Now that the Canon 3ti has been out a few months and people have had a while to use it, I thought I would summarise a few of points that are being discussed by people who now own the camera.
Weight
There are conflicting opinions on the weight of the T3i. Some people are complaining (perhaps complaining is too strong a word) about the weight. While other folk are saying that it is light. I guess it all depends on what you have been used to using previously. The camera body is 18.2 oz / 515g. The 18-55mm lens is 71 oz / 200 g. So in total you have 25.3 oz / 715g. By no means what I would call heavy, but I guess it could be heavier or lighter than what you have previously used. Maybe with a bigger lens and wandering around taking snaps for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it might seem heavy. I’m think I would endure! Sure beats working. Something most agree on is that it feels right in your hands. It is easy to hold and the grip is comfortable.
LCD Screen
The tilt and swivel capability of the LCD screen seems to be a winner. Many people love the ability to easily see the shots being taken with the camera at unusual angles. All kinds of shooting has been talked about. Leaning out over balconies, lifting the camera up high to shoot over peoples heads. Getting low to the ground without having to be directly behind the camera. (saves on the back and knees!) Even shooting from a tripod its great to just tilt the screen up so you don’t have to stoop down to check the shot each time. The tilt swivel screen is also proving great for video shooting. To take some of these shots without the tilt swivel screen would have been near impossible or completely shooting blind and hoping for a bunch of good luck. While it has been a feather on video cameras for years, there are not many DSLR cameras that have it. Each quality DSLR that is released draws closer and closer for les need for a separate camcorder.
Image Quality
Some people are truly excited by the picture quality. Many old point and shoot camera users now have a 3ti and are blown away with the image quality, clarity and balance of the photo. Some more seasoned DSLR users are enjoying the ISO range (100 – 6400) and are impressed by the low light shooting capabilities. Some photos taken without a flash at low light levels were very impressive. The 1080p resolution of the video has others excited and I’m sure there will be some great post image capturing from the video with great results. Just be careful with your choice of memory card. A Class 10 (10 MBps) or higher is reports as the best for the video recording.
In all the Canon 3ti EOS Rebel DSLR looks like another winner. It is A great camera at a reasonable price offering excellent value for money. It can be as simple or a complex to use as one wants. Its just fantastic the ability and quality of technology we have available in our world. Too often this is taken for granted perhaps.