Editor's Note

• Original review date: April 2019
• Replaced in 2022 by the mirrorless EOS R10
• Launch price: $599 / £529.99 / AU$999
• Official price now: $649.99 / £630 / AU$1,249

Update: March 2024. Although it’s now four years old, the Canon EOS SL3 / 250D / 200D Mark II (depending on your region) is still one of our favorite DSLR cameras for beginners. In fact, in our round-up of the best entry-level DSLR cameras, it’s our top pick for buyers on a budget. Canon is no longer developing new DSLR models, which is evidenced by the fact that the EOS SL3’s entry-level successor – the EOS R10 – is a mirrorless camera. All the same, if you prefer the classic handling of a DSLR, we think the EOS SL3 continues to offer excellent value for learners. It’s well-built, lightweight and lovely in the hand. Due to limited stock, you’ll probably need to shop around at online retailers. There are cheaper options out there if you search hard enough, including the EOS Rebel T100 (also known as the EOS 4000D / EOS 3000D), but we think the EOS SL3 is worth the extra outlay.

Although Canon has some even cheaper models right at the bottom of its DSLR line-up in the shape of the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D and EOS Rebel T100 / EOS 4000D, neither model made much of an impression when we came to test them.

While those two cameras are still the cheapest way into the expansive EOS DSLR system – at least without looking towards the secondhand market – there's another option that gives users a few extra toys to play with, and a little more growing space. And with constant heat from affordable mirrorless cameras, that's only a good thing. 

Positioned between the EOS Rebel T6 / EOS 1300D and the more advanced EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D, the Rebel SL3, also known as the EOS 250D and EOS 200D II, followed on from the very capable EOS Rebel SL2 / EOS 200D that surfaced two years before it and easily made its way on to our best DSLR camera list. At the time of release, much of the Rebel SL3's core feature set was familiar to us, but it also marked the introduction of 4K video on a DSLR this cheap from any manufacturer. 

So what else can be found on the camera?

• Best 4K camera 2019: 10 top cameras to shoot movies with

Features

• 24.1MP APS-C sensor with Dual Pixel CMOS AF
• DIGIC 8 processing engine
• 4K UHD video recording to 24p

Like rival Nikon, most of Canon's DSLRs are fitted with 24MP APS-C sensors, and the EOS Rebel SL3 is the latest recipient. This is believed to be the same sensor that starred in the previous Rebel SL2, and it also features a similar Dual Pixel CMOS AF system built into it.

This system uses pixels in the sensor to perform phase-detect AF, which is the way DSLRs normally focus when you use the viewfinder. By having this on the sensor, it allows the Rebel SL3 to focus quickly when using live view or when capturing videos – something we'll be exploring in more depth later.

The camera is fitted with the same EF mount that has long served Canon's EOS DSLRs, and this accepts both EF-S and EF lenses. Whichever type of optic you choose, the size of the camera's sensor means your lens is subject to a 1.6x crop factor. So, the EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens that's the default kit option with the camera provides an effective focal length of around 29-88mm. Lenses with their own Image Stabilizer (I.S.) systems are particularly desirable here, given the lack of an equivalent sensor-based system inside the camera itself.

The camera can fire bursts of images at a 5fps, which is unchanged from the Rebel SL2, despite the presence of the newer DIGIC processing engine. This burst rate is fairly respectable for entry-level models, but is quite outdated compared to many mirrorless models. If you are somebody that likes to shoot action and/or moving subjects, it might not be the right model for you. Better news is that the Digic engine does, however, support 4K video capture to 24p, although there are a number of restrictions.

There are, for example, no other frame rates to choose from when capturing 4K footage. Videos are also subject to a crop factor, which means you lose a little of the wide-angle view of your lenses when you start recording, although this isn't an issue when recording Full HD or Standard HD videos. You also can't use the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, unless you're happy to knock resolution down to Full HD. (You can still use autofocus during 4K video recording, it just tends to be less fluid.)

Metering is handled by a separate 63-zone metering sensor when you're using the viewfinder to compose your images, and this provides the customary evaluative, partial, spot and center-weighted average quartet of options. Those same patterns are available when using live view, although here metering is performed off the main imaging sensor, with a maximum 384 separate zones used.

Picture Styles, meanwhile, allow the user to tailor the color, sharpness, contrast and other parameters to the scene being captured. You can stick with the default Auto mode if you want to the camera to make all these decisions, although options such as Portrait, Landscape, Neutral and Monochrome can be easily called upon should you want a specific look and feel for your images.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, both of which were present on the EOS Rebel SL2, are on board, although that camera's NFC functionality has been dropped for this model. Some other smaller features make their DSLR debut here, though, such as the Smooth Skin mode that aims to give subjects a more flattering complexion.

