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How do I choose my first Canon DSLR camera?

BGarcia
Apprentice

 I've had a Sony for 4 years, but owning a Canon is my dream. I've grown as a photographer, winning some contests and doing small family/group shoots. I still need to learn about manual shooting. It's seems like there are so many variations. Then I hear it's not best to buy the kit. I've been looking at the EOS T3i. Can anyone advise me on this?

4 REPLIES 4

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

It's best not to buy those "bundles" that comes with lots and lots of "accessories" -- but the "kit" is fine.  The lens in the kit is typically matched to the grade of camera.  Higher end cameras come with higher end kit lenses.  Entry level bodies are paired with entry-level kit lenses.

 

You do get a bit of a savings buying the kit and it gets you started, but of course the very best lenses are a bit more expensive and to keep "kits" affordable, these are not the lenses included with the kits.

 

A "kit" lens is typically a walk-around general purpose lens with a bit of wide-angle and a bit of telephoto but nothing extreme on either side (just "wide"... not "ultra wide" and the zoom is just moderate "telephoto"... not "super-telephoto".)

 

The "kit" lens with the T3i is the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS.  It has nice optical quality, but a slower focusing motor.  The end of the lens rotates when you focus (it does not have inner-focusing).  Canon's new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM uses Canon's new stepper motor technology.  The focus is a bit faster and much quieter... but also the lens has inner-focusing (does not rotate as it focuses) and they've impvoed the optical quality a bit (although the old one was actually pretty good in terms of optical quality.)

 

Canon's very best glass are the "L" series lenses.  You'll recognize them because they have a red stripe or ring around the end of the lens barrel.  The model always has the L suffix after the focal ratio.  E.g.    EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM (the "L" is always printed in red).  "L" lenses must be able to work on every EOS camera -- and since the "EF-S" lenses are designed for APS-C crop-frame sensor cameras, there are no "L" series EF-S lenses... but that does not mean there are no extremely good EF-S lenses -- it's just that Canon wont give it an "L" designation.  The EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is an extremely nice lens.  

 

The T3i is a few years old.  Just about once per year Canon will update the Rebel line with a new model.  Last year they announced the T5i.  The year before it was the T4i.  The year before that it was the T3i.  This year they'll probably announce a T6i (unless they call it something else.)

 

The T3i was the first Rebel body to have an articulated LCD screen and also the first to have a pop-up flash that could act as a remote optical trigger for off-camera flash.  The T4i introduced the touch screen LCD and also changed the 9 point AF focus system to have all 9 "cross type" points (the T3i has a center "cross type" AF point and the remaining 8 points are single-axis points.)  

 

The 60D and 70D are mid-range cameras.  The 60D is surprisingly affordable right now becuase the 70D is basically it's replacement (but you can still get the 60D).  The 60D has all 9 "cross type" points, but it also has a control layout that more resembles the pro bodies -- with a 2nd LCD on the top and a few instant-access buttons to the most commonly used functions.   On the rear of the body there's a large wheel / dial which works in conjunction with the main dial on the front of the body (near the shutter button).  When shooting manual these are ergonomically positioned so that your index finger can easily control the front dial and your thumb can easily control the rear dial.  One adjust shutter speed, the other adjusts aperture -- very fast control  On a Rebel body there's only the front dial.  When in full manual you turn the dial to adjust shutter speed, and press-and-hold the Av button while turning the front dial to control aperture.  Not quite as direct as the 60D.

 

The full-frame cameras offer a very noticeable improvement in ISO performance.  Of these, the 6D is the most affordable.  That's Canon's entry into the full-frame body world, but all full-frame bodies are fairly expensive compared to crop-frame bodies.

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

"I've had a Sony for 4 years, ..."

 

A Sony what? Depending on what model Sony you have a T3i may not be a significant improvement. Unlike Tim, my enthusiasm for any of the "kit" lenses at this level would not be my first choice. If you are decided on a T3i, you can absolutely select a better lens for it. As Tim says, the kit is a starter and great for the entirely beginner.

The sensors in the T3i, the T4i and the T5i are nearly the same. At least quality wise.

A T3i and a selected "L" series lens will make a great combo. And it is a good buy.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

I'm not sure I'd call it "enthusiasm" for the kit lens.  I try to break apart the components of the lens and point at that there is more to lens selection than simply evaluating the optical quality alone.

 

Examples:

 

  • optical quality of the glass
  • whether or not a zoom lens offers fixed aperture vs. variable aperture
  • the lowest focal ratio available  (will you require shallow depth of field or good performance in low light)
  • the number and shape of the aperture blades (which contributes greatly to the character of out-of-focus blur)
  • performance of the focus motors (do you plan to shoot action photography)
  • whether or not the lens has inner-focus  (will you be using a circular polarizer)
  • whether or not the lens has inner-zoom
  • does it have image stabilization and effectively how many "stops" of IS does it offer
  • build quality of the body
  • also whether or not it is weather-sealed
  • and then there are other "nits" -- I always want a distance scale to read when focusing and several lenses no longer bother to include these (when doing night-sky photography it's necessary to manually focus the lens to the infinity mark and that's easily when the lens doesn't have a focus distance scale)

And this is by no means a complete list.

