Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera

• 18.0 MP CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processor for high image quality and speed
• ISO 100 - 6400 for shooting from bright to dim light
• Vari-angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor (3:2) for shooting at high or low angles and 1,040,000-dot VGA with reflection reduction
• Video Snapshot features for enhanced video shooting options
• Comes with camera body, EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Type II lens, eyecup, wide strap, USB cable, AV cable, battery, and charger

The Canon Rebel T3i takes the consumer level dSLR a couple steps closer to the mid-level Canon 60D with the addition of the rotating rear LCD screen, remote flash firing, and in-camera processing features. The already highly competent, older Rebel T2i already shared many important features with the 60D (and even features of the semi-pro 7D) including the 18 MP sensor, 63-zone exposure metering system, high ISO performance, HD movie capabilities, and Digic 4 image processor. With these new upgrades, it might make it even more difficult to choose between them. But there are some important differences.

If you are considering the Rebel T3i vs T2i, the Rebel T3i is replacing the T2i. Since both cameras share the same 18 megapixel sensor and Digic 4 processor, both the T2i and T3i will create images with exactly the same image quality, produce the same low light/ high ISO performance, shoot at 3.7 frames per second, and have nearly the same size and build quality. They are both offered with the same 18-55mm kit lens (with some minor cosmetic differences on the new T3i kit lens). The T3i is very slightly larger and heavier due to the addition of the rotating rear LCD monitor. And that is one of the biggest differences between the two cameras. Do you want and need a vari-angle rear screen or not? The other major difference is the ability of the T3i to remotely control multiple off-camera flashes. Like the 60D and 7D, you can use the built-in flash of the T3i to trigger other Canon Speedlites. Some other minor additions to the T3i include the Scene Intelligent Auto Mode, which is a feature borrowed from point and shoot cameras. When in Auto mode, the T3i will make a determination of what type of scene you are shooting close-up, portrait, landscape, etc. and automatically configure the camera settings accordingly. However, if you want to use a powerful and costly digital SLR as a point and shoot, you should probably save the money and just buy a nice, high quality point and shoot like the Canon S95. Other additional but not essential upgrades include the in-camera processing Creative Filters, and the ability to choose different image size ratios and to rate your images. (Helpful hint: press the Q Button while in image playback and you can access features like rating, rotating, and Creative Filters.) There is also a marginally helpful Feature Guide which gives brief descriptions of various settings and some additional video features like Video Snapshot, which you can use to shoot short video clips that are automatically joined together into a video, with music.

Canon Rebel T3i vs. 60D vs. 7D

Sensor and Image Quality: All three cameras share a very similar sensor and 18 megapixels, and so their image quality will be virtually the same. All are capable of taking professional quality images.

Exposure Metering: The three cameras all share the latest 63-zone, dual-layer exposure metering system and 4 metering modes. That means they will all determine the exposure virtually identically and enable you to take properly exposed photos in most every situation, including difficult back-lit scenes. The size of the areas metered for Partial and Spot metering vary slightly between the cameras, but that isn't anything critical.

Autofocus: The T3i shares a similar autofocus system to the 60D, with 9 focus points and three auto focusing modes. However the 9 AF points of the 60D are more sensitive than those of the T3i: all are cross-type in the 60D, only the center is cross-type in the T3i. The 60D autofocus system is much less complex than the sophisticated AF system of the 7D with its 19 AF point system and its additional Zone, Spot, and Expansion focus modes. These various modes address how you want to deal with and group the numerous AF points. Plus the custom settings of the 7D allow one to customize how the AF system works how it tracks subjects, how it deals with objects that come between you and your initial subject, how quickly it responds to these changes of possible subjects that are at different distances from you, etc. However, if you are not an avid sports photographer, a wildlife shooter, or someone who understands, needs, and will use the elaborate features of the 7D AF system, then this shouldn't sway you.

Construction: As you can probably figure out from the prices, each camera is not built the same. The T3i has relatively strong construction of a stainless steel frame with polycarbonate body. The 60D has a stronger and lighter aluminum frame and polycarbonate body, but not as strong as the 7D's magnesium alloy construction. The 60D also has some amount of weather sealing more than the T3i, less than the 7D. But for most users, including even those using the camera daily or in travel situations, the construction of any of these cameras is far more than good enough, strong enough, and durable enough.

ISO: Since they all share a very similar sensor, the ISO sensitivity and performance at high ISO settings is virtually the same for these three cameras. But don't take my word for it, don't be swayed by pixel peepers on forums, instead check out the camera sensor tests at dxomark to verify this. As you can see, they all share the exact same overall score, and show very similar performance.

Controls: As with construction, the buttons and controls vary with these cameras. Unlike the T3i, the 60D and 7D have nearly every control an advanced photographer needs on the exterior of the camera and they also have the top LCD panel and rear Quick Control Dial that are not on the T3i. With all the cameras, any controls can also be easily accessed with the Q Button and Q Menu or in the other menus on the rear LCD monitor. The top buttons of the 60D set only one setting each, so this is less complicated than the multiple-setting buttons of the 7D. Canon has removed the white balance (WB) button on the 60D that the 7D has, but that isn't a big deal use the Q Menu. Another change on the 60D is that the Multi-controller has been moved from the thumb joystick like the 7D and 50D and placed in the middle of the rear Quick-control dial. This doesn't change how it functions, and should just be a matter of getting used to the difference. If you plan on using your camera on Auto or Program most of the time, then the controls of the T3i are more than sufficient for your needs. If you work in Av, Tv, or M modes and need quicker and more direct access to your controls and the additional top LCD screen to view and change your current settings, then you need to consider the 60D or 7D over the T3i.

Menus and Custom Functions: These allow for greater control over customizing how the camera functions. The T3i has less Menu and Custom Function setting options than the 60D, and the 7D has yet a few more than the 60D. These settings enable you to customize the operation, function, and controls to work how you want them to, including things like exposure increments, peripheral illuminations correction for lenses (fixes dark corners), tweaking how the autofocus system operates, setting more precise white balance settings, and customizing which button does what. There are ebooks such as my Canon T3i Experience The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D and Your World 60D The Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Canon 60D which walk you through all of the Menu settings and Custom Function settings so that you can set up your camera to work best for how you photograph, and also begin to learn to master all the advanced features, settings, and controls of these powerful dSLR camera.

Wireless Flash: Like the 7D and 60D, the T3i incorporates wireless flash triggering. This allows you to trigger multiple off camera flashes at different output levels. The T2i does not have this feature.

Articulating LCD Screen: The big new feature that the 60D and T3i have that the 7D and T2i do not is the articulating rear LCD screen. This may prove useful for videographers, as well as for setting up compositions while the camera is on a tripod, for macro use, or for using it from unusually low or high vantage points. Some users will be able to avoid buying an expensive angle finder because of this feature. There is also an electronic level in the 7D and 60D, visible in the viewfinder, rear LCD, or top LCD.

Viewfinder: The T3i has a pentamirror viewfinder with 95% coverage of the actual resulting image. The 60D has a large, bright pentaprism viewfinder with 96% coverage, not quite as nice as the nearly 100% view of the 7D pentaprism.

Processor: The T3i shares the same Digic 4 processor as the 60D. The 7D has dual Digic 4 processors. However, if you don't need to shoot dozens of continuous images, you probably won't notice any processing speed issues.

Continuous Shooting Speed: The T3i can shoot 3.7 frames per second. The 7D can shoot a blazing 8 frames per second, in which the photos barely change from frame to frame. The 60D can shoot a respectable 5.3 fps which is actually a more useful rate. If you need the extremely high fps for sports, wildlife, or other action shooting, get the 7D. If not, don't be swayed by this excessive feature.

Memory Card: The T3i and 60D use the SD memory card. The 7D uses the CF card.

Battery: The T3i and T2i use the smaller LP-E8 battery with less capacity than the LP-E6 battery used by the 60D and 7D.

