Canon has updated its top "beginner" DLSR with the launch of the Canon EOS 700D.

The EOS 700D effectively tweaks the 650D it replaces, bringing a few incremental changes but still sticking to what we think is a great line of DSLR cameras. Canon says the changes make this its "most advanced consumer DSLR to date".

The EOS 650D now looks to have retired, so the EOS 700D sits above the EOS 600D and below the EOS 60D in the line-up. It offers a range of enhancements over the 600D by giving you a touchscreen on the rear and an additional position on the power switch to move straight to movie capture mode.

There’s an 18-megapixel sensor at its heart along with the DIGIC 5 image processing engine, you get 5fps image capture, along with and ISO range that runs up to 12,800 natively, promising you good detail in low light. We’ll test those claims when we get the EOS 700D in for a full review, although we suspect it will perform closely to the 650D.

READ: Canon EOS 650D review

There’s a change to the mode dial on the top, as it can now rotate all the way, so you don’t have to switch back and forth, so it’s now more convenient.

There’s a 3-inch touch display on the rear, as well as the optical viewfinder. The former gives you 100 per cent field of view when in live view, the latter only 95 per cent, typical for this class of camera.

Canon is highlighting the fact that the EOS 700D is coated in a new protective finish, designed to enhanced the durability of the camera. It’s found on those in the mid-range, so should stop the plastic body of the EOS 700D getting scratched so easily.

We’ll be bringing you more on the Canon EOS 700D as soon as we get our hands on one.