all the manual control you'd expect in a DSLR, so that when you're ready to move on to more manual techniques, the EOS Rebel SL3 / 250D can stay right with you.

BUILT QUALITY

The Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D is very small for a DSLR, especially in width and weight. The DSLR design means the body has to be thicker to accommodate the mirror, and while the Canon 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM kit lens is pretty compact, it's not a retracting type, so the combination of the thick camera body and lens makes the Canon a lot 'longer' than rival mirrorless cameras like the Fujifilm X-T100. It's certainly compact for a DSLR, but it's a good deal bigger than a mirrorless model.

The body has a good-sized grip, making the Canon easy and secure to hold one-handed. The body does have a slightly plasticky feel, but that's offset by high-quality knobs and dials – especially the main mode dial and power on/off switch, which has a third position for entering the video mode.

The viewfinder is a little smaller than average for a DSLR because it uses a cheaper 'pentamirror' design rather than the usual pentaprism, but it's bright and sharp and the autofocus points and shooting information show up clearly.

The vari-angle screen on the back is excellent. You switch to Live View by pressing a button on the back of the camera and you can then use the touch control to set the focus point and change camera settings. It's sharp, colourful and clear and the touch response is first rate. Apart from the mechanical noise when the mirror is flipped up to enter Live View mode, this is just like using a mirrorless camera, as the autofocus response is just as rapid.

It's interesting that while many people are commenting on how mirrorless cameras are becoming better than DSLRs, Canon has designed a DSLR to match mirrorless cameras for the very thing they're designed to do best – live view photography.

You can flip the rear screen out to use it at any angle, fold it back against the camera facing outwards to show settings and image information, or fold it so that it's facing inwards for protection, and just use the viewfinder to compose and shoot your pictures.

PERFORMANCE

If you were shooting sports and tracking fast-moving objects you'd need a more sophisticated autofocus system than the 9-point AF in the Rebel SL3 / 250D, but although it can keep up a reasonable 5 frames per second continuous shooting speed, it's not that kind of camera, and for everyday photography the autofocus system is fine.

It's even better in Live View mode, where Canon's latest Dual Pixel CMOS AF system takes over and delivers autofocus speeds which feel even faster. You can choose between subject-tracking AF mode, Spot AF, Single point AF and Zone AF, in either single-shot mode or continuous Servo AF mode.

4K video is a big selling point on this camera, but you do notice a couple of limitations when you switch from full HD (1080) capture to 4K. First, there's a significant 'crop factor' in 4K mode, which means your lens's angle of view effectively becomes narrower. This is common on Canon cameras and while you do quickly get used to it, it does mean you may have to step back to recompose your shot.

The other limitations is that you can no longer use the Spot AF and Zone AF modes, but the Subject Tracking and Single Point AF are arguably all you need anyway, and the camera does a great job of following subjects around the frame once the autofocus has locked on.

Focusing in the video mode isn't instantaneous, but with the Canon STM (stepping motor) kit lens it is smooth and silent, giving nice focus transitions between different subjects and distances rather than sudden, jerky movements.

We've tested many other Canon cameras with this sensor, or close relatives, so that lab results offered no real surprises. Unlike some other camera makers, Canon still uses low-pass filters in front of its sensors to reduce the risk of 'moiré' artefacts, so the resolution is slightly lower than the Nikon D5600, which does not have one of these filters (they do introduce a slight blur).

OUR THOUGHTS

There are two cheaper DSLRs in the Canon range than this one – the EOS Rebel T100 / 4000D and the EOS Rebel SL7 / EOS 2000D – but we reckon this EOS SL3 / 250D is a better buy than both of them. It does cost more, but it's worth paying the extra. The two cheaper Canons are built down to a price and lack features you're almost certainly going to want later, while the Rebel SL3 / 250D has Canon's top APS-C sensor, very good Live View autofocus and 4K video and is the perfect DSLR for beginners.