Price: Very affordable and a great value
At $450 (MSRP) and a typical street value of $400, the Canon EOS Rebel T7 is very affordable for a DSLR. Other entry-level DSLRs can be found in the same price range from companies like Nikon, Pentax, and Sony but the T7 usually costs slightly less. Pentax is a very popular alternative and often scores higher on camera comparison websites, so if cost isn’t an issue you might want to check out what they have to offer.
The T7 will usually beat out the competitors when it comes to portability though. If you’re looking for a small and light camera body, then the Canon T7 is the way to go. If you’re looking at the overall value and are willing to spend a little bit more, there are other options that may be better for you. One of the main things we wish the T7 had, and what ultimately keeps us from wholeheartedly recommending it, is an articulating LCD display.
Living With The Canon T4i
Admittedly, I’m not a photographer, but I am a videographer. Due to this, I’m not used to setting the shutter speed different from 1/50 or 1/60 of a second. Yes, I’m in the thick of the DSLR videography world, but when it comes to photography using the same camera, I still fight my battles. Below are a few of the «decent» pictures I was able to grab with this thing just for fun.
Although I’m a fan of the subject (my girlfriend Ashleigh), I’m hoping to get a little more experience with photography. Video-wise, I did some tests, and I did discover that there is a bit of a rolling shutter effect (especially in 30fps). Furthermore, I can confirm that the onboard microphone isn’t that great, but this is expected with any camera. However, for little clips where no microphone is available, it should be fine.
Once again, I want to emphasize that the Canon Rebel T4i is a great camera. But I wouldn’t let it be the reason that I let go of the camera that I already have.
Flexible Touch-Screen LCD
The marquee feature of the Canon T4i 650D is its LCD screen.
A touch-screen? Is that really necessary or just a gimmick to drive up the price of the camera?
Like with so many other digital SLR camera features the answer is: it depends on how you intend to use the camera.
Example: if you’re the type of photographer who just wants to
take snapshots of friends in full AUTO mode, then having a
sophisticated touch screen is probably too much.
However, if you’re really into manually adjusting your camera
settings to optimize your camera for the lighting conditions, then the
touch screen makes a huge difference.
There are several different ways you can interact with the touch screen to control the Rebel T4i 650D:
- Setting Focus — you can touch anywhere on the screen to select an off-center focus point
- Taking Pictures — tapping the LCD takes a picture
- Changing Settings — various camera settings can be adjusted by tapping them
- Reviewing Photos — you can swipe your finger across the LCD to change photos, and pinch to zoom in on a single image
I’ll discuss each one of these different uses in turn.
Setting Focus
With many digital SLR cameras, you have the option to select just one of the multiple focus points provided.
You need to do this when you’re taking pictures of off-center subjects and want to be sure that the camera focuses exactly where you want.
Selecting individual focus points typically involves rotating a dial until a singular focus point is selected.
With the Canon T4i 650D, selecting an off-center focus point
is as simple as touching the LCD screen right where you want the point
of focus to be set.
This ability to select focus points by touch also lets you
intentionally throw the foreground out of focus to isolate a subject in
the background.
Taking Pictures
This touch-screen feature borders on the gimmicky, kind of like a party trick to impress your friends.
With a tap on the LCD, you can set a focus point AND also take a picture.
Since there’s a delay between the moment you tap and when the shutter goes off, this is better suited for stationary subjects.
This mode will also help you take pictures of off-center
subjects, since the focus point is locked once you tap a location on the
LCD.
Changing Settings
While I don’t see beginners using this feature all that much, more advanced photographers will be in camera settings nirvana.
With a touch and a swipe of your finger, you can select lens
apertures, shutter speeds and ISO values. Regular old knobs and dials
are SO 2011.
You can just as quickly change color modes, white balance, quality settings, drive mode and autofocus mode.
For photographers like myself who like to optimize the camera settings for different subjects, this is a huge improvement over previous Rebels.
Image Playback
Anyone with an iPhone will feel quite at home reviewing pictures on the T4i 650D.
You can swipe your finger horizontally across the screen to switch between images stored on the memory card.
You can also pinch your fingers together and then spread them
apart to zoom in on a single image — this is helpful when you want to
ensure that a specific part of your photo is in sharp focus.
