I have been very lucky to recently acquire a Canon EOS 400D DSLR. It came in a twin lens pack with an EF-S 18-55mm lens and a EF 75-300mm. After originally wanting to purchase just one lens with the camera body, I ended up getting the twin lens pack because it is just a value for money proposition. I figured I was getting a telephoto zoom for a little over A$100.

Although I like to explore and take advantage of certain characteristics of cameras, I am by no means well-versed in all the technical details of the camera. All I know is that this camera has really lifted my photography up a level. Generally, due to the much decreased shutter lag (compared to my trusty Powershot G6), I can now take photos much more quickly and precisely. Although I miss the preview and the flip-out screen that I used to get with the G6, the speed of the 400D has allowed me to take shots that I used to take with the EOS 50E and the EOS 630 film cameras.

Armed with the 400D I can now turn the camera on and start shooting all in under 5 seconds. With the G6 I used to have to wait for the camera to turn on, then extend the lens barrel and then cop the shutter lag when I take the shots. I have been so pleased with the 400D that I think I should get either another 400D or a 350D body so I do not have to constantly change lenses. Then it would be just a matter of switching cameras to get a different lens.

As promised, all my old EF lenses work on the 400D except that some lenses (due to the smaller sensor size, ie smaller than the size of a film frame) give me a bigger picture than what I see in the viewfinder. While this is fine for most situations, it can be a little problematic with tighter-cropped shots such as macro. Most of the time I can just fix the cropping in Photoshop but sometimes I forget the cropping I had in mind when the picture was taken.

For some of my pictures you can check my photoblog Still Frames

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