Digital Home Thoughts: Dpreview Reviews the Canon EOS 1000D

"When Canon launched the EOS 300D back in 2003 it was widely regarded as the first affordable digital SLR and secured Canon a seemingly indomitable number-one spot in the market. Since then the 'small' Canon has gone through three further iterations and the current model - the EOS 450D - offers a feature set and image quality that could only have been dreamed about five years ago (and at a price point well below the 300D's). However, the competition haven't been idle spectators and have recently launched a number of de-spec'ed cameras that have redefined the entry level segment and undercut the EOS 450D in the DSLR hierarchy. Canon has now responded to this mounting pressure by launching a new model one tier below the 450D in its current lineup - the EOS 1000D. It shares bits and pieces with Rebels gone by and, depending from which angle you look at it, the new model is either a stripped down 450D or a 'reheated' 400D. It's a lower specification camera than the 450D, by every measure you might see listed on the shop shelf, but is not the huge step down that its market positioning might lead you to expect. ...the headlines are: a 10MP sensor, 2.5 in LCD monitor, 7-point AF system and no spot-metering (like the 400D) but gaining Live View with both phase- and contrast-detect AF, SD/SDHC for storage and a control and menu layout that is pretty much identical to the EOS 450D's."

While I can clearly tell from the review about what the differences are between the 450D and the 1000D, I am not entirely sure whether the 1000D is anything more than a refresh. I wonder if Canon is simply reacting to pressure rather than creating unique and superior products that will help it corner the market, as I feel Nikon is doing. By itself the 1000D is a solid camera that gets a great review, I just hope that the new higher end camera (5D Mark II) that is expected from Canon in the next month or two wows us a little more.