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Canon EOS EOS 450D User Experience
I wanted to share my experience with the 450d after having it for one week. First of all, please note that I am an amateur at
best and I never shoot raw and never use a tripod.
Last weekend I traded in my 400d for the 450d, actually got the 450d for free and a $100.00 credit, but that is another story.
I mostly shoot birds and primarily use the canon 70-300 IS lens, preferably with the IS turned off for sharper photos.
Since I got the 450, I have taken about 1000 shots, mostly of random objects. But I have had occasion to use the camera in good
shooting conditions with good light.
My impression overall is positive. The pictures look better to me and I love the spot metering. When I say "better" I mean
there is more color and more natural light in the photos. The pics do tend to overexpose considerably compared to the 400d. So
if my subject is in direct sunlight, I turn the EV down 1/3rd.
I have also noticed that there is definitely less noise at higher ISOs. For instance, check out the chickadee in the link
below. It was shot at 1600 ISO, with noise reduction turned off. I have done nothing to the photo except crop it, not a great
photo, but not much noise at all in my opinion for being 1600 ISO.
http://natureshots.smugmug.com/gallery/6076038_WcFPo/1/381167597_zhyxq/Large
Interestingly, I have taken some photos with ISO 200 that seem to have as much noise as that 1600 ISO photo. I have noticed
that it depends on the background...if the background is darker, especially green or blue, then there seems to be more noise
than compared to a yellowish lighter background. But maybe that is a given; nonetheless, definitely something I have noticed.
Another thing about noise, I have noticed that there is less noise if I turn the camera's sharpening settings down. I noticed
that in "standard" mode there was more noise than in "portrait" mode. So I use portrait mode.
Also, the 450d focuses a good bit faster than the 400d did. The 400d seemed slow to me with the 70-300, but now the lens seems
much faster and also quieter.
The 450d also processes the photos much much faster than the 400d. It writes and deletes pics much faster as well as takes them
faster in continuous mode. I love this.
The kit lens is amazing compared the 400d's, but that is pretty much a given. My favorite photos taken so far with the kit lens
are in the 450d gallery below...they are the grass in the sunlight shots. The rest of the photos in the gallery were taken with
the 70-300. The battery life is excellent, reminds me of the battery pack on the 400d.
I have also noticed that the resolution on the 450d is amazing. I notice this when I crop in on birds. It does seem to reveal a
little bit more noise than the 400d in 100% crops, but I only notice the noise when I crop in extensively.
Anyways, the link below will take you to my favorite shots taken so far with the 450d. In them all, I had noise reduction
turned off. I have done no sharpening at all in any of the photos. Nothing stellar, but I hope they show you what kind of jpegs
a 450d can produce in an amateur's hands with a non L-grade lens. I still have a lot of learning to do with the 450d, and I
very much look forward to it all.
It actually does have a learning curve even after using the 400d for 2 years. But maybe I am slow lol
http://natureshots.smugmug.com/gallery/6076038_WcFPo
Thanks and God Bless
Charlie Natureshots
http://natureshots.smugmug.com
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