!#5: Canon EOS Rebel T3i - A Brief, First-Hand Review

!±8± Canon EOS Rebel T3i - A Brief, First-Hand Review

Being an avid photographer, I have had chances to meet both fellow hobbyists and professionals. Whether these groups of people were relatives, friends or acquaintances, these encounters were natural opportunities for me to try out their equipment; I must say that among all the equipment I have tried, there were several hits and misses.

When it comes to photography equipment, I naturally seem to disregard any camera which in my view, has a major lack of functionality, or which is just plain non-user friendly. For instance, I like cameras with fast-focusing, low noise at high ISO speeds and great low-light performance. A tillable screen to capture awkward angles more easily (especially when shooting for events) is also a plus point. Aesthetics and ergonomics also play a part, but I digress...

Now back to the point. In this article, I am going to give a brief, first-hand review on the Canon Eos Rebel T3i DSLR camera (also known as the Eos 600D). There are reasons why I specially chose to write about this camera, henceforth, I shall list a few.

Firstly, I like the external design of the camera. The buttons seem to be well-sorted; no setting difficult to find. Therefore, in terms of ergonomics, this scores well. This overall well-proportioned design comes with a relatively small and lightweight body. Having a tillable screen is an added bonus! For people who think that this camera is too large for their hands, purchasing an external battery grip would solve the problem (as evident on my friend's Rebel). According to my him, this greatly extends battery life too, so why not!

The Canon EOS Rebel T3i has an 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor and with such a high-megapixel count, clarity and fine details in pictures are evident. There's low noise at high ISO speeds despite the T3i having such a high megapixel count. On a side note, I managed to find a 10-year old Canon 75-300mm telephoto lens, dormant and near-forgotten in my storeroom. Being curious, I tested it on a T3i. Even though the lens' internal glass had mild fungal growth (due to high surrounding humidity), the pictures still came out clear and sharp, which is testament to Canon's build quality! Even the auto-focus motor was working faultlessly! Fast-forward to today, the Canon EOS Rebel T3i still meets expectations of their long-renowned build-quality and it certainly feels robust in your hands.

Overall, I find this a very good camera for those upgrading from a point-and-shoot. Sure, there are much cheaper DSLRs around, but in terms of value-for-money, this camera is unmatched. Therefore, I find that the T3i is certainly a worthy investment. Due to the remarkable specifications, this camera can follow you far during your journey as a photographer, no matter whether as a hobbyist, or a budding professional. Be sure to check it out!

For those who are interested in the Canon EOS Rebel T3i, you can find more information about this particular product, such as pricing, manufacturer's product description and fellow photographers' reviews here. Happy shooting!