- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Canon Rebel T3i
- 17.9 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
Released February, 2011
Conclusion Check out the Canon Rebel T3i
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Canon Rebel T3i
17.9 MP
APS-C
Rated 78% by by c|net (Mar, 2011)Ironically, this design is more suited to pros who plan to use the camera as a cheap video dSLR and never take it off the video setting than to the consumers at whom it's ostensibly targeted.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24.1 MP    | 30 MP |
Rebel T3i by BaseballFanatic (Jan, 2012)I also took some pictures of a social event I attended (using the 18-55mm lens)and the 18 megapixels really helps the people in the photos to stand out and look sharp.
sensor size
Rebel T3i by Dave-K. (May, 2011)This is not a professional level SLR, but it performs very well as a small, light APS-C camera.
Rebel T3i by M.-Wright--MattAfter playing with a friend's 5DMarkII, I appreciated the full frame capabilities and quality, but I wanted to take this backpacking and the weight and size were much more suitable for me.
viewfinder size
Rebel T3i by dojoklo (Feb, 2011)Viewfinder: The T3i has a pentamirror viewfinder with 95% coverage of the actual resulting image.
Rebel T3i by David-Robert (Jan, 2012)One nice feature for those who wear corrective lenses (like me)... is the quality dioptric adjustment knob for the camera view finder.
body size
133 x 100 x 80 mm
129 x 98 x 62 mm
124 x 97 x 74 mm
Rebel T3i by David-C.-Spooner--dspoon (Jul, 2011)My previous camera was a Panasonic DMC TZ5, a great little camera that even after 3 years is still pretty impressive for it's size.
Rebel T3i by JayLev (Dec, 2011)This SLR is lightweight and compact, yet has all the auto and manual features for easy picture taking.
focus points
| 0 | 15  | 40 |
Rebel T3i by Franck (Nov, 2011)Enhanced metering with a 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system for accurate metering between exposures, and 9-point AF system utilizing a high precision, f/2.8 cross-type center point.3.7 fps continuous shooting up to approximately 34 JPEGs or approximately 6 RAW.
Rebel T3i by iPad-fan (Nov, 2011)Focus points are not as good as the expensive models(which is justified by the price).
Performance Real world tests of Canon Rebel T3i
DxOMark image quality
Rebel T3i by this-game-is-awsome (Feb, 2012)Great for the beginner like my wife who sets it on full auto and takes great pictures of our gymnast and great for the intermediate like me who prefers many of the great manual functions for added effects and picture quality.
Rebel T3i by Luis-Trujillo (Oct, 2011)Note: you must get a tripod(still don't have one but I desperatly need one) or at least a low light lense like the 50mm f1.8(have one) to be able to take pictures at night(or in dark places) wiouth using the flash and with a low ISO setting.
DxOMark low light performance
Rebel T3i by Carole-M.-Rickman (Jan, 2012)It does take very nice quality low light pictures as long as the subject is sitting still.
Rebel T3i by Banu-Sit (Feb, 2012)I have several picture taken in low light, but they are quite sharp.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 283 ms  | 300 ms |
Rebel T3i by dollface (May, 2012)I will say that the shutter lag while in live view mode was a little disappointing, but IMO didn't warrant dropping a star :o.
Rebel T3i by Photography Blog (Mar, 2011)The Canon EOS 600D's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography.
continuous shooting
Rebel T3i by DPReview (Mar, 2011)Because it takes 8 seconds to fully clear its buffer in these modes, it's not terribly useful for shooting short bursts of action, since there's every chance the camera won't have recovered by the time you need another handful of shots.
Rebel T3i by peederj (Mar, 2011)And one way they found to do just that is by making the camera make far more noise than it needs to when doing continuous shooting.
battery life
440 photos
700 photos
690 photos
Rebel T3i by David-Robert (Jan, 2012)The T3is battery life is generally good... however, battery life is so subjective and is very dependent on how you shoot, the brightness of your LCD screen... and things like... whether you are using autofocus or not...For shooting photos, I have found the battery life to be excellent allowing me to take 400 to 600 shots before needed a change.
