Canon EOS 3000D Review: The Best Entry-Level DSLR for Beginners?

Much like smartphones, professional cameras are getting cheaper and more accessible by the day, allowing more people to explore the vast world of digital photography. Canon’s new budget-friendly DSLR, the EOS 3000D (Rs. 24,490), is one such camera that quite efficiently balances the price to performance ratio, delivering decent capabilities at a rather affordable price. While the company has definitely cut some corners in the development of the EOS 3000D, it really helps it achieve a price point that no other camera manufacturer is currently offering.

The Canon EOS 3000D is packed with all the features that anyone just starting off their photography journey would require and it’s one of the best, if not the best option for all beginners out there. So, if you’ve been meaning to delve into the world of advanced photography and have been wondering which DSLR to buy, we’ve conducted an in-depth review of the new EOS 3000D in order to help you make an informed decision. Without much further ado, lets jump right into the review:

Canon EOS 3000D Specifications

Before we go any further with the review, lets check out the specification of the new EOS 3000D and what exactly does it offer at its crazy affordable price point:

What’s In the Box

The Canon EOS 3000D bundle packs in a couple of accessories, including a basic 18-55mm kit lens. Here’s a list of all that you’ll get in the box:

• Canon EOS 3000D body
• Rechargeable Li-ion battery
• 18-55mm kit lens
• Charger and charging cord
• Shoulder strap
• Paperwork

Design and Build Quality

From the moment I picked up the Canon EOS 3000D, it felt quite a lot unlike any other DSLR that I’ve used before. That’s because at around 475 grams, the EOS 3000D is quite light, probably because it’s predominantly made out of plastic and lacks any form of weather sealing that you’d expect from a DSLR. While that in itself might be a deal breaker for a number of people, you’ll have to keep in mind that the EOS 3000D is also significantly cheaper than competing cameras.

On the upside, the lightweight body makes the EOS 3000D the ideal choice for casual photo walks and in my use, I didn’t feel any fatigue while using the camera. Another major design change that Canon has had to make with the EOS 3000D concerns the buttons and the dials on the camera.

Unlike other more expensive units, all the controls on the EOS 3000D either sit at the back next to the display or on the top right of the body. The device has a single main dial to change the shooting modes and the same dial is also used for switching it on and off. There’s another dial placed between the shutter button and the primary dial which can be used to control the exposure.

The back of the unit is predominantly covered by the 2.7-inch LCD display, which is definitely one of the components where Canon has cut corners. The display is just about average and because of the fact that it doesn’t get all that bright, sunlight visibility was always an issue. Next to the dial resides a D-pad, along with a dedicated video recording button, and all the other controls, including zoom and menu. The back also has an optical veiwfinder that doesn’t include diopter settings, which will surely be a problem for users who wear spectacles.

The battery and memory card compartment are located on the bottom of the device, with the HDMI and mini-USB ports hidden behind a rubber flap on the right edge. For the price, the Canon EOS 3000D’s design and build quality is pretty decent, and although it might not be the best budget DSLR build quality wise, it surely offers the best value for money.

Kit Lens

Along with the Canon EOS 3000D, you’ll get an EF S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II kit lens that comes with in-build image stabilization. Much like the camera, the lens is also quite light weight and has a standard manual and auto focus switch. It also has a dedicated switch to turn the stabilizer on and off.

While the lens might be very basic, it’s perfect for beginners and can result in stunning images if used well. The lens offers 3x optical zoom, which can come in handy if you’re trying to get closer to the subject without losing any quality. The zoom and aperture rings on the lens are quite smooth and responsive, making it fairly easy to get used to.

Features

For its price, the Canon EOS 3000D is a feature packed DSLR that offers almost all the features that Canon’s EOS series is known for. The camera has an 18MP APS-C size CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4+ image processor. The sensor is capable of capturing an ample amount of light and detail, resulting in high-quality images with accurate colors, good contrast and minimal noise, even in low-light situations.

The EOS 3000D has a number of shooting features, including several preset modes and options that you can choose to click the best images every single time. All the different modes, including the automatic mode, the manual mode, and various scene selections, can be easily selected by rotating the mode dial. The camera also includes a new ‘Shoot by ambience’ feature which will allow you to click a variety of images by selecting the preset that best fits the current frame.

Even though a budget camera, the EOS 3000D comes with WiFi connectivity, which will allow you to pair the camera with your smartphone and make use of the Canon Camera Connect app. The app allows you to shoot images using your smartphone’s screen as the viewfinder, browse the clicked images and share the images on your social media. In my use, I felt the camera had enough features to appeal to a beginner and they were fairly easy to use and get a hang of.