Size and Weight: The T3i is smaller and lighter than the 60D, which in turn is smaller and lighter than the 7D. Go to a store and hold them to get a better feel for their size, weight, and feel. The 60D and 7D "feel" like the more substantial cameras that they are. A nice improvement of the T3i is that its hand grip area has been modified, and has a different feel than that of the T2i the area where the thumb rests is contoured differently and has a nice channel for the thumb, which allows for a much more secure one-hand-grip of the camera.

AF Microadjustment: The 7D has this feature, the 60D and T3i and T2i do not. This allows you to adjust the focus of each of your lenses in case any of them are slightly front-focusing or back-focusing.

Locking Mode Dial: This is a new feature for a Canon dSLR, only on the 60D, that keeps the Mode dial from accidentally rotating. A nice touch.

Full HD video: Of course they all offer this capability. Note that this is not video for your kids' parties and soccer games. It does not have continuous autofocus while shooting, as a camcorder does. It is not designed for that kind of use, but rather for serious videographers who typically manually focus. You can adjust autofocus while shooting by pressing the shutter button or the AF button, but it may have a less than desired looking result and unless you are using an external microphone, the autofocusing sound will be picked up. The T3i has the digital zoom feature in video, which allows for nice smooth zooms while filming.

Flash Sync: the 60D and T3i do not have a PC sync flash socket to plug in PC sync cords for off camera flash use. The 7D has this. However, they all offer wireless remote flash capability with the built in flash as a commander.

Ease of operation: While beginners may find all the buttons, controls, and menus of any dSLR difficult and confusing at first, the menus and controls of the T3i and T2i are pretty basic and simple to learn for a dedicated user. The additional controls and menus of the 7D and 60D are all quite intelligently designed, intuitive, and straightforward for the more advanced user. Again, have a look at helpful guides such as my Canon T3i Experience The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D and Your World 60D The Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Canon 60D to begin to learn to master all the advanced features, settings, and controls of these powerful dSLR cameras.

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Now

I am not a camera expert, but rather, I'm a busy mom who likes to take pictures and who adores my subjects. This, then, is a review from a mom/amateur's point of view.

MY GOALS/EXPECTATIONS:

I have always been a photo fiend, taking my camera everywhere and pulling it out at any opportunity. While I'd gotten to a decent level of archiving important moments with my point-and-shoot cameras over the years, I wanted to take my photography to the next level. I was inspired by my brother-in-law's photos of his kids to take the dSLR plunge. But I knew (and still know), very little about professional photography. I wanted to start taking better photos right away. But I also wanted to have room to grow as a photographer and a camera that would grow with me.

I also wanted the focus to stay firmly on my family while I was willing to invest some time and care into the camera, I didn't want it to become like a pet I had to constantly watch over. While any dSLR takes some care and consideration, I've found the T3i has been an excellent camera for me and I've been quite pleased with it.

PROS:

* VERY USER FRIENDLY: The auto mode (or auto without flash, my favorite) is highly forgiving, taking fantastically sharp images, true to color. They look so clear that I feel I'm capturing as close to real life as I've ever seen before in a camera.

* FAST: While I sometimes go in for trying out new modes and manual settings, I often leave the camera in auto or auto-sans-flash mode and just click away so that I can at least capture a moment before it's gone. I then play with manual settings if my kids stay still long enough for me to try something new. My previous cameras always had a horrible delay for the autofocus (the only mode they usually had), meaning I nearly always lost the moment when the toddler was on the move. The t3i is so ridiculously fast that I can snap multiple pics in the time one picture took before.

* BEAUTIFUL PICTURES: This kind of goes without saying at this tier of camera, but the pictures are just amazing quality. Coming from the land of point-and-shoot, I'm pretty blown away. And I know I'm only touching the tip of the iceberg for what's possible.

* BEAUTIFUL VIDEO: This is the nice new feature of the t3i. I wasn't sure I'd want or need the HD video. But hey, when you've got it, you use it. I've gotten some amazingly clear footage of the kiddo playing in the park with daddy and I'm so glad we went for the model with that feature.

* BIG, CLEAR DISPLAY: It's really easy to see what pics you've just taken and adjust your photo-taking accordingly. Just by seeing what I've gotten, I'm able to try again and improve a shot almost immediately.

* CLEAR MENUS/ABILITY TO IMPROVE: The interface on this is so intuitive that I've been able to learn a lot without even cracking open the manual (though that manual is my new reading material). The entry point for a new user is just a step up from normal photography the possibilities, however, are nearly endless.

* NICE KIT LENS: For all that photographers get into new and better lenses, the kit lens on this is really nice and easy to use. I think it will hold us for a good long while before I get to be more of an expert. It gives me the range of zoom and focus I need for now.

* EYE-FI COMPATIBLE: WOW. I cannot even tell you how much I love this feature. If you get an eye-fi card, your pictures can be set up to automatically upload to your computer whenever you are within range of your synched wireless network. My husband set up a SmugMug account and the eye-fi capabilities. I take pics to my heart's content while out on walks, in the park, etc., and come home, then leave the camera on (auto-shut off after 8 minutes) to upload the pics. I can then tag and sort pictures later at my leisure. For me, this is amazingly useful. I don't have to take time out of my day to upload the pics the camera does that for me.

* BATTERY LIFE (for common use): So far, the battery we bought for the camera lasts very well during normal photo-taking. It's just a standard Canon battery for the rebel line and it charges quickly. Even when taking pics like a mad-woman, it lasts through a shoot. HD video eats it up more quickly, so be warned. Still, I rarely run out of juice during the day so long as I pop the battery into its charger in the evening. However, uploading is another story (See below in cons).

Those are just the first few things I love about this camera. Here, however, are the...not cons, really, just challenges:

CHALLENGES:

* dSLRs ARE EXPENSIVE, DELICATE, BIG AND BULKY:

And parents have enough precious and delicate things to worry about namely, the kids. No getting around it you can't just toss a dSLR into a pocket and go. I'm in a quest for a good bag/carrying solution (heh, yeah, wish me luck with that.) and I'm trying to get used to having one part of my brain keeping an eye on the camera as well as keeping the majority of my focus on the kids. When I'm in photo-journalist mode, it's no problem, but switching back to mom-mode is the hard part. I've already seen the camera knocked onto the ground (a very short distance onto very soft ground, so it was okay, but still, the experience practically gave me a heart attack) and once, when bending over, I caught the toddler on the temple with the kit lens (She sobbed. I felt so awful!) This thing requires constant awareness to both the camera AND the kids when using it. I'm quickly adjusting, but if you're not totally committed to learning to use and love the dSLR, you may want to stick to really good point-and-shoot camera if you're a busy parent.

^ That's the big one.

* BATTERY LIFE (when uploading pics via eye-fi): Uploading pictures by eye-fi seems to eat the battery alive. It appears that the camera won't autoshutoff when uploading, so this morning, after a few hours of uploading big, glorious pictures to my SmugMug account, the battery finally ran out of juice. I wish there was a plug-in mode or some sort of docking-station I could plug the camera into when I return home. If it's only a few pics, they upload and the camera shuts itself off. But if it's a bunch of pics (and when the weather's nice and the lighting's good, I take a lot of pics), the camera requires a battery recharge just to finish uploading my pictures.

* SWIVEL SCREEN WORRIES: I find that the swivel screen, while hugely useful, is something I constantly worry that I'm going to snap off. However, you can keep it closed with the screen facing in(a nice feature) or tuck it onto the camera with the screen facing out. I also find if I'm looking out of the eye-piece, I leave cheek smudges all over the screen when its facing out.

* MANUAL-MODE GOOFS: Some of my manual mode forays have been less than stellar. I've taken a shot set up so nice, focus just perfect, subject just so... only to find out I left it in white-balance adjustment for indoors and I was outdoors so the whole picture looks like I dipped it in blue. I've learned to take pics in auto-mode first before experimenting too much. I also learned to check the screen a LOT before proceeding.

SUMMARY: While the dSLR has required me to make some adjustments for including it in my busy life, I really love this camera, am pleased with the investment, am inspired by its ease of use, and I LOVE the pictures I've gotten of my family.

5 STARS: And so I give it 5 stars my whole point in buying a nice camera was to make and preserve FAMILY memories and the t3i records those memories beautifully in .jpg, raw, or HD video with a minimum of dSLR fuss.