Pinching your fingers together zooms out, and will also
switch to the multi-image display, where you can see four photos at a time
on the LCD rather than just one.
Telephoto Zoom Lenses
Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II ($249)
Weight: 13.8 oz.Max Aperture: f/4Pros: Great value.Cons: Autofocus can be slow.
A great addition to either of the Rebel T4i kit lenses is the Canon 55-250mm IS II telephoto zoom. At $299, the Canon 55-250mm covers a wide range of focal lengths and comes with image stabilization (camera shake can be an issue with longer zoom lenses). And considering its range, the Canon 25-250mm is relatively light at less than 14 ounces. If you do need image stabilization, the Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is available for a hefty $649.See the Canon 55-250mm
Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro f/4-5.6 ($149)
Weight: 19.4 oz. Max aperture: f/4Pros: Inexpensive and extra long zoom rangeCons: Marginal in low light and no image stabilization
For those who want even longer telephoto capability than the Canon 55-250mm above, it’s a close call between the Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro and Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6. Both are budget telephoto zooms that capture good images when natural light is sufficient, and neither has image stabilization to help out when it isn’t. As in the norm with lenses of this type, you can expect some softness and autofocus has a tendency to hunt. The Sigma is slightly heavier but we like its macro capability, which allows you to switch from normal to macro at focal lengths between 200mm and 300mm. It’s also slightly cheaper. If you want image stabilization, the Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is a whopping $649.See the Sigma 70-300mm
New Features of the Canon Rebel T4i/650D
Autofocus
There is also a new new Hybrid CMOS AF system for video use. The hybrid AF system uses phase detection sensors embedded in the sensor to assist focus. Phase sensitive AF can sense not only if the focus is in front of or behind the subject, but they can estimate how far out the focus is and calculate the amount of focus shift the lens needs. As I understand it, in video (or live view) mode the phase sensitive detectors make the initial focus determination and drive the focus motor in the correct direction to achieve focus and by the right amount of focus shift. However the final focusing is done by contrast detection using the signal from the sensor itself.
Though Canon have not commented on the details, it appears that the phase sensitive detectors built into the sensor may not be capable of the precision that the normal phase sensitive AF sensors are, so the final focus is done by contrast detection (which slows things down a little). Contrast detection may also overshoot slightly when optimizing focus before backing off to the right point.
Controls and interface
Each DSLR manufacturer has slightly different ways of approaching prosumer camera controls. Nikon has loads of physical buttons, for instance, while Canon relies a little more on menus, requiring you to dig through screens for little-used settings while keeping the primary controls at your fingertips. If you liked that, don’t worry, it doesn’t change with the T4i at all: every single physical control works exactly as it did on previous cameras. In fact, the only real difference between the T4i’s physical controls and the T3i and T2i before is that the keys have slightly different shapes and they all jut out a little bit more. They’re fairly well laid out as physical controls go, with all the most common controls accessible with the right hand alone.
What’s new is this: anytime you navigate an on-screen menu, you don’t have to tap-tap-tap on the four-way directional pad or ratchet a clicky dial — you can just reach out and touch the setting you want and be done with it. Well, that’s not quite true: you have to press the Q key (or touch the on-screen Q button) first, which keeps you from changing settings if you accidentally brush the screen with a cheek or ear.
Once done though, the touchscreen is quite responsive. Not only can you tap on icons to select them, but you don’t have to stab: you can slide your thumb across settings to highlight and select each in turn. Adjusting aperture, shutter speed, or exposure compensation with the touchscreen is a treat: you can simply drag a ribbon with a continuum of all possible values from one end of the touchscreen to the other, and lift your finger when you get to your desired selection. It’s speedy: you can go from f/2.8 to f/22 aperture with a single swipe, never lifting your finger from the screen, and if you drag down and to the right from the exposure compensation menu, you can set bracketed exposures with a single motion as well. In playback mode, you can not only rapidly swipe through images, but also pinch to zoom — it’s a little bit awkward on a smallish three-inch screen, but it’s easier and more intuitive than tapping zoom buttons.
