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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #406 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Canon
• Model: 3820B018AA
• Released on: 2009-04-24
• Dimensions: 1.06 pounds

Manufacturer's Description

Canon EOS 500D

Tell both sides of the story with Full HD movies
The EOS 500D sets your creativity free and lets you bring every side of your story to life with a choice of stunning 15.1 Megapixel resolution photos or pin-sharp Full High Definition video. Driven by the powerful DIGIC 4 processor this highly-featured model delivers many of the technologies developed for our professional models and matches them with intuitive design and controls so they are easy to access and apply. With High ISO, built-in flash, 3-inch Clear View LCD monitor and Live View Function the EOS 500D is ideal for taking superb shots and shooting great stories.

A powerful combination
The EOS 500D's 15.1 MP CMOS sensor performs outstandingly in low light and produces images with incredibly low noise. Canon's DIGIC 4 processor works alongside the sensor to deliver 14-bit image processing, for smooth gradations and natural looking colours, as well as split-second startup times and near-instant image review after shooting. DIGIC 4's advanced Noise Reduction when shooting at higher ISO speeds enables the EOS 500D to offer a high ISO range of up to 3200 - expandable to 12800 - so you can shoot in low light without the need for flash.

With continuous shooting up to 3.4 frames per second in bursts of up to 170 JPEGs or 9 RAW files it is easy to capture dramatic action shots and it captures enough detail to print to A2 size even with cropped images.

Connect to your HD television using the HDMI cable for instant HD playback. Click here for a larger image

Movie making
With the EOS 500D you can really get creative and bring your images to life with the ability to shoot Full HD (1080p) video. You can also choose to shoot at 720p or VGA resolution when larger amounts of footage need to be stored on a memory card. Viewing and sharing your movies and stills is easy too thanks to an HDMI connection, which allows High Definition playback of footage and images on any HDTV.

Unlock your creativity
The EOS 500D has five Creative Modes to explore:

Av mode automatically sets the shutter speed, but allows you to control depth of field by letting you choose the aperture. By setting the extent to which the lens opens or 'aperture', you can control the portion of a scene that appears sharp in the image or 'depth of field'. A larger aperture will provide a shallow depth of field - sharp in the foreground with a blurred background - where as a smaller aperture will give a sharp picture throughout.

The different modes allow you to control the look and feel of your images Click here for a larger image

Tv mode automatically sets the aperture and you select the shutter speed. This enables you to change the appearance of motion in your shots; Photograph a waterfall with a fast shutter speed and every droplet is captured in crisp detail: use a slower shutter speed and you will create a soft blurred effect, giving a sense of motion in your photograph.

In Program Mode both the aperture and shutter speed are controlled by the camera but you can select other settings: With Drive Mode you can select from Single Shot, Continuous Shooting or Self-timer; Metering Mode allows you to specify the area of the image you wish the camera to use to calculate exposure; White Balance setting means you can determine what the camera reads as white to allow for your specific lighting conditions; and Flash Mode gives you control over your flash settings.

Manual Mode allows you to control both aperture and shutter speed so you have total creative freedom with your shots. Great for difficult lighting situations or capturing subjects with different effects.

The ergonomically designed dial gives you easy access to the 14 modes Click here for a larger image

A-DEP Mode automatically sets your depth of field so you can be sure to capture as much or as little of the scene as you wish in focus.

All the Creative Modes allow you to change your ISO speed. This is the measure of the sensor's sensitivity to light. Altering it allows you to modify the exposure accordingly and gives you more freedom to be creative with your shots in different lighting conditions.

For those times when you prefer to concentrate on great composition the EOS 500D also offers several Basic Modes, which control all the settings. These include; Full Auto, which allows you to use the camera to 'point and shoot'; Portrait, which ensures the background is out of focus and the foreground is pin sharp; Landscape, which sets a longer exposure and a smaller aperture to capture both the foreground and background in focus, Close-up which allows you to focus on very close objects; Sports, which uses a fast shutter speed to freeze action; and Night Portrait, which increases the ISO to make the camera more sensitive to light. You can also prevent the built-in flash from popping up using the Flash Off setting (for shooting in Museums and galleries).

