Thanks to its blood line and low price the EOS 400D will no doubt be a huge success for Canon. However unlike the EOS 350D, for me it's no longer the first or obvious choice, so before jumping on the bandwagon make sure you've weighed up the competition.

The EF-S 17-85mm is a major step up from Canon’s EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 II kit lens, adding an extended focal length range, image stabilisation, fast and silent autofocus with a decent manual focus option, and substantially improved build quality. This makes it, at first sight at least, an ideal all-in-one ‘walkaround’ lens for Canon’s APS-C SLRs, which will cover the majority of photographic opportunities when travelling light.

This lens is a very welcome addition to Canon's range, and gives new dSLR owners a level of optical quality in the basic kit lens which was previously lacking; the addition of IS also goes a long way to increasing its flexibility. It makes an ideal lightweight general purpose-starter lens, and as such can only be recommended.

The overall image quality when stopped down a bit is very impressive indeed, and the fast maximum aperture offers creative options which are well worth exploring (while sharpness, particularly in the corners, may not be the best wide open, the point is that you can get to F1.8 at all). It's a pity about the build quality and harsh bokeh, but ultimately this lens hits a price:performance ratio that's very difficult to beat.

For maximum flexibility and ease of use, the Speedlite 430EX II incorporates a number of new features. Recycle times have been reduced by approximately 20%, with the recycle process performed silently to minimise distraction. A new metal mounting foot with redesigned connection pins provides ultra-stable communication between the camera and flash; for rapid connection to the camera, a new quick release and locking mechanism is also incorporated.

Manfrotto 055XPROB makes the famous Manfrotto-patented horizontal centre column feature even easier to use. By extending the column to its highest vertical position, it can be swung round to horizontal without removing the head or disassembling the column itself, so switching between framing and positioning setups is more convenient than ever. The ergonomics of the leg angle release mechanism and the quick action leg locks themselves have also been greatly improved.

Same as the 488 but equipped with a quick release 200PL camera plate system with a secondary safety catch. Camera plate has 1/4” male thread. Head to tripod attachment is 3/8” female.

Canon BG-E3 Vertical Grip/Battery Holder holds up to 2 battery packs NB-2LH or six AA batteries to offer double-length shooting time. The vertical shutter release makes shooting with the camera in a vertical position just as comfortable as shooting horizontally.

The Canon RS-60E3 Remote Switch is a a compact wired remote switch with a 2' cable which replicates all functions of the camera's shutter release button. Handy for taking pictures of subjects that are difficult to approach, or to minimize vibration for close-ups and time exposure.

Go all day with the lightweight, comfortable Fastpack 250 backpack. It protects your digital SLR and 15.4" widescreen notebook compactly while providing generous storage for your other gear.