Design

Canon EOS 650D review – Design

As with the camera’s feature set, Canon has only made a handful of modifications to the camera’s body on top of the basic template carved out by the model’s forebears. The top-plate now incorporates stereo microphones just past the hot shoe rather than on the front, for example, while many buttons have been gently restyled and the thumb rest around the back made larger.

The power switch has been joined by a movie option, which lies past the on position. In practice it’s easy to overshoot the on position when simply wanting to turn the camera on for stills shooting. The menu and info buttons can also be awkward to press when the screen is extended from the body, given their placement just above the hinge, although on such a button-heavy body there isn’t really any better place for them.

In place of the relatively smooth body, the new model gains a more matte finish, particularly the back of the LCD screen. It’s not clear why Canon has opted to do so as, not only is this less pleasing to the touch, but it picks up marks and scratches easier than the smoother one on the EOS 600D. Admittedly, most superficial marks can be quickly rubbed away.

Other than these minor grievances, there’s little to fault. The body is built to the expected standard, with the stainless steel chassis and polycarbonate resin shell keeping weight down to just 575g. Both the grip, thumb rest and side are rubbered, which not only makes the camera more secure in the hand but also more pleasing to hold, although the grip itself is decidedly more suited to those with smaller hands given its shallowness. The camera’s buttons are all labelled clearly, although some may find their travel a little short, and the screen pulls away easily from the body while remaining fixed in any desired position.