The EOS 500D has all functions within easy reach, next to the 3-inch Clear View LCD screen Click here for a larger image

Effortless operation
Weighing just 480g, the EOS 500D is ergonomically designed for comfortable handling. A large, bright 3-inch Clear View LCD monitor with ultra-high 920,000 pixel resolution, a viewing angle of 170 degrees and dual anti-reflection coatings makes it easy to preview, review and share your shots even when you are using the camera in bright sunlight.

This model is compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards. Available in increasingly large capacities these provide an inexpensive way to extend the cameras capacity.

Live View Function
Live View is a real-time visual feed, which enables you to view your subjects directly on the LCD monitor, a great help when shooting from awkward angles. It's easy to magnify any part of the scene 5x or 10x for precise manual focus. You can even choose a grid overlay, perfect for keeping vertical or horizontal lines in your composition straight. Live View Function can be used remotely via a computer through a USB connection, and the included EOS Utility software.

In Live View Function you can action two Auto Focus (AF) modes: Quick mode, which uses the camera's standard AF system (great for capturing action or for shooting in low light) and Live mode, which is a contrast-based AF system that reads the sharpness of subjects right from the imaging sensor, and can be overridden by pressing the AF mode selection button. The target area for Live Mode AF is at the center by default, but it can be moved around most of the picture area with the cross keys on the back of the camera.

Focusing made easy
A wide-area Auto Focus (AF) system uses nine separate focusing points to lock onto subjects fast and makes it so easy to get the shot you want. As well as Manual Focus there are three auto-focus modes to choose from: One-Shot AF, ideal for static subjects such as portraits and landscapes; AI Servo, great for moving subjects and keeps following the subject with predictive tracking until you take the shot; and AI Focus, which switches from One Shot to Servo when movement is detected. The center, cross-type focus point operates flawlessly in lower-light and lower-contrast settings.

Choose your style
The EOS 500D allows you to change the look of your images by customising Picture Style settings for colour, saturation, sharpness and contrast, either in-camera or later with Canon's comprehensive software suite supplied. Six preset Picture Styles include Portrait, which provides a slightly sharp and crisp image with nice skin tones, Landscape, which emphasizes vivid blues and greens, and Monochrome to give you stunning black and white images. Canon also offers additional downloadable 'Picture Style Files' that can be installed into your camera for even more imaging options at your fingertips.

Professional Software
The EOS 500D allows you to shoot in RAW format and the Digital Photo Professional software which comes free with it enables high-speed RAW image processing, fast previewing for real-time image adjustment and support for sRGB, Adobe RGB and Wide Gamut RGB color spaces. Because it is CMS (Color Management System) compatible, Digital Photo Professional allows for easy image layout and printing in Adobe RGB in conjunction with Easy-PhotoPrint and PictBridge printers.

A world of advantages from Canon technology

Canon's CMOS senser and DIGIC 4 processor combine perfectly in the EOS 500D Click here for a larger image

In-built genius
The CMOS sensor lies at the heart of the EOS system. Indeed, Canon is the only camera manufacturer to produce their own sensor and years of imaging experience are borne out by the results - a range of sensors designed to perfectly match the performance requirements of each specific EOS model and superb clean detailed images with minimum noise.

The CMOS sensor's larger pixel sizes mean wider dynamic range for greater contrast and detail in shadow and highlight areas and a low-pass filter in front of the sensor suppresses the false colour and moiré that can affect high resolution digital photography.

It is extremely powerful and efficient so not only does it improve battery life giving you more shots per charge, but it also enables fast transfer of data to the processor allowing you to keep shooting continuously.

Power in your hands
Canon's latest generation of DIGIC processor, the DIGIC 4, is the brain of the camera and is responsible for the superb responsiveness of all EOS models. Faster and more powerful than it's predecessor, the DIGIC 4 processor gives exceptional performance and low noise at higher ISO speeds.

