Canon’s 10-megapixel EOS 1000D digital SLR slots in below the 12-megapixel 450D in the manufacturer’s range.

At £499 (for the lightweight body only, without a lens), it offers the least expensive entry into the Canon SLR system, which includes over 60 compatible lenses and accessories.

If you don’t own Canon lenses, the sensible option is to spend £80 more and get the kit that includes an image-stabilised 18-55mm zoom. This affords a good percentage of sharp photos when shooting handheld in low light without flash.

A glance at the specification reveals a downgraded but not necessarily hampered 450D. The 1000D has a 2.5in rather than 3in screen, seven-point autofocus (which ensures sharp subjects even when they're not centrally placed) instead of the more flexible nine-point, and three frames-per-second continuous shooting, compared with 3.5 fps on the 450D.

Still, the model’s boxy construction is far from poor, with large chunky dials and buttons to aid operation. The camera feels solid despite its plastic build. Again, awkward angle shots are made possible thanks to a screen with Live View, letting it screen be used for composition when it's impossible to bring your eye level with the viewfinder. We had to hunt to activate it, though, as the setting is buried within menus rather than given its own button.

With aforementioned kit lens attached the 1000D was fast to power up and delivered surprisingly sharp results, with warm but realistic colours. Again, both Raw and Jpeg file formats are offered, and noise – the term given to grain visible in shadow areas – is kept well in check, even up to its maximum light sensitivity setting of ISO1600.

An additional query is whether the 1000D is worth the money when its nearest 10-megapixel competitors (the Nikon D60, Olympus E-420 and Sony A200) can be bought for up to £170 less?

Well, the Sony doesn’t offer Live View and the Olympus omits image stabilisation, which leaves Nikon. While the 1000D ticks most boxes for features, for us the D60 has the edge for usability. Still, the 1000D offers a sound choice for those who prefer the Canon brand.