Canon EOS Rebel SL3 Review

The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 is not the cheapest DSLR from Canon, but it is the cheapest one we can suggest buying. Instead of technical developments, the Canon DSLR range seems to be going through a consolidation period, which is a polite way of saying that it hasn’t done anything particularly new for a while.

The latest EOS Rebel SL3 (known in other regions as the EOS 250D) falls into that group, with Canon using technology that we have already used in other Canon cameras to update the current EOS Rebel SL2.

But all of this won’t matter to beginners. All they’ll think about is what this camera costs, what it does, and whether it’s right for them. And irrespective of what you might think about the technological advancement of Canon (or lack thereof), the EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D is almost perfectly assessed.

The latest technology is not needed by beginners and new DSLR users, they just need an inexpensive, powerful camera that is simple to use and delivers the products. And Canon has got it pretty well nailed.

Specifications

Features

As the world’s lightest DSLR with a movable frame, Canon is pitching the EOS Rebel SL3. There are mirrorless cameras smaller than this one, to be sure, but Canon is very right as far as DSLRs go.

However, you may want to take a look at the latest mirrorless Fujifilm X-T200 if size matters more than the actual camera design.

The DSLR design still has a lot going for it, considering the controversy about DSLRs vs. mirrorless cameras. They have transparent optical viewfinders that many still prefer over digital models, and the batteries last much longer because they do not constantly power a digital display. DSLRs are chunkier and easier to grip than most beginner-oriented mirrorless cameras.

All this is based on all the manual control you can find in a DSLR, so that the EOS Rebel SL3 / 250D will stay right with you until you’re ready to move on to more manual techniques.Inside is a 24.1-megapixel APS-C sensor of a kind that is used in many Canon cameras and equivalent in size and resolution to those used by rival Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras, such as the Nikon D5600, Sony A6400, Fujifilm X-T200 and even Canon’s own mirrorless EOS M50.

In order to check distance using the same phase detection autofocus concept used by DSLRs, it uses Canon’s own Dual Pixel sensor technology that splits each photosite on the sensor in two. It’s faster than the traditional ‘contrast AF’ in live view used by many sensors. There are no fewer than 3,975 users selectable for the Rebel SL3 / 250D

We have also reviewed Canon EOS 800D. Visit the page to know more about it.

Build

For a DSLR, the Rebel SL3 is very tiny, especially in width and weight. In order to fit the mirror, the DSLR nature means that the body needs to be thicker, and while the Canon 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM kit lens is very lightweight, it is not a retracting model, so the combination of the thick camera body and lens makes the Canon much longer than rival mirrorless cameras such as the Fujifilm X-T200.

There is a good-sized grip on the body, making the Canon easy and safe to carry one-handed. The body has a slightly plasticky feel, but this is offset by high-quality dials and knobs, especially the dial and power on/off switch in the main mode, which has a third position to enter the video mode.

It is interesting that while many people focus about how mirrorless cameras are becoming better than DSLRs, for the very thing they are built to do best, Canon has designed a DSLR to fit mirrorless cameras: live view photography.

To use it at any angle, you can flip the rear screen out, fold it back against the camera facing outward, to display settings and image detail

Some of the minor buttons feel a little thin, and on the small side, squashed between the LCD monitor and the edge of the camera, the rear four-way control pad is definitely on the small side.

 However, Canon has done a fantastic job of finding space for its external controls, considering the limited size of the Rebel SL3, while also allowing them room to breathe.

The dynamic range of the Canon, its ability to capture detail in very bright and very dark environments, is about average, while its noise levels are pretty decent and better than the older Rebel SL2 at high ISO settings. That’s what we put down to a newer DIGIC 8 processor.

Overall, the Rebel SL3 is a highly professional, if outstanding, performer and easily good enough for its novice target audience.

Resolutions

The anomaly is the 24MP Nikon D5600, which is working beyond what its specs would say at sensitivities up to ISO 1600. This is likely to do with Nikon’s slightly more relaxed processing of noise reduction, which hinders its signal to noise score (above) substantially due to extra grain, but the payoff is razor-sharp picture quality and slightly improved preservation of fine detail.

While the EOS 250D possibly uses the same sensor as the 200D, as well as older cameras like the 800D, the 250D’s latest DIGIC 8 processor has improved the signal of the camera to noise efficiency, as it scores at each sensitivity setting around 5 percent better than the 200D.

Range

The EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D is capable of a somewhat close dynamic range at lower ISO sensitivities to its 24MP APS-C Canon DSLR stablemates, but the latest DIGIC 8 processor at ISO 800 and above has slightly increased the dynamic range. The Fujilfilm X-T100, let alone the mighty Olympus E-M10 III, is still not enough, but the EOS 250D beats its biggest Nikon DSLR rival handily.