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

Ok, So I just bought this camera and lens kit. I'm really not going to say much about the camera as there are so many detailed reviews on here I doubt I would add much. I would say though that this is, as almost everyone says, a superb camera. Ok onto the lens.One thing that I was interested in was the Image Stabilizer built into the lens. Is it worth it?, how well does it work? etc, allow me to elaborate.The IS technology is built into the lens and using some clever trickery will help to stabilize the image when it is switched on, but the real question is, is it any good? In short I was amazed, here's what I did step by step so that any owners can try it out for themselves if they haven't already.In the menu system navigate to the "Live View function settings" option and enable "Live View shoot"Make sure the IS switch on the lens is onPoint the camera at a subject some distance away and press "Set". The LCD will now act as your viewfinder and you will be able to preview your shot.Use the zoom button (top right of the back of the camera, a magnifying glass with a "+" in the middle) and press it twice. You are now previewing a 10 x digital zoom of your image.Notice that it is virtually impossible to keep the image even remotely still.Slightly depress the shutter release button and hold it.Notice that after about 0.5 of a second the image becomes almost completely still and with a little effort (hold breath and use two hands, elbows wedged into chest) the image is almost rock solid.I was very impressed with this. Admittedly this was on the 18 to 55 lens (I have a 300mm zoom on the way but not here yet) and so not exactly a long lens. Even so the effect is very noticeable and impressive.

I have just upgraded from a four year old 300D, the difference in quality is astounding, I always enjoyed taking really odd lit pictures and messing about with the camera settings trying to create odd effects, the 450D takes this to another level, and backed up with double the number of pixels captured. I took it out and started capturing some basic landscapes in bright sunlight, when I got home I had goosebumps, the quality was simply stunning, over my old 300D.My wife was so impressed with this camera and I with the offer of £50 cashback during July 2008, that after only 9 days of using it, we bought another 450D for my wife to use as well!Also take a look at the 55-250mm budget Cannon IS lens, at only £190, a good budget telephoto addition to the amateur's kitbag.If you can stretch to the cost of this camera, do it, you will not regret it!

Overall, a sturdy, well specified no-nonsense camera which I'd highly recommend for the price.I'm not going to include the lens in this review as its inclusion in the package is worth it as a backup given the differential between package price and body only price. Suffice to say, I like to manual focus and this is a bit fiddly with the supplied EF-S IS 18-55mm in certain circumstances, with only average overall quality IMO. However, I wish they'd give buyers the choice of a fixed focal length but fast standard lens as an alternative to the wooly and slow zoom.I've given the camera itself 4.5 stars (4 on the official rating with no half increments): Firstly, I do not understand the charges that suggest this camera is "a bit plastic-like". I think the build quality of the body (not the supplied lens) is of the usual high quality expected from Canon and is indeed, according to the mark, made in Japan and not the usual Chinese clone-shop effort I had expected. I have large hands and very quickly got used to the small size, finding the grip very effective for single hand-holds - but then I am right-handed. The most relevant function buttons seem to be in all the right places (inc depth-of-field) with the shutter button being very positive and accurately punctuated at the half-way metering point. The functions and features available are seemingly geared towards those with serious photographic aspirations, with Canon resisting the temptation to add on special effect features, gimmicks and video other than monochrome/b & w. All the attention goes into photography whilst the rest can be done through software (not reviewed here).The reason I don't give this camera full marks is easy for 3 reasons; 1) the delicate image sensor can easily be damaged when changing lenses if the camera is inadvertently left on and the set button is pressed (which is easy to do when the fingers are blindly holding the camera when fixing from the front), so it's imperative that users realise this and understand that the sensor should only be open to the air (with the mirror up) when Canon engineers are manually cleaning it for whatever reason - although the instructions do permit manual self-cleaning in certain circumstances. 2) The live view/preview screen, like most dSLRs that I've come across, is fixed into the rear of the body. My Canon G5 screen is articulated such that it becomes very, very useful in awkward places. So if I need to place the camera on the floor for a shot, the screen can be popped out and pointed towards the photographer at almost any angle. This is not possible with this camera. 3) The ISO settings are limited to the higher range of 1600. I suspect this is artificially set by Canon according to price and intended market but feel the camera's sensor is more than capable of taking the ISO setting to 3200 and beyond.My favourite features are, 1) the RAW + dL setting which allows both RAW and highest quality jpg's to be saved simultaneously and 2) the camera's speed of performance given the price range. It is very responsive, allowing for candid shots to be made akin to the semi-pro models.To reiterate, overall, a sturdy, well specified, no-nonsense camera which I'd highly recommend at the price (£450 mark) for those venturing into dSLR photography.