Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-135mm IS f/3.5-5.6 Standard Zoom Lens

As another posted, not sure of my qualifications or ability to do a detailed review of this camera, but I love and do my best. Having only ever used a Canon PowerShot SD610 cameras and cell phones before, this was a big jump for me.

I use the camera mainly for taking pictures of children and the flowers / gardens.
I read the manual and found it a great advantage (I've written and read techmanuals lots of manuals, and finding one is easy to use). With its use I tried all modes on the screen and use the Q - Quick Control to try different roles. Except for the exhibition "M" Manual, I have great photos (OK - Excellent / awesome for my standards, people in the photo blogging may disagree with my assessment of my photos:)).

The video capability is amazing, but it requires a fast card (Class 6 and above) I have a Class 10 and has a short delay when my son was working a room with low light. Grandparents can watch HD movies on your big screen.

The weight is a bit heavy compared to the point and shoot, but it feels good in your hands. I have larger hands and claws are very good, even when holding the camera for a long time.
Battery life seems good, I have yet to have the battery fails on me when I need it, but only had the camera a short time. Time will be the judge of this. I did it for a second battery (clone Canon, no OEM).

File size requires a decent size SD card (jpg high quality large. = 6.4 MB = 24.5 MB RAW), the camera supports SDHC and SDXC, I have a 16 gig SDHC Class 10 (A-Data 16 GB SDHC Class 10 Flash memory card 16GSDHC10 (Blue)). I do not know what the SDXC brings to the table, but if you pick up I'll update this review.

Way of life (as a reference point and shoot - LCD display shows the image capture) is ideal for video and can help when composing shots from different angles (shooting the dog to the ground - without kneeling). Is there a way of living with facial recognition and tracking, face chasing my kids around and gives me the right approach. The life is the only way I thought would be able to use, but I think the standard eyepiece to be very easy to use and has all the information you need.

I have the intention of this camera for next year and hope to one day rule all settings (expectations). I feel this camera is the perfect combination for my current capacity (A + I fully automatic shooting lets you take great pictures when using the camera as a point and shoot) and my desire to become a photographic artist I hope).

Anyone thinking of making the change point and shoot to dSLR should really consider this camera. I also suggest a camera bag and cleaning kit.

I posted some of my photos in the gallery of photos here in the Amazon.

Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD Standard Zoom Lens

I took pictures and video most of my life, now I am the father typical paparazzi, my problems are my family, with some nature landscapes and architecture of the city mix

First, this camera replaced my original team, captures the moment, including a Nikon D80 digital SLR and a Samsung HD-1010 digital video camera. I sold two after owning this for a week. Just no longer needed. It's great to go to football games and my son does not look like I'm bringing a crew. A video camera and the murderer. 70/30 I can use this camera photos / video, and a pleasure to work with him.

What I like about photography:
Great photos - even with the stock 18 to 135 lenses, solid photos with great detail and very, very capable of cultivation. Yes, this is not an objective L, but still very good
Performance in low light - high-speed ISO iso work well when you can not use the flash, there is still some noise, but its use, the default for the upper limit is ISO 3200, which indicates the degree of confidence Canon is the camera with the ability to handle noise.
House of Sound (my friend has the 7D, there is a difference while driving, but not much, all the talk of metal against plastic structure I think is exaggerated)
Approach too fast, but its next-generation 32-point autofocus, but in all my tests when not using the live view is very well the transition between the focus points.
Fast shutter speed about 6 fps is very good, and I thought it was good 3 fps. (I also like the two shutter speed settings, high and normal speed)
Built-in wireless flash control. I also bought the 430EX II, and 3 button pushes later I had the shutter speed of light while sitting outside the chamber behind the object, and this is really cool
Canon large software (I use a Mac, and I love the USB interface software, which can completely control the camera from your computer
Custom shooting mode - Exactly what it seems, good touch
The speed of the display of the currency is strong, probably the best I've seen in a DSLR. Do not shoot very much alive despite the vision.
It uses SD cards, just because I had a lot of SD cards from my last two devices.