*** UPDATE: about 6 months later ***

STILL AWESOME: I totally stand by the above review. If anything, I've come to adore this camera even more than I did when we first got it. When baby #2 arrived, the quality of pictures that we got far surpassed the pictures from the first baby's photo shoots. I'm truly pleased with this investment, as the pictures we get are lovely, clear, true-to-light/true-to-color, and just capture the memories so well. Really, this is EXACTLY what I was hoping for as an amateur photographer/mom.

GOT BETTER:

Battery Woes: We invested in an A/C adapter for the camera and now no longer eat the battery alive when leaving the camera to upload pictures via the Eye-Fi connection. It's a little annoying to have to swap over to the A/C and then back to a battery all the time I would rather have a charging station of sorts but it works and it means I stick the battery in the charger so it's almost always ready to go.

Ease of Use: I adjusted to using this thing pretty quickly. I invested in a LowePro FastPack 250 and it works nicely as a diaper-bag/day bag/camera bag. Not the most attractive purse, but it works well. I'm much better at being ready for any photo situation now.

Swivel Screen: No problems to report. I just leave it screen out all the time.

SAME: Awesome camera all around. Truly, truly impressive. There might be higher tiers of quality out there, but for what I use in following the kids around, this captures amazing shots quickly. Love it.

GOT (just a little) WORSE:

Eye-Fi Annoyance: This is going to differ from person to person, but our Eye-Fi stuff has had some kinks to work out. The card we bought required several updates lately, then we had to change SmugMug account stuff, but the changed password meant Eye-Fi couldn't upload. Blah, blah, blah, I'm sure most of the problem is ME not getting the changes my hubby made. Still, Eye-Fi is usually automatic, but from time to time, it requires maintenance and understanding from all parties uploading stuff. Just be warned, it isn't so automagical as I hoped it would be.

Getting used to the dSLR bulk: I'd be lying if I said the size of the camera wasn't occasionally an issue. There have been quite a few times I think, "Oh, where's the camera? That's right, I left it at home/in the car because it's kind of a pain to pack around." On many occasions, the hubby's phone camera stood in for us (and it takes pretty decent pictures, so it's okay). But if I'm not being really deliberate about bringing the dSLR and using it, this camera becomes a very expensive toy that I never play with.

Other than that ^ though, awesome camera. I'm truly loving it. On the whole, a Lotta camera for Low maintenance.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Here

I was so surprised how light is the T3i, (in comparison to 7D /50D or 60D) with its 18.0 mega pixel the CMOS sensor captures superb image quality with low noise and natural color

The EOS T3i, positioned between the EOS T2i and EOS 60D, features scene intelligent auto, 3-inch vari-angle clear view LCD and a selection of five creative filters including the new fish eye effect (which is awesome!!)

honestly, once you get this camera, no need for Photoshop.

I initially purchased the 7DCanon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-inch LCD (Body Only), but then I returned it due to the more complicated usage, and the post-photo processing/ editing necessary for making pictures look better.

T3i comes with an instructional guide built in, like the Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens. The guide tells beginners (or rusty intermediates) how to set the camera to get specific types of shots. For instance, if you dial up macro mode, it says "for closeups of small objects such as flowers, shoot as close as possible."

the T3i gives me all I want, clear and hassle free pictures, ready to upload/print.

it uses normal SD cards, no need for the expensive CF flash cards.

longer battery life, and low consumption.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens comes with the camera, and it is a great lens for beginners, and gives a great opportunity to practice Manual Focus!

Do not invest in expensive lenses from the start, you might like the point and shoot, and reselling the lenses might be a great loss.

I'm not a professional photographer, nor an electronic specialist, so I reviewed the item as a myself, so if you like my review, please rate it.

Thank you

Want Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Discount?

Check out my full T3i review video, video clips, sample photos and time lapse on YouTube. On YouTube search "2012 T3i Best DSLR"

Okay, now let's take a fresh look at the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (600D) DSLR and compare it to the 60D and T2i. In this review I'll also talk about some "MUST HAVE" accessories for this camera.

The Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR was release in March of 2011 and has quickly become one of the most popular DSLRs available.

As if the Rebel line wasn't popular enough with budding photographers... The introduction of the T3i has captured the imagination of thousands of aspiring videographers... with it's ability to capture FULL HD video... bright, articulating 3 inch LCD screen (which comes in really handy when shooting video in the field), and the ability to select from a host of lenses... which is common to DSLRs in general.

Professionals prefer DSLRs because they allow for an accurate preview of what they are shooting, at the moment they push the shutter button. DSLRs also have larger sensors than compact point-and-shoot digital cameras (which means a better quality and high-resolution image)...

Full HD video and interchangeability of lenses are particularly attractive to wannbe videographers (especially in a sub-$1000 DSLR... like the T3i)... because NOW they can shoot amazing HD video footage for a fraction of the what it would have cost... just a few years ago... PLUS they end up with a great camera for still photography...

The Canon T3i (600D) ships with the body, battery, battery charger, USB interface cable, AV cable, EOS solution disk (that contains the really handy EOS utility I'll talk about this a bit more later...) and a suitable strap (although I quickly replaced mine). AND if you desire... a kit lens...

The T3i is considered a compact DSLR at 5.2 inches wide, 3.9 inches high and 3.1 inches deep (not including a lens)... compared to the larger and more expensive 60D at 5.69 inches wide, 4.17 inches high and 3.09 inches deep.

The T3i is very similar in size, weight and features to the less expensive T2i. The T3i feels solid and well made and is comfortable in the hand...

But I do have smaller hands... So if your hands are larger you may want to look to the 60D OR grab the Zeikos battery, power grip... for your T3i...with an additional battery...

This battery grip doubles the amount of shooting you can do between battery changes AND provides a much large grip surface.

At the heart of the Canon T3i is an 18 megapixel CMOS digital sensor and the DIGIC 4 processor. This sensor and processor are also found in Canon's 60D and T2i.

The camera has one SD card slot that can take a regular SD, SDHC or SDXC card... The T3i does not ship with a card. So plan on adding that to your your list.

I highly recommend using nothing less than a class 10 SDHC card for with this camera, especially if you want to shoot HD video. Even if you don't, you'll want a fast card when shooting continuous photos at 18 mega pixels. I personally like 32 GB cards because they are pretty cheap now and give you enough room to shoot photos all day. Plus 32 giga bites is large enough to hold almost 2 hours of HD video.

The T3i has what Canon calls "Live View Shooting"...which provides a very accurate simulation of photos and video using the LCD screen... This is especially helpful when doing a video shoot without a separate field monitor.

The 3 inch variable angle LCD monitor is bright enough for shooting in full sun... and can be flipped so that if lays flat against the camera back or can be positioned at various angles for high and low shooting.

But remember... as with any camera-powered monitor, it will consume your batteries faster when you are using it. Brightness also effects battery consumption (which can be adjusted in the camera's setup menu). That being said, the flip and twist capabilities of this monitor make it a priceless asset for videographers and creative photographers.

One of the major differences between the T3i and the 60D is it's continuous shooting speed of 3.7 frames per second verse the 60Ds 5.3 frames per second.

For me, this was not an issue as I purchased my T3i primarily for shooting video. But if you like to shoot action, you may want to consider the 60D.

The controls of the T3i are easy to access with the thumb and four finger. And are pretty easy to master with little effort... I do suggest keeping the manual near as it will prove a valuable asset and will save frustration as your skills progress.

One thing that really impressed about this camera was a real world example of how easy it is for a beginner to get professional results, with this camera... out of the box.

One day my son... who has never used a DSLR camera before, went on a walk with my new T3i. When he came back I could tell from his face that he experienced something really special. His big smile made me very curious to see his photos.

I was amazed at the stunning images this camera enabled him to capture... as he simply used the camera's scene "intelligent auto mode" and the dial-selectable "creative zone modes."

When you select a different dial mode, the camera shows a short and helpful description of that mode. This feature can accelerate your progress and help to quickly hone in on a mode that is best suited for the type of shooting you are doing.