In the instant between your shot being taken and its appearance on the LCD screen, Canon's cutting-edge DIGIC technology, which was originally developed for Canon's Professional range, is racing to optimise your image.

DIGIC processors are able to analyse ultra-detailed image data gathered by the camera sensor then use this to swiftly reproduce the subtlest of tonal graduations and an exceptionally wide colour range.

When shooting in darker conditions, even if you are pushing the ISO to the limit, DIGIC processing applies sophisticated Noise Reduction algorithms - helping to eliminate graininess and preserve detail. The speed of DIGIC also means less processing time for long battery life and fast start-up times.

With over 60 lenses to choose from you'll never be short of creative options Click here for a larger image

EF & EF-S Lenses
Over 60 years of experience give Canon an inherent advantage when it comes to lens manufacture. EOS digital SLRs are backed up by the world's most comprehensive system of interchangeable lenses. From the 15mm ultra wide angle to 800mm super telephoto, the 60+ lenses in the EF series cover all possible shooting requirements.

Canon lenses employ advanced optical expertise and micron-precision engineering to deliver unprecedented performance in all facets of the photographic process. Special optical technologies, such as aspherical, ultra-low dispersion, or fluorite elements are featured in the universally acclaimed L Series lenses. And Canon's Optical Image Stabiliser technology is featured in selected lenses to minimise the effect of camera shake.

Extend your lighting capabilities
Mastering flash photography can take a lifetime but Canon's extensive range of Speedlites, can make it simple to get great results. These flash head units can be used on or off camera to open up a range of creative possibilities. You can use them in situations where there would otherwise not be enough light or as a fill-in flash to change your daylight pictures dramatically.

The Speedlite range is compatible with all EOS cameras and includes a choice of three standard models and two models for specialist macro use.

The self cleaning unit combats dust using ultrasonic vibrations Click here for a larger image

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
This is not a stand-alone feature but a built-in system to minimize the effect of dust in high-resolution digital images - particularly appreciated by those photographers who need to change lenses frequently and in dusty environments.

Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit - A key element of minimising dust is preventing it from clinging to the front surface of the imaging sensor. To combat against this EOS cameras feature a Canon-designed Self Cleaning Sensor Unit. The low-pass filter at the front of the sensor shakes off dust automatically with ultrasonic vibrations, removing dust from the sensor assembly. A collar positioned around the sensor then collects the loosened dust. In addition to this a special coating on the front surface of the low-pass filter actually causes it to repel dust.

Dust Delete Data Detection - Any dust that still remains on the front of the sensor can be erased with software included in Digital Photo Professional software. A simple test shot of a plain, white object can be taken, using a menu setting. This Dust Delete Data image is analysed in-camera, and the location and size of any remaining dust is added to any subsequent pictures taken. This data is transmitted along with the image, whether JPEG or RAW, and can be either manually or automatically erased. This added software option ensures the cleanest possible image, perfect for printing or archiving.

Box Contains

EOS 500D Camera

EF-S 18-55mm IS f/3.5-5.6 (non USM) lens

Battery pack (LP-E5)

Battery Charger (LC-E5E)

Eyecup EF

Neck Strap (EW-100DB III)

Camera cover (RF3)