Rebel T3i by John (Sep, 2011)It has a solid and robust feel without being overly heavy, and the battery life is the usual Canon excellent length.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
focusing system -
HD video -
Generic -
Gives you more flexibility when framing your shot -
2 fps -
1,040 k dots -
Opaque -
Great for recording movies -
For that film look
cons
-
65.0 -
3.7 fps -
12,800 ISO -
1 -
None -
No automatic HDR -
95% -
22.1 bits -
1,500 ms -
11.5 ev -
283 ms -
440 -
Use buttons to access features and menus -
You'll have to protect your camera from the elements -
Feb, 2011 -
0.53x -
No automatic 3D -
No automatic stitching -
133 x 100 x 80 mm -
1/4000 s
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 1182 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by L.-R.-Jackson (Dec, 2011) Rated 100% by by DGK (Sep, 2011) |
Lens
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by Kenneth-G.-Cavness (Aug, 2011)Unless you're wanting to take significant zoom images, it's a clear, fast lens for most work.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 80% by by chowell726 (Aug, 2012)The only items that were not very good in this kit were the 2x telephoto lens and the wide angle lens.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by Harvey (Sep, 2011)The camera shoots pretty sharp images with the 18-55mm kit lens.
Video
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by David-Robert (Jan, 2012)The T3i also offers a 3x and 10x digital zoom that produces amazingly crisp video in movie mode.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by David-Robert (Jan, 2012)The EOS utility functions well for both photo and video shooting and provides a very nice simulation of what you will get... This bonus has been particularly helpful to me for shooting video since it eliminated the need to purchase a $1,000 field monitor.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by Church-Keys (Sep, 2012)We have shot a few stills on it, but purchased it as an economical choice for pro HD video.
Photography
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 60% by by R.-Kumar (Apr, 2012)But if you would like to take photography little more seriously than taking pics of kids indoors, you should invest in a decent quality tripod from the beginning.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by H.-Xu--Charles (Dec, 2012)I have taken a few sports pictures and got very good quality pictures.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by Ish-Singh (May, 2012)I will definitely recommend this camera to those who want to take the bold leap into the DSLR photography world, I can assure you that you will be amazed.
Screen
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by Dennis-A.-Amith-(kndy)Granted, higher end models may have a display right at the top but looking at the LCD, definitely read the manual and experiment how to change various settings and experiment how you can change on the fly.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by H.-Nottingham (Jun, 2011)The live view screen is large, bright, and crisp.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by Hammernmt (Jan, 2013)Sure the card is only 16GB and it's not a fast one, the extra battery seems to have less capacity as the original Canon, the tripod is slightly flimsy, the bag is a bit on the cheap side (though plenty roomy for a camera, 3 lenses, cleaning kit, and charger and extra battery), and the other items are not going to be used (card reader - have one on my laptop, screen protectors - cut to size)?
Focus
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 77% by by DPReview (Mar, 2011)In live view 'Live Mode' the whole package is considerably less impressive - the accuracy is fine but focusing will regularly take 3-4 seconds.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 100% by by evv_brewer (Dec, 2011)The auto-focus is superb and it takes only 3 or 4 shots to understand how to use the focus points in the viewfinder and get the image focus where you want it.
Canon Rebel T3i | Rated 60% by by vashistha (Jun, 2012)I always use viewfinder for shooting my images and live view display is useless to me due to the AF issue.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D5100 Largest sensor Nikon D5100 vs Canon Rebel T3i |
 | 2 | Nikon D3200 Quite high resolution Nikon D3200 vs Canon Rebel T3i |
 | 3 | Nikon D5200 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark Nikon D5200 vs Canon Rebel T3i |
 | 4 | Nikon D3100 7-way tie: Largest screen Nikon D3100 vs Canon Rebel T3i |
 | 5 | Canon EOS 550D OK delay taking photos EOS 550D vs Rebel T3i |
 | 6 | Canon Rebel T4i Has a touch screen T4i vs T3i |
 | 7 | Canon Rebel T3 Fastest to start up T3 vs T3i |
 | 8 | Sony SLT A58 Most detailed video recording mode Sony SLT A58 vs Canon Rebel T3i |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Editions Editions of the Canon 600D / T3i
| Price | Edition | Model | Continents | Autofocus while shooting video | Compare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | 600D | Europe | Manual | | ||||
 | | T3i | North America | | |||||
 | | X5 | Asia | | |||||
Popular Questions
May 9, 2012
Which camera is better for a 13 year old who wants to take classes
My daughter wants to start taking photo classes, which camera is better for a beginning student. thanks
Visitor
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Answers August 20, 2012
Nikon D5100 vs Canon Rebel T3i Vs Sony SLT-A57
Please can any unbiased expert tell me which is better : Canon T3i, Sony Slt A57 or Nikon D5100.. I want the best picture and Video.. Thanks
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Answers May 15, 2012
Video capablities first, but appreciate still image quality as well.
