Canon’s new EOS 1000D competes with the Nikon D60. The 1000D lies at the bottom of the pyramid of cameras from Canon. The EOS 1000D is a smaller camera and also a light one. In looks, it appears a little more refined and polished than the other cameras. The corners are rounded and so are all the buttons. It almost feels like a P&S from the rear end of the camera around the screen. The finish isn’t very nice. It feels very sandy and it???s not the best feel you would wish for when you’re holding a camera. It’s also light and so attaching a big lens will probably upset the balance significantly. Very light dSLRs are probably not a good idea.

Large markings are present everywhere to inform the user of the controls. Clearly, this camera was made for a beginner who possibly might even buy a dSLR as his first camera. It’s not as impressive as the D60 though.

One of the key features of the EOS 100D is the Live View. It’s similar to the one found in the Nikon D90. It lets you use the LCD screen to focus. This should prove convenient to P&S users not used to a viewfinder. There is a slight delay as expected and we’re really not so impressed — many would agree that the old viewfinder way of focussing is the way to go.

The buttons on the EOS 1000D are flat and easy to push. The jog dial feels as if it has large notches and isn’t as smooth and light as the other buttons and dials on the camera. Unlike the other Canons and the Sony, the EOS 1000D uses an SD/SDHC card. The body is built well and the flash hinge and structure is slightly better on this than the 400D. The lens itself looks similar and has a slightly silky grip which we didn’t like. There’s also the missing thumb-grip near the screen which was present in the EOS 400D.

The menus on the 1000D are basic but not as amazing as the 50D. The controls are a little more manual with the 1000D. Most of the controls are to be changed using the button and jogdial combination instead of using the direction keys in the software menu. The zoom buttons for the preview are set into bevelled slots on the back of the camera.

Focussing is simple and straight forward. Macro shots are fairly easy to take as well. The camera feels and works a lot like the EOS 400D and it also happens to replace and take its place in the Price range.

The menu drags it all down, unfortunately. The A200 in comparison feels richer. The EOS 1000D is a slightly better Digital Camera than the aged 400D in image quality, but we preferred the body and ergonomics on the EOS 400D. The MRP for the Canon EOS 1000D is Rs. 34,995.