What I like photography:
The lock button on the mode dial, not to change the way to shoot a two-handed operation
The lack of dedicated buttons - I know I had to save space when the variable was added to the screen, but I liked having access to a quick tap on my Nikon bracketing
This is not a "disgust" is "I could do without" all preset modes on the wheel. People are going to spend + $ 1000 a camera will probably not need a pre-call landscape or portrait. Maybe they were trying to fill space in the wheel?
Also, all processing hupla this camera and special effects, it seems a bit gimmicky to me. I have a lot of Macs with large screens to be beautiful, hell could do with an iPhone now, I really wanted. I do not see anyone trying to correct the color, especially since the camera is not as if you could send the edited file directly from the camera, which still has to go through a computer somewhere along the line. These can be useful if my camera comes with built-in 3G or something, otherwise not.

What I like video:
The video is excellent head, vimeo.com and look at all the sample images is simply amazing. I experimented with a 50/1.8 lens and wow the DOF is clear in the video. Need a little expensive lens adapters for these results with a video camera.
The screen will go! This is the main reason I bought this camera, never made sense to me that I could record video without the proper things these guys converter LiveView viewfinder. Also, I thought it was silly. Now, with that, I have the camera at waist little closer to my body with the screen facing outwards and upwards, the video makes it stable and relatively easy to manual focus if you want to use.
Manual controls are also very useful for the video, you can control everything from the audio image through manual controls

What I do not like this video:
Noise at high ISO - With the 18-135 is the inventory of the lens is not recommended to shoot in low light work, but very noisy - like azulene better image quality with fewer stops F = exit.
The autofocus is a little slow (do not try to use auto focus when in fact the recording, which usually record video with manual focus is not so difficult once you get the hang of it)


So it is a solid digital SLR camera built into a solid video, I recommend this camera for people like me, who understand and love also love photography and taking video. People can use manual controls, but I do not mind playing in the programming mode and snap shots can not justify spending the extra money on a 7D. I am very happy with this camera!

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD Standard Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

I was more than a little apprehensive about buying this goal before the officers left many comments, but I'm very glad I did. I have a team of 18-55, 70-300, 60mm Macro f/2.8 and 50 cousins ​​(all great beginner lens, of course), but I needed something that could get my camera and forget to leave the city. As a young man who enjoys small bags, is a constant internal struggle, incredible hang the camera around my neck like a "I'm on a project and not be hit" pasta, or things in a big bag with my camera lens others in a "I have no children, but could very well make it look like a diaper bag" fashion. I deviate from the advances men anyway. It's just a question of how to travel light when I do. And if I can do some things very stealable home, I will.

How do you feel?
This seems to have the same feeling that my 70-300. There is a feeling of light plastic, and as 18-55, the rubber edges and a little heavy, but heavy weight for him. I do not use this target to hit enemies, but do not feel like he left a gum ball machine as well.

What color is it?
We compared this goal for the Canon EF 50 mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto for Canon SLR (took identical photos in the same focal length, f-stop settings, etc.) Both goals were incredibly sweet and tips still large in edges (when taken at F8), but the colors of the 18-135 were much less washed. Certainly, we had the white balance settings blocked two shots, but only showed 18-135 red, purple, blue, green, all colors are more vivid and true.
Now if you want your family photos to look like it comes straight from a comic book with more crazy than life explosions of color, you have to look at the post-processing it. Weirdo. All I'm saying is I'm not going to have to change the color balance to cloudy with experience in prison no-color look at pictures of the family. Nothing kills the vibe of a montage of photos of the party, as shades of gray Alcatraz.

Yes, but you can get a 17-85 or 15-85 of the new, right?
Good point, man. However, the extra focal length of 85 mm after really worth it, especially when things in a street shooting or shooting semi-close to wildlife. And if the 15-85 is much more expensive and 17-85 is almost the same price, why not go to a longer length? You could make the same argument for the 18-200, but I do not think clearly compromised (and weight 21 oz, 16.1 oz vs 18-135) is worth the extra focal length. Also, get the latest version of the image stabilization with this.

