The Canon 500 D is an upper-entry-level SLR with all that you could want out of a professional model. It boasts of a 15 mega pixel CMOS sensor. The newer SLRs have the added high definition video option, and the 500 D can shoot 1080 px video at 20 frames per second. The 3 inch LCD with a high resolution 920000dot screen display gives you ultra sharp displays, and is a pleasure to view.

The Canon DIGIC 4 CPU at the heart of the 500 D provides rapid file processing – you could shoot up to 3.4 frames per second, resulting in 170 high quality JPG images in one single burst. Never again would you miss an action shot! Another aspect that helps you capture action images is the quick auto focus system on the 500 D, which employs 9 individual sensors for this purpose. The DIGIC 4 processor and the CMOS sensor work together to give you images with minimum noise levels. The efficiency of the processor is evident from the minute you switch on the camera – superb start up time, and almost-instant image previews on the LCD.

The EOS 500 D being a light weight and compact SLR, it still houses all of the traits of the tried and tested EOS series.  Canon has taken great pains to ensure that the user experience remains a pleasurable one, and the menu system on the 500D is a sign of this user friendliness. The sensor cleaning system in-built into the camera rids the CMOS of dust and particles, ensuring highest image quality at all occasions.

We loved the low-noise ISO level starting from 100, which can go up to 3200, and extended to 12800! This of course, ensures that you can shoot in practically any lighting condition even without the use of an added light source.

The bayonet lens mount on the 500 D accepts the entire range of Canon’s EF, EF-S and EX series lenses and speedlites, and this includes the ultra compact and light weight Speedlite 270 EX flash unit, and this is highly recommended thanks to its zoom and bounce head, and quick recharge time from just two regular AA sized batteries.

The 500 D comes with an enhanced version of utility software that can be fine tuned to rename incoming images to a format designated by the user. This goes a long way helping you file your images categorically. We also loved the picture style editor software, which can be fine tuned to user-defined specifications that allow complete control over how image colours should be adjusted. Once the definitions have been set, you can ‘add’ these to the camera body for in-house colour processing.  Canon also provides a movie editing software to work on the .mov files created by the 500 D.

The 500 D sells for about 900 USD with the 18-55 mm kit lens and about 800 USD body-only. This is well worth it if you are looking at a camera that will give you all that you could want from a professional model. Canon users are going to love this one.