Canon EOS Rebel T3i Review

Just as the Canon 60D was aimed squarely at the Nikon D90 and D7000, the new Canon Rebel T3i has the D5000 and D5100 in its sights. We've now spent quite a lot of time with the Canon T3i, which sports a swiveling LCD screen and a slightly heftier build, and both looks and feels a little more serious than past models. Bundled with a new 18-55mm IS II kit lens, or the 18-135mm IS lens that's also available with the 60D, the new T3i looks and feels like its prosumer sibling, except for the grip spacing. It'll be ideal for those with small to medium hands, but those with larger hands might be more comfortable with the 60D.

Indeed, the major differences between the T3i and 60D are few. It's down to frame rate (3.7 vs. 5.3 fps), maximum shutter speed (1/4,000 vs. 1/8,000), AF sophistication (only one cross-type vs. all nine cross-type), viewfinder size (0.85x vs. 0.95x), buffer depth, battery type, and grip size. There are other, more minor differences, but those are the big items. As such, the T3i seems like a pretty good deal.

Compared to the T2i, the T3i adds the swivel screen, the new lens, more reduced-resolution JPEG options, and an Auto Picture Style mode. The Canon T3i (body with battery and card) also weighs a little more than the T2i, coming in at 20.6 ounces (583g) compared to the T2i's 18.5 ounces (525g). As mentioned, it's a few millimeters larger in all dimensions: 133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7, compared to 128.8 x 97.5 x 75.3. Some of those differences will matter, and I think many fans of swivel screens will opt for the T3i, while those who don't like them can settle happily into a T2i without feeling like they're missing a lot.

Walkaround. At a glance, the Canon T3i looks very much like the 60D. That's especially true when I have the 18-135mm lens mounted, which feels quite at home on the T3i. Even picking it up, though the grip is smaller, the texture is very much like the 60D's, which is very grippy with a good leather feel.

With the new 18-55mm lens attached, the T3i is much lighter. On the front we find the usual fare: an aggressively canted shutter button, an IR remote port on the front, and a self-timer lamp all in close proximity. On the right there's the flash release button, a four hole microphone grill, the lens release button, and the depth-of-field preview button. Not too different from the T2i at this point.

The top of the Canon T3i, too, is pretty similar to the T2i, with changes on the Mode dial and a new Display button just left of the ISO button. The purpose for this seems to be to turn off the rear LCD display when you're approaching the optical viewfinder, preventing night blindness, since the infrared switch is now missing from the rear of the camera.

The IR proximity sensor was displaced, of course, by the addition of the Canon T3i's 3-inch Vari-angle screen, whose specs match those of the 60D's LCD: 3:2 aspect ratio, 1,040,000-dot resolution, scratch-resistant fluorine coating, and the ClearView display technology that sandwiches a layer of optical elastic material between the coverglass for a remarkably crisp image both indoors and out. Controls on the back are a little smaller compared to those on the T2i, as they've had to move over a bit to make room for the hinge and frame around the LCD. The Menu button is off to the left for thumb actuation, and the Info. button is where the old Display button used to be. Otherwise, buttons are in the generally same position, a bonus for those upgrading from a T2i. There's also a little less of a thumbpad, but the design still allows for a secure hold.

When in all but Movie mode, the small round button just right of the viewfinder serves as the Live View activation button; when in Movie mode, you use this button to start and stop recording. You cannot start recording a movie when in still capture modes, but you can capture a still image while shooting a movie. You can also autofocus while shooting a movie. More on Movie mode below.

The Canon T3i isn't necessarily a compelling upgrade for T2i owners, but it does offer a lot for those who might have been considering a 60D for its swivel screen and more advanced Movie mode. It feels a little more substantial in the hand than the T2i.

Sensor and processor. There's little new about the Canon T3i's sensor and processor combination. Representatives mentioned that they've again reduced the gap between the microlenses, as they've said many times in the past, but they were declared gapless a few versions back, so it's tough to know how much more gapless they can get. We're guessing that it's the same four-channel readout as is found in the T2i's sensor, as the frame rate is the same 3.7 frames per second rating. (We measured 3.6 fps for L/F JPEG or RAW, 3.3 for RAW+L/F JPEG.) Maximum image size in pixels is 5,184 x 3,456, with a pixel pitch of 4.3µm.

According to Canon, the Rebel T3i's DIGIC 4 processor and buffer enables capture of about 34 large/fine JPEG images, six RAW frames, and four RAW+JPEG frames. With our tough compression target, we measured only nine, five, and three frames respectively. DIGIC 4 also allows capture of 14-bit RAW images, and the 8-bit JPEGs are created from 14-bit data.

Review Summary: Staking out the high end of the Rebel line, the Canon T3i shares the excellent image quality of its predecessor (the T2i), and offers the articulating LCD, remote flash control, and creative filters also found in the 60D. With Full HD video support, fast autofocus, and good quality optics, the Canon EOS Rebel T3i is easy to recommend.
Pros: Excellent image quality; Good grip; Full HD video recording; Swiveling LCD; Very fast autofocus; HDMI output.
Cons: Slow frame rate for sports shooting; Tendency to overexpose in bright sunlight; Live View AF is slow; No microfocus adjustment.
Price and Availability: The Canon Rebel T3i shipped from early March 2011, priced at US$799.99 body-only, US$899.99 with the 18-55mm IS II kit lens, and US$1,099.99 with the 18-135mm IS kit lens.