But there is 17-85 USM and USM. I have all my lenses USM!
Not so fast, buddy. Truth is not USM on this goal. However, having used both the 17-85 and 18-135, the latter is so quick to autofocus. There can be no USM, but not a great difference. The engine is super fast autofocus and no hunting like my 70-300 USM tends to do. You can hear the engine, but not as high as the Canon 70-300 USM motor. Image stabilization is also great, there were plenty of images that are saved with this function, especially in low light / no flash situations.

Finally, I mention "The Digital Picture 'ISO 12233 Crops (google it can not provide a link). This proof of the crap scared me, and doing a lot of people spewing hatred on this goal. Does this look like contact lenses soft in some other goals. When they started shooting, at first I thought it was a sharpness until I realized that my brother had changed the standard ISO 1600. Thank you, brother! After it has set, it was as sharp as expected. Having made clear my own tests, I realized that the ISO 12233 cultures were not telling the whole story. I will not leave this sucker on a small tripod and shoot in black and white lines with him every day (I have more interesting matters, and are in color!) that took hundreds of pictures with this goal and not just see any picture quality or the difference in sharpness compared to my other goals. So cold, the people.

In conclusion, if you love your digital SLR that gives pictures, but I hate the lens diaper-bag/bookbag look, this is a great option. I will not make you a magic machine that comes Ansel Adams photograph, but no team will. This objective has some very nice photos when you stop worrying about the crops of 100% and start enjoying life. Shooting and be happy.

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

I had the XSi for about 3 months and I am thouroughly impressed with it. This is my first DSLR and I was a little worried about going with camera brand new and untested, but I liked the Canon (I used an ELAN II in high school and bought a SD600 about 2 years to take pictures of my son). Overall, I was not disappointed with the quality of the photos that the XSi produces. The lens works very well and I had some pretty amazing photos (at least for me). I have only a couple of songs, good and bad, I think those who are looking to buy this you may wonder.

Battery life - the life of the battery. I must say, incredible battery life. I took over 5000 pictures and I only had to charge the battery twice.

Live View - LiveView is not for beginners. It is not a substitute for your point and shoot. Can not be used in automatic mode (green square). This is not so much to me, I prefer full manual, but the point of this feature, I thought, was to make it more friendly for the photographer to aim and shoot. My wife can not use Live View in its current form (I specifically bought a DSLR with live view function so she could continue to use the camera). Therefore, if Live View is a big selling point for you, you may want to look for some other (if not a big deal to you, then this is still an amazing camera - added 04/23/2008) . If you do work study, however, you can connect the camera to your PC and use it as a remote viewer. But there is a point and shoot camera in Live View. In my previous analysis, said it would be nice if Canon fixed some issues with direct vision with a firmware update, I was wrong. Live View is a very nice feature when you find that is not for beginners. Studio photographers and landscape Live View is a great tool.

Image quality - I had hit some shots in a studio, as well as some outdoor photos. In the study, which used tungsten "hot" with the lights on a white background subjuect. The photos were great. Skin tones are perfect and there is little, if any, chromatic aberration at the edges. It shoots great outdoor shots as well. We just got into beekeeping and I was able to get some incredible pictures of our bees up outdoors near. The bees looked dirty and not very interesting from a distance, but I got up close macro shots are beautiful and full of wonderfully crisp details. The lens is a little short, the picture quality you get from it is very good, considering it only costs $ 100. I have plans to buy a longer lens in the near future.

In general, the camera is solid and feels good in hand. Not too heavy, but still feels strong. If you can afford the higher price, I do not be disappointed. If not, the XTi is still a great camera. And if you can afford to wait several months for the price drop a bit (as I did!) I would. I was able to work extra weekend to afford to do that, and I can tell, I do not care less, because the quality of photos that I am doing has been totally worth it.

--- Update ---
I was wrong when I said I could not use the 9-point autofocus in Live View mode. You can use the 9-point autofocus while in Live View, but the mirror flips down and focuses so you can not see what you're trying to focus on the camera until after he has actually gone through the targeting process automatic.


Update # 2 --- ---
I've had this camera for almost two months and am happy to report that more use, the more I love it. Once you learn the layout of the camera and load the MyMenu with the tools you use most often, the camera becomes an absolute pleasure to use. I took over 5000 pictures with it so far and now need an additional hard drive to put all.

