300D - the time when Canon challenged the photoindustry

[dirk]

Canon announced the Canon 300D in August 2003 for less than 1000 Euro. 6MP, APS-C (crop factor of 1.6).

Normally such big announcement are at Photokina. Photokina was at that time the biggest photofair worldwide and every 2 years, the who is who of the photo industry came to Germany, Cologne to present their newest products on huge stands. Internet was still young and in some meetings, high-ranked decison makers still thought, that internet would be not that important

All other brands have been shocked from this announcement. Some brands withdrew their plans to announce specific new models to rethink their strategy.

That performance at a price tag below 1000 Euro was at that time unbelievable and changed the whole industry.

My first Canon was surprisingly a lot later. A Canon 450D and then a second hand Canon 5D MK1. But I never will forget, how the Canon 300D announcement shaked up the whole industry and how everybody at Photokina was talking about it.

How did you experienced your first "touch" with a Canon Rebel ?

 

[chipman]

The Digital Rebel (US) was my first DSLR. I had a Kodak DC4800 that shot good pics, but took forever to shoot them. Shutter lag was terrible.
Your 2006 date made me double check. One of my first pics -

• Canon - Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
• 180.0 mm
• ƒ/5
• 1/60 sec
• Pattern
• Auto exposure
• ISO 400

has a 2/13/2004 date on it. A quick trip to DPR says the 300D was intro'ed in Aug. 2003. https://www.dpreview.com/products/canon/slrs/canon_eos300d
Maybe it just took longer to get to Europe.

 

[dirk]

You are correct, Announcement was in August 2003, deliverey around September 2003 in Europe. I corrected this in my posting above. Sorry for the wrong date.

 

[chipman]

If it hadn't been for the date in the exif I would have never caught it. I suck at dates.
My first thought was I didn't set the camera right. And I have a year of pics from my FZ1000 to prove that's possible.

 

[JohnZeman]

I bought my very first DSLR back in late August of 2005, a Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D). Up until then I'd been shooting with an Olympus C-5050 camera which at the time had seemed like the greatest camera in the world compared to the $147 Kodak point and shoot camera I'd had before that.

But then I bought the Digital Rebel XT and began expanding my photography horizons as I learned more and more about photography. I remember my #1 problem back then was dust spots on the sensor.

I'll always look back on those years with a smile on my face.

 

[zerored]

Canon's Rebel 300D was my first digital camera. I loved its ergonomics. It felt so comfortable to hold and use. I was considering a Canon point and shoot but an article by Ken Rockwell comparing point and shoot sensors to DSLR sensors convinced me to build a money stash to purchase a DSLR. As I began saving the 300D appeared. Although I no longer use my 300D I still have it and will never sell it. The camera bag holding my three Canon SLR cameras has been collecting dust for nearly 20 years.

 

[Crashpc_CZ]

Yes! That´s how I was drawn to the photography. Just bought recently some very ugly Olympus bridge camera, and needed to get rid of it. So, I searched around, and while it was a 350D time, i have heard a lot about 300D. Didn´t have money though, so it took me another year to make enough money, at which time 400D was availyble already. Just year after. So I got that one, and had lovely time with it. Now I laugh at it, but it brought me a lot of joy. Too bad very few photos survived the test of time.

 

[lphilpot]

My first DSLR was a Rebel XT / 350D in 2007. It replaced a rarely use Pentax ME Super 35mm. Instead of the kit lens, I bought the body and a Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro, later adding a Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. I still have all three, although I use my T8i / 850D now instead of the 350D. But I still use the Sigma and Canon lenses. In fact I've not bought any other lenses, at least not for myself. Maybe I need to upgrade my glass, but first I need to upgrade my environs.