The longer I used the touchscreen, the more I wanted it to be able to do
The more impressive part is that you don’t need to know any gestures at all. Canon usually provides distinct touchscreen keys (often + or -) to change settings, and all the physical controls can be used as well — meaning you can hold the touchscreen in one hand and the physical controls in another, using both simultaneously to change settings faster than with either alone. In fact, the longer I used the touchscreen, the more I wanted it to be able to do. There are a few things, like switching modes, changing focus points, and displaying images, that you can’t do with the touchscreen alone, and no way to add, delete or rearrange the touch controls to suit the user. Imagine if you could drag controls wherever they suited you, if Canon let you build new controls yourself. Canon has, however, included on-screen popups which explain settings and modes. They’re nice at first, while you get used to your options, but they actually slow the camera down. You can turn them off from a menu, thankfully, and you’ll probably want to do that as soon as possible.
The most interesting uses for the touchscreen, though, are in LiveView mode. Once you’re using the LCD as a viewfinder, you can see the results of your adjustments in real time, like dragging the exposure compensation to darken or lighten an image on the fly. You can tap the touchscreen to focus on a subject, or even tap-to-shoot. Focusing isn’t quite as speedy in LiveView as with the optical viewfinder, but it can do some rudimentary subject tracking for some pretty neat results. For instance, if there’s a object moving towards you, you can tap on it to take a shot, and the camera will wait until it comes into focus before releasing the shutter. The camera can also continually autofocus in LiveView mode, but it can be a little awkward. I’ll touch on that more later.
Canon T4i / 650D Image Quality (High ISO)
Many people just wanted to know how the image quality is. Bring them an improved high ISO performance and they might consider upgrading from older models. Impressive as the 650D, it won’t be a gem without a great image quality that is expected from Canon DSLR cameras. Canon make its own sensors and it is known for its very high image quality since the first EOS cameras. When we talk about image quality we usually refer to the amount and type of noise in high-ISO, dynamic range and sharpness (considering same lens for testing).
I must admit that Canon is having some very tough competition from both Nikon DSLRS and Mirrorless cameras too. If you’ve seen the Olympus OM-D image quality you know what I am talking about. It seems that technology was able to shrink the gap between Micro Four Thirds and APS-C sensors. Even though Micro Four Thirds sensor is smaller than APS-C, the low-noise performance is very small in favor of APS-C size sensors.
With each generation of cameras we expect to see more improved sensors. Of course the combination of a new processor and a high-sensitive sensor, both should result in improved image quality. The differences aren’t huge as you might think, it takes years for us to see big improvements. It happens a few steps in each generation, but the difference is there. The question is whether the Canon EOS Rebel T4i is able to outperform the 600D / T3i and other cameras in the same price range?
As for the time of writing this article, there aren’t a lot of high ISO sample images. Dpreview has posted some sample images that can serve as a good assessment of the high ISO performance of this camera.
Here is my observation conclusions:
ISO 800 – relatively very clean image slight noise start kicking in the dark areas, but overall very clean image. The 18MP provide great details and the colors are very well saturated (in JPEG).
ISO 1600 – Noise appears also in the mid-tones as well. I personally would have thrown ISO1600 images to a noise-reduction software, but still, images are very usable (remember, I am pixel peeping here at 100% scale photos)
ISO 3200 – more noise, but details and overall color tone is well preserved
ISO 6400 – Again, colors and tone is identical to lower ISO sensitivities, which is great. With lower resolution images you won’t even notice the noise. Of course when viewing the image at large scale you can see that the noise is all over the place, we start loosing fine details.
ISO 12800 – we lose just a bit of tone (look at the mouse brown fur). Lots of noise and you probably use this ISO in emergency, small prints, upload low-res images to the web, etc.
Overall the Canon 650D / T4i high ISO performance is very good. I actually didn’t expect anything out of this world, after all, it’s not an an enthusiast model nor a pro model. When dpreview will update their comparison tool with 650D photos it would be easier to comprehend the differences.
* The Canon EOS 650D / T4i offers a new Multi-shot noise reduction setting, which can combine four consecutive shots to create one low-noise image. That can be great when shooting a static scene and can result in a much better looking / low-noise image (only in JPEG).
Wide-Angle Lenses
Canon 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM ($299)
Weight: 8.5 oz.Max aperture: f/4Pros: Lightweight and sharp. Cons: Plastic construction.