There's a USB port on the right side of the camera as you hold it; it's the older USB 2.0 specification rather than the more recent and speedier USB 3.1, but if you only use Wi-Fi or a card reader to transfer images from the camera, this probably won't be an issue. There's also a mini HDMI socket just above this, while on the left side a door conceals a 3.5mm microphone socket and a further connection for remote releases.

One area where the Rebel SL3 impresses is battery life. This is rated to 1,070 frames per charge (when using the viewfinder), making the camera one of the best in its class in this area. 

Putting this into perspective, the Rebel SL2 offered 650 frames per charge, so the step up is significant. If you use live view or record video this figure drops to around 320 frames, which is more or less what you'll find on many of today's mirrorless cameras.

There's just a single card slot, and this is housed with the battery on the underside of the camera. It takes SDHC and SDXC cards that are rated to the UHS-I standard; UHS-II cards will also work, but without any performance advantage.

• Best beginner DSLR cameras 2019: 10 cheap DSLRs perfect for new users

Editor's Note

• Original review date: June 2022
• Yet to be replaced
• Launch price: $399.99 / £269 / AU$699
• Official price now: $349.99 / £239 / AU$599

Update: February 2024. Although it was launched back in 2020, the Nextbase 622GW is still the top model in the Nextbase dash cam range. It also continues to occupy the top spot in our list of the best dash cams, thanks to its combination of excellent 4K video quality and a comprehensive feature set, including effective image stabilization and clever what3words integration. Those skills do come with a significant outlay, though. If you’re interested in a Nextbase camera but don’t need all of the features offered by the 622GW, it’s worth looking at its sibling models. For example, the 522GW doesn’t have image stabilization, but it records 2K video and includes support for Alexa. It’s also significantly cheaper than the 622GW. That said, if you’re looking for the very best dash cam you can currently buy, we think the 622GW is worth the money. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Build and handling

• Aluminum alloy/polycarbonate resin chassis 
• Largely polycarbonate resin exterior
• World’s lightest DSLR with a moveable screen

Canon bills the EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D as being its smallest and lightest DSLR. It's actually its joint-smallest – the 122.4 x 92.6 x 69.8mm dimensions are precisely the same as the Rebel SL2's – while the black option weighs 4g less than the black Rebel SL2 at 449g, and the white option is 5g lighter than the white SL2 at 451g, all of these measurements are including the battery and card. 

Nikon does manage to beat this with its D3500 model, which weighs 415g, although, as Canon points out, the Rebel SL3 is the lightest DSLR with a movable LCD screen. In any case, such a small difference shouldn't be a deal-breaker; it's small, light and no bother to carry around for extended periods of time.

The Rebel SL3's body follows much the same design as the Rebel SL2, although Canon has made a number of small tweaks. The SL3 loses some of the SL2's curves and adopts a more angular style, while some of the controls have been subtly restyled. The depth-of-field preview button has been dropped from the front plate, as has the flash button; to raise the flash you now pull it upwards from one of the grooves to its sides.

The Wi-Fi button that graced the Rebel SL2's top plate has also been culled, as has the Creative Auto option from the mode dial. This all makes for a simpler design, although it doesn't necessarily feel like a step in the right direction in terms of ease of use and operation.

In the hands, the EOS Rebel SL3 strikes a very good balance between portability, operation and general handling. While the body is very small, the grip is just about adequate to fit nicely into the average-sized hand, and the thumb rest also has just enough space for the average-sized thumb to sit without difficulty.

Rubber is only used for the key parts of the body, which in this case are the grip and thumb rest, but this does improve handling. The rest of the body has a smooth casing and build quality appears to meet expectations; it probably won't fall apart from general use, but it might not take a knock like a camera with magnesium or aluminum alloy used in its outer panels would.

Most of the buttons have good travel and click positively into the body, although some – notably the ISO and Disp buttons on the top plate, and the magnification buttons on the rear – don't offer quite as pleasing feedback, being smaller than the others and needing a bit more of a press. There's only one command dial on the camera, located on the top plate, and this has coarse but positive movement with very good feedback, much like the mode dial just behind it.

One small annoyance is that the power control's On position lies halfway between the Off and the Movie positions. In practice, it's a little too easy to overshoot this point when you turn the camera on, and end up on the movie mode.

