Thoughts on Canon EOS Rebel T6

[tinekastil2]

Hello guys, I'm looking into buying my first profesional camera and I found this one. I don't have a big budget so I think it might be a good option. Have you used it? Is it good for beginner's photography? I would really appreciate any comment. I'll leave the link to it below. Either way, thank you for your feedback and have a nice day!

[kvbarkley]

While not a "professional" camera, it is a good camera to start getting into interchangeable lens digital SLR's.

[ebiggs1]

" I'm looking into buying my first profesional camera ..."

The T6 is NOT a professional camera. It is the very beginning entry level consumer model Canon offers and may not even be in the line by now. I have not checked recently.

" Is it good for beginner's photography?"

Yes it is.  But keep that thought in mind, if you really get bitten by the photography bug, you will want a more featured and better built camera soon.  I always recommend folks that are just starting out to get the full featured Rebel camera. The current latest is the T8i but they still have the T7i for sale.  I don't know if the T6i is still out there. The bottom line it any of these "i" cameras will be a better choice. IMHO, of course.

Full disclosure in my DSLR 101 classes there were lots of T3, T5 and yes T6 cameras.  Mostly Moms that wanted better photos than their smartphone makes. They all seemed perfectly happy with the T6 or whatever T they had, so there you are.

[Waddizzle]

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@ryanpandey

 wrote:

Hello guys, I'm looking into buying my first profesional camera and I found this one. I don't have a big budget so I think it might be a good option. Have you used it? Is it good for beginner's photography? I would really appreciate any comment. I'll leave the link to it below. Either way, thank you for your feedback and have a nice day!!

Canon Rebel t6 (Amazon): Canon EOS Rebel T6 Digital SLR Camera Kit with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens (Black) [link removed per forum guidelines] Instagram: sebasgzz (almost every photo has been shot with iPhone 5s or 7)

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I do not recommend buying big ticket items on Amazon or eBay.  You cannot always tell who the seller is.  You want to purchase NEW gear only from an authorized Canon dealer.  Many sellers claim to be factory authorized when they are not.  The Canon web site has a list of factory authorized dealers.

Or, you could buy your camera gear direct from Canon.  The Rebel T6 is an entry level DSLR.  It is a far cry from a professional grade camera, and ditto for the lenses in the camera kit.  Here is a link to the Canon Online Refurbished Store.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-rebel-t6-ef-s-18-55mm-f-35-56-is-ii-kit-refurbished

Your T6 is currently on sale, as are a couple of better Rebel bodies.  Note the last letters of the lens model number.  That is an older version of the lens.  I would suggest a kit that includes an STM version of the 18-55mm lens.  

[Tronhard]

I assume that you are in the United States so you could take advantage of Canon's refurbished sales features and get one that may have been returned for an innocuous reason.  You should get a warranty and you will know it is a fully functional unit.  The Rebel series, while a DSLR is a consumer-level unit but Canon make these as one of their strengths so they can do amazing work and you will certainly be able to learn a lot with them.

Personally I have bought big ticket items from both Amazon and Ebay, but I am careful, as one would be anyway to make sure that the vendor has made a lot of sales and has an approval rating above body temperature i.e. 98.6%.

By doing so I have not been disappointed so far.

Finally if you are just beginning you could consider an older camera body - frankly they still can take amazing photos - and get a decent all-around lens. The three main things to get right are the Aperture, shutter speed and ISO, and all DSLRs give you control over those. Advanced features and big pixel counts are, to me, not necessary for a student.  

Not being aware of your budget I would suggest seeking the Canon EF-S 18-135 IS STM lens for general photography.  Again you can get them from people who got one as a kit but already have a similar lens.

[TCampbell]

One important distinction to be aware of is that there is something called "gray market" cameras.

Canon imports cameras into the USA and these are either sold directly by Canon or by authorized Canon dealers.

But there are also companies who acquire and import their own cameras (that don't come through Canon distribution).  They're real Canon cameras... they just didn't come through the right distribution channels.   Often they are sold at a slight discount (but usually not much).  (There are also the counterfeits to watch for, but gray market cameras actually are real.)

But here's the difference:  Warranty & Serviceability

If you buy an "import" camera (aka "gray market"), you do NOT get a Canon factory warranty and Canon may refuse to service the camera (even outside warranty where you are willing to pay for the service).  Often the stores claim they will provide their own store warranty and provide store service... but that's not really at the same level as Canon factory warranty & service.

Some sellers actually offer both versions but you'll find something in the description that says it's "USA" or "Import" (USA means it was imported by Canon, Import means the store imported it through other methods and it's a gray market camera).

When you receive the camera, a USA camera will have

(a) the serial number of the camera printed on the BOX will match the serial number of the camera printed on the BODY.  

(b) the warranty card in the box will say "USA & Canada only" across the entire form on the card *and* the serial number of the camera body will be pre-printed on the warranty card.

If instead you have a warranty card that says "Canon International Warranty" then you have an import and that's a gray-market camera.   

Usually the savings are too small to interest me in the hassle of having a camera that isn't backed by factory warranty or service.

Canon updates the authorized dealer list every month.  You can find the latest list here:  

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/contactus/where-to-buy/authorized-dealers/

[Stephen]

All of Tim's information above is great and correct, but I just wanted to leave this link, to piggyback and give everyone Canon's official stance on Gray Market: http://Canon.us/lx2b 

I hope this helps! 

[ebiggs1]

"Canon EOS Rebel T6 Digital SLR Camera Kit with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens (Black)"

Never, ever, ever buy a Amazon amazing camera kit.  It is junk.  Also like others have said never buy gray market if you live in the US.

[John_]

I have the T6i with the two lenses after owning Powershot point and shoot models, like the SX50HS. The T6 is loaded with buttons, settings, accessories and all sorts of features a point and shoot camera does not offer. There will be a fairly long learning curve to get the most out of the T6 but if you are willing to devote the time and practice I think it is a good choice. I looked at the link you included and if you can afford the 2 lens kit I would suggest getting that one. I find myself spending a lot more time referring to the manual than with my point and shoot models. In addition, there are books written specifically for the T6 that help to understand it better on Amazon. Of course, there are better Canon models but the budget is the key. If you find learning, exploring, experimenting and investing the time with photography interesting then go for it! Wait for others here to reply, there are professional photographers, professors, teachers, etc. with much more knowledge than I have to give their opinions.

[ebiggs1]

"The T6 is loaded with buttons, settings, accessories and all sorts of features a point and shoot camera does not offer."

Except for the ability to change lenses, there are Powershot P&S cameras that have similar buttons and settings to a T6. Some even have more.