For years, the pricey Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-5.6 was the leading wide-angle lens for APS-C format cameras like the Canon Rebel T4i. However, in 2014 Canon released the 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM, a far more reasonably priced wide-angle zoom. With a focal length equivalent of 16-28.8mm on a 35mm camera, the 10-18mm a terrific option for landscapes and wide-angle urban photography—it’s sharp, has minimal distortion except when wide open at 10mm, and is cheap for a lens of this type. The smooth and quiet STM motor also is great for shooting video. The maximum aperture of f/4-5.6 isn’t optimal, but the lens does have four stops of image stabilization to help offset it.See the Canon 10-18mm
Beginner Modes
Is the Canon Rebel T4i 650D a beginner’s camera?
It’s an interesting question: while the T4i certainly has
features that would appeal to all photographers, its number of controls
and options might be intimidating to the first-time DSLR user.
Yes, it does have a full AUTO mode, along with a guide mode that displays tips about the camera’s use on the LCD.
The three main automatic modes you can choose from include:
-
Scene Intelligent Auto — all camera settings
adjusted automatically based on the scene. The only setting that can be
changed is the drive mode (single, continuous or timer) - Flash Off — disables the flash from popping up automatically in locations where flash is not allowed
-
Creative Auto — most camera functions set
automatically. Photographer can control the color mode, level of
background blur, drive mode and flash mode (auto, on, off)
In addition to the primary automatic modes, there are a
variety of scene-specific modes that you can choose from to adjust
camera settings for your specific subject.
These include Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, Handheld Night Scene and HDR Backlight Control.
Most of these are self-explanatory, except for the last one.
HDR Backlight Control mode is designed to improve shadow detail when
you have a wide range of contrast in the scene from shadows to
highlights.
Put another way: imagine standing inside a cave shooting
toward the entrance on a sunny day. The inside of the cave will be quite
dark, but the opening will be quite bright.
When you set the camera to HDR Backlight Control, it takes 3
photos in rapid succession when you press the shutter button and each
image is exposed differently.
The T4i 650D then combines the three photos into a single image with increased details in BOTH shadows and highlights.
One word of caution: if either the camera OR the subject
moves during the three exposures, you’ll see ghost images in the final
photo . Keeping everything still will improve the results you get in HDR mode.
Conclusion
The Canon EOS Rebel T4i / 650D was added to the EOS lineup as a more advanced HDSLR camera. It combines the look and some of the 600D features as well inherits some of the 60D’s. The T4i is in a league of its own when it comes to video shooting. The Hybrid-AF sensor will certainly help the camera produce great videos out-of-the-box, without the need to manually focus during shooting. Add the new STM lenses to the mix and you get one of the best HDSLR camera to date, at least in this price point.
The Canon T4i takes breathtaking images with low noise all over the ISO range, at least on par with today’s latest APS-C DSLRs. I personally won’t upgrade from the 600D if I wasn’t into video shooting, and I can understand why the T4i/650D doesn’t replace the 600D / T3i. It’s a more expensive camera, but you certainly get more for what you paid for. If you are buying your first camera, the T4i should certainly be on top of your list, even without the video features. Of course you can buy the less expensive 600D and invest more money on better lenses.
I also think that the main competition comes from mirrorless cameras rather than DSLR cameras. Canon really created a unique HDSLR camera that what left to see is how good the Hybrid-AF really is. Overall I am very impressed with Canon’s offering and I am sure that this camera will be very popular among beginner, enthusiast and those who are into videography.
Face-Detection Autofocus
There is something quite fascinating about watching autofocus lock and hold on a person’s face.
I spent a good deal of time for this Canon T4i 650D
review taking pictures of people to see how well the camera could keep
track of faces.
Face-detection autofocus is only enabled in live view mode,
so it does take some time to achieve a lock. Provided your subject
doesn’t move too much, it’s an effective way to ensure that a person’s
face is in focus, especially if you’re using a lens with a wide
aperture.
For this image of my daughter playing soccer, I selected a
very wide aperture of f/2.8 to throw both the foreground and background
out of focus.
I definitely took advantage of the flexbile LCD for this image: the camera was practically resting on the ground.
With face-detection autofocus enabled, all I had to do was
touch my daughter’s face. Small white crosshairs appear on the LCD to
show that the autofocus is tracking faces.
