topic Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Garciajr17 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 06:18:54 GMT

hello, I need help deciding if the camera i wan to purchase is worth buying. Im new to the camera world so some help would be greatly appreciated!

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Waddizzle — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 16:10:04 GMT

A camera is only as good as the person who wields it. With that said, the T3i is a very capable camera, especially when paired with quality lenses.

Vendors. I would advise only purchasing camera gear from the most reputable dealers, none of whom exist on Amazon or eBay.. Buyer beware, when it comes to used gear, too. If youi want a deal, I suggest the Canon Refurbished Store. Look for the link at the lower right corner of this forum page.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

ScottyP — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 15:59:05 GMT

Canon made almost no discernible improvements to the Rebel line with the T4i and T5i, so the T3i is really only bested by the current T6i. If you get a good deal on one it would be a good camera. I had one myself, actually.

Going with an inexpensive body for your first camera is smart, as it leaves you with money for better lenses, which are in almost all circumstances going to give you more noticeable image quality improvement than a slightly more expensive body would.

What sort of things would you primarily shoot? It is important in choosing lenses.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Garciajr17 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:28:28 GMT

Im getting the camera used ofcourse with an extra lense, im paying 385 witch i feel like a good deal because ive seen some lenses go for just that. And another reason is its my first camera and don't want to spend crazy money until i fully learn how to use this one. thonk the price is good?

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

TTMartin — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:33:15 GMT

@Garciajr17 wrote:
Im getting the camera used ofcourse with an extra lense, im paying 385 witch i feel like a good deal because ive seen some lenses go for just that. And another reason is its my first camera and don't want to spend crazy money until i fully learn how to use this one. thonk the price is good?

Before buying used be sure to look at Canon's refurbished offerings.

Refurbished EOS Digital SLR and M Series Digital Cameras

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

ebiggs1 — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 13:55:24 GMT

"Im getting the camera used ofcourse with an extra lense, im paying 385 ..."

Any modern DSLR is capable of really nice photos. IMHO $385 would be top dollar for a used one. Even with two lenses. If it is in good shape it will work well for you. It is probably one of the 'kits' Canon offered back when the Rebel T3i was in production. If it is one of the kits make sure everything works. The kit lenses are not real durable and don't react well to abuse.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Waddizzle — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 14:30:58 GMT

@Garciajr17 wrote:
Im getting the camera used ofcourse with an extra lense, im paying 385 witch i feel like a good deal because ive seen some lenses go for just that. And another reason is its my first camera and don't want to spend crazy money until i fully learn how to use this one. thonk the price is good?

As I noted above, buying used is ALWAYS chancy, most especially when you are unfamiliar with the gear. If you are buying used, I recommend that you purchase from a reputable dealer, or purchase it under conditions where you can inspect and test the gear ahead of time.

Stay away form eBay and Amazon, too. There are countless posts in these forums from people who purchased used from questionable sources, and now they are stuck with something that doesn't work ... after paying hundreds of dollars. How well regarded are the lenses that are coming with the used camera? A deal that is too good to be true, usually isn't true. Buyer beware.

I strongly suggest that you follow the above advice, and LINK, to the Canon Refurbished Store. IMHO, it is the best source for discounted Canon gear. Every DSLR and EOS lens that I have looked at there comes with a one year warranty. Your used gear will come with a 15-30 day guarantee, at best if you buy used gear from a major retailer.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

BurnUnit — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 12:28:49 GMT

If I remember correctly, I think it was a T3i that I was comparing to the 60D when I went camera shopping a few years ago. By going to a local camera store I was able to handle both cameras and ask questions face to face. The T3i and 60D are functionally nearly clones with more similarities than differences. The T3i was slightly smaller and lighter. The 60D had slightly faster continuous shooting and a built in wireless flash trigger. The differences were really minor for my needs and wants.

In the end I paid a bit more for the 60D because it felt better in my hands and the controls seemed a bit less cramped. And I bought it from the store where I had made my comparison. But the T3i still seemed like a more than capable camera for the money. And either way you still get the tilt-swivel LCD panel.

Don't get in too big of a rush to buy and keep checking the Canon Refurb Store.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Garciajr17 — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 18:00:28 GMT

im goign to take another look at it its at a pawn shop and looks to be freat shape..the also have a 70d i belive it is but i liked the style of the t3i better. Ive been checking on the canon refurb section so for the mena time ill keep doing that. how do i find out if anything is faulty?

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Garciajr17 — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 18:02:32 GMT

how good is the 70d they also have one of those.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

TTMartin — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 18:55:03 GMT

@Garciajr17 wrote:
how good is the 70d they also have one of those.

The 70D is a great camera.

Good AF system (better than the T3i)

Fairly high Frames Per Second (FPS) to capture the right moment.

Tilt-swivel LCD screen for unusual angle photos.

Dual-pixel AF for superior focus in video or liveview modes.

Good ISO range and due to the dual pixel sensor, when there is noise it is very fine (like film grain) and easy to manage.

