Canon T3i/600D and T3/1100D

Today Canon announced two new additions to the line of Digital Rebel cameras, The T3i/600D and the T3/1100D. Neither of these cameras show any remarkable changes from earlier models, but there are some small additions which might make them attractive to users of older Rebel cameras (ones that are two or three generations old).

 

Canon T3/1100D:

• 12MP CMOS sensor
• 9-point AF system (same as T2i)
• 63-area metering, same metering sensor in the T2i, 60D and 7D
• 720p movie movie mode, 30fps or 25fps (H.264 compression)
• 2.7" LCD, 230,000 dots
• Native ISO 100-6400, with no extended ISO range
• Basic+ creative point-and-shoot mode
• Eye-Fi wireless SD card compatible menu options

None of these additions are earth shattering, and the 12 megapixel sensor is likely the same one that was used in the Canon Xsi/450D. In many ways the T3/1100D is a Xsi/450D with movie mode tacked on, along with Canon's answer (Basic+) to the guide mode Nikon has used on the D3000 and D3100. The T3/1100D is a step up from the previous XS/1000D, but not by much. Current XS/1000D owners would likely be better served by stepping up to the T2i/550D or the new T3i/600D if considering an upgrade. This would be a nice basic camera for first time DSLR users, who do not care about video or high end features that the T2i/550D or T3i/600D offer.

The Canon T3i/600D:

• 18-megapixel CMOS sensor
• Scene Intelligent Auto mode
• Full-HD 1080p video recording (24,30,60FPS)
• On-screen Feature Guide
• 3.7fps continuous shooting
• Wide-area 9-point AF
• 1,040k-dot vari-angle 7.7cm (3.0”) screen
• Basic+ and Creative Filters 
• Built-in wireless flash control

For the most part the Canon T3i/600D is the same as the Canon T2i/550D that came before it, although Canon will be keeping the T2i in the lineup at a lower cost for some time yet. The T3i uses the same 18 megapixel sensor, so short of any minor tweaks there should be no difference in image output and noise performance. The biggest change is the addition of the vari-angle 3" LCD screen that was first seen on the Canon 60D. The T3i is more of a little brother to the 60D, than the T2i was in that respect. The camera body has been slightly resigned to make it more comfortable to hold, most noticeably in the area of the hand grip, which is slightly deeper. Canon has removed the proximity senor below the viewfinder, and put two display buttons on the camera (one on the back and one on the top panel) for turning the rear screen on and off.