My son's experience helped me realize what a fantastic job Canon did skinning over this formidable professional-level camera... with a simple and easy to use point-and-shoot-like interface... that enables the novice (like my son) to achieve very satisfying results.

I am convinced that results are one of the reasons that owners rate this camera MUCH higher (close to 5 out of 5 stars) than professional reviewers who usually rate this camera at less than 4 out of 5 starts... and tend to nit pick about technical details and specifications.

I'm not saying that specs are not important... but what I am saying is that, at the end of the day... all that matters is that you have good quality photos and videos to show for your effort, regardless of your experience level.

The T3i allows you to easily select and scroll between ISO 100 (for well-lit scenes) to ISO 6400 for lower lighting scenarios.

Photo quality generally looks great up through ISO 800 and begins to show some small signs of degradation from ISO 1,600 on.

The little scrolling wheel toward the front of the camera makes selection of a variety of functions... including ISO... really easy.

The 9-pt autofocus systems is accurate and quick for photos... but does struggle in very low light situations.

The T3i camera does have the ability to autofocus while you are shooting video... but often takes a few seconds to refocus focus...Plus the noise of the camera while focusing.... will likely be heard in your video. You will also find that the battery life will deplete rapidly when autofocusing a lot during a video.

All this being said, the T3i's video autofocus is pretty useless. Fortunately there are plenty of other great reasons to like this camera...

As with most cameras these days the T3i includes optical image stabilization that works well... with off-hand shooting.

The T3is battery life is generally good... however, battery life is so subjective and is very dependent on how you shoot, the brightness of your LCD screen... and things like... whether you are using autofocus or not...

For shooting photos, I have found the battery life to be excellent allowing me to take 400 to 600 shots before needed a change.

Shooting video will consume your batteries at a much more rapid rate if you are using the camera's LCD screen to monitor your video.

So I would recommend that you pick up a few additional batteries. I have found a very inexpensive, after-market brand... that have proven to be just as reliable as the OEM battery that came with this camera. See my YouTube Review for more info on the accessories that I mention in this review...

And if you want to seriously extend the battery life of this camera (which is especially useful on location during a video shoot)... you should pick up the Zeikos Battery Power Grip for this camera that I mentioned earlier.

This is a high quality accessory that matches the camera in look and feel in every way and is less pricy than Canon's version.

It easily and securely attaches to the camera and has a removable tray that allows you to power the camera with 2 batteries instead of one.

This grip also comes with an additional tray that allows you to use 6 double A batteries to power the camera in a pinch. This is a great safety net for those involved in remote shooting... away from a power source.

If you don't want to be limited by batteries, Canon offers a DC power unit. There is a battery sized coupler that you simply insert into the battery port to power the camera by plugging it into a wall outlet.

For this accessory, I would only recommend the Canon brand.

One nice feature for those who wear corrective lenses (like me)... is the quality dioptric adjustment knob for the camera view finder.

This knob allows for plus and minus adjustments to ensure that you see things clearly through the view finder. Although this feature is common in many DSLRs... I was glad to find out that the T3i had it after the fact...

The T3i has a built-in mono microphone that sounds pretty good for general video shooting and includes an effective wind filter that can be toggled on and off in the camera's setup.

However, for serious video production I recommend that you use a quality external microphone to capture your audio. I use a Zoom H4N for a large range of purposes and really affordable Audio Technica lapel mics for shooting interviews and promotional videos. A Rode shotgun mic is another that you may want to consider.

On the side of the T3i there is a 1/8 inch stereo mic input. With the appropriate adapters you can send audio from 2 different mics directly into the camera's left and right channels. The camera allows you for manual adjustment of the record levels which is very useful.

There are several other camera ports which include... A remote control terminal. I picked up a very affordable timer remote that I use often for time lapse videos and low light situations.

There's digital audio / video out terminal and a mini HDMI out terminal this is great for using an external field monitor or hooking your camera up to your HD TV.

The SD card slot is on the other side and the battery compartment in easily accessible on the bottom of the camera.

When it comes to video the T3i really shines. It offers full HD video at 1920 by 1080 pixels at 30, 25 and 24 frames per second... on the high end... and also offers 1280 x 720 pixels at 60 frames per second (which is nice for slow motion) as well as 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second.

You can get exceptional results from this camera with a little attention to detail and by experimenting with the automatic and manual video settings... and by trying different lenses.

For low lighting situations, you may want to consider picking up a Canon 50mm F1.8 lens. It's been dubbed "plastic magic" because it captures surprisingly good quality photos and video for a a lens with a street price that hovers around $100.

The T3i also offers a 3x and 10x digital zoom that produces amazingly crisp video in movie mode.

The camera also has a new video snapshot feature that takes short clips of video and stitches them together. It's a fun feature for walking around town and shooting short video clips or having some fun at a party.

There's one VERY important aspect of shooting video with most DSLRs, and in our case, the T3i that you should be aware of.

To protect the camera from internal heat generated when shooting video... the T3i will stop recording video when the file size of a single movie clip reaches 4GB.

This means that if you are shooting in FULL HD that your maximum record time will be around 10 to 14 minutes. This can be a bit annoying yet, it's easy enough to restart the video.... and if you only need to shoot clips shorter than 10 minutes you will probably never experience this issue.

However this function can be problematic in situations where you need to shoot longer lengths of video, like at a conference, a sporting event, or a church sermon.

One very helpful surprise that Cannon includes for free with this camera is the EOS utility software. With this software, the T3i, a reasonably modern computer (I use my MacBook Pro... 2010 vintage) and the included digital interface cable... you can extend the use of your laptop computer as a field monitor and command central for the camera.

You can remotely control all important camera functions from within the very intuitive interface of this program.

The EOS utility functions well for both photo and video shooting and provides a very nice simulation of what you will get... This bonus has been particularly helpful to me for shooting video since it eliminated the need to purchase a $1,000 field monitor. Note though, that using the EOS utility will deplete your camera and laptop batteries faster than you would think. So I recommend plugging in your laptop and having a few extra batteries for your camera of getting the Canon DC coupler and power unit.

The camera also has a very useful built-in flash that will automatically pop up when needed or can be accessed manually with the touch of a button.

For more advanced photographers... the T3i supports the latest developments in wireless flash photography.

SO who is this camera for?

The T3i is best suited for those who want an easy to use, fast, reliable high-end prosumer DSLR that shoots incredible 18 mega pixel photos and FULL HD video... all in compact package for well under $1,000.

If you plan on doing a lot of high speed photography you may want to consider the 60D for it's faster 5.3 frame per second continuous shooting... which is the only real major difference between the two. However this upgrade will cost you between $300 and $400.

Also... if you want to save some money and don't really need the flip and turn LCD screen of the T3i... you many want to consider the T2i. This will save you around $100....

I will caution you though... if you ever think that you are going to want to shoot video, macro-zoom photographs or anything at high or low angles... you may be sorry that you didn't get the T3i with it's flippy screen.

The T3i is also NOT for you if you want a compact, carry-in-your pocket camera to take with you everywhere... Even though the T3i is compact compared to many larger DSLRs... it's not small... So... if your main purpose is finding a camera to document life and have with you at all time... the T3i is probably not the camera for you.

Also... If you want to eliminate your camcorder with the T3i, look somewhere else... that's not what the T3i is purposed for. It lacks seamless autofocus in video mode and is not as easy convenient to set up and use as many mini-camcorders.

However, if you have a creative flair and want to shoot HD quality video productions, the T3i will help you get off to a great start.

All this aside the Canon EOS Rebel T3i is an amazingly popular, all-around DSLR camera... which is evidenced by the fact that... at the time of this video review... the T3i is the #1 best selling DSLR on Amazon.

The Canon T3i is an impressive value rivaling the Canon 60D in just about every way... and with it's full HD video, easy-to-use interface, exceptional 18 mega pixel image quality, large flip-and-turn LCD screen and a full set of professional functions... The T3i is a great place to jump into the wonderful world of DSLR photography and video... all for an astonishingly low street price of less than $800.

VIEW MY FULL T3i VIDEO REVIEW with Test Video, Sample Photos and Time Lapse Video on YouTube by Searching "2012 T3i Best DSLR"

Enjoy!