Again before you buy check refurbished prices. And if you're getting used lenses make sure they are the STM version and not swapped out for cheaper non-STM lenses.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Waddizzle — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 20:44:36 GMT

@Garciajr17 wrote:
im goign to take another look at it its at a pawn shop and looks to be freat shape..the also have a 70d i belive it is but i liked the style of the t3i better. Ive been checking on the canon refurb section so for the mena time ill keep doing that. how do i find out if anything is faulty?

Everything available for sale at the Refurb Store is fully tested, functional, and guaranteed for a year. You can't bet that with a stick.

How do you know if something at the local pawn shop is faulty? If you cannot tell, I guess you cannot know for certain. There is a host of functionality built into a DSLR. There is no way to test all of it in a few minutes. You cannot test the external flash, the remote IR input, the HDMI input, USB communication, etc. Yeah, it can take a picture. So, what. I'd bet the gear is being sold "as is", without any guarantee, at the pawn shop. It could be good stuff. It could be bad stuff. It's a gamble some folks are willing to take, but not me.

The Canon Refurb store can have items in stock one day, and gone the next. It can vary from week to week, and sometimes from day to day. The 70D bodies seem to be selling out. They may get more in a couple of days or weeks, or in a couple of months. You never know.

The Canon Refurb store also sells lenses. Sometimes you can put together a better combo for your purposes by picking your own lens, instead of going with one that they have paired with it. Lenses are where the rubber hits the road. You can only take good pictures with a good lens. Some Canon lenses are designed to be "starter" lenses, just good enough to wow the new user. Sticking to STM lenses is good advice.

If you have any questions about what works with what, and why, just ask.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

TTMartin — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 21:29:54 GMT

@Garciajr17 wrote:
im goign to take another look at it its at a pawn shop and looks to be freat shape..the also have a 70d i belive it is but i liked the style of the t3i better. Ive been checking on the canon refurb section so for the mena time ill keep doing that. how do i find out if anything is faulty?

$385 for a pawn shop T3i sounds way over priced. If the T3i is overpriced the 70D probably is too. I would skip the pawn shop and buy a refurbished camera direct from Canon.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

Waddizzle — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 22:11:48 GMT

@TTMartin wrote:
@Garciajr17 wrote:
im goign to take another look at it its at a pawn shop and looks to be freat shape..the also have a 70d i belive it is but i liked the style of the t3i better. Ive been checking on the canon refurb section so for the mena time ill keep doing that. how do i find out if anything is faulty?
$385 for a pawn shop T3i sounds way over priced. If the T3i is overpriced the 70D probably is too. I would skip the pawn shop and buy a refurbished camera direct from Canon.

That guy's wise. Listen to him, Don't let your money burn a hole in your pocket at the local pawn shop. Exercise some patience. Heed some good advice. And, you will be rewarded beyond expectations. I think the 7D could make a good entry level camera, too. The only problem I foresee with it might be what Operating System you want to use with it.

I have made several purchases through the Canon Refurb store. I wait for what i want to come "in stock", and I buy it. I laugh at Canon every time for "giving away" stuff at such deep discounts. Thanks again, Canon.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

RobertTheFat — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 05:00:40 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
@TTMartin wrote:
@Garciajr17 wrote:
im goign to take another look at it its at a pawn shop and looks to be freat shape..the also have a 70d i belive it is but i liked the style of the t3i better. Ive been checking on the canon refurb section so for the mena time ill keep doing that. how do i find out if anything is faulty?
$385 for a pawn shop T3i sounds way over priced. If the T3i is overpriced the 70D probably is too. I would skip the pawn shop and buy a refurbished camera direct from Canon.
That guy's wise. Listen to him, Don't let your money burn a hole in your pocket at the local pawn shop. Exercise some patience. Heed some good advice. And, you will be rewarded beyond expectations. I think the 7D could make a good entry level camera, too. The only problem I foresee with it might be what Operating System you want to use with it.

I have made several purchases through the Canon Refurb store. I wait for what i want to come "in stock", and I buy it. I laugh at Canon every time for "giving away" stuff at such deep discounts. Thanks again, Canon.

I strongly agree with Tom and Waddizzle. If you really know what you're doing, you may be able to get a good deal at a place like a pawn shop. If you don't (and maybe even if you do), you can get badly stung. Let me put it this way: I've been using digital cameras for thirteen years, and I wouldn't try it.

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

ebiggs1 — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:30:31 GMT

Ccomic relief at its best

Re: Is the EOS rebel t3i good camera?

BurnUnit — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 01:09:30 GMT

I think the biggest concern with buying a camera out of pawn is that the previous owner might have bought it on a whim with no real previous photography experience. He may have gotten frustrated after a time and not treated the camera particularly well. It may not have been stored properly or left laying in a closed car on hot summer days. It may have been exposed to more moisture than it should have been. Of course all this could be true of any used camera.

If you're really stuck on this camera, at the very least you should probably make them an offer of maybe $325 and see what they say. And be sure to ask them what their warranty and return policies are. If they don't have one, walk away. I recently bought an Elph 160 at a pawn shop that offered, I think, 7 or 10 days to return the camera for a full refund and 30 days for full credit toward another purchase. This camera didn't have a mark or scuff on it anywhere and it only took me a couple days to figure out that everything worked as it should.