Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm IS II Lens and EOS HD Movie Mode (Black) Reviews
- 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.
The Canon 5157B002 includes the EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera and the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS type II Lens. This camera and lens is perfect for photographers ready to make the move to digital SLR photography. The EOS Rebel T3 delivers beautiful photos and video, speed, simplicity and fun. It features a 12.2 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor and Canon DIGIC 4 Image Processor for richly detailed images and quick camera response. It has Canon's amazing 63-zone, dual-layer metering for accurate exposu
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5.0/61voteVoting statistics:
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Tags: 12.2,
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Black,
Canon,
CMOS,
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A great little DSLR worth your consideration.,
You will probably read a lot of reviews of this camera that are rather dismissive of its look, feel, and feature set. And while I cannot defend the lack of a rubberized handgrip… spend any amount of time with this camera and you will find it simple, yet competent little DSLR which gets the most important thing right.
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.
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. If you need a budget action shooting DSLR, your best bet is the Pentax K-r.
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 1280×720 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…
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|Great bang for the buck,
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
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|Love it!,
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
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