I bought the T2i first, then decided to upgrade to the T3i. For a period of two weeks, I had both cameras in my possession, so I could make a direct comparison, and decided hands-down that the T2i is the one I will keep. Why? The T2i is FAST. I shoot my toddler in continuous mode, and the camera delivers the 3.7 fps it's supposed to. It makes a huge difference knowing you can press the shutter and the camera will instantly take a picture. The T3i, however, adds frequent and unpredictable delays when "busy" flashes in the viewfinder and the red light is on -even in continuous mode.

I used the same exact settings on both cameras (large Jpeg, P-mode, Quick AF). Compared to the instant responsiveness of the T2i, this was plain annoying and caused me to miss numerous shots. I used the same class 10 SDHC chip in both cameras, but -this is interesting -even without any memory chip in the camera, the delays are still there.

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Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR

• 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion, ISO 100-12800; expandable to 25600 (H) for shooting from bright to dim light and high performance DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality and speed
• High speed continuous shooting up to 5.0 fps allows you to capture all the action
• Improved autofocus performance with a 9-point all cross-type AF system (including a high-precision dual-cross f/2.8 center point), and new Hybrid CMOS AF increases autofocus speed when shooting photos and movies in Live View
• Enhanced EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects, manual exposure control and multiple frame rates (1080: 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 720: 60p (59.94) / 50p, 480: 30p (29.97) / 25p)
• New 3.0-inch Vari-angle Touch Screen Clear View LCD monitor II (approximately 1,040,000 dots) with smudge-resistant coating features multi-touch operation and Touch AF for an easy and intuitive experience, flexible positioning, and clear viewing even when outdoors

I had this long awesome review and Amazon lost it of course. So here goes a second try.

This is my second Canon camera. Previously I have owned Olympus and Minolta cameras. I owned a t2i before this and used a t3i for weeks for testing purposes. I will try to cover most aspects of the new features and image quality. For testing purposes I used a Canon 17-40L lens.

Look and Feel:

Not much to say here for the look of the camera. Looks almost the exact same as the t2i, t3i. The battery grip and accessories all fit the same. One thing that is different from the t2i is the proximity sensor. On the t2i it was below the optical viewfinder and above the screen. On the t4i it is above the optical viewfinder. I use an eyecup(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y06336)and it used to make the screen shut off on its own regularly on the t2i. This is a non issue for the t4i. There is also an added dedicated movie button in the power switch now.

Feel is a little different. The t4i feels more sturdy than the previous two rebels. The buttons are more solid and the selector wheels are improved. The adjustment wheel has better clicks and don't feel like you could easily flick it and change a setting by accident. The mode selector wheel is sturdier as well. I notice this because my t2i used to regularly switch to A-DEP mode when I would pull the camera out of my bag and I would get upset if I missed a quick shot because of it. I feel this will be a non issue with the new model. One issue I have is using my eyecup mentioned previously. The flippy screen catches on this and is just a slight annoyance but not a huge deal in the grand scheme. The rebel series always felt a bit small in the hand for me so I now use a battery grip which adds weight and substance to the camera.

Touchscreen:

When I saw rumors that the t4i would have a touchscreen I first said I wouldn't buy it. I figured this would be a gimmick and offer limited functionality. Then when i saw the press release and videos from Canon I changed my mind. I was sceptic of a couple things I will address here. I will start with the touch to adjust. Right now I feel kind of wonky using the touchscreen to make most adjustments to shooting in manual mode which is all i shoot in. But I consider this like moving from a blackberry to an iPhone. You are used to using buttons and the keyboard for so long you are lost on the touchscreen at first, but with time it ends up faster and easier. So in time it will end up faster for me to adjust by touch I am sure. It is in two spots already. ISO adjusting always seemed kind of odd to me on the rebel. The ISO button was placed so you had to kind of search for it and then do a three button combo to set it. On the touchscreen I find this easier. A couple taps and its done. The other major place it's easier for me is AEB. Bracketing on Canon is typically a pain. Hit menu, find the exposure selector, hit OK. Slide the wheel, hit OK again then press menu. On touchscreen you just press the exposure and tap a couple times to set the bracket.

Touch to focus was something that I didn't see coming from Canon. When they announced it my thought was it would be OK but nothing great. I figured it would be where you would touch on one of the 9 AF points you would like the camera to use. But thanks to the hybrid CMOS on the camera, it is truly a touch to focus. No matter where in the frame you press the camera will seek out and quickly focus on that area. This function works much better than I anticipated and I may use it in the future. At first I figured this would be a selling point for soccer moms but I was incorrect. I have not used the face detection follow focus to comment on it yet.

Image Quality:

This is the most important thing in the end when you buy any camera. How will my images look? The t4i does not disappoint. Thanks to improvements in the processor, focus, sensor and noise reduction software the t4i simply crushes the previous rebel cameras. We can start with the White balance. On the previous rebels and even the 60d, white balance was not so great. A yellow or tan-ish hue was almost always present and reds were soft. Canon has addressed this issue and images are clear and cary a nice contrast throughout the image. Auto focus I have touched on. Moving from 1 to 9 cross type AF points and a new added contrast detection sensor for AF makes a world of difference. Focus is fast and true and doesn't waste time seeking as much as before. In live view mode in low light, the digic4 and old sensors were pretty bad. A lot of seeking and misplaced focal areas. This is greatly improved with this model. Because of these reasons if you shoot in auto focus or any auto mode on the camera your images will turn out better.

Low Light/High ISO:

When the digic 5 was announced Canon touted this as being able to provide up to 75% better image quality over the digic 4. Of course I didn't buy into this because it's Canon and they were there to sell you. With the t4i Canon added the digic 5 as well as some new noise reduction software to boot. How did it make out? I tested these things against a Canon 60D. Same lens, same settings. In RAW at ISO 6400 the image quality looked at least twice as good over the 60D in terms of noise. At 12800 its laughable. That being said, on my t2i I would not use an image over ISO 1600 to print or display or sell. On the t4i I would gladly use ISO 3200 and at times 6400. Auto focus is so much improved at high ISO and low light that it's one of the first things you notice when comparing the camera to the 60D.

Battery life: Have not used it a full day to test yet. I imagine if you use full time AF it will go down slightly from the previous models.

Other Additions:

Scene Intelligent Auto....Used for one shot. Seemed to be OK but I am a manual shooter. I am sure this would work well for most beginners.

Handheld Night Scene....This takes 4 quick shots in a row and then in the camera combines them to reduce shake and noise. At 6400 ISO the image did result in less noise over standard shooting in RAW. This mode can only be done in JPG. I can see it being very good indoors at functions or for quick night shots outside.

HDR Backlight Control....This will do in camera HDR. It takes three shots of various exposure and combines them to improve highlight and shadow detail.This worked well and didn't produce too much noise in low light. It does not produce an image that people now days think of in HDR with blown out tones and surreal feeling to it. It is more traditional in where it just makes shadows appear less and corrects some blowing out by brighter lights in a frame. Works well for what its supposed to be. Also only available in JPG

Autofocus during video...Worked well and somewhat fast with my 17-40. Still allowed some noise from the lens searching for focus, but I wasn't using one of the STM lenses designed for this function.

EDIT: Since my initial review I have had a chance to test video with an STM lens and try out the face follow focus. The STM lens does improve focus speed quite a bit in video and is much quieter. There is still a little noise but may be something you don't notice depending on the scene you are shooting. Face follow focus works better than I thought it would. It can actually focus on an object as well as just faces. It follows through the frame very well and precise even in low light. It's nto super fast to focus but still works well.

PROS:

Outstanding Image Quality. Even at higher ISO

Touchscreen

Ease Of Use

5 Frames Per Second Shooting

Auto Focus

CONS:

Built in stereo mic is kind of pointless unless you use an STM lens. Maybe even then.

The bezel around the touchscreen is uneven, but that has nothing to do with function. It's just poor design.

Learning curve on the touchscreen

Feature guide...It makes touchscreen control unbearable. Just disable it as soon as you turn the camera on and save yourself the frustration of being told why you need to change ISO every time you touch the button for it.

