The 500D has a faster autofocus than the 400D and captures higher quality HD video. A useful addition over, say, the 350D is sensor cleaning which should reduce dust issues. The Canon 500D is a good stepping stone from point and shoot photography to taking greater control of your pictures.

The Canon EOS 500D features:

• 3.0" Clear View LCD with Live View mode
• 15.1 MP CMOS sensor
• 9-point AF system
• Full HD (1080p) movies
• EF/EF-S and EX Speedlite compatibility
• DIGIC 4
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• High ISO up to 12800 for low-light conditions
• 3.4fps with up to 170 JPEG burst

Take a look inside the box and you'll typically find Camera cover, Battery Charger, Eyecup, EOS Solution Software CD ROM, USB interface cable, Battery pack, EOS 500D Camera, AV Cable and Neck Strap.

There are several things that stand out with the Canon EOS 500D:

• Live view is a useful addition.
• Taking photos is a pleasure.
• A capable set of functions.
• The picture quality is crisp and clear.
• A superb budget D-SLR camera.
• The build quality is excellent.

For the price, the Canon EOS 500D packs lots of features. The learning curve is quite steep but with this intuitive camera you'll be taking professional looking photos in no time. The picture quality is excellent and works very well with both landscapes and detailed close-up shots.

To assist your creativity, the Canon EOS 500D provides:

• Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom.
• 9 AF points (f/5.6 cross type at centre, extra sensitivity at f/2.8)
• AF Modes: AI Focus, One Shot, AI Servo
• Shooting Modes: Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, No Flash, Movie, Program AE , Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual, A-DEP.
• ISO Sensitivity: AUTO(100-1600), 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Expandable to 6400 + H (approx 12800) in 1-stop increments
• Continuous Shooting: Max. Approx. 3.4fps. (speed maintained for up to 170 images (JPEG), 9 images (RAW)).
• Viewfinder Information: AF information, Exposure information, Flash information, Image information.
• Drive Modes: Single, Continuous, Self timer (2s, 10s+remote, 10s + continuous shots 2-10).
• White Balance Settings: AWB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White
• Metering Modes: TTL full aperture metering with 35-zone SPC

Compare Canon EOS 500D prices and you'll find it starting around £500. The screen is a huge 3 inches and has the ability to change colors, for example, the green mode is useful for night time shots. The Canon EOS 500D is very light and well balanced and it handles very well.