One nice thing about the EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens is that it manages to measure just 61.8mm without needing a retractable, locking construction. This type of design has (annoyingly) become quite common across kit lenses such as these, but the fact that there isn't one here means the you can start shooting as soon as you power up the camera, without having to constantly lock and unlock the lens.

The LCD screen has a nice deep groove above it, which allows you to grab it and pull it away from the camera easily. The fact that you can twist it around also means you can stow it with the screen facing the body to protect it from scratches when you're not using the camera.

Autofocus

• Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 3,975 selectable points
• Eye Detection AF and new Spot AF feature
• 9-point AF system when using viewfinder

When you're using the viewfinder, autofocus is handled by nine AF points arranged in the familiar diamond pattern. This appears to be the same system we saw inside the previous Rebel SL2 and it is, frankly, a little disappointing. 

While it covers a reasonable portion of the frame, and may well be fine for static and more distant subjects, the low number of points and their distance from one another make focusing a bit harder when the subject is close up, and you need a point to fall somewhere outside of the nine pre-determined positions. 

It also doesn't bode well for tracking moving subjects, which relies on points being closer together, and the fact that only one point is cross-type means the other eight are only sensitive to details in one orientation – this can usually be a bit more of an issue against low-contrast and/or low-detail subjects, although the camera does surprisingly well to find focus against even quite featureless subjects. 

Again, both AF spread and tracking is something which mirrorless cameras handle much more easily, so, if you think it's something that is likely to be a deal-breaker for you - think hard about whether you might be better off with a newer system.

In good light the system does a good job of swiftly bringing subjects to focus. In very good light the camera can focus as quickly as you half-press the shutter-release button when you're using the 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Only when it comes to switching focus between close-up and distant subjects, or vice-versa, does the system slow to a more leisurely pace.

The Dual Pixel CMOS AF system allows the user to position the AF point in one of 3,975 different areas around the frame when using live view. In other words, if you want to put a point anywhere on the screen, you should be able to do that pretty easily. The fact that you can also use the camera's touchscreen to focus on a subject by pressing your finger where the subject appears should also give you an idea of just how accurately you can focus on whatever it is you're shooting.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF is very much a tried-and-tested system, and it works well here. It's aided by a very responsive touchscreen, which allows focus to be quickly shifted between different subjects by simply pressing where they appear on the screen. The camera's light weight also means that, when using either the kit lens or a similarly light optic, you can quite easily hold the body in one hand and use your other to control focus.

Also helping with accuracy is a new Spot AF feature, which is designed to help the user focus on smaller subjects by providing a smaller-than-usual AF point. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF system also now supports Eye Detection AF, which is on hand to help portraits retain sharp and focused eyes. This feature works very well in practice, quickly finding the subject's eye once face detection has kicked in. The system quite easily shifts between eyes if the subject is head-on to the camera, although in such situations focusing on one eye will likely render the other in focus too.

• Best Canon camera 2022: DSLRs, mirrorless and compacts to treasure

Performance

• 5fps burst shooting
• Controls are generally responsive 
• Touch controls implemented well

While you have to pay a little more money for a camera that benefits from a dial on the back for fast menu browsing, navigating the menus is fairly effortless with the menu pad provided here – and the fact that the menu itself is color-coded and easy to read makes things even more straightforward. 

If you're a complete beginner you can even set the camera to a guided mode, in which the GUI is nicer to look at, and graphics and text help to explain what everything is and how to take specific types of images.

The camera's 5fps burst shooting mode is about as speedy as we expect for a model of this calibre, although for how long you can maintain this depends on how you have your camera set up. 

If you're happy to capture JPEGs on their own, the camera only seems to be limited by the capacity of the memory card used. Switch to shooting raw files, or raw and JPEG files at the same time, and you can typically get around 12-14 frames before the camera slows down – not too generous, but in line with what we'd expect from an entry-level DSLR.

If you're happy with compressed raw files, however, we found that you could get anything from around 20-40 frames, with each burst varying from the next in terms of duration. If you imagine you'll be shooting anything at speed and you still want to process your raw files, this is clearly the option to use, but as we've mentioned previously, there are many better options for those who want to photograph action.

As is the case with the majority of DSLRs at this level, the viewfinder's approximate coverage of 95% does mean you have to be aware of objects at the edges of the frame creeping into your shots. The viewfinder itself is fine in terms of its depiction of the scene, with the AF points flashing brightly, and plenty of space at its base for exposure information.