Even as she moved about, the crosshairs remained on her face,
and I could hear the lens constantly shifting focus as she moved
around.
Yes, I could have captured a similar image by lying flat on my stomach and using the viewfinder, but where’s the fun in that?
What is a «Rebel»
Second, Rebels don’t have a rear mounted Quick Control Dial (QCD). This is a matter more of convenience than utility. You can do everything you can do with a QCD without one, though it may mean pressing more buttons and so it’s not as fast or as easy.
Third, all Rebels to date have a 1/4000s maximum shutter speed and a max sync speed of 1/200s. The xxD (currently 60D) and xD (currently 7D) have a 1/8000s shutter with a 1/250s sync. Many people will never need 1/8000s or a sync speed that’s 1/3 stop faster so again, it’s not a huge difference for most users.
Fourth, Rebels are built on a lightweight mostly plastic (polycarbonate) chassis (though there is some stainless steel in there too) which keeps down both the cost and the weight. The body also tends to be less weathersealed than the xxD and xD APS-C cameras.
I’ll get into what the 60D and 7D have that the T4i doesn’t later, but first let’s look at what the T4i has, and in particular what’s different (improved) from the T3i.
Canon EOS Digital Rebel T4i (EOS 650D) DSLR. 18MP, APS-C, 5fps
Specs
-
Product Name
EOS Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) -
Product Brand
Canon -
MPN
T7, 2000D, Kiss X90 -
Price
$450.00 -
Weight
23.8 oz. -
Product Dimensions
5.1 x 4 x 3.1 in. -
Color
Black -
Sensor Type
CMOS (APS-C) -
Megapixels
24.1 Megapixel -
Sensor Size
332.27mm2 (22.30mm x 14.90mm) -
Aspect Ratio
3:2 -
Image Resolution
6000 x 4000 (24.0 MP, 3:2), 3984 x 2656 (10.6 MP, 3:2), 2976 x 1984 (5.9 MP, 3:2), 1920 x 1280 (2.5 MP, 3:2), 720 x 480 (0.3 MP, 3:2), 5328 x 4000 (21.3 MP, 4:3), 3552 x 2664 (9.5 MP, 4:3), 2656 x 1992 (5.3 MP, 4:3), 1696 x 1280 (2.2 MP, 4:3), 640 x 480 (0.3 MP, 4:3), 6000 x 3368 (20.2 MP, 16:9), 3984 x 2240 (8.9 MP, 16:9), 2976 x 1680 (5.0 MP, Other), 1920 x 1080 (2.1 MP, 16:9), 720 x 408 (0.3 MP, Other), 4000 x 4000 (16.0 MP, 1:1), 2656 x 2656 (7.1 MP, 1:1), 1984 x 1984 (3.9 MP, 1:1), 1280 x 1280 (1.6 MP, 1:1), 480 x 480 (0.2 MP, 1:1) -
Video Resolution
1920×1080 (30p/25p/24p), 1280×720 (60p/50p), 640×480 (30p/25p) -
Media Format
JPEG, CR2 RAW (14-bit), RAW+JPEG, MOV (image data: MPEG4 ACV/H.264) -
Memory Types
SD / SDHC / SDXC -
Lens Mount
Canon EF/EF-S -
Kit Lens Type
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II -
Focal Length (35mm equivalent)
29 — 88mm -
Focal Length (actual)
18 — 55mm -
Aperture Range
f/3.5 — 22 (wide) / f/5.6 — 38 (tele) -
Auto Focus
Phase Detect with TTL-CT-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS Sensor: 9 points with 1 cross-type in center, 8 single-axis, all f/5.6 compatible; -
Live View
Phase Detect, Contrast Detect, Face Detect modes -
Viewfinder Type
Optical / LCD -
ISO Settings
Auto, 100 — 6400 in 1/3 or 1EV steps, expandable to 12800 -
Flash Modes
E-TTL II Auto, Manual flash; Red-Eye Reduction; Second Curtain Synchro -
Interface Ports
USB 2.0 High Speed, Mini (Type-C) HDMI-CEC, Wired Remote Jack -
Battery Type
Lithium-ion rechargeable LP-E10
Competition: Canon EOS Rebel T7 vs. Canon EOS Rebel T7i
You might say that the T7i isn’t really a competitor because it’s also manufactured by Canon and basically the same camera, but the additional features and higher level of quality quality the T7i offers makes it a valid comparison.