FINAL WORD:

If you were holding back or looking for a reason to upgrade your digic 4 based camera this is the one you are looking for. Compared to the t2i/t3i/60D this camera will offer you better image quality, focus, low light performance and ease of use. Yes the 60D is an "upgrade" over the rebel line but as of now, you'd only gain size, weight and one stop of shutter speed over the t4i with the 60D. With the t4i you'd gain better images, video, high ISO performance, touchscreen, shutter lag and a few other things. This camera offers many new technologies and additions from Canon that aren't seen on any other camera in their line up. If you are a beginner or someone with a previous rebel looking for a nice camera you will find this camera to offer many things that you will enjoy in a first camera or an upgrade. This camera can make your photos better by taking the same photos as you would have with the previous models just with the improvements and that is what you should look for. The t3i was a small upgrade form the t2i and Canon has made up for it with this rebel.

If you do own or buy this camera join the flickr group we have made. It can be found at Flickr /groups/canont4i/

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR Now

I've only had my T3i for about 8 months when this came out but I read the details and decided to pre-order. The new T4i just arrived today (body only) and I've been playing around with it all afternoon using my 50mm 1.4 lens.

All I can say so far is WOW I'm very impressed with the upgraded autofocus, the touchscreen, as well as the new focus selection methods. There is a LOT less delay when you move the camera and what you see on the screen in Live Mode. Live Mode is MUCH "snappier" feeling. When you turned on the T3i in Live Mode, it would have a little rectangle you could move around the screen to make sure the camera was focusing on what you wanted. But with the T4i, this system is much more versatile. You can tap the screen to instantly set a focus point, or you can move the little box around (which is much smaller and more precise now and it will also FOLLOW your focus point when you move the camera around!), or you can allow for a more "general focus" by getting rid of the little box and letting the camera choose how it wants to focus, similar to how it works when using only the viewfinder to take photos. When you do the "general focus", a bunch of little boxes appear on the screen letting you know exactly which parts of the photo are in sharp focus the T3i did not do this and only relied on the positioning of the focus box.

The continuous autofocus during video worked very well on my 50mm 1.4 lens sure, the focus motor was a little noisy, but if you're taking scenic shots or something where you'll be replacing the audio with music anyway, motor noise is a non-issue. If you're doing interviews where the person is talking into a lav mic, it still won't be an issue because the lav mic will be too far away to pick up the motor noise. Motor noise is only an issue if you're using the built in mic, which I would regard as an "emergency only" mic anyway.

So all this means that you do NOT need an STM lens to use continuous autofocus the main purpose of the STM technology as I understand it is to make autofocus FASTER and QUIET. Video autofocus with my 50mm 1.4 is what I would call "fast enough" meaning, it is a bit slow compared to a camcorder (and noticeable on-screen), but not so slow that it should distract my viewers from the content too much. The only time continuous autofocus won't serve you very well is in dark rooms where it can't lock on to anything very quickly. My 50mm 1.4 lens hunted for focus in very dark areas so in situations like that I would manual focus.

Video is excellent quality as always. If you're used to the T3i video, this is just as stellar and tends to make people and scenes look better than they do in real life (when using the 50mm 1.4 at least) They've moved the video mode to be part of the on/off switch instead of on the mode dial which is where it was on the T3i. This allows you to pick a mode on the dial and then turn on video straight from there and make use of those settings. So you can do full auto exposure video, full manual exposure video, or Program Mode video very easily.

I also love the increased ISO to 12800 and the ability for the camera to take multiple exposures and combine them to help eliminate noise and camera shake. This works very well for my purposes. It's a small thing but something I've not noticed anyone else talking about is how much BETTER the shutter sounds. Somehow it's more satisfying and reminds me of the more expensive cameras.

HDR Mode: I've uploaded some of this camera's HDR photos to the image section on this page so you can see how well it did combining 3 photos at 3 different exposures the T4i can do this in camera with no software needed. It takes 3 quick photos and processes them for a few seconds and then the result is the image you see. The 3 originals do not get saved. To save them, you would have to use manual exposure bracketing which this camera does quite well. When using HDR mode, you only have to worry about getting proper focus and then everything else is taken care of for you. Some of the images can come out looking a little weird, but if you take 2 or 3 different versions at different focal points, you should get at least one that looks very nice and detailed with lighting that doesn't look too cartoony. One thing that surprised me was how, in one of my photos, a car unexpectedly entered the scene while it was taking the 3 shots. The resulting image had NO car at all. Pretty cool.

CONS: So far, the only thing I DON'T like about the cam are the buttons somehow they feel cheaper and more fragile than on the T3i. I'll update this if I discover anything else not up to par.

Overall, I love the camera and am very happy with my upgrade over the T3i. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the new STM lenses can do.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR Here

I upgraded from Canon T1i to Canon T4i. Having this T4i camera for 3 days and taking more than 1,000 pictures in different modes and environments, I want to write a few words for other fellows.

The main reasons for my upgrade are: 1) 9 cross-type focusing points; 2) Faster shooting burst rate; 3) Continuous video focusing; 4) Touch screen (very useful features). The picture quality is from very good to excellent. Color tone is realistic. Pictures from T4i camera look better than pictures from T1i camera in term of white balance and sharpness (probably from the benefits of 9 cross-type focus points). It is definitely more snappy in sport mode, focusing is fast and burst rate is good. I do like the continuous focusing feature in the video mode because of the convenience. It takes between 1 2 second to focus to new scene and you can hear the focusing noise from the lense. Definitely, there are rooms for improvement (faster focusing and reduce the motor noise during focusing) in video feature. I don't have the new Canon STM lense, so I don't know if it is quite or not.

This camera is good enough as an entry level and for people who to upgrade from their point-and-shoot cameras.

Link to some sample pictures that I took with my Canon T4i camera (go to flickr.com and search under tags only for henrynnguyen). I uploaded the orginal picture size (3456x5184 pixels), but the flickr.com reduced the picture size to 1365x2048 pixels. Hopefully that you still have a sense of how the picture quality look. Most of my pictures were taken in raw format, then converted to jpeg format using Canon provided software. The lenses that I used were Canon 50mm F1.4 USM and Canon 28-70mm F2.8 L series. The memory card is ScanDisk 32GB, UHS-1 rated. The Canon T4i camera performs as advertised by Canon. My main interests are accurate and fast focusing with high burst rate (who is not???). Overall, this is a very good entry dSLR camera. So, I am happy with the product and intend to keep it.

Want Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR Discount?

I have the T3i and absolutely love the camera. Its feature packed and has incredible image quality. I recently purchased the T4i (body only) and was thoroughly impressed with the first press of the shutter!

Cross Type Focal Points:

Not only is the shutter quieter and faster than the T3i's, the enhanced cross type focusing on all points combined with the new image sensor is WAY FASTER and MORE ACCURATE than the already good but not great T3i. I rarely use the outer focal points on the T3i because the focusing is slow and unreliable, its always been center point or manual focus for me. Not so on the T4i! Super fast focusing on all points and great image quality!

Touch Screen:

Excellent addition to any DSLR and it works wonderfully! Everything you can do from the Main Menu button on the T3i and the Quick Menu button can be done through the Touchscreen's interface on the T4i. EVERYTHING!

Constant Auto Focus:

I tested this feature with my existing lenses and yes, you do notice the hunting and hear the autofocus motor (which will vary from lens to lens) but I have not tested it with the new 4omm or the new 18-135 STM lenses, yet.

Custom White Balance:

I believe this is new or I just never used it on my T3i. A very nice grid displays from the Quick Menu that allows you to set a custom white balance. No, this is not just selecting AWB from the white balance options, thats still available but the custom piece appears to be a new feature. (I could very well be wrong about that one)

The ADEP option has been removed from the dial. I rarely used it but it was nice having the foreground and background in focus option available in the 'manual' region of the dial.

UPDATED/CORRECTED INFO:

Earlier I made a correction regarding the lack of digital zoom. Well, the final correction to my previous correction is this, there is in fact no digital zoom. At least none I can find that is recordable while in video mode. You are still able to zoom in and essentially magnify a selected area but when you begin your recording the cropped or zoomed area goes away and your standard focal length will be recorded.