I had the opportunity to rent a Canon EF 24-105 L IS lens and a Speedlite 580 EX II for the wedding of my sister. WOW! What great pictures. The interface of the camera with the flash perfectly and I am more convinced than ever that much of the quality of the photos come from the glass rather than using the camera itself (I think around 65% of the lens barrel chamber of 35% or so some points - I know some will disagree, but that's my opinion about it, and I'm sure if I had a 1Ds MkIII I think a piece of glass was good enough for me camera).

This is a great DSLR for beginners and a camera around. I am very happy with my purchase and I have no regrets whatsoever about spending $ 900 to buy a big tool. Amazon now sells for $ 799, you can not go wrong at this price!

Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm IS II Lens and EOS HD Movie Mode (Black)

My concern is that people pick up on this store and manipulate DSLR and deal with the D3100, the D3100 will automatically have is simply the best digital SLR in the construction of the body alone. The plastic body feels (and is) cheaper. And, unfortunately, be hard to beat for many people. Do not hold the texture is a regrettable omission. At entry level, do not expect alloy body sealed full-time or magnesium, but most others (Kx Pentax, Nikon D3100), at least, are built with better materials and have a handshake bit with texture. The more positive aspect to the plastic body is that it makes very light DSLR. In fact, it is probably the lightest DSLR shooting me.

The controls are very simple with this camera. And I always like the Canon menu system very intuitive. , Has a lot of self-control for novice photographers, but of course it has a full set of manual controls, making it ideal for students or people in general who want to learn photography and want a camera that can grow. In terms of performance, this digital SLR that most impressed me. General operation is very fast shot to shot times are decent, and the autofocus is very fast. I've also worked with D3100 ... and I can safely say that the rebel T3 than in almost all fronts (I'm sure I'll catch hell for the people of this Nikon).

The screen is 95% coverage and is not the best, but I found it to be satisfactory. And despite the relatively low screen resolution of 230k, I found the screen of a barely visible in direct sunlight, and better than the D3100. Again, not great, but not as bad as some I've seen (the worst was the Pentax Kx). It also upgraded the AF of 7 points to 9 points Rebel XS.

A very smart move that was part of the Canon was to keep the number of megapixels in a modest 12 megapixels. And, curiously, seems to work better with the kit lens supplied some of the more sophisticated brethren. The combination of the kit lens and the 12 MP sensor leads to the picture quality (especially if you increase the brightness a bit in the configuration of the camera) - and the camera will be happy to roll with low lens Canon very good results. One complaint I have is thanks to the construction of lightweight plastic body, it tends to be out of balance over time, heavier lenses. I realized when I attached the EF-S 55-250 lens on it. It may not be a dealbreaker for everyone, but some people may find this annoying. The colors are very energetic, but not to the point of saturation. I will not say with confidence that the D3100 is better for image quality, but at least match. And for the most part you can get sharp images of this digital SLR up to ISO 1600, which is impressive.

As for the video mode is 1280x720 HD only, but in fact the video quality is excellent. However, the manual controls are very limited. If they are equal parts in the movies and photos, I would consider the rebel T3i 60d or a gift, but as the manual controls are much broader for video recording.

Therefore, in general, if you are able to ignore the very cheap plastic construction, it is a great entry level DSLR, which is suitable for novice photographers and professionals, including seeking a partner to have their usual team .

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens

PROS
* Very strong through the image, even when open.
* Low Chroma. I read a test ([...]) which is higher than the normal amount of CA in this objective in some gaps, but I do not see. My boss is to shoot the naked branches of trees on a sunny day and look for purple fringing, especially around the edges. I do not see anywhere near the level of margin is shown in some of their tests shots.If anything, I would call "low," I said elsewhere that one of the objectives of Canon to add to this the aspherical lens element CA will be reduced, so I'm thinking that maybe the goal was tested in only one rotten apple photozon.de.
Image * Shake control works. I can not attest to the frequency with which offers a total of four stops to shake off, but I can see a very clear result when used.
* Requires a fast approach. One of the reasons why you bought this lens because I was not satisfied with my performance (more expensive) Sigma 17-35 EX (latest model), which while strong, is very slow and imprecise a viewer for work closely in the action sports. The new Canon solved the problem.
Weight, compact, lightweight and unobtrusive. Not much bigger than a normal lens.

