The Canon EOS 500D is a 15- megapixel entry-level

digital single-lens reflex camera A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor. The reflex design scheme is the primary difference between ...

, announced by Canon on 25 March 2009. It was released in May 2009. It is known as the EOS Kiss X3 in Japan, and as the EOS Rebel T1i in North America. It continues the Rebel line of mid-range DSLR cameras, is placed by Canon as the next model up from the

EOS 450D The EOS 450D (called EOS Rebel XSi in North America and EOS Kiss X2 in Japan) is a 12.2-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera that is part of the Canon EOS line of cameras. It is the successor to the EOS 400D/Digital Rebel XTi. It was a ...

, and has been superseded by the EOS 550D (T2i). It is the third

to feature a movie mode and the second to feature full 1080p video recording, albeit at the rate of 20 frames/sec. The camera shares a few features with the high-end Canon EOS 5D Mark II, including movie mode, Live preview, and

DiGIC 4 Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit (often styled as "DiG!C") is Canon Inc.'s name for a family of signal processing and control units for digital cameras and camcorders. DIGIC units are used as image processors by Canon in its own digital imagin ...

. Like the

and EOS 1000D, it uses SDHC media storage, and is the third EOS model to use that medium instead of CompactFlash. Like the EOS 5D Mark II, video clips are recorded as MOV (

QuickTime QuickTime is an extensible multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. Created in 1991, the latest Mac version, QuickTime X, is avai ...

) files with H.264/MPEG-4 compressed video and linear

PCM Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, compact discs, digital telephony and other digital audio applications. In a PCM stream, the amp ...

audio.

Features

* 15.1- megapixel CMOS sensor Type APS-C, 22.3 x 14.9mm CMOS * Type – TTL-CT-SIR with a CMOS sensor *

DIGIC 4 Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit (often styled as "DiG!C") is Canon Inc.'s name for a family of signal processing and control units for digital cameras and camcorders. DIGIC units are used as image processors by Canon in its own digital imagin ...

image processor * 14-bit analog to digital signal conversion * 3.0-inch (76 mm)

LCD A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but in ...

monitor * Live view mode and built-in flash * Wide, selectable, nine-point AF with centre cross-type sensors * Four metering modes, using 35-zones: spot, partial, center-weighted average, and evaluative metering. * Auto lighting optimizer * Highlight tone priority * EOS integrated cleaning system *

sRGB sRGB is a standard RGB (red, green, blue) color space that HP and Microsoft created cooperatively in 1996 to use on monitors, printers, and the World Wide Web. It was subsequently standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission ( ...

and

AdobeRGB The Adobe RGB (1998) color space or opRGB is a color space developed by Adobe Systems, Inc. in 1998. It was designed to encompass most of the colors achievable on CMYK color printers, but by using RGB primary colors on a device such as a compu ...

colour spaces * ISO 100–12,800 * ISO Sensitivity (8) – AUTO(100–1600), 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Expandable to 6400 + H (approx 12800) in 1-stop increments * Continuous drive up to 3.4 frame/s (170 images (

JPEG JPEG ( ) is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and imag ...

), 9 images (

raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

)) * Canon EF/

EF-S The Canon EF-S lens mount is a derivative of the EF lens mount created for a subset of Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with APS-C sized image sensors. It was released in 2003. Cameras with the EF-S mount are backward compatible with th ...

lenses * PAL/ NTSC video output * SD and SDHC memory card file storage * Raw and large JPEG simultaneous recording *

USB 2.0 Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply (interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A broad v ...

and HDMI interfaces. * LP-E5

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

* Approximate weight 0.475 kg * Metering Range – EV 1–20 (at 23 °C with 50mm f/1.4 lens ISO100) * Low-Pass Filter – Built-in/Fixed with Self Cleaning Sensor Unit * AWB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White, Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom. White balance compensation: 1. Blue/Amber +/-9, 2. Magenta/ Green +/-9 * WB Bracketing – +/-3 levels in single level increments, 3 bracketed images per shutter release. Selectable Blue/Amber bias or Magenta/ Green bias * Viewfinder Information – AF information: AF points, focus confirmation light. * Exposure information: Shutter speed, aperture value, ISO speed (always displayed), AE lock, exposure level/compensation, spot metering circle, exposure warning, AEB. * Flash information: Flash ready, high-speed sync, FE lock, flash exposure compensation, red-eye reduction light. Image information: White balance correction, SD card information, monochrome shooting, maximum burst (1 digit display), Highlight tone priority (D+)

