All-change on cards & power
450D is the first Canon DSLR to only accept the SD and SDHC cards popular on compact cameras.It also has a new larger capacity battery. ExistingRebel owners thinking of upgrading are most likely to be affected bythe change of memory format and battery type (the first new EOS batteryin a long time). Of course, the price of memeory cards has dropped somuch that changing formats it not the intimidating barrier it once was.They both offer advantages for the first-time DLSR buyers that willmake up most of the market for this camera, particularly those withSD-compatible compacts. Meanwhile, Canon says production of the 400D(Rebel XTi) will continue so we'd expect to see the price drop to makeway for its new sibling.
Many of the remainingdifferences between this model and its predecessor are little detailedthings that users have been asking for: ISO displayed in theviewfinder, spot metering, an ISO button you can reach with the camerato your eye. There has also been some satisfaction in the office thatit beeps, rather than shutting down, if you accidentally open thememory door. It'll be interesting to find out whether these tweaks,tricks and treats are enough for the EOS 450D to retain its position at- or near - the top of the entry-level DLSR tree; first impressions arecertainly very positive.
Handling Althoughyou can't really see it when looking from above the EOS 450D's grip hasbeen redesigned slightly, and it's a big improvement, though we'd stillrather use the camera with the optional battery grip attached. Theoverall handling and ergonomics have been improved slightly, thoughagain, this isn't a major redesign.
Battery grip Anew battery grip, the BG-E5, has also been launched alongside the 450D(Rebel XSi). It slots into the battery bay and can take 6 AA batteriesor two of the 450D's new LP-E5 batteries. It provides a shutter buttonand control dial along with AE/FE Lock, exposure compensation and AFpoint selection buttons in a vertical orientation.