Trying to make video shorts, but I enjoy taking photos just as much. Wish I could do the kill two birds with one stone kind of thing. I know the K-5 wins in most of the areas, but the T3i seems a...
Beginner I
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Answers Latest Questions
December 17, 2012
Which camera should i buy
I have the Olympus E-Pl1 and it has trouble focusing in low light. Which of these two, CANON t31 or E-M5 should I get? It's important to me to have high quality photos,and fast shutter in all...
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I can't decide which to get.
Is there a canon at the same stage as a sony A37? I want a canon, but I really like what the Sony a37 does =) Thanks!
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Pet portraits with an extremely blurred background
The entire reason I want a new camera is to take pictures of my pets. Above all, the camera MUST be able to take quick pictures of moving objects while blurring the background to the extreme. ...
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Answers Unanswered Questions
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January 21, 2013
Low-light pictures, image quality, color quality
Lower noise and better image quality and color depth
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Answers January 20, 2013
Low light video, low light images, fast paced movies
Me and a few of my friends are going to attempt to make a horror movie this summer o i need a camera that takes great video in low lighting. i have been looking at this camera compared to the t3i...
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Answers January 12, 2013
Nikon d5100 vs canon t3i rebel?
I am going on vacation this summer to mexico, and i want a camera that has good picture and video quality for when i am there. I will probably take more pictures then make videos with a camera,...
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Answers Community Find out what the Sortable community is saying about the Canon Rebel T3i
100
people have recommended the
Canon Rebel T3iTop Canon Rebel T3i experts at Sortable
Philip-Davis 
Expert III
Brenden-Sherratt 
Expert I
Chaotic-Light 
Intermediate II
panzerfaustnl 
Beginner II
Nikon D5100
- 16.1 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
25 more Sortable users recommended the Nikon D5100 over the Canon Rebel T3i.
View all discussions | View comparison 
Intermediate III
4
votes When getting a DSLR, you'll be getting into picking a "system", not just a camera. That means not just one but possibly more lenses depending on your shooting needs, flashes and other Both Canon...
- 0 comments
- June 2, 2012
- Reply to: Photos of a new baby as well as food photography
Intermediate III
3
votes When getting a DSLR, you'll be getting into picking a "system", not just a camera. That means not just one but possibly more lenses depending on your shooting needs, flashes and other Both Canon...
- 0 comments
- June 2, 2012
- Reply to: Most important criteria to me.
Intermediate II
2
votes These two are both very similar, and with the nifty 50mm you will have a nice package. Might want to get a cheap kit lens like the 18-55 or nicer 18-135mm as the 50mm is going to be a little for...
- 0 comments
- June 2, 2012
- Reply to: Product photos for website, plus all-around family camera
Nikon D3100
- 14.2 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
4 more Sortable users recommended the Canon Rebel T3i over the Nikon D3100.
View all discussions | View comparison Intermediate III
2
votes I'm a Nikon user so I might be biased but both cameras are fine for taking photo classes. T3i is slightly more feature laden than D3100 but for your stated purpose, both are fine choices. Nikon...
- 6 comments
- May 9, 2012
- Reply to: Which camera is better for a 13 year old who wants to take classes
Beginner II
1
vote Simple 1 answer possible, the Canon 5D Mk III, but the 600D is also nice. http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Nikon_D3100
- 0 comments
- May 9, 2012
- Reply to: Photography.slr...
Beginner II
1
vote Video is awesome with 10x digital zoom without noticable loss of quality http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-600d-vs-Nikon_D3100
- 0 comments
- May 9, 2012
- Reply to: I'm a beginner but I'm starting fast.
Sony SLT A57
- 16 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
20 more Sortable users recommended the Sony SLT A57 over the Canon Rebel T3i.
View all discussions | View comparison 
Beginner I
2
votes I have 550D (T3i) and it's brilliant. It has sensor from 7D(semi-pro DSLR), even at ISO 6400 the shots are nice, 3.7fps is enough for all sports, with 18MP you can get nice details and only 32$ I...
- 0 comments
- August 21, 2012
- Reply to: Nikon D5100 vs Canon Rebel T3i Vs Sony SLT-A57
Beginner II
-3
votes Canon is for sure! You will not regret to use it.
- 0 comments
- September 22, 2012
- Reply to: Which DSLR is best for beginner film maker?