Alternative firmware

Though not endorsed by Canon, the firmware of the camera allows for the installation of third-party custom

firmware In computing, firmware is a specific class of computer software that provides the low-level control for a device's specific hardware. Firmware, such as the BIOS of a personal computer, may contain basic functions of a device, and may provide h ...

, altering the features of the camera. One example of such firmware is

Magic Lantern The magic lantern, also known by its Latin name , is an early type of image projector that used pictures—paintings, prints, or photographs—on transparent plates (usually made of glass), one or more lenses, and a light source. Because a sin ...

Reception

The Canon EOS 500D received favorable reviews on its release. IT Reviews gave the camera a Recommended Award, and concluded: "Canon's DSLR range continues to go from strength to strength with this considerably enhanced upgrade of the EOS 450D, which manages to keep almost all of the previous physical features while improving the processor and the ISO range and adding a new Full HD video facility". Digital Photography Review said: "For anybody buying their first DSLR the 500D is an easy recommendation but you might want to have a look at the Nikon D5000 as well. It comes with a similar feature set to the 500D ('only' 720P video though) and performs slightly better in low light".

Alternatives and comparisons

Alternative cameras to the Canon EOS 500D: *

Sony Alpha 380 , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

Digital SLR Camera *

Sony Alpha 35 , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's la ...

Digital SLT Camera * Olympus E-420 Digital SLR Camera *

Nikon D90 The Nikon D90 is a 12.3 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) model announced by Nikon on August 27, 2008. It is a prosumer model that replaces the Nikon D80, fitting between the company's entry-level and professional DSLR models. I ...

12.3MP Digital SLR Camera *

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 was introduced in September 2009 as the third camera in Panasonic's Lumix G-series, using the Micro Four Thirds system. It was the first model in the "GF" line, which is primarily distinguished from the other Lumix G ...

Micro Four-Thirds Camera *

Pentax K-x The Pentax K-x is a 12.4 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 16, 2009. The Pentax K-x uses a Sony Exmor sensor (different from the back-lit Exmor-R used in other Sony models). In some cases it even approaches the ...

Digital SLR Camera Next level upgrade cameras from the Canon EOS 500D: *

Canon EOS Rebel T2i The Canon EOS 550D is an 18.0 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced by Canon on 8 February 2010. It was available since 24 February 2010 and to US dealers from early March. It is known as the EOS Kiss X4 in Japan, and as the EOS ...

(550D) Digital SLR Camera *

Panasonic DMC-GH1 The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is a digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the Olympus and Panasonic developed Micro Four Thirds System (MFT) system design standard. Panasonic classified the GH1 as a hybrid stills/video cam ...

Digital SLR Camera Economical alternatives to the Canon EOS 500D: *

Canon Rebel XSi The EOS 450D (called EOS Rebel XSi in North America and EOS Kiss X2 in Japan) is a 12.2-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera that is part of the Canon EOS line of cameras. It is the successor to the EOS 400D/Digital Rebel XTi. It was a ...

(450D) Digital SLR Camera *

Nikon D5000 The D5000 is a 12.3-megapixel DX-format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera, announced by Nikon on 14 April 2009. The D5000 has many features in common with the D90. It features a 2.7-inch 230,000-dot resolution tilt-and-swivel LCD monitor (D90 is , 920,0 ...

Digital SLR Camera

References

Sources

Canon EOS Rebel T1i (500D) Digital SLR Kit w/EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens & Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Autofocus Lens Reviews

External links

Product Page

EOS 500D in the UK
{{Canon DSLR cameras 500D Live-preview digital cameras