The viewfinder has a slight amber color as opposed to the bluish hue on the T3i. I can't say I see if this is a benefit or not but its worthy of mentioning for those doing research.

A friend asked me how much I think the T4i is better than the T3i. The only answer I had was this, "I was considering getting a 60D to take advantage of the faster shutter and better focusing (9 point cross type). Seeing how well those improvements on the T4i work, I forgot all about the 60D!" I know the 60D is better built and has a better/larger viewfinder but for my money, the T4i fit the bill!

These are things I've found to be improvements and overall nice features about the T4i but you should do as much research as possible. DPreview . com is an excellent site for camera gear information but the last time I checked they did not have a hands on review, only some canned information from Canon. Another great, I MEAN GREAT site is The-Digital-Picture . com. Again, too new for a review to be there but I encourage you to go there, absorb and be a well informed consumer and a better photographer!

Now I wonder if that 70D rumor is true.....

You're thinking of getting the t4i, reading the reviews, comparing it to the t3i and countless others and pulling your hair out at all the pros and cons? Am I close? I'm a photographer and have used this, the t3i and its sony equivalent. I might be able to help. Here's hoping :) Let me start with an anecdote, (you've read enough technical jargon for now so consider this a breather)

I film eagles on the isle of Mull in the Scottish hebrides and the landlady I stay with was telling me about this other photographer who visits her little cottage (it's beautiful by the way, you should visit if you get the chance). So anyway, she is cooking tea , as she does if you ask her nicely. While it's cooking he shows her one of his photos, probably of a sea eagle catching a fish. Everyone wants to photograph one of those even though its on every other postcard in Scotland. Next to a highland cow looking over a gate its the top photo/cliche to get.. Anyhoo, she looks at the photo and says "wow that's great...you must have a brilliant camera" .

So they sit down for supper a bit later and its delicious, she is a great cook. He says "This is lovely...you must have some great saucepans!" boom boom.

But herein lies the real point of this camera. You know its the person behind the camera that takes the pictures but do you really know it? This and the t3i take pictures so good (if you have the skill) you could blow it up the size of front door but are you going to want to. The thing no sellers want to tell you is that for years, maybe 5 , all of the big names have been making great dslr. Since the nikon d40 perhaps. But you really want to know, if you bought this, would you be happy or buying a pup. Be reassured that neither canon, nikon or sony make chocolate teapots. They know how to make a great camera and this is one. It's biggest difference as you will have read ad nauseum , is the touch screen. is it worth it. It is if you like touch screens (I do). That's not flippant, it's how it is.

So the photos will be great and its a great camera, you've read other reviews so I won't duplicate what you have already read but one thing you may not have read is about the video. All the makers have got dslr right. No pups in sight, but video is a relatively new feature and Sony have tbh been leading the way. This camera sets to rectify that by having autofocus. A lot of places on the net, say it's not needed, you should be using manual focus. Nonsense. Manual focus is ok at times but can be a pain. Filming your dog on the beach for example..The autofocus on the t4i is actually pretty good. Not as good as a camcorder but pretty good. The slowest part is for it to get going. But when it's locked on its sound. Well worth having. So thats sorted right..err no, not really. This is the 650d 's killer feature. Trouble is, they left out the killer feature on the 600d. The 3x zoom with "no loss in quality". So here is the choice if you are buying this for video.

if you want you're 300mm zoom to be able to zoom to 900mm for filming sport or wildlife. It's the t3i for you.

If you love the idea of autofocus (or hate the idea of doing it the old fashioned way) its the t4i for you.

In my opinion if you're considering the other makes like Sony, it comes down to who makes the the lens you are likely to want. I know I have focused (blabbed on) about video but hey, there has been thousands of photo reviews already about iso , shutter speed etc etc. Nothing for me to add there!

So if you are considering using it for video here are a few "must have" things you will need to go with it.

Velbon DV7000 3-Section Ultra Heavy Duty Tripod with Geared Center Column, 2-Way Fluid Head and QB-6RL Quick Shoe, Max Height 64-inch, Supports 9.9 lbs

58mm HMC Ultraviolet UV(C) Haze Multicoated Filter Doesn't have to be this particular one but hey..

Oh and the one that should have gone top of my list

Make better videos with your dslr or camcorder (gives details of the counter intuitive settings that actually work best :) )

So now I have spent ten minutes typing away, telling you how I like the t4i for video (I do) do me a little favour and click that you find this helpful. Unless you don't. Either way you will enjoy this camera but do consider the little brother the t3i also. We live in good times to take photos as there are so many great cameras and this is definitely one of them. One more thing I forgot to mention (and yes it is regarding the video) is that to get great video you need to use the right settings in the menu. Unfortunately these are counter intuitive and if you don't use them you may be under whelmed. If anyone wants them, comment and I will try to post a link

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Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR (Black)

• 12.2 MP CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processor for high image quality and speed.
• ISO 100 - 6400 for shooting from bright to dim light.
• Improved EOS HD Movie mode with expanded recording and with in-camera video editing options.
• High speed, reliable 9-point AF system utilizing a high precision, f/5.6 cross-type center point.
• Enhanced metering with a 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system for accurate metering between exposures.

Even though this camera is two years old now, it still is a wonderful, simple DSLR to use which gets the most important thing right and remains an excellent value for the money.

The camera has a glossy plastic finish which doesn't exactly exude quality or make it feel like a high-end camera. But construction on this camera is very tight. The plastic is light-weight but its not flimsy like you would expect. There is no rubberized handgrip, which I think was a mistake to omit this on this camera. Especially since its predecessor (and its competitors) have them. Outside of that, the hand grip is a very nice size. The one upshot to the lightweight plastic is that the camera feel very light with the kit lens attached.

One thing you have to watch out for is that the camera feels very out of balance when attaching a heavier lens. The Canon EF-S 18-200, while a good performer optically when paired with the T3, feels way too front heavy. And this will be true with a lot of the pro-grade Canon lenses that you attach to the T3. That said, this camera is a perfect DSLR for hiking due to its light-weight design (when used with the kit lens). It doesn't weigh you down or make you feel like you have a boat anchor around your neck.

The buttons and menu system have the typical degree of straight-forwardness found in most Canons. Canon's menu system is easy to learn and navigate through. That makes the T3 a good candidate for a student or someone that wants to learn photography in general and wants a camera they can grow with. Of course it offers full Auto mode but when you're ready to try and manipulate the more advanced manual controls, the Canon Rebel T3 is about as unintimidating as they come. It's also a great entry into the DSLR realm for hobbyists currently using an advanced point and shoot (and can be found for almost the same price as some advanced point and shoots).

With the exception of burst shooting, this camera's performance is excellent. Excellent start-up, shot-to-shot, and autofocus performance. It has 9 autofocus points compared to its predecessor's 7 points. I do not reccommend this camera as a budget action shooter. It has a slow continuous burst rate (2.7fps) and a very limited buffer. The Nikon D3200 shoots at 4 frames per second, but that is currently retailing for $200 more than the T3. So you'll have to decide whether or not that feature is important to you.

The camera comes with a nice, chunky battery which delivers excellent battery life. The viewfinder is 95% coverage and I found it to be satisfactory, some people say its really cramped but personally I think it's alright. The screen resolution is rather low at 230k, but in real-world use it's not as bad as you would think, and somewhat viewable in direct sunlight. I think both the viewfinder and the LCD are of better quality than the ones found on the Nikon D3100. And overall, the T3 is faster and more fluid than the D3100. After having shot with both cameras, I personally think the T3 is more enjoyable to shoot with... despite the D3100's better plastic and more advanced spec sheet.

The camera ships with the standard 18-55 kit lens but I suggest buying the kit which includes the additional 55-250 lens. While I do not like the kit lens performance when paired with the Rebel T2i & Rebel T3i, I think when it's paired with the T3 it's a bit of a different story. The lower end kit lenses have an easier time resolving detail on the T3's 12 megapixel sensor vs. the 18 megapixel sensor on the T2i/T3i. So, do not let a salesperson or anybody else say that the image quality on this camera is inferior solely on the basis that it has a lower megapixel count than its linemates. However, when you put a higher-end lens on the T2i/T3i, they do trounce the T3 when it comes to resoliving detail (not in noise performance though).