CONS
* Barrel distortion at 18mm (28mm) exsessive While not an inexpensive lens, this is an area where the benefit of spending hundreds of dollars for a much more expensive canon "is" or "L", or buy a focal length of the target. In most real world situations, it was not all that remarkable. Usually can be corrected in Photoshop, but this is not a target for the critical work of architecture, etc. took hundreds of pictures with this lens and barrel distortion is only called attention to himself at times. I suspect this is a price to pay for the very compact design.
* Not very fast. Another area in which an "L" has an advantage. Equivalent to 28mm F3.5 to F5.6 85 mm lens and this is relatively slow compared to a professional lens. This affects the direct action in low light. OTH, you have to spend hundreds more to get a usable top speed of F 2.8 and that is * only * a quick stop at 28 mm equiv. I think both the sharpness of this objective "and the system is to reduce this" Con ". It took me a while to learn that he could pull open at all focal lengths without the outer third of the very striking image mush.That" s for to zoom at this price. You do not have one or two points that are rarely used because it is very soft. And the system works well in low light, however, that does not appear to stop the action.
They have that red stripe. Unfortunately, some will not buy this lens is not very useful acute because there is an "L" and / or costs $[...]. Yes, it looks like a "plasticy" some probably do not have the build quality for heavy use, every day for a real professional job, and it seems riding his huge body of the camera lens as a "quick fix" , which pro is squeezing out that last F stop. However, IMO, is very similar to the Canon lens is new, so there is no scarlet letter immediately identify it as "cheap." In other words, "Get over it."

So why did Canon produce a good target a bargain price? I would say is that Nikon has announced its intention to do so recently. Moreover, not old is the Canon 18-55mm was the representative to be something of a dog. Finally, several competitors have cameras now integrated into the body. Canon had to respond with a stronger goal that could put the rebels and the 40D. In terms of sales, the market for low-end digital SLR is hot and very competitive. We are the beneficiaries.

Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

I was T1i for a week now and after extensive use, here are my thoughts:

1. 15.1 megapixels. Yes, the high number of megapixels is impressive, but keep in mind that when you approach the higher resolutions, it is necessary to ensure digital SLR lens that can resolve many details. Unfortunately, the included 18-55mm IS lens is functional, but the high resolution really shows the quality of so-so lens. Even taking the right approach, images may appear smooth with this kit lens. I have photos taken with the Canon EF-S 17-85mm and EF 70-200mm L are sharp. I have no complaints about the quality of the image. There are some problems with noise at higher ISOs that do not normally appear in the Nikon digital environment, but overall, the quality is amazing for the price. Skin tones, textures, colors are reproduced with great accuracy.

2. DIGIC 4. DIGIC 4 is to process / save 15 megapixel images at once (if not faster) than the DIGIC III, XSi (even in RAW + JPG). I also noticed that at higher ISOs, the sensor and DIGIC 4 processor produces images with less noise in general compared to their predecessors.

3. LCD. The 920,000 pixel LCD screen is large (3 "), sharp and bright and totally visible even in bright sunlight. In comparison, the Canon XSi SLR (which replaces the T1i), also has a 3" LCD, but with 230,000 pixels. The viewing angle is so great and the LCD screen is easy to see around 180 degrees around.

4. ISO 12800. Canon and Amazon are the correct identification of the T1i maxes out at ISO 3200. Some operators are less respectable list ISO 12800, which should be ignored. ISO 6400 and 12800 configurations are expanded ISO settings. Images taken on these two values ​​are pushed to ISO 3200 images 6400 and ISO 12800 by the DIGIC 4 chips before storing in the memory card. These images are very grainy and contain a lot of noise to be used only as snapshots or add an artistic effect for certain compositions.

