Don’t worry about SLR for home travel. Canon EOS 1200D review

IT168 Review Canon EOS 1200D is the latest entry-level SLR launched in February this year. It is aimed at home entertainment users. Its biggest feature is its affordable price, with the kit only costing 2,999 yuan. Canon EOS 1200D is an upgraded version of the previous EOS 1100D, a machine that popularized SLR photography. Generally, when you are struggling between mirrorless and SLR, if you see the latest SLR camera reaching such a price, you will definitely give priority to this entry-level SLR camera. After all, Canon's lens group is very large, and some people will ask why the price is so low. Are SLR cameras reliable and cost-effective? This is the question we want to solve in this article.

The upgrades of Canon EOS 1200D compared to Canon EOS 1100D include: from 12.2 million pixels of the previous generation to 18 million pixels, the sensitivity can be extended to ISO12800, and the screen has also been upgraded to 3 inches with 460,000 pixels. . It supports Full HD 1920 x 1080 30p shooting (the previous generation was 720p). In addition to Basic+ creative effects, you can add personal style to different scenes, such as bright, soft, warm, cold and other 9 effects, and 5 new filters are added. Mirror special effects, the difference is fisheye, rough black and white, soft skin, toy camera and model effects

▲Canon EOS 1200D

Purchasing suggestions and summary:

Canon The EOS 1200D has been tested and used by the editor. It is an affordable SLR camera with simple and practical functions and easy operation. It does not have much bright spots in terms of functions. It is a relatively balanced entry-level SLR camera and is Canon's best positioning at present. An entry-level SLR camera. It is suitable for beginners in photography, home entertainment users and student groups. For example, it is very suitable for casually taking travel photos when going out, taking group photos at home, etc. If you want to take more professional photos or want better imaging, then it would be more appropriate to choose the higher-end Canon EOS 70D.

The Canon EOS 1200D uses a DIGIC 4 image processor and an APS-C specification CMOS image sensor with approximately 18 million effective pixels. The common range of sensitivity is ISO100-6400, and can be extended to ISO 12800. Relying on the 9-point autofocus system, using the EOS 1200D can more easily achieve fast and accurate composition and focus. In fact, the biggest advantage of Canon EOS 1200D is the price. Currently, the dual-lens kit containing 18-55mm and 55-250mm lenses is only priced at 3,999 yuan. Click to view details, which is cheaper than most dual-lens mirrorless cameras. The price of a single lens kit is only 2,999 yuan. Click to view details. There are many card cameras at this price, but which card camera is better than this one? What's more, Canon's SLR lens group is very large. It will be upgraded in the future. Good camera lenses don’t go to waste either.

View the Canon EOS 1200D review in separate pages (click on the picture to go directly)

Appearance and control: compact, lightweight, simple to control

Canon EOS 1200D uses a plastic body , the weight of the whole machine is 435 grams. The surface of the fuselage has a high-quality coarse-grained coating, which feels comfortable and does not easily leave fingerprints. In addition, the handle is also equipped with anti-slip leather to improve the grip of the camera. The body size of the EOS 1200D is approximately 129.6×99.7×77.9 mm, which can be easily placed in a shoulder bag.

▲Overall appearance

The Canon EOS 1200D has some slight changes from the previous 1100D in terms of overall appearance and button layout. The most obvious one is the addition of a non-slip leather case, which is held in the right hand. Anti-slip leather is added to the front and back to enhance the hand-holding experience.

▲Top view

In terms of button layout, some buttons are reduced and the structure is more compact, making it easier to use in all aspects of operation, including frequently used buttons such as ISO and focus. There are separate buttons for adjustments, etc.

The front of Canon EOS 1200D maintains the style of its previous entry-level SLRs, without buttons. Due to the relatively small overall design, this SLR is slightly compact when viewed from the front.

▲Simple top button setting

Looking down, the Canon EOS 1200D is also very simple. There is a non-360-degree rotating mode dial, a flash pop-up button, a dial and the shutter. button.

