Canon has taken a proven formula and made it even better than before with improved video controls, a touchscreen display with multitouch capabilities as well as a faster autofocus with better noise performance.

The good	Dedicated video switch; improved video controls; continuous AF in video; responsive touchscreen interface.
The bad	Heavier weight and bulk may not be ideal for longer periods of video recording.

The Canon EOS 650D comes as an update to the 600D, which was announced early last year. The highlight of the 650D is its touchscreen display which makes it the first shooter in the dSLR segment to sport such a feature. This new 18-megapixel entry-level dSLR boasts better shooting performance and enhanced video controls with a duo of STM lenses. According to a Canon representative, the 600D will still be sold alongside the 650D.

Available in Asia from end-June, the Canon EOS 650D will retail at S$1,149 for the body alone, while the basic kit (with an EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS II lens) will go for S$1,299. If you need more reach, a kit with the new EFS 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM lens will set you back S$1,699. The 40mm F2.8 pancake STM lens will retail at S$299.

Design and features

We compared the EOS 600D we use regularly in our lab with the 650D and found both cameras to look nearly identical--right down to their rear button placements. However, we did find the 650D to be more ergonomic--its chassis felt more contoured to our hands allowing for a firmer grip. Its build quality is rather solid for an entry-level dSLR, too.

There are, however, some improvements such as a dedicated video option integrated into the On/Off switch which allowed quick access for shooting that candid video. It's a marked improvement, considering that flicking the switch is faster than turning the mode dial to "movie mode" which can cause you to miss crucial moments. A stereo microphone has also been implemented on the camera's top panel near the hotshoe.

The highlight of this camera is its touch-sensitive screen with multitouch capabilities. We found the dSLR's touchscreen interface to be quite responsive and there was minimal lag when scrolling through in-camera options. Aside from the usual shooting options, users can pinch to zoom and swipe to cycle through snapshots when reviewing images. You can even change frequently used settings such as white balance, ISO, color and aperture settings via the touchscreen display, allowing you to make adjustments easily. This was quite impressive considering it's Canon's first attempt at implementing a touch-sensitive interface on a dSLR, not to mention an industry first.

In LiveView mode, we enjoyed the ability to select a specific focal point onscreen without having to focus and recompose. There's also a touch-to-shoot option, which allows you to snap a shot with a tap of the finger. It worked well outdoors, but is slightly slower in less-than-ideal lighting. Previously, we found the 600D was generally slower when trying to acquire a focus lock in LiveView.

Canon seems to have addressed the issue with a new autofocus feature called AF Quick which allows the 650D to focus and lock on a subject nearly twice as quickly as the 600D in LiveView mode. Compared with some touchscreen cameras(such as some mirrorless ILCs and compacts), we liked that the touchscreen interface don't take away from the whole dSLR shooting experience due to the standard physical buttons available at the camera's rear. The touchscreen interface can also be deactivated via an in-camera option, too.

The EOS 650D comes with a high-resolution 1,040k-dot resolution 3-inch screen that provides great clarity when reviewing images. We had no problems viewing and composing images under bright sunlight either. Its swiveling display allows a 270-degree rotation which comes in handy when shooting self-portraits to getting shots from more creative angles.

As usual, the new camera comes with the usual automatic and scene-mode settings (such as macro, sports, close-up and night scenery) on the mode dial which are helpful to absolute beginners. There are also full-manual and semi-manual options for seasoned users.

A comparison

Canon EOS 600D	Canon EOS 650D	Nikon D3200
18 megapixels	18 megapixels	24.2 megapixels
CMOS sensor	CMOS sensor	CMOS sensor
ISO 100 to 6,400 (expandable to 12,800)	ISO 100 to 12,800 (expandable to 25,600	ISO 100 to 6,400 (expandable to 12,800)
3.7 fps	5 fps	4 fps
3-inch, 1,040k-dot OLED display, articulated	3-inch, 1,040k-dot touchscreen, articulated	3-inch, 921k-dot touchscreen, fixed
1080p full-HD video recordin Stereo microphone	1080p full-HD video recording Stereo microphone	1080p full-HD video recording Mono microphone
570g 133 x 100 x 80mm	575g 133 x 100 x 79mm	505g 125 x 96 x 77mm

Performance

On the whole, the 650D's shooting performance is quite fast thanks to its hybrid AF system which uses a combination of phase-and-contrast detection, resulting in more precise focusing, especially for moving objects.