That said, overall, the image quality is excellent. Detail capture is good, metering is excellent, exposure is excellent, dynamic range is pretty good, color reproduction is punchy without being cartoonish and oversaturated. The ISO performance is excellent. Excellent performance up to and including ISO1600. One minor quibble is that the JPEGS come out just a tad soft. But they respond well to a little bit of in-camera sharpening or of course you can shoot in RAW as well. But overall, a very impressive performance from the T3.

The movie mode, while delivering solid video quality, is rather limited. It's 1280x720 HD and there are very limited manual controls. It's more like something you would use for quick clips rather than longer videos or movies. I think the Rebel T2i/T3i or EOS 60d are better choices if you're equal parts into videos and photos as they have far better video modes than the T3 does. But if you're main interest is stills photography, this probably won't matter much to you.

The Rebel T3 may not be the sexiest camera around but it is a simple, enjoyable camera to shoot with that delivers nice results with minimum effort and it appeals to a broad range of folks from DSLR newbies, to hobbyist, to even professionals looking for a light-weight backup to their higher end gear. At its current price, it is a great value and I highly reccomend it.

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR (Black) Now

I think the camera is an amazing buy for the money. I was able to unpack the contents & begin shooting good pictures IMMEDIATELY, using the fully automatic settings & the included partially charged battery. You will however, need to supply an SD Card as this is not included, not even a small one.

The menu was a LITTLE confusing at first, but I quickly got the gist of things and am taking good pictures with the camera. Having used the full-auto settings and just dabbling with the advanced settings, I'm very pleased with the purchase and I think anyone who is either new to DSLR cameras or who doesn't want to spend over $1000 for a 'pro' or 'prosumer' DSLR will also be very happy with it right out of the box... or ANY of the T series cameras for that matter.

If you're going to be shooting in RAW (or like I do in RAW+L) I recommend getting AT LEAST a 16GB card, if not a 32GB card. The included battery is a champ. It lasts a good long time & charges quickly. I was going to get a 2nd battery, but I don't think it's necessary at this time as it lasts for several hundred shots. The manual says it takes 2 hrs to charge a fully depleted battery, but the math doesn't work out that way. The included charger is portable & charges the included 860mAh Li-Ion battey at a 580mAh rate, so a full charge should be about 1.5hrs. I'll have to time it when I need a full charge & have the spare time to check it every 10 mins or so beyond the 1hr mark.

Only a few negatives:

* When using the fully automatic settings indoors the white balance is just a little off, but this is fairly common w/all brands in the entry-level range. It can easily be corrected in photoshop, or by manually choosing one of the white balance lighting scenarios (incandescent bulb, fluorescent, or sun) depending on your situation. My outdoor shots look great on full auto settings.

* Having not used an SLR type camera in a NUMBER of years (I've never owned a DSLR), I found that the manual it comes with is not very thorough, and neither is the larger PDF manual on the included CD. However; it's not Canon's job to teach you photography and therefore I think the manual is just adequate. The only real trouble I had was trying to figure out how to attach the included eyepiece cover when shooting on a tripod w/studio lighting using auto exposure settings... it's not explained anywhere. You need to slide off the cover that is there already (the eye cushion) and slide on the cover... duh! Cripes O Mighty! They explain how to attach the camera strap (like you really need to read that...), but not the eyepiece cover?! Those experienced with SLR photography don't need any more, those totally new are covered by both the instuctions & the quick-start guide; but, those in-between won't find the info they're looking for here... get this book: Canon EOS Rebel T3/1100D For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

* There is no memory card included. Even a tiny one would be appreciated for the completely new user to start shooting right away when buying the 'kit' version. It may be the 1st D-SLR for the majority of it's purchasers, but it's probably not anyone's 1st digital camera in general.. so you probably have one of these lying around already.

* A textured grip would be nice, but like the exclusion of a memory card, this is helping to keep the price down on this puppy.

In summary:

Is it a good camera for the $$: Yes, 5/5

Is it a good camera in general: Yes, 4/5 (auto white balance could be better, textured grip would be nice)

Is the 'kit' worthwhile: Yes, 4/5 (including even a tiny SD Card would be nice for the camera newbie)

Good instructions: Barely, 3/5

Would I buy it again: YES

Recommend to a friend: YES

Overall rating: 5/5

Bill

**-Update 6/1/2012 --**

Took it to Jones Beach last weekend, for the Memorial Day airshow. After walking around to find some other Canon users, I learned how to use some of the manual settings in order to get shots of the fast-moving airplanes & jets flying around. I didn't need help in so much as how to change the settings on the camera... but more what settings I would need to be using.

Anyway... I got some GREAT shots! The only issue I had was my telephoto lens didn't have IS, so I had a very fast shutter speed manually entered to make up for any hand shaking. The result is that while the jet shots look great, I have stationary propellers on the older aircraft. That's not the fault of the camera, but of my inexpensive EF 75-300mm non-IS lens. Now if only someone can teach me how to use photoshop effectively :)

Here are just a couple of shots from that airshow:

Bill

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR (Black) Here

I purchased this camera a few days ago and I've had nothing but FUN with it! Aside from my simple Kodak Easyshare point and shoot, I had a Canon EOS Elan 7 (35mm) and had been wanting to switch it over to Digital for several years. The longer I waited, the better the camera's got and more affordable they became.

I decided on the Canon T3 mostly because of the affordable price. (Nearly 1/2 of the T3i) I felt like I was getting a very good value for my money. I was right!

This camera takes amazing photo's! Clear, crisp, true color.

It's very easy to use, right out of the box.

Fit's all my old lenses and the remote from the Elan 7

All the advanced manual settings I could want topped with the instant gratification of seeing how the settings affect the picture instantly.

This camera allows you to use live screen shooting which so many people like these days and it takes HD video.

The 12 megapixels is plenty even when enlarging OVER 11 x 14".

For a lower end Canon DSLR, it's a huge value for the money. This camera is an excellent choice for the hobbiest/enthusiast.

I am SOO glad I purchased it!

Nakiska

Want Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR (Black) Discount?

This is a great entry level DSLR. I have shot all recent canon DSLRs (7D, 60D, T2i, T3i...) and I'm looking for a light travel/casual shooting camera to upgrade my XSI. I thought the T3i was it, but after trying out this camera, I think this is the cam I was looking for. Have the cam for a few days now. The build quality is a little better than what I would expect from an entry level cam. It's nice and light. The menu is simple but still offers a lot of nice custom settings.

One thing to keep in mind is that the low resolution LCD doesn't always tell the whole story. My initial test photos look rather ordinary under this LCD. However, when I view them in my desktop, they are a lot nicer. In any case, that isn't a concern for me as the LCD is just for preview anyway.

Color/saturation is spot on. ISO performance is what surprised me. I took a photo in 3200ISO, uploaded it to my website (unprocessed) and ask my photography-savvy friends to guess what ISO it was. Most of them say 400 or 800, 2-3 stops off the mark. It's so amazing, the stock lens is now totally usable indoor.

Overall, I highly recommend this camera for first-time DSLR users or advance users who need a light walk-around or travel cam.

For the price of the camera, you wouldn't really expect much. However, that is completely false. For the small price, this camera really packs a big punch. It was a no-brainer for me to choose Canon for my first DSLR. Every single camera I've ever owned is a Canon, and I've never been disappointed. This camera is great for the beginner photographer, and even for the more advanced photographer. It's a breeze to learn how to work all of it's functions and most importantly, it delivers such amazing quality photos. The kit comes with a 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 image stabilization lens. Even with a moderately wide aperture, the lens performs exceptionally well under low-light situations. I will eventually grow out of this lens, but for now it's doing well for me. I feel like as I grow in my photography, this camera will grow with me and last me years to come. One of my goals is to become a freelance photographer. I have many many years before I get to that point, but right now, this is a good starting point.

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