The LCD touchscreen is a solid performer too, being very responsive even to light presses. It works particularly well for browsing images, responding promptly to swipes, double-taps and drags of the finger. Like many other screens it can be a little difficult to view in harsh light, although the camera's excellent battery life means you can safely brighten the display a touch without having to worry about it depleting the battery too quickly.

Image quality

• Generally reliable metering system
• Nice colors and sound auto white balance
• Very good 4K footage but noticeable rolling shutter

While this may be one of the most affordable DSLRs on the market, previous entry-level Canon EOS DSLRs have gotten a lot right with regards to the imaging side of things, and the EOS Rebel SL3 is no different. 

Images are generally well exposed across a variety of conditions, from outdoors when there may be a mixture of skies and foreground to indoor scenes with an assortment of highlights, shadows and midtones. Heavily clouded skies can sometimes lose a little bit of their detail, so keeping the Highlight Priority Option enabled in these conditions is worthwhile. The Auto Lighting Optimizer is also worth keeping on to lift shadows a touch in scenes with a wide dynamic range, and even on the Low setting it has a worthwhile effect.

Colors are mostly very pleasing. We generally found the Landscape Picture Style to be a better option than the Standard setting when capturing images outdoors that contained large areas of blue skies, as they could look a little undersaturated on Standard, although this option performs well otherwise. 

Images captured in quick succession show the camera's auto white balance system to reproduce the scene consistently in different conditions too. White balance can be particularly problematic indoors, and with mixed lighting, but the EOS Rebel SL3 copes very well.

We don't expect optical excellence from kit lenses such as the EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM that ships with the camera as standard, and the lens does show a touch of moustache-like curvilinear distortion at its wide-angle end, and some vignetting when used here at f/4. 

This isn't severe in either case, however, and the corrections available to you in-camera, or in Canon's Digital Photo Professional 4 program that comes with the camera, make light work or rectifying these. In time Adobe's Camera Raw and Lightroom programs will no doubt also offer these corrections too, although neither program supports raw files from the EOS 250D at the time of writing.

Noise isn't too much of an issue throughout most of the ISO range, and even at ISO6400 color and saturation are maintained well in images. That said, the camera's noise reduction system can blur details quite easily at these settings, which is even more of an issue if they weren't that sharp to begin with, so it pays to use a good lens, and to either opt for the most conservative level of noise reduction or process your raw files yourself.

The EOS Rebel SL3 is capable of capturing 4K video footage to a maximum 24p, and even using the kit lens it's possible to shoot pleasing, detailed footage that's relatively free from artifacts, while the provision of a microphone port – something we don't always see on this class of camera – means you can easily improve on the built-in microphone, 

Switch to Manual exposure mode and you can adjust the shutter speed, aperture and so on, and you can also use the touchscreen to set focus. Sadly the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system is unavailable when capturing 4K video, which is a shame as the contrast-detect AF system used in its place here is less than reliable when it comes to locking onto subjects. Once it does, however, it can often stick with subjects even if obstacles pass between them and the camera.

4K footage is also subject to a crop factor, and rolling shutter is very noticeable, giving footage a jelly-like stability. As long as you don't need wide-angle framing, or if you own a very wide-angle lens, and you're not moving around with the camera too much, the camera is perfectly capable. That said, this clearly won't be anyone's first choice for high-quality 4K recording, and most users will probably be better off shooting in Full HD.

• Best 4K camera 2018: 10 top cameras to shoot movies with

Verdict

The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D is a perfectly pleasing camera to use, with good handing, operation as expected and nice image quality, and the responsive touchscreen, fast start-up time and excellent Dual Pixel CMOS AF system all help to make it a very capable all-rounder.

Still, with the same sensor as an older model, and no changes to either the viewfinder or LCD screen, it's not the most significant update. 4K video is subject to limitations, and having just one cross-type point in the sparse nine-point array is rather miserly by modern standards.

Its many strong competitors only add to its woes, and mirrorless cameras in particular that either rival or easily beat the Rebel SL3 / 250D for size, specs and general performance aren't difficult to find. That said, its main selling points of superb battery life, pleasing JPEGs and compatibility with a sprawling pool of lenses, flashguns and other accessories is something that is still hard for many mirrorless cameras to completely replicate.

It's definitely a better choice than the more junior EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D and EOS Rebel T100 / EOS 4000D if you're looking to enter the Canon system, but if you're not fussed about 4K video, and you're looking for a camera with a little more control for the same kind of money, you may well be better served by something like the older Canon EOS Rebel T6i / EOS 750D or Nikon's D5300, if not a mirrorless option.

Competition