The Canon SL3 – aka the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 in the US, the Canon EOS 250D in the UK, the Canon EOS 200D Mark II in Europe and the Canon EOS Kiss X10 in Asia – was released way back in 2019. Ever since, it's been a go-to recommendation for newboes – but over half a decade later, is it still worth buying?
Yes, I absolutely think the Canon SL3 remains one of the best cameras for beginners – and indeed, anyone looking for an affordable camera. And in fact, I think its age actually works in its favor; y'see, a six-year-old DSLR has aged way more gracefully than a six-year-old mirrorless camera.
Think about it for a second. Let's consider a few of the Canon SL3's peers from the class of 2019: its Canon EOS M6 Mark II stablemate, the Nikon Z50 from Canon's arch rival and the Fujifilm X-T30.
Obviously these are three very different cameras from three very different categories, and I'd venture that someone interested in the Canon SL3 isn't really interested in. any of them. But they all have one thing in common; they have all been superseded in the intervening six years. Heck, the entire EOS M system has been taken out back and been Old Yellered.
That's because, fittingly, 'mirrorless years' are like 'doggy years' – they move a whole lot quicker. And there are newer, superior iterations of all three cameras that I would recommend above these three mirrorless models.
By contrast, 'DSLR years' are now virtually ageless. DSLRs like the Canon SL3 are now vampires, because the technology has hit its apex – there will never, ever be a better version of the SL3. So it's still as good today as ever it was.
Which means, if you're looking for a beginner camera or a small affordable DSLR, the Canon SL3 is still a great recommendation. Its 24.1MP sensor still takes fantastic photos (I have taken similar pictures on this and the EOS R6 Mark, and nobody could tell the difference), you get Dual Pixel AF when shooting in live view, you get a vari-angle screen and even 4K video.
So if you've been eyeing up the Canon SL3 and wondering if it's still worth considering in today's market, my answer is a big fat yes.
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