5.0 out of 5 stars
A quality DSLR that is not just for beginners. Just make sure you check the lens for (IS II)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2023
One of the things I like about photography as a hobby, is there is a real community spirit. Even the more professional photographers with their Canon 5D Mk IV's will stop for a chat and compliment my choice of the (much cheaper) EOS 2000D. The truth is, I don't want an electronic viewfinder, or a poseable touch screen. I bought the EOS 2000D precisely because! it is more old school. I wanted the mirror, so that I am seeing exactly what the camera is seeing. It also means the batteries last longer, as I am not having to power an electronic viewfinder, and I also like the fact that while I am changing lenses, the mirror is down, covering and protecting the image sensor. As I am far happier cleaning just the mirror than the sensor. Yes it only takes 3 shots per second in burst mode, but that is all I need. The APS-C sensor can produce prints at 6000 x 4000 resolution, and that is more than enough to print off at large format, then frame your prints and decorate your house. There is something great about getting a beautiful landscape shot, framing it and hanging it on your wall. It means that if a visitor compliments the picture, there is a whole back story, because you! took the photograph. And trust me, the EOS 2000D is more than capable of taking some truly breath-taking photographs. It is probably better suited towards landscape and portrait photography, as it starts to show it's age a little when you start capturing fast moving sporting events like motor racing, or wildlife photography. But other than that, it is a fantastic DSLR. The video capture is full HD at 1920x1080. My home projector beams at 1080p at 8ft across by 5ft high and the videos from the camera look fantastic, even at that scale. The wireless link is excellent. There are three setup memories. You can set the first up as a link to your home Wi-Fi, then link, say your iPad to your camera, via the Cannon Camera Connect app. This then lets you peruse your photos from the sofa without a cable in sight. Even delete photos if you want. You can also set up the camera to automatically back up your photos over Wi-Fi. The second memory can be used to connect directly to the camera when away from your home network. Whether you are connected at home, or directly, you can also take control of the camera functions from your phone, iPad or tablet. You can use the Live View, adjust basic settings and trigger the shutter. Granted, it is a little more long-winded than the later Bluetooth cameras, but it works well. And remember, the 2000D was only released in 2018, it is not what I would call an 'old' camera. This is highlighted by the fact that the camera has the Canon Scene Intelligent Auto PLUS mode (the green icon on the selection wheel), and will also communicate with compatible flash units via it's E-TTL enabled hot shoe. If you want a breather from the mathematics of manual shooting mode, just put the Canon into Scene Intelligent Auto PLUS mode and be impressed by the results. The fact that the camera also has flashlight communication, means the intelligent mode even works with the flash connected. In fact there is only really one thing that may make me upgrade to a full frame camera in the future, and that is the reduced field of view that a cropped sensor camera has. But you can compensate for that by lens choice. You just need to remember, that being a cropped sensor, the actual focal length you will see through the camera, is greater than the number on the lens. So for example, you will need to fit the 2000D with a 22mm lens, to see the equivalent of 35mm through the camera, but there are lots of apps and websites with focal length calculators. And if you are new to cameras, I would highly recommend your first lens purchase is the famous Canon 'nifty-fifty', otherwise known as the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. As you will notice an instant improvement to your low light photographs. The other great thing if you decide to purchase a 2000D, is that it seems to be the default camera used for many of the photography tutorial books. That is a huge bonus, because the menu images and discussions regarding DSLR functions are usually using the 2000D, so you are not only learning about photography in general, but as a bonus, you are learning how to get the best out of your own camera. At the time of writing, Amazon sell a hardback complete photography course book, and that uses the 2000D as its teaching camera. There are also literally hundreds of videos on YouTube, that teach you how to get the best out of the 2000D. The only bit of advice I would pass on, is to caution prospective buyers that there are numerous EOS 2000D camera kits on the Amazon website and online, some cheaper than others. The difference in price is usually because the 2000D body can come fitted with the older EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, or the more modern EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II. Those last few letters (IS II) are very! important. They mean that the lens has the Canon image stabilisation system built in. You can tell by looking for the extra selector switch on the side of the lens (see the image). Get the stabilised lens kit at a good price and you are on to a winner. Highly recommended.
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