 

The "kit" lens only hits a couple of these bullets (it has IS and the "in-focus" quality looks pretty decent paticualrly near the middle).  If a person is shooting non-action photography and generally in situations with plenty of available light, and they prefer a broad depth of field then... by those standards the kit lens is actually not a bad choice.  I've seen stunning landscape photography shot with a "kit" lens.  But when it comes to stunning sports photography taken with a kit lens... there's not so much of that.

 

It doesn't hit most of the other bullets and there are many reasons why those other bullets might be particularly important to some form of photography.

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

amfoto1
Authority

Hi,

 

The standard Canon-assembled "kits" are fine....

 

Those are the ones where Canon themself has pre-packaged camera and lens(es) together.

 

With the T3i you'll most commonly find it bundled with the EF-S 18-55mm IS (or IS/STM) lens. You also likely willl find it with both the 18-55mm and the EF-S 55-250 IS (now also sometimes in STM version). An alternative you will somtimes find is the camera with the EF-S 18-135mm IS (also somtimes in STM version), though this "kit" lens is more often bundled with the 60D or 70D, than the Rebel series.

 

You have to watch out for retailer bundles, where they substitute lower quality items and add a bunch of inexpensive stuff such as a flimsy tripod, an off-brand memory card, some poor quality filters, etc. You will see these online occasionally, from some less than reputible "dealers". Often the prices sound too good to be true, because they are. Sometimes they use bait n switch tactics, telling you things such as the kit doesn't include a battery charger, but they have one available at a steeply inflated price, or that the camera is a special version that has the menu only in some obscure language and that's why it's so much cheaper.

 

So long as you stick with the more reputible online dealers such as B&H Photo, Adorama, etc. you will generally be fine. Amazon is generally good, too. Many people find good deals at Best Buy, as well. There are many good dealers to choose among... no need to go to some of the shadier ones. A basic rule of thumb... if you find prices that are significantly less than B&H or Adorama, be suspicious. Those are two of the highest volume stores in the U.S., so other dealers are unlikely to be able to beat their prices by very much. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

 

Really all the current Canon DSLRs are quite capable of taking great photographs. There are differences in some of the features, model to model. One of the "factory" kits may be a convenient starting point and can be good, or if you have a bit more to spend you might want to choose a camera model that leaves enough in your budget to be able to upgrade lenses or add other accessories you feel you need.... In most cases, lenses will ultimately make more difference in your photos than the camera they are used upon.

 

For example, instead of the EF-S 18-55mm "kit" lens, you might want to consider the wider and longer EF-S 15-85mm IS USM lens as a very versatile choice. Or, if you like to shoot in lower light situations, you may prefer the EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens. Instead of the EF-S 55-250mm "kit" lens, you might prefer the EF 70-200mm f4L IS USM or EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM.... These are professional grade, workhorse lenses that cost a lot more than the kit lenses, but provide a number of benefits: faster and more accurate autofocus, more effecive image stabilization, higher build quality and better sealing against dust and moisture, and more. Image quality will be better, too.... though the "kit" lenses, used right, are pretty darned capable.  

 

You also might already have some more specialized lenses in mind.... Such as a fast, short telephoto like the EF 50/1.4 or EF 85/1.8 if you plan to shoot a lot of portraits. Or perhaps a macro lens such as the EF-S 60/2.8 USM or EF 100/2.8 USM or 100/2.8L USM IS, if macro photography is something you want to do a lot. Or you might enjoy photographing scenery and want a wide angle lens such as the EF-S 10-22mm USM.

 

I wish people would spend more time choosing their lenses than their cameras, since the lenses will actually make a bigger difference. And senses chosen well might actually outlast your camera.... I switched to the Canon system in 2001, buying two film cameras and four lenses at the time (I had a really good idea what I needed because I'd already been shooting with a variety of other systems for 20+ years). I still have and use three of those four lenses, and have added a number of others as needs and opportunity arose in the years since.

 

Meanwhile I've switched from film to digital cameras, and used four different generations of DSLRs extensively (more generations than that if I count short duration use of loaners or rental cameras). Now the development of digital technology has slowed a bit, so there might be less need to upgrade as frequently... But still I expect cameras will come and go... While lenses - bought right - are more of a long term investment.  

 

Think of what you are buying as a "system".... camera, lens(es), and accessories. In addition to the camera and lens(es), you'll need memory cards, possibly spare batteries, lens hoods, maybe some useful filters, an accessory flash, perhaps a tripod, a convenient bag to carry it all around in... Well, you get the idea. You also might need software, a computer that's up to the task or image editing, extra hard drive storage and backup space, etc.

 

You don't have to get everything right away, but may want to lay out a plan, prioritize what you have to get now and what you'd like to add later based upon your needs.  Don't worry if your plans might change over time (they will!)... just lay out a plan now as a starting point.

 

Have fun shopping!

 

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM 

 





 

 

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