Canon T3i VS T4i for beginner

[penance]

I have been looking at buying a DSLR for awhile now and have narrowed it down to two camera's. I have been looking at the Canon T3i and the T4i. I know there is not a ton of difference going to the T4i however the intrigue of the touch screen and having read this makes navigating the menus much easier has me thinking. Additionally I have some plans to shoot video and the auto focus for video on the T4i sounds like a plus. I have been pricing and it looks like you can pick up a refurbished T4i for around the same price as a new T3i and I'm curious of thoughts on the two devices.

 

I am also having trouble deciding if I pick up one with the Kit 18-55mm lens or go body only and start off with a 50mm prime lens. If there are other suggestions for this price range I would be open to hearing them. Video will be a big plus for me, I would like it to be 1080p. Additionally an external mic port is a big plus.

[Tea1337]

I got a T3i to start photography, if you don't want to spend so much on a t4i you don't need to. the T3i is an amazing camera for starters, just got me the t5i

 

I would just go for the T3i and a nice lens. Any 18-55 MM one will do if it doesn't already come with one.

 

 

 

 

I never get to the point on my posts, sorry.

[DyGr00339]

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-Rebel-T4i-vs-Nikon-D5100

 

Here it is

[_ASSASSIN_]

t3i because you can get magic lantern

[pastafingers]

T3i. Don't waste your money on a touchscreen and magically automatically disabling screen and a new sensor. Get a Canon 50mm f/1.8 II for that price of T4i + kit lens.

Canon T3i + Canon 50mm f/1.8 II = Perfect starters kit

[Ruostunut kokis]

T3i. Don't waste your money on a touchscreen and magically automatically disabling screen and a new sensor. Get a Canon 50mm f/1.8 II for that price of T4i + kit lens.

Canon T3i + Canon 50mm f/1.8 II = Perfect starters kit

^This.

 

Though you wanna have a kit lens with the T3i + 50mm prime if you want to start with a prime. For a beginner if your only lens is a prime, it can be pain in the *** to learn when just stepping into the DSLR world.

 

If you're not interested in having both kit lens + prime, T3i w/ 18-55mm kit lens is easier to start with. And even though T4i has continuous AF while recording, it's tad slow (can take few seconds to get in focus), and you'll get it's benefits only if you record for example vlogs or something else when you're not behind the camera, but the camera is for example on a tripod and you're in front of the camera. 

 

Both cameras have external mic inputs, so if that's a concern, no worries.

[pastafingers]

^This.

 

Though you wanna have a kit lens with the T3i + 50mm prime if you want to start with a prime. For a beginner if your only lens is a prime, it can be pain in the *** to learn when just stepping into the DSLR world.

 

If you're not interested in having both kit lens + prime, T3i w/ 18-55mm kit lens is easier to start with. And even though T4i has continuous AF while recording, it's tad slow (can take few seconds to get in focus), and you'll get it's benefits only if you record for example vlogs or something else when you're not behind the camera, but the camera is for example on a tripod and you're in front of the camera. 

 

Both cameras have external mic inputs, so if that's a concern, no worries.

And T4i has a stereo mic.

And if he's gonna do videography - he could pick up a lav mic or a Rode shotgun microphone

 

50mm f/1.8 II is good for video, if manually focusing. Doing videos with a DSLR and using autofocus all the time is lame. BUT: if you gonna focus fast with the plastic fantastic - you'll hear the focus (with the int. microphone), because it's loud. For the price of T4i + kit, he could actually get a T3i + used Canon 17-85 f/4-5.6 (or Canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 which btw Dave Dugdale uses, or Sigma 18-50 f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM). Anyway, I'd reccomend to go with T3i.

EDIT: OOPS, I wrote the Canon lens bad - it's 28-105, not 28-135

Edited January 29, 2014 by RedWarrior

[Guest]

I've just bought me self a second hand T3i (600D over here in the UK) specifically for video, and as said above, and in many other places its a great priced camera to start at. The touchscreen on the T4i (650D) is bit of a gimmick, but I can see its upper hand, however, I don't believe Magic Lantern supports the T4i, which is an amazing mod / extra for both Photography and Video so well worth considering! Another thing, get it body only or a different lens combo. As for the 50mm, it's a great lens, however it has a fixed zoom, my brother started with just a 50mm and quickly bought another lens to allow more variety. And in regards to sound, please, what ever you do, don't use the camera's built in mic, it is really bad, stereo or not! You honestly would be better of taping your phone to a broom pole and using it as the mic and boom! The Rode VideoMic Go is supposed to be a fairly good, low budget mic. Best of luck and I hope this helps you a little.

 

Edit: Auto-Focus SUCKS too, looks really bad in a video!

[pastafingers]

I've just bought me self a second hand T3i (600D over here in the UK) specifically for video, and as said above, and in many other places its a great priced camera to start at. The touchscreen on the T4i (650D) is bit of a gimmick, but I can see its upper hand, however, I don't believe Magic Lantern supports the T4i, which is an amazing mod / extra for both Photography and Video so well worth considering! Another thing, get it body only or a different lens combo. As for the 50mm, it's a great lens, however it has a fixed zoom, my brother started with just a 50mm and quickly bought another lens to allow more variety. And in regards to sound, please, what ever you do, don't use the camera's built in mic, it is really bad, stereo or not! You honestly would be better of taping your phone to a broom pole and using it as the mic and boom! The Rode VideoMic Go is supposed to be a fairly good, low budget mic. Best of luck and I hope this helps you a little.

 

Edit: Auto-Focus SUCKS too, looks really bad in a video!

Never use AF in video. Only before you start to make it. And the full-time AF in T4i is awful... I've got hands on it - bad bad bad bad bad AF, bad

[StormtrooperStu]

I have the T5i, which is a T4i with very minor changes and I must say that the touch screen is brilliant.

 

A couple of things, forget snapsort, go to a shop and feel which camera feel right in your hand. I had my heart set on a Nikon 5200 but it felt wrong.

 

Go with the kit lens to start until you progress but the 50mm prime is a great 2nd lens.

 

The T5i AF in video is very good, it tracks a subject very well and the new stm lens is silent. 

 

Just my thoughts.