Launching Canon’s new EOS200D Camera in Ljubljana

Introducing the new Canon EOS200D

It happened one week in early spring. An email zipped into my inbox, holding inside it a proposal to work with Canon. And since then, I haven’t stopped smiling.

Canon has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s been there for holidays, birthdays and graduations. It’s recorded the achievements and been there for the celebrations. It’s seen the best, and helped me to remember the best.

Needless to say, my dad’s Canon camera has been pretty well used over the years. Slowly but surely, our little camera family has grown; first when my sister bought hers, and then when I started my own journey with Canon, four years ago, with a 700D.

My 700D has seen countless meals, sunsets, and everything in between, and has empowered me to tell a story with pictures. A camera of my very own and, with it, a new passion for photography.

You can imagine then, from the perspective of an avid, albeit amateur photographer, how I felt at the chance to work with Canon. To be able to continue on that journey that I started four years ago with the people who designed, engineered and created the tech that allows me to express myself fully, means a great deal to me.

The world’s lightest DSLR with the world’s fastest auto-focusing system

After that first email, I started to learn more about the collaboration with Canon. We would be working together to promote the new Canon EOS200D camera; an exceptional device, designed to be an entry level DSLR for smartphone and beginner photographers.

And so it was that I flew over to Ljubljana with Canon.

Over the course of a few days I would be filmed using the EOS200D, and at the same time I would be taking my own pictures. Those filmed segments would later be edited to create a promotional video, and my photos would form the sample set to be used on the Canon website and in stores worldwide.

The tremendously busy and equally satisfying 12-hour days of being filmed and photographed were punctuated with my own exploration of the new EOS 200D camera.

It’s a liberating feeling; literally a weight off of my shoulders

The first thing that strikes me is how small and light the Canon 200D is. It’s so dinky, that it actually fits in to my favourite mustard satchel!

The bag struggle is a very real thing for me; let me explain. Every time I head out, I have to make a choice between being able to carry a smaller bag that I really love, or taking out my 700D camera and with it a larger, less gorgeous bag. Bag-gate, some might say.

The fact that the 200D is small enough to fit into a moderately sized shoulder bag means that I can toss it into a cute little satchel and go. For me, that means having my cake and eating it.

Made for Instagram

The pop out screen is, by far,my favourite feature. My own Canon 700D has it too, and I definitely rely on it to get a good shot. So much so that I’m not sure I could switch back to using a DSLR that doesn’t have it.

I use my pop out screen all the time; it’s perfect for angling round a subject, and for getting those highly Instagrammable, top-down food and lifestyle pictures.

I also love the touchscreen functionality, and with it the ability to tap-to-focus anywhere on the screen. It just means that when I take a picture, I know that the parts that I want in focus will actually be in focus. It takes the guesswork out, and makes the whole photography experience easier and more enjoyable.

Selfie, selfie, selfie

Because the Canon 200D is so small and light, it’s relatively easy to take a selfie. Just hold it up, rotate the pop-out screen around, and take a picture.

The 200D also has a new ‘Selfie Mode’ which helps to achieve background blurring, whilst also being kind to the skin. My face is possibly the one subject where I don’t want every fine line and detail to show ;)

I also love that the selfie feature is incorporated into the process of taking a picture, and that you don’t have to think about it at a later stage. It just helps to retain that high image quality, which can sometimes otherwise be affected by using external apps to filter and/or beautify. Trust me when I say, I know the battle between wanting to even out skin tone whilst also having a sharp image.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy sharing

Although I’m quite protective of my own 700D camera, I have to admit that one of its drawbacks is that it doesn’t have easy sharing options. I therefore love that the 200D addresses the need to share images instantly with its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The Bluetooth link, which is always on, is powerful enough to let you access the camera on your phone even if the camera is in your (favourite mustard-coloured) bag. Hell yes.

Helpful hints & tips

The new Canon 200D replaces the previous entry-level 100D model, and is designed to be that first camera for new users of DSLRs. To this end, it has a nifty guided-interface with handy, on-screen tips to help explain key features.

For example, if you want to create that gorgeous bokeh in a shot (one with lots of blurring around a single focus point) then you’ll need to be flip to Aperture Priority and adjust the f-stop.

Even though it’s designed for newbies, I really like the new interface too.

So would I buy the Canon EOS200D?

The short answer – Yes.

I’d never have thought to change my camera body until I used the new Canon 200D. I’m amazed at how intelligent this entry-level DSLR is. As well as being feature and function rich, it’s also deliciously small – small enough to toss in to my favourite bag and go, which is really an incredible thing.

It’s not a camera that is going to be for everyone, but then that isn’t the ambition. Rather, the 200D is a gorgeous little camera that you can take anywhere and everywhere.

Whilst it may feel like a light number, it fully behaves like a DSLR should; you can use the full EF-S array of Canon lenses with it to create some stunning pictures. I think I probably like it so much because it was made with someone like me in mind :D

At a retail price of just under £600 for the Canon EOS 200D body only, it’s still a purchase that’s going to need a little thought. But if you are looking to level up on your photography with a DSLR, then the 200D is a great choice!

PS – Ljubljana is absolutely stunning too…

Please note that I worked in collaboration with Canon to launch the new EOS 200D camera. This being said, all views expressed here are my own. As you can probably tell, I had a fantastic experience :)

All of the images with me in them were taken by the incredible Tom Martin.