IFC-200U USB interface cable

AV Cable AVC-DC400

EOS Solution Software CD ROM

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Customer Reviews

Fantastic DSLR
I bought this camera about 2 weeks ago and it has exceeded all expectations. Being my first DSLR I tried to make sure I bought the best camera for my money. Initially I was going to buy the 450D on price but the extra few megapixels and better screen (which is stunning) swayed me. I'll try not to repeat any previous reviews but my observations are as follows;
In many respects this camera does all of the work for you. You could quite happily use the basic zone modes (auto modes) and take great photos or just use them whilst you get to grips with the complexity of manual modes.
The camera is also stunning aesthetically. It is slightly more rounded than previous models but as a consequence is also a touch smaller, especially the grip. For someone like myself who has large hands it is still not too much of a problem but if you feel like this may be a problem then a battery grip should rectify this.
In 2 weeks I probably charged this camera once and took almost a thousand photos.. great battery life considering the performance.
The buttons on the 500D are cleverly thought out except in the live view where the '*' button serves as the AF button and when filming the 'live view' button is stop/start recording.
The HD video mode is very good - I didn't consider this feature when buying but it is a very useful one to have just in case.
The only problems I have had are with memory cards. I was initially using a 2Gb one I already had but this was way too small but have recently bought a new 8Gb one which holds about 1,100 JPEG images. When you buy a card don't go for the cheapest go for the fastest (class 6). A standard SanDisk one will take about 15-20 continuous shots then will slow down or stop.
All in all a fantastic DSLR that I would recommend to anyone, especially if you take pictures of sporting events or landscapes as the Canon really seems to capture vivid colours and action well. This is by far and away the best camera in this price bracket too when compared to a D90 for example.

Excellent camera
I have upgraded from a Canon 350D to this 500D. Why? a) More pixels so I can crop without worrying too much. b) Screen on the 350D is far too small for my eyesight. The 500 screen is marvellous even held high. c) Auto Sensor cleaning. d) better quality images. e) video is a bonus but not on my wish list but nice to have anyway and it works great. I also looked at the 50D but chose to instead spend the difference in price on buying a Speedlight 580EX ll which is really good.
I mainly use a Canon 18-200mm since I normally have a dog lead in one hand and a camera in the other and stopping to change lenses is not really an option.... and the lens is plenty good enough.
I have just taken photos at a private function, mainly indoors and the quality is great.
My only gripe with the 500D is that if you are like me and constantly switch the camera off and on you really need to be careful that in so doing you haven't moved the function wheel. I pretty much always have mine set to AV and I have been caught out a few times having knocked the wheel over to Manual.
All in all I am tickled pink with the 500D and can recommend it without hesitation.

Brilliant latest addition, but with a few reservations
Having just got this latest addition to the Canon EOS range (to replace my ageing 10D), I just had to try it out, of course!

This is a welcome upgrade, with the Digic 4 processor living up to expectations. Using the Custom Function7 (Auto Lighting Optimiser), you'll be hard-pressed to come up with a badly-exposed pic! However, remember that it only works for under-exposed photos, and over-exposed still remain so - there's never been much you can do about a bright sky with an otherwise dull landscape, unless you take multiple separately-exposed photos and manipulate with Photoshop trickery, or else manipulate the RAW photo! However, the overexposed highlights are of course monitored and pointed out to you in the playback monitor immediately afterwards.

The highlight tone priority is quite a good function (CF6), but then any CF2 use to expand the highest ISO from 3200 to 12800 is lost, as the two don't work together! Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, as the higher ISO's are mainly used for concerts and otherwise dimly-lit shots, but you'll do as well to remember the limitation.

The LiveView - not available in Basic Zone modes, but that's fair enough! - is not bad at all, and the vastly improved screen resolution helps a lot. However, the screen tends to get smudged easily, as with all cameras with the eyepiece so close to a large monitor. Nevertheless, the brightness is not bad, although viewing on a brighly-lit day tends to mute the colours you see. The biggest gripe is the choice of LiveView settings - the Quick mode functions well, but the Live Mode and Live Mode with Face detection feature a particularly annoying pause while the mirror flips for focusing. And why oh why did Canon decide that you would have to press an entirely separate button (the AE/FE lock "*" on the back) to establish focus? Surely it would have been better to use the shutter-release button?

Same goes for starting and stopping a video recording - you have to press the Live View shooting mode button to the right of the monitor to start/stop it!

Hovever, the gripes are only cosmetic, as are some of these features. Serious photographers won't be using them much at all, although they're nice to have "in an emergency"!

The camera body itself is light, although as usual adding a lens and Speedlite tend to vastly add to the weight. But individually the body sits naturally in the hand, with the slightly-better grip contributing to ease-of-handling and a firm grip.

Overall, a superb piece of kit, with the results exceeding expectations. Certainly comparable with the Nikon D90, but of course a must-have for a snapper having a range of Canon lenses already!
Highly recommended!