Description
The Canon EOD 650D / Rebel T4i is the company’s latest addition to
its novice-oriented ‘Rebel’ series. With more than two decades of
continuous success in its film and digital incarnations, these little
SLRs have been improved and refined to the point that Canon’s biggest
challenge is finding new ways to distinguish its updated models. Place
the new EOS 650D / Rebel T4i alongside its predecessor, the EOS 600D / Rebel T3i, and the similarity in design and specifications may suggest nothing more than a nominal upgrade.
Indeed the headline specifications – 18MP CMOS sensor, 9-point AF
sensor, 3:2 flip-out 1.04m dot screen are all familiar from the 600D.
Look a bit closer, however, and each of these has been significantly
improved, with an eye both to more seasoned users who demand SLR
performance and compact camera upgraders who want a familiar feeling
interface. The 650D also gains significance because it forms the basis
of the Canon EOS M, the company’s long-awaited entry into the mirrorless interchangeable lens market.
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It is largely because of the rise of large sensor mirrorless models
that in today’s market an entry-level DSLR must offer more than just
high image quality to entice compact camera upgraders. In the age of
YouTube, quick and easy access to video recording capability is a must.
And for users that are far more familiar with composing via an LCD
screen than a viewfinder, live view performance is of no small concern.
Of course the camera must still offer users a path to a more traditional
DSLR-like experience, without which, they would be hard pressed to
resist the temptation of a physically smaller ‘mirrorless’ camera.
The EOS 650D is Canon’s attempt to meet these challenges head on,
with new features aimed at improving its live view and video
performance. It becomes Canon’s first DSLR to offer continuous AF
tracking while recording movies.
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This is made possible by Canon’s new ‘Hybrid CMOS’ sensor that now
includes pixels dedicated to phase detection auto-focus. The Hybrid AF
system uses these to quickly set the lens to roughly the correct
distance, then uses contrast detection AF to fine-tune focus. In theory,
this should provide faster and more certain focusing for live view and
video shooting compared to previous Canon models which rely on CDAF
alone. You can read a more detailed explanation of this technology and
see it in action on the AF performance page of this review.
The EOS 650D also becomes the first SLR from any manufacturer to
feature a touchscreen. This is of the capacitive (contact sensitive)
rather than restrictive (pressure sensitive) type, behaving like that of a
typical smartphone. In Live View and Movie modes the screen can be used
to specify the point of focus and (optionally) release the shutter. It
also supports iPhone-like multi-touch and gestures. The rear screen has
been redesigned with no air gap between the display and cover glass in
an attempt to reduce reflections and improve visibility in bright light.
There’s also an anti-smudge coating which aims to reduce the impact of
its newfound touch-sensitivity.
