It seems like less than a year since the release of the last Canon Rebel – the Rebel T1i … Wait, it has been less than a year! And yet, here comes the newest Canon Rebel. Ready to take the entry level DSLR market by storm. Canon will not replace the its most recent Rebel, the T1i, rather it will allow the two to be sold side by side, giving the consumer an option for a less expensive model (now it’s the T1i instead of the XSi).
The new Rebel will lists for about $799 (that’s body only). And while this is not a genuine entry level price, neither is this a genuine entry level DSLR. It has many of the features of its much more expensive “big brothers”. So now the Canon Rebel T1i will become the “economy” DSLR, replacing the very popular XSi, at least that is an assumption worth making since Canon has not announced the price drop for its T1i yet.
Here are just a few of the high points of the Canon Digital Rebel T2i vs the T1i:
Rebel T2i
Rebel T1i
18.7 megapixels
15.1 megapixels
ISO 100 to 6400, extendable to 12800.
ISO 100 to 3200, extendable to H1 (6400) and H2 (12800).
+/- 5.0 EV
+/- 2.0 EV
• ISO 100 to 6400
ISO 100 to 1600
• 1080p @ 30, 25 or 24 fps
• 720p @ 50/60 fps
• VGA @ 50/60 fps
• Movie crop function
• External stereo mike (optional)
• 1080p @ 20fps
• 720p @ 30fps
• VGA @ 30fps
Will this newest in the Rebel line push the very popular Rebel XSi off the production line? This decision has yet to be announced, but it seems like it may happen. The Rebel T2i will likely grab all the new buyers, while the Rebel T1i will remain in the background as an economical camera of choice for Canon photographers. The price may even beat the Nikon D3000 (one can only hope), giving that camera (the D3000) a strong competitor because the Nikon D3000 does not have a feature package that can stand up to the Rebel T1i, especially since the Rebel T1i has HD video, while the Nikon D3000 has no video at all.
As I expected, the Nikon D3000 has received a “Highly Recommended” rating.
There is no doubt that the D3000 is an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary update, but the few features that have been added to the D3000 compared to the D60 are of real value, and the 11-point AF system alone makes the D3000 a bargain at its current asking price. It’s a shame that the bundled 18-55mm kit lens doesn’t show off the AF capabilities of the camera to a better extent, but the same is true of most kit lenses. A greater frustration – at least to anyone with a collection of older Nikon lenses – is that AF is unavailable with non AF-S optics. Fortunately, the D3000 does offer an effective (and very accurate) manual focusing rangefinder indicator in the viewfinder, but it’s of little help when you’re faced with a moving subject.
Conclusion – Pros
Excellent detail and resolution at low ISO settings (especially in raw mode)
Very capable AF system, including 3D AF tracking, on a par with much more expensive DSLRs
Versatile and fun retouch options including in-camera raw processing
Effectively unlimited shooting in JPEG mode (with ADL turned off)
User-friendly ergonomics, without sacrificing control
Good build quality for the price – no creaks
Active D-Lighting helps recover the maximum tonal detail from tricky scenes
Reliable exposures, with and without flash (albeit a little bright)
Excellent exposure compensation range of -+5EV
Good battery life for its class
Refreshingly conservative approach to high ISO noise reduction (at default settings)
View NX software hugely improved over Picture Project (Not as good as Capture NX2 though)
Built-in AF assist lamp
Competitive pricing
Conclusion – Cons
Unreliable white balance under artificial lighting
Slight tendency to overexpose in contrasty conditions
No Live View
Screen resolution slightly too low for checking accurate focus
Very little control over high ISO noise reduction
No front control dial
No depth-of-field preview button
No exposure bracketing
No in-body stabilization (although VR is included in many of Nikon’s current entry-level lenses)
Luminance noise becomes a problem above ISO 800
Slightly soft JPEG output at default settings (but this is far from unusual)
Screen-centric interface won’t appeal to everyone
No AF support for non AF-S (or third-party equivalent) lenses
No GPS (via Nikon’s GP-1 accessory) support
You can see the full review at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3000/
What about you? Are you convinced that the Nikon D3000 is the right entry level DSLR for you? You can see a comparison between the Canon XSi and D3000 here. This is really a great time to be buying a camera in this category. They have never been more affordable.
Happy Shooting!
Just added a new page to the web site. It is an Amazon store where you can be assured that the cameras and lenses are all highly rated by camera review sites and users alike. I am excited to be able to make this available to camera buyers who are looking for an excellent camera without having to do all the research. I have done the research so you don’t have to!
Here is a screen capture of the new page.