In burst-mode shooting, the dSLR shot off at a speed of 5 frames per second--this was consistent in RAW, too. Turning the camera on to capture the first shot takes about 0.5 seconds. Shutter lag (the time between pressing the shutter release to capturing a photo) was minimal as with most dSLRs.

Shot-to-shot time on Single Shot mode (the time it takes to capture the next consecutive frame) was clocked 0.5 seconds, as well. The 650D has a generally fast AF system and should be able to capture active children or pets. If you need to capture even faster action, choose the Ai Servo mode to track your subjects and acquire focus before image capture.

Image quality

In terms of color performance, the shooter produced images which were vibrant and color-accurate while exposure was consistent across the board. However, we did observe some cases where the camera's white balance was a little biased toward the yellows--a minor annoyance that can be fixed either by adjusting white balance modes or in postprocessing.

One can expect the best quality images from ISO 100 to 800. From ISO 1,600 you notice noise starting to creep in, with some grain. However, image detail still remained the same. Our tipping was at ISO 3,200--one could use this setting when shooting in low light and still achieve a good balance of noise and detail. At ISO 6,400, grain is scattered throughout the image with the appearance of color noise and details looking soft but still usable when resized for Web use. Beyond 12,800, the image looks fuzzy and smeared. We wouldn't recommend shooting at this ISO setting.

When we compared 100 percent crops at ISO 6,400 between the Canon EOS 600D, 650D and Nikon D5100, the 650D has an edge. Although the 650D image sample displayed a similarity with the 600D in terms of noise, the former resolved more image detail--this is visible in the text and emblem. In comparison, the 600D sample looked soft and fuzzy while the D5100 sample was smeared and hard to make out.

Video quality

The 650D focuses quite fast during video capture and constantly finetunes focus automatically. Colors recorded are punchy and vibrant, though some may find it too constrasty.

The 650D's two key improvements are its abilities to autofocus continuously during video capture and improved video controls. Videographers no longer have to focus manually and can even tap to focus and track subjects during movie recording. The camera's touchscreen interface also allows shutterbugs to make quick adjustments to exposure, aperture and ISO settings in manual mode when recording video.

The new dSLR comes with an 18-135mm IS II STM kit lens which is lighter and shorter than its predecessor. Its image stabilization feature was useful in helping us get less shaky video recordings during video capture and to obtain sharper pictures when shooting stills in low light.

Do note that this dSLR is heavier and bulkier than Micro Four Thirds cameras which can lead to fatigue and blurry videos when shooting longer video clips without a tripod. This is important if video is a key consideration for your purchase.

In scenes with multiple subjects, the camera's face detection and AF tracking autofocus mode tend to change focus points constantly, even when you've picked your desired subject by tapping the screen. In cases like these, it's better to focus manually or select the center-spot focus option to obtain consistent focus during video capture.

However, we did notice audible noise from the lens' autofocus motor being picked up by in the audio track which can be quite annoying. You may want to grab an optional stereo microphone for cleaner sound. Canon's new STM lenses should also be quieter when shooting video, so do look out for our hands-on with those lenses soon.

Image samples

Exposure: 1/50, F5, ISO 2000	Exposure: 1/40, F5, ISO 5000	Exposure: 1/50, F11, ISO 100	Exposure: 1/125, F5.6, ISO 800

Conclusion

With the new Canon EOS 650D comes a strong suit of video capabilities, a good feature set and better low-light performance in terms of resolving detail at high ISOs. We were impressed by Canon's ability to implement a responsive and fluid touchscreen display to complement its rear button layout. The snapper should appeal to smartphone users looking for their first dSLR and videographers looking for an affordable route to shooting full-HD videos.

The basic 650D kit retails at S$100 less than the 600D when it was first launched, making it a great value for enthusiasts or those starting out. This is why we've decided to present the EOS 650D with our Editors' Choice award.