Canon EOS 200D II Review: A solid DSLR on a budget

Canon is a renowned name in the camera industry and it justifies its dominance with a strong portfolio of DSLRs and lenses. The ever-expanding range of DSLRs welcomed a new addition in May, bringing consumers a mid-range DSLR packed with rich features. Canon EOS 200D II is in the same league as Sony A6300 and Nikon D5600 but has its own charisma to win over consumers.

Canon EOS 200D II make a compelling argument at Rs 52,995 with a single 18-55mm lens or buyers can go with dual-lens kit with an additional 55-250mm lens for Rs 65,995. These priced are much lower online as Amazon India is selling to 200D II with dual lens kit for Rs 54,490, which makes this a solid purchase.

We've been testing the EOS 200D II and it has been interesting. With several strong points and a few setbacks, Canon drives a strong force with its EOS 200D II. Let's find out if it is actually worth spending half a lakh on this new entrant in India.

Design

Canon has always maintained a signature design when it comes to DSLRs and the EOS 200D II continues the tradition. The classic Canon design with a firm grip on the right side where all the important controls are positioned. The camera is quite compact and fits comfortably so getting that perfect portrait shot using a single hand shouldn't be a strain. But of course, using both the hands will give you superior comfort.

The positioning of controls is easily accessible and one can get used to them in no time. The shutter button is placed towards the front on the right side and there's a dial to change shutter speed right behind. There are dedicated ISO and Display buttons before the dial, which is a thoughtful integration. Then there's a regular knob to switch between different modes, such as auto, scenes, filters, manual, Tv mode for shutter priority, Av for more customised settings, and program mode.

Right next to the mode switcher, there's a power on/off control, which also gives an option to jump straight to video mode. For all the bloggers out there, this makes sense as you wouldn't need to go through different settings. Other buttons within easy access are to adjust aperture, media preview and delete buttons, adjusting focus points while shooting is positioned on the right side of the display.

Just above the display, there's an optical viewfinder, a video recording button on its right and menu and info buttons on the left.

The most interesting and useful aspect of the EOS 200D II is the 3-inch colour display with accurate and smooth touch response. The fully-articulating display is a boon as it allows photographers to be creative by achieving angles that wouldn't be otherwise possible. The display is bright enough to be used outdoors, so you won't be complaining there.

The base of the camera stores the battery and SD card and on the right side, you'll get the HDMI and microUSB port for transfers. On the left side, you can plug in your mic and other accessories. The overall construction of Canon EOS 200D II is appealing and guarantees ease of use regardless of your experience with a DSLR.

Camera

Canon EOS 200D II has an impressive setup. It comes with a 24.1MP CMOS sensor and has a DIGIC 8 processor for a smoother performance. The 9-point AF comes in quite handy in all scenes and there are AI Servo and AI Focus modes for shooting moving objects and stills.

Canon EOS 200D II has nifty features like lens-shift image stabilisation and the lenses that come with the DSLR also have image stabilisation. Buyers can choose from 18-55mm lens or get the full kit with an additional 55-250mm lens.

Taking advantage of the various modes, even novice photographers will find it easy to shoot in different scenes. The results produced by Canon EOS 200D II are simply remarkable for a camera in its price range. The images retain great details and bokeh effect is simply on point. I struggled with autofocus in low light conditions, but nothing like it if you can work with manual focus. Simply go through the various effects Canon has to offer and you'll find a suitable mode to capture that perfect image even in a challenging scene.

Check out some shots taken from the Canon EOS 200D II below:

If you want to shoot videos, Canon EOS 200D II won't let you down. With a tiltable screen, you can shoot yourself and the camera supports 4K video recording at 25fps. The focusing is on point while shooting a video and delivers steady and accurate footage. The Movie Digital IS mode is worth exploring if you work with different lenses.

Connectivity

I love it when I don't have to deal with cables every time I need to transfer an image from a DSLR. Luckily, Canon EOS 200D II didn't let me down in this area. With built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, transferring images from the DSLR to the phone couldn't be easier. Although, I had to rely on the Canon Camera Connect app for this, which wasn't such a bad thing.

Otherwise, connecting the camera to the PC via a microUSB cord makes the transfers seamless. It's nice to have multiple options when it comes to sharing and transferring images.

Battery

Canon EOS 200D II has to be one of the long-lasting DSLRs. While I mostly shot stills using the camera, it lasted days depending on the usage. If you're going to shoot more than 500 images in a day, be sure to carry your charger. But in my case, I could easily do away without charging the camera for days as I mainly relied on the viewfinder and did not spend too much time previewing media files.

In case you want to shoot a video, probably an interview, then it is best to have a spare battery. But the camera can easily last an hour on continuous video recording, so you're sorted for the most part of the interview.

Verdict

Canon EOS 200D II is a solid performer and throws stiff competition to its rivals in a similar price range. If you are a novice photographer looking for a decent camera with rich features without having to break the bank, the EOS 200D II is a no-brainer. The light-weight design of the camera makes it easy to carry around, so professionals can rely on Canon's new entrant if they want to go light without all the heavy gears. For the price, Canon EOS 200D II is definitely worth buying, especially with Amazon India's price for the dual-lens kit.