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.
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"
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