▲Button configuration on the top of the fuselage (on the right side of the mode dial is the power switch lever.)

The mode dial is configured with various conventional shooting modes of the camera, from manual to Automatic shooting, video shooting, and scene mode are all adjusted here, not 360-degree rotation.

On the back of the camera is the shooting parameter adjustment we use for daily shooting. Next to the eye mask is the video/photography switching button.

▲Viewfinder, eye mask, video/photography switch button

The two buttons for zooming in and out are multi-function buttons, which can have different functions in different states.

▲Button layout on the back

Exposure compensation adjustment requires a combination of levers.

Then there is the Q key of the quick selection menu button. After entering this key, you can adjust most shooting parameters, such as metering mode, photo style and many other commonly used settings.

The cross-key button is also a multi-function button. In the menu or quick menu mode, it is the up, down, left, and right direction keys. It is a function button when shooting. At the bottom are the menu buttons and photo playback buttons. Canon EOS 1200D uses a 460,000-pixel 3.0-inch LCD screen

▲Battery compartment and card slot

The storage slot uses an SD card. It is recommended to purchase Class 6 or above storage. card with a capacity of 8GB or greater. If you want to shoot short videos, the speed cannot be slower than Class 6.

Summary: With these button layouts, the overall usage experience is simple and fast, and it is very easy to use for people who have not had much contact with photography. For professionals, although the control feeling of these buttons is not strong, it is small and has all the necessary quick adjustments. Canon EOS 1200D will be a relatively lightweight entry-level SLR camera. The editor thinks that it is the lightest and best-looking when paired with a 40mm biscuit lens. If you don’t want to buy a 50mm lens, then buy a body with a 40mm biscuit lens to go out and scan. The street feels very good, it feels like "The Heirs".

Resolution test: at a medium level among APS-C SLR cameras

Canon EOS 1200D uses its commonly used 18-megapixel APS-C size sensor, which is suitable for beginners in photography. For scholars and family travel, this pixel is enough. To make a simple estimate from this sensor, the approximate resolution is not much different from its EOS 100D and 600D.

In the test, we used Canon EOS 1200D equipped with EF 50mm F1.4 USM lens to shoot samples at various apertures of the ISO12233 resolution standard board (4000 lines), and tested it through Imatest software, and finally concluded Best resolution value. The following are the best resolution test results of Canon EOS 1200D:

▲The best resolution test results of Canon EOS 1200D

From the test results, Canon EOS 1200D JPG direct output The best resolution has exceeded 3000 lines. This result is considered very good among current APS-C format SLRs. Such results give this entry-level SLR camera a lot of points and prove that although it is entry-level SLR camera, but the image quality is also guaranteed.

The Canon EOS 1200D has excellent sharpness performance in actual testing

The resolution test can let us know the theoretical sharpness of a camera, but whether the photos taken can meet our expectations. It is best to see the actual shooting effect for the clarity.

▲ Sharpness test: 100% screenshot of Canon EOS 1200D sharpness sample

We used Canon EOS 1200D to take this photo in the standard evaluation environment, using the EF 50mm F1 lens .4 USM, the shooting parameters are F5.6 aperture in A mode, and the sensitivity is set to ISO 100. In order to facilitate comparison, we have 100% intercepted 4 parts of the sample taken by Canon EOS 650D (the red box area in the above picture) for observation.

▲Samples

▲100% enlarged screenshots

▲Samples

▲100% enlarged screenshots

▲ 100% enlarged screenshot

From the perspective of real shots with high definition, the details of the overall picture of Canon EOS 1200D are not very obvious. There are some missing parts. It can be seen from the above two sets of real shot samples that the characters The hair still has very clear details both in the center and at the edges. The actual sharpness of the EOS 1200D is similar to the test results, and it can maintain most of the details. Although the sharpness cannot be compared with some higher-pixel SLR cameras, it is enough for an entry-level SLR.

