Digital Photographer - UK (2020-01)

OPTICAL VIEWFINDER

As it’s a DSLR rather than a mirrorless camera, the

250D has an optical viewfinder, so it can’t show the

impact of exposure and colour settings.

CREATIVE ASSIST

In Scene Intelligent Auto (Auto+) mode a Creative

Assist icon becomes available on the screen to

enable easy control over image colour, depth of field,

exposure, contrast and white balance.

WI-FI AND BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY

There’s Bluetooth connectivity in addition to the

integrated Wi-Fi system, making it easier to connect

wirelessly to a smartphone to transfer and share

images or control the camera remotely.

TOUCH CONTROL

With the exception of the shooting mode, you can

adjust all the settings via the touchscreen, but

there’s also buttons and dials.

DUAL PIXEL CMOS AF

Canon has used its Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensor, so

the 250D has phase detection autofocussing in Live

View and video mode. It gets subjects sharp quickly.

GUIDED OR STANDARD?

The Guided user interface is great for anyone

learning about photography, but experienced

shooters can switch to Canon’s standard quick and

main menu layouts to match other Canon DSLRs.

FEATURES

GUIDED OR STANDARD?

Left

Bag-friendly

While there are smaller

mirrorless cameras,

the 250D is very

compact for a DSLR

Above

Flip ’n’ twist

The 3-inch screen

on the back of the

camera is mounted

on a vari-angle hinge

Above

Big grip

There’s a decent-sized

grip, so it doesn’t feel

as fiddly as some

small cameras

just a tap on the screen, which is faster and

easier than pressing the dedicated button and

then selecting which of the nine points you

want to use with the viewfinder.

Further good news is that, because Canon

uses its Dual Pixel CMOS AF design on the

250D, it’s a phase-detection system that is

usually faster than contrast detection. We

found this to be very effective for stills and

video, but it doesn’t cope quite so well with

low light as the system for use with the

viewfinder. In very dim conditions, we had to

switch to Reflex mode.

As you’d expect on an APS-C format

DSLR with a sub £550/$550 price tag, the

viewfinder is fairly small, but it’s fine for most

types of photography. Nevertheless, the larger,

vari-angle screen with it’s more flexible AF

system and easy access to the controls makes

for a very user-friendly alternative.

Canon hasn’t exactly covered the 250D with

buttons and dials, so if you’re using Manual

Exposure mode you have to press a button

and then rotate the adjustment dial to set the

aperture. And in Aperture or Shutter Priority

mode the same button and dial combination

is used to set the exposure compensation. It’s

not ideal, so a second dial would be nice.

The control layout is logical, but in the early

days of using the 250D it’s easy to press the

AEL button instead of the AF point selection

button when you’re looking in the viewfinder.

But after more experience with the camera

you get used to reaching up a little higher.

We’ve seen 24MP APS-C format sensors

from Canon before, and as a result the 250D

TOUCH CONTROL

Withtheexceptionoftheshootingmode youcan

DUAL PIXEL CMOSAF

Canon has used its Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensor,so

the 250D has phase detection autofocussing inLi

View and video mode. It gets subjects sharp quick

GUIDED OR STAN DARD?

The Guided user interface is great for anyone

learning about photography, but experienced

shooters can switch to Canon’s standard quickan

main menu layouts to match other Canon DSLRs

FEATURES

OPTICALVIEWFINDER

Asit’sa DSLRratherthana mirrorlesscamera, the

250Dhasanopticalviewfinder,soit can’tshow the

impactofexposureandcoloursettings.

CREATIVEASSIST

InSceneIntelligentAuto(Auto+)modea Creative

Assisticonbecomesavailableonthescreen to

enableeasycontroloverimagecolour,depth of field,

exposure,contrastandwhitebalance.

WI-FIANDBLUETOOTHCONNECTIVITY

There’sBluetoothconnectivityin additionto the

integratedWi-Fisystem,makingit easierto connect

wirelesslytoa smartphonetotransferand share

imagesorcontrolthecameraremotely.

Withtheexceptionoftheshootingmode,youcan

adjustallthesettingsviathetouchscreen,but

there’salsobuttonsanddials.

o

ve

kly.

nd

s.

GUIDED OR STANDARD?

Left

Bag-friendly

While there are smaller

mirrorless cameras,

the 250D is very

compact for a DSLR

Above

Flip ’n’ twist

The 3-inch screen

on the back of the

camera is mounted

on a vari-angle hinge

Above

Big grip

There’s a decent-sized

grip, so it doesn’t feel

as fiddly as some

small cameras

just a tap on the screen, which is faster and
easier than pressing the dedicated button and
then selecting which of the nine points you
want to use with the viewfinder.
Further good news is that, because Canon
uses its Dual Pixel CMOS AF design on the
250D, it’s a phase-detection system that is
usually faster than contrast detection. We
found this to be very effective for stills and
video, but it doesn’t cope quite so well with
low light as the system for use with the
viewfinder. In very dim conditions, we had to
switch to Reflex mode.
As you’d expect on an APS-C format
DSLR with a sub £550/$550 price tag, the
viewfinder is fairly small, but it’s fine for most
types of photography. Nevertheless, the larger,
vari-angle screen with it’s more flexible AF

system and easy access to the controls makes

for a very user-friendly alternative.

Canon hasn’t exactly covered the 250D with

buttons and dials, so if you’re using Manual

Exposure mode you have to press a button

and then rotate the adjustment dial to set the

aperture. And in Aperture or Shutter Priority

mode the same button and dial combination

is used to set the exposure compensation. It’s

not ideal, so a second dial would be nice.

The control layout is logical, but in the early

days of using the 250D it’s easy to press the

AEL button instead of the AF point selection

button when you’re looking in the viewfinder.

But after more experience with the camera

you get used to reaching up a little higher.

We’ve seen 24MP APS-C format sensors

from Canon before, and as a result the 250D

TOUCHCONTROL

Withtheexceptionoftheshootingmode youcan

DUALPIXELCMOSAF

CanonhasuseditsDualPixelCMOSAFsensor,so

the250DhasphasedetectionautofocussinginLi

View and video mode. It gets subjects sharp quick

GUIDEDORSTAN DARD?

TheGuideduserinterfaceis greatforanyone

learningaboutphotography, butexperienced

shooterscanswitchtoCanon’sstandardquickan

main menulayouts to match other Canon DSLRs