5. Penta-mirror. Canon still uses a T1i is disappointing. The viewfinder penta-mirror is functional, but still noticeably darker than the penta-prism viewfinder of the Nikon D90 (which is the main competitor T1i). I really would have preferred to keep the sensor of the Canon XSi 12.2 megapixels, the loss of full 1080p video, and perhaps increased the cost of the camera a little to cover the costs of production by a penta-prism T1i . Honestly, unless massive crop your images, or create large images, the difference between 12.2 and 15.1 megapixels is really insignificant.

6. Size. This is the same as the XSi body, and therefore a bit on the smaller side compared to other digital SLR cameras. I have small hands, so the T1i is comfortable for me. If you have large hands, I can see that this is a very difficult camera to use for a long period of time. If you have not handled a Canon XT, XTi and XSi, I suggest you go to a store and maintain T1i before buying online. (I can send a photo T1i in my power to see a gallery of user for size reference).

7. High Definition Video. Yes, Canon's marketing department took a horrible marketing decision and pushed the limit on the record shelves T1i 1080 at 20fps (frames per second). Recognize this as a marketing gimmick that allows them to place a sticker on the 1080 box camera. 1080p @ 20fps is fine for the most part, but it seems that if you have a busy a lot of action on the frame or frame quickly. Video is recorded T1i 720p at 30 fps and is clean, smooth, and sufficient for all but the most demanding consumers. A major criticism is that although the sound is recorded in mono, and there is no input for an external microphone.

A lot of pre-production T1i comments criticizing their inability to auto focus automatically during recording. I would not put much weight on this review, mainly because none of the other two SLR cameras with HD recording capabilities (Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D90) can automatically autofocus while shooting anyone. What can be done with T1i is pan / zoom and press the AE lock button (*) to auto focus camera in the new edition (all during recording). One problem with using the AE lock button for the auto focus camera is the microphone of the camera is on the front left upper body near the lens mount. Therefore, the lens motor noise is to collect all sounds. Even with my Canon USM silent (ultasonic motor) lenses, engine noise is too loud when playing video. Although, remember, you can always manually turn the focus ring on the lens to the subject again in focus. Not easy, but after a little practice, it is very difficult, either.

Ultimately, you should not let the limitations of recording high-definition control one way or another. This is an SLR camera - not a video camera. High definition video is a great feature, but if you're looking primarily for taking video, look elsewhere. They are not much better, cheaper video cameras out there that can record 1080p.

8. The record button. For some reason, the video record button is next to the LCD (the same button used for direct printing). The first few times you take video, you will find the shutter button to take pictures using intuitive. The reason for this option is that you can take a photo while recording video, although it will stop recording.

9. Battery. My first fully charged battery lasts about 250 shots (without flash), but all charges and gave me the range of 500 to 700 shots per charge. I guess the first charge was short-lived, because I spent a little time to learn the camera menus and settings.

10. Live View. Honestly, I can not analyze this as I have not used it much yet - I prefer to use the viewfinder. One feature that I can say is good is that, in the LCD display, digital zoom (10x) in a section of the outlet to make sure it is properly focused. This, and the right approach can really help if you are into macro photography.

11. An HDMI cable. The T1i has an HDMI type C in the body that allows you to directly view pictures and videos on an HDTV. One minor criticism is that the type C HDMI cable is not included in the box. You have to buy separately. Would have been nice if included, as there is a cable expensive.

Conclusion. The T1i is some light at the end but the building still feels solid. According to the price of the camera, it would be hard to find any digital SLR camera to be given all the resources and the growing range of Canon T1i. The camera is intuitive enough for beginners on the picture to choose and learn easily, but configurable enough for amateurs. If the video is not a big problem for you, then get the Canon XSi. There T1i very little (except for ISO 3200 and a clear screen) that the XSi does not. Moreover, with the launch of the T1i, you can probably get an XSi used for a great price on eBay. My wife recently gave birth and I'm not looking for endless recording (not to be seen) video tapes of our son, but I minutes several clips from it as it grows over the years. I've always been more inclined to photography, so this gives me a very versatile digital SLR camera that I have the wonderful ability to record HD video I want.