Resolution summary:

In summary, the resolution test of Canon EOS 1200D is not much different from its actual shooting. It can be considered relatively good among entry-level SLRs. In actual practice The performance during shooting was remarkable. For average users, 18 million pixels and such sharpness are enough to meet any needs. There is no need to be upset because the pixels do not reach 24 million.

High sensitivity test: ISO-1600 available

The following scene is the standard test environment for sensitivity in the IT168 evaluation room. We fixed the camera on the gear head of a heavy-duty tripod and allowed the camera to shoot at various sensitivity levels without moving. Then we took a slice of the photo at the same position from the picture below, as shown in the red box in the picture, to see what the sensitivity of each level of EOS 1200D is.

▲Sensitivity test target plate and slicing range

▲EOS 1200D JPG direct ISO performance at each level

We can see from the sample slices that Canon When the EOS 1200D is at ISO 400 and below, the imaging is delicate and the image quality is very good. At ISO 800, the graininess is slightly noticeable, but completely usable.

The graininess increases at ISO 1600, but it is still within the usable range. Color shifts begin to occur at ISO 3200. It is recommended to avoid shooting at ISO 3200 or higher sensitivities to ensure the integrity of the image quality. The author believes that the highest sensitivity required for excellent image quality is between ISO 1600 and ISO 3200, so the sensitivity performance of Canon EOS 1200D is pretty good. Canon has always been excellent in terms of high sensitivity.

Canon EOS 1200D automatic white balance restoration is more accurate, manual white balance is very practical

▲Canon EOS 1200D automatic white balance test results

In terms of automatic white balance , Canon EOS 1200D's automatic white balance color temperature is accurate, and it is cheaper in red. When shooting portraits, people's skin will appear more rosy. As the Canon EOS 1200D is mainly aimed at the entry-level user market, automatic white balance will be the main one used by everyone. It is very important for users that automatic white balance can accurately display the original color temperature of the picture. Here, the Canon EOS 1200D shoots portraits very beautifully, which is more practical for home users.

▲Canon EOS 1200D Manual White Balance (Shadow)

Manual white balance shooting can produce more creative photos when used in some specific environments. Photography beginners may The control of color temperature is not very good. You can try it a few times in a certain environment to see what kind of white balance is more suitable for you. Of course, the color temperature can also be adjusted in the later stage using software.

Color evaluation summary:

The color performance of Canon EOS 1200D inherits the consistent imaging style of Canon cameras, and it will have a greater advantage in portrait shooting, which is suitable for home users when traveling. You can take beautiful photos of people during your trip here. However, in general, the automatic white balance restoration of Canon EOS 1200D is relatively ready. Beginners can safely use the camera’s automatic white balance setting when using it.

Canon EOS 1200D review sample

▲Camera lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM Shutter speed: 1/80s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 50mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Shutter speed: 1/400s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 55mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM Shutter speed: 1/3200s Aperture value: F1.4 Focal length: 50mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM Shutter speed: 1/2000s Aperture value: F1 .4 Focal length: 50mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM Shutter speed: 1/3200s Aperture value: F1.4 Focal length: 50mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM Shutter speed: 1/1250s Aperture value: F1.8 Focal length: 50mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM Shutter speed: 1/ 1000s Aperture value: F1.4 Focal length: 50mm Sensitivity: ISO100

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▲Camera lens: EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Shutter speed: 1/200s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 135mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Shutter speed: 1/250s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 135mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Shutter speed: 1/125s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 45mm Sensitivity: ISO100

< p>▲Camera lens: EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Shutter speed: 1/320s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 135mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF-S18 -135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Shutter speed: 1/200s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 135mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM Shutter speed: 1/500s Aperture Value: F1.4 Focal length: 50mm Sensitivity: ISO100

▲Camera lens: EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Shutter speed: 1/200s Aperture value: F5.6 Focal length: 135mm Sensitivity Degree: ISO100