Gadgets: Canon EOS 1000D Digital Camera

(380, www.amazon.co.uk and www.jessops.co.uk For more information see www.canon.co.uk)

Getting your first SLR camera (Single Lens Reflex) is a bit like taking off the stabilisers on your first bike. Most point and shoot digital cameras are locked in a megapixel battle for your wallet. You can get a 12 megapixel from Samsung for under 70. However, there's more to megapixels than meets the eye. An SLR differs in two main ways to a normal digital camera. First, it uses a system of mirrors to direct light to an optical viewfinder. What you see is what you get. The Canon has a Live View mode on its 2.5in colour screen as well. Secondly, you can change the lens. Slot on a telephoto lens for your snooping pleasure.

The Canon EOS 1000D features a 10.1 megapixel sensor. And it'll shoot up to three photos per second. Canon is especially proud of its 0.1 second start-up time. Add to this a seven point auto-focus system. There are plenty more specifications I could reel off. However, this is a results business. I put the Canon to the test in the snowy Stirlingshire countryside. In full auto mode it captured the glistening white of the snow and the burnt amber of the rising moon perfectly. A nocturnal expedition in full manual mode to photograph the shining lights of the city proved a stiff test of the low shutter speed and high ISO settings. It coped well.

For a digital SLR beginner, the Canon EOS 1000D ticks all the boxes, combining image quality, a decent 18-55mm lens and enough hand-holding to make taking photos fun. The best part – only 380 if you shop around.

This article first appeared in The Scotsman, 16 January, 2010