Canon EOS Rebel XS / 1000D

The EOS Rebel XS, also sold as the 1000D, is an entry-level DSLR from 2008. It pairs a 10.1MP APS-C sensor with Canon's EF-S mount, keeping the body compact while leaving a wide lens catalogue open to the owner.

The body weighs 502g, which keeps it comfortable to carry, and the optical pentamirror viewfinder gives an eye-level view of the scene for framing.

Owning it is a simple affair. It shoots stills only, with no video mode, no wireless transfer and no weather sealing, and it records to SD cards from a battery rated at 500 shots.

The APS-C CMOS sensor offers modest resolution, and our Optics score of 42 out of 100 places the camera in the bottom 9% of cameras in our database for Optics. Resolution, burst speed and the ISO ceiling each earned only a small share of their points, while the sensor format fared better.

Shooting pace is unhurried. The continuous rate of up to 3fps suits portraits and static scenes rather than action, and the 7 autofocus points encourage deliberate composition when you place a subject.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 1600, which covers daylight and bright interiors but constrains dim evening work. The shutter tops out at 1/4000s.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so reducing camera shake depends on the lens or on the support you use. The EF-S mount, meanwhile, opens a long catalogue of Canon lenses for the body.

The EOS Rebel XS, also known as the 1000D, records no video in any form. There is no movie mode at any resolution or frame rate, so moving subjects can only be captured as still photographs, not as clips.

There is no built-in time-lapse mode either. Live view lets you compose on the rear screen, though the fixed mount keeps framing behind the camera, and nothing the screen displays is recorded as motion.

Since the camera offers no video recording at all, anyone hoping to capture motion will need a separate device. Every movie-related function, from resolution options to frame rates, is absent, and the camera's capabilities end with still photography.

The 2.5-inch LCD is fixed and not touch-sensitive, with 230,000 dots for checking settings and reviewing shots. Live view lets you compose on the screen, but the fixed mount rules out waist-level or awkward-angle viewing.

A built-in flash is there for casual indoor shots, and the camera also accepts an external flash when you want more power and control.

The Features score of 30 out of 100 reflects a limited setup. Live view earns points, but the screen's size and resolution, absent touch input, no Bluetooth and no weather sealing hold the score down. There is no GPS or wireless transfer either, so images leave the camera on a memory card.

A single SD slot accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, so even large modern cards are supported. With no second slot there is no backup arrangement, so carrying a spare card is sensible.

Power comes from an LP-E5 battery rated at 500 shots per charge, though real-world endurance varies with settings and usage.

There is no USB charging, so the battery must be charged outside the camera. The Storage & Battery score of 27 out of 100 reflects the single card slot, the battery rating and the absence of USB charging, which makes a charged spare LP-E5 the practical backup for longer shoots.