By Jayanta Ghosh
This 1200D is an upgrade for its predecessor 1100D. And they have updated many key features to give this entry level camera a new look and competitive with its rival. 12 megapixel sensor of 1100D is now upgraded to an 18 megapixel APS-C sensor. Also the 1200D featuring a 3inch screen, which is an upgrade over the 2.7inch screen on the 1100D. The Canon EOS 1200D also features full HD video, updating the 720p video on the 1100D. As an entry level DSLR there are number of creative shooting modes, as well as scene modes with simple to operate settings explained so that you don’t necessarily have to understand aperture and shutter speed to change settings or create a blurred background, or create a brighter image for example. You can simply change an option on screen to change the settings and get the desired results.
Look and Feel:
Very compact and feels good in the hand, it has good rubber hand-grip with textured rubber on the back for your thumb, along with an improved textured plastic body, better than its predecessor 1100D. The controls on the camera give a good number of external controls, along with a Q button to give quick access to the most commonly used options on the rear screen. The screen is decent enough, with good visible colors, but the screen can be quite difficult to see in bright sunlight. The optical viewfinder has a good rubber padding at the back. – Canon has a logical well laid out menu system, with the shooting menus color coded red, playback menus are color coded blue, setup orange, and my menu is color coded green. The my menu allows you to add all your favorite settings onto one page, so that you can quickly access the most regularly used settings. The camera also provides a quick explanation of each menu item, and this all adds up to make it a very easy menu system to use.
Performance:
When we start clicking pictures with the 1200D, the very first thing which we noticed is that it has a good Focus and shutter response, quick switch on time and shot to shot time, even when using the flash. Very easy menu structure the shooting menus color coded red, playback menus are color coded blue, setup orange, and my menu is color coded green. The my menu allows you to add all your favorite settings onto one page, so that you can quickly access the most regularly used settings. As this model is targeted towards the first time users these easy menu system comes really handy. No noise till to touch ISO800 and in low light it works well under ISO 3200. Live view focusing is much slower, and best avoided unless photographing static subjects, or where the ability to use the camera away from your eye at different angles would be useful. Video quality is good recording at 1080p at 30/25 or 24fps, although due to the 18-55mm kit lens not featuring image stabilization handheld videos are likely to show camera shake.
Pros: Nicely built, Easy to operate, good image output
Cons: Live view, Autofocus
Specs:
• 18 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• 3inch screen, 460k dot resolution
• DIGIC 4 processor
• 1080p HD video, 25p, 24p
• Easy to use Intelligent Auto
• ISO100 to ISO12800 (extended)
• 1/4000s fastest shutter speed
• 9 AF points spread across the frame
Price:
EOS 1200D body only for INR 30,995
EOS 1200D + 18-55 IS II lens for INR 34,995
EOS 1200D + 18-55 IS II & 55-250 IS II for INR 39,995