User Experience

As I mentioned earlier, the camera was fairly easy to use and the accompanied manual is definitely worth a read if it is your first experience with a DSLR. I, being a beginner myself, went through it to get up to speed with all of the camera’s features. After that, it was just a matter of practice, and within a couple of hours I was able to capture some fairly decent shots in good lighting conditions.

The only issue I had while shooting out in the sun was that the EOS 3000D’s screen was barely visible in direct sunlight so I had problems immediately judging how my shots were coming out. In terms of battery life, the 800mAh battery is capable of taking around 400-500 shots provided that you keep the display off and only use the viewfinder to click images.

In my use, I barely had any issues with the battery life, but I would definitely recommend investing a spare battery if you’re planning on taking the camera on long trips.

Performance

Getting to the performance, the EOS 3000D is definitely worth every penny you’d spend if you’re an absolute beginner. The camera is easy to operate and with just a little bit of practice you’ll be clicking great images. In my use, I was able to capture decent images in good lighting conditions that had a great amount of detail with great color accuracy and good contrasts. Being a beginner, I took a little bit of time to get the hang of the manual mode, but I was able to capture decent shots within a couple of days of use.

Here are some images that I clicked in good lighting conditions:

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Since I didn’t have any prior experience with clicking low-light images with a DSLR, I was pleasantly surprised by the camera’s capabilities. Images captured in low-light conditions also turn out quite good more often than not. In my use, I concentrated on using both the automatic and manual modes, briefly brushing past all the other settings. At first, quite obviously I wasn’t able to get good results in low-light conditions, but with a couple of days worth of practice, I was able to click pretty decent images in low lighting conditions using the manual mode. The Canon EOS 3000D’s low-light performance was quite satisfactory, resulting in images that have some good definition, great contrast ratios and, depending on what you’ve set your ISO at, little to no noise.

Here are a few images clicked in low lighting conditions:

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As you can probably tell from the sample images attached above, the Canon EOS 3000D is a pretty good performer even when in the hands of a beginner. The camera’s 3fps burst also came in handy while I was trying to capture moving subjects. The EOS 3000D is also capable of shooting 1080p video at 30fps and 720p video at 60 fps. However, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the video quality and I would strongly advice you to use a tripod if you plan on shooting video with the camera.

Canon EOS 3000D: Should You Buy?

Well, if you plan on graduating from a smartphone to a DSLR for your photography needs and you’re an absolute novice like me, then the Canon EOS 3000D (Rs. 24,490 for the body and kit lens package) is priced at such a competitive figure that purchasing one shouldn’t require a second thought. For the price, the EOS 3000D just offers enough to make it a must-buy for anyone looking to start exploring photography more seriously.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Easy to use
• Value for money
• Great performance
• WiFi connectivity
• Satisfactory battery life

Cons:

• Poor display
• No weatherproofing
• Plastic lens mount
• No dioptre setting

SEE ALSO: Canon EOS 1500D Review: The Perfect Beginner’s DSLR?

Canon EOS 3000D: A Must Have for Beginners

As I’ve mentioned earlier, the Canon EOS 3000D is a great first buy if you’ve just picked up photography as a hobby and wish to get a hang of DSLRs before investing in something more expensive. Even the kit lens included in the package is a versatile choice which will allow beginners to use the camera in a variety of scenarios without feeling the need to invest in a new lens at first.

However, the camera might not be the right choice for you if you’re looking for something that’s durable and built to last, if you’ll primarily depend on the LCD display to capture images and video, and if you’re someone who wears spectacles.

In case you don’t think the Canon 3000D is suitable for your particular use case for whatever reason then you can also consider the Nikon D3400 or the older Canon EOS 1300D. While the Nikon D3400 is arguably a better camera overall, it’s quite a bit more expensive than the EOS 3000D as its body itself will set you back around Rs. 28,999, with the Kit Lens package priced at Rs. 32,999.

The Canon EOS 1300D, which is available at a similar price point of Rs. 25,990, is a bit older, lacks some features and isn’t as lightweight as the EOS 3000D. However, it does have a slightly bigger and better display, which might be more important than the missing features for some users.

Overall, the Canon EOS 3000D is a great DSLR for beginners and something I would recommend at its price point.

Buy Canon EOS 3000D with Kit Lens from Flipkart (Rs. 24,490)