Canon: touchscreen could bring more people into photography

Canon: touchscreen could bring more people into photography
The Canon EOS 650D's touchscreen will be easy to use for smartphone and tablet users

Canon has introduced the EOS 650D/Rebel 4Ti, the first DSLR to feature a touchscreen LCD, in a bid to appeal to new DSLR users.

Speaking to TechRadar, David Parry from Canon UK said: "We're trying to attract more people into photography, and having a touchscreen could bring more people in and help them make that transition from a compact camera to a DSLR."

Not only does the 650D feature a touchscreen LCD, it's also equipped with an 18 million pixel sensor, Digic 5 processor and hybrid autofocusing.

The 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen can be used to access the majority of camera functions, along with being used to set the autofocus point, or release the shutter.

Smartphone usability

Those used to using smartphones and tablets will also surely appreciate the pinch to zoom into playback images and the ability to swipe through images.

Although the Canon EOS 650D is currently the only DSLR camera to feature such a device, David Parry is hopeful that it will prove popular.

"I'd like to see it on more cameras," he said. "Maybe we'll see a reverse Formula One effect - where technology from the lower end of the range will trickle upwards onto the higher end."

The Canon EOS 650D will be available from the July, and will be priced at around £800 in the UK and €950 in Europe (about $1,180) with a kit lens.

Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.