Help Picking New Camera

[devyn]

Hello, I have had my Canon EOS Rebel T3 for 8 years and I think it's time to upgrade as Christmas is coming up. I shoot usually nature or portraits and I find that this camera isn't as clear as others I have tried (such as the t6) I was wondering what you guys recommend as I am super into photography and want the new features that new cameras have. My budget is anything under $800. Thank you!

[jrhoffman75]

Canon has T8i on Black Friday sale for $750. 

[ebiggs1]

"My budget is anything under $800."

Well the obvious answer is the Rebel t8i. $750 bucks and you'er all in.

However, this statement makes it a little different.  "I am super into photography..."  Consider............Canon EOS 90D DSLR.

It is a fantastic camera and the best ever in the crop series of cameras. Yes, it does blow your budget by a couple hundred but, "I am super into photography...". just might make it worth it. It will still use all your current lens inventory. Later an ever better lens upgrade is the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens.  It is a sharp, it is fast, it is constant aperture and a perfect zoom range lens.

[devyn]

thank you so so much!

[Waddizzle]

I assume that you already own lenses.  I would recommend graduating out of the Rebel family of cameras.  Spend a little bit more on an 80D or the newer 90D.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-80d-body-refurbished 

Canon has very attractive Black Friday deals on the T8i, but that is still a Rebel body.  

[devyn]

thank you! i do have lenses and may i ask why you recommend graduating out of the rebel family of cameras? lol

[Waddizzle]

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@devyn wrote:
thank you! i do have lenses and may i ask why you recommend graduating out of the rebel family of cameras? lol

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Features and build quality.  You suggested that you are passionate and serious about photography, and I don't mean myopic about it, then you want a real camera body.  Rebels are entry level cameras, all of them.  They have training wheels and governors on their carboreutors.  

The mid-range xxD bodies, with the exception of the 77D, have bettter sealing against dust and moisture, alloy body shells instead of plastic, and better battery life.  Perhaps the best feature is that you can calibrate lenses to the camera body for more precise focusing.  Mid-range bodies also have better AF systems, and more features not found in the Rebel series.

The 80D is still a very capable camera, even though it was superseded by the 90D a year ago.

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

"Rebels are entry level cameras, all of them."

This is a little simplistic and snobbish. The T8i is an extremely capable camera. It will do anything the average photographer wants and then some. I used Rebels in a business setting for many years and they preformed flawlessly.  The big difference is the build quality.

And, like almost every other consumer product as they go up in model levels you pick up a few new features. Some may be of no value to you, some might be. Take for instance bluetooth, if you never have a need for it, is it worth paying for? The answer to me is no, I will never use it so I don't see it as a 'new' feature. You get the drift?

The main reason I choose to use a 1 series camera is build quality. Not that it produces better IQ than any other camera.  As a matter of fact they don't!  Or, that it has a bevy of features that other cameras don't? No, it is build. As you grow in photography you will probably use your camera more and more that is why you buy better constructed gear.

If your current Rebel is doing all you ask, you will be thrilled with the T8i and you will hit your budget goal. If on the other hand you feel this is a good opportunity to up your game, check out the 90D.  I would suggest you go 90D and not 80D if the decide the t8i isn't your choice. Don't buy old tech if you don't have to. New tech (90D) stays viable longer.

[devyn]

thank you so much for this response!!

[John_SD]

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@devyn wrote:

"...I am super into photography and want the new features that new cameras have. My budget is anything under $800. Thank you!

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The guys have given you some great advice regarding various camera bodies, and I think all of it is spot-on, as long as you're not looking too far into the future. 

Here's your problem. DSLRs are quickly becoming a thing of the past and are being supplanted by mirrorless technology. This is a good and bad thing, at once. The good is that the mirrorless tech is growing by leaps and bounds and is unquestiobnably not only the future but in many ways the present. The mirrorless gear is generally lighter and easier to carry around for us outdoor photographers who are on our feet for hours. And the tech is incredible. I love the EVF, and that was one thing I wasn't sure I would get used to. Because checking out a camera at the shop is a lot different from using it in the field all day. I myself just upgraded from a T6 to an EOS RP. I love the camera, got a great deal on it and an RF lens, and the tech and capabilities are a substantial upgrade from the T6. The bad thing about all this is that you are presented with an increasingly challenging set of decisions you are going to have to make. Do you want to invest your money in an older system and a technology that you may want to leave behind in a year or two when you see what mirrorless can do for you. That's something only you can decide.