Both cameras have a 24 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, EF/EF-S lens mount, optical pentamirror viewfinder, 1920 x 1080 video resolution, and built-in wireless. They’re also very similar in size. The T7i is only slightly larger and weighs a little bit more, but it’s not a significant difference.
One of the T7i’s major advantages is a higher-resolution, articulating touchscreen display. It’s hard to explain how useful an articulating display is until you actually use one, but if you’re taking any sort of action shots or are shooting at odd angles, it makes a huge difference. The higher-resolution display also makes it easier to frame your photos and tell when they’re in focus.
The T7i also comes out ahead on image quality with an ISO range of 100-25600 ( expands to 51200), while the T7’s ISO range is only 100-6400. The T7i can shoot at 6.0 fps continuous shooting while the T7 is only capable of 3.0 fps. Other notable differences are 45 focus points vs. 9 on the T7, a microphone port, a longer flash coverage range, Bluetooth capability, and 100 more shots per charge.
The T7i is definitely more expensive at $900(MSRP)but has a common street value around $650, and we think it’s worth it to save up the extra $200 to get the better model.
Final Verdict
A great camera, though the T7i is a superior option.
The Canon EOS Rebel T7 is a good entry-level DSLR camera at a very affordable price. Its light and compact design make it stand out from other competitors. It has most of the features you would want in a modern DSLR but lacks a couple of key features that we’ve learned we can’t live without.
Despite the price difference, we highly recommend getting the T7i model instead of the stripped down T7 model. The additional features like an articulating touchscreen display, Bluetooth, and expanded settings make the T7i a much better camera in our eyes. The T7 is still a great first time DSLR, but if you can afford it, the T7i is a better camera.
Updates for improved functionality
Much like the Canon 5D Mark III, the T4i/650D supports image rating. Photographers can rate images out of five points at the time they are shot. This feature has helped pros sort through tons of images on CF cards to determine which shots were the best—or which ones they thought were the best at the time they were shot. The rating system is directly linked to EXIF data so that the ratings are seamlessly integrated with digital darkroom software like Photoshop in post-processing.
Canon has introduced two new shooting modes for inexperienced photographers. Handheld Night Scene mode is a multi-shot mode that uses Canon’s multi shot system to reduce blur while shooting at night without a tripod. The camera takes a series of photos and then combines them with auto-aligning. HDR Backlight mode uses the same multi-shot technology to combine three images into one with a correctly exposed background and foreground.
Two new Creative Filters—Art Bold and Water Painting Effect—are in-camera processing features similar to those seen on smartphone image platforms. They definitely don’t replace traditional post-processing techniques.
The Canon 650D has a built-in stereo microphone that supports audio during video shooting. Controls for the microphone have been moved for easier access while shooting video. There is still an external microphone socket for those that need better sound.
Speed
While I wouldn’t describe the T4i 650D as an «action» camera, it does
quite well if you occasionally dabble in high-speed photography.
For any serious type of motion you need to avoid live view
mode and leverage the camera’s viewfinder and 9 point autofocus system.
You can also take advantege of it continuous 5 photo-per-second speed.
The rapid-fire continuous speed paired with quick-locking
autofocus helps to capture bursts of shots so that you capture the
«peak» moment of any action sequence.
I wanted to put its speed to a test for this Canon T4i 650D review and I did just that at a county fair. I captured the following shot of a pig race, right as the pigs went
over the hurdle.
I also took it out on the field to capture some shots of my daughter
playing soccer, and it had no problem at all keeping up with the action.
Movie Recording with Continuous AF!
The Canon 650D / T4i can record Full HD 1080p video at 30p/25p/24p and also in 1080i60/1080i50 (VGA 30 fps is also available). However, the T4i has just become a much better HDSLR camera due to its improved AF system in videos. Furthermore, Canon introduced Stepping Motor (STM) lenses for quiet and fast autofocus, especially useful when shooting videos (EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and EF 40mm f/2.8 STM).
Some people might still prefer using the manual zoom, but the new movie Hybird AF will certainly be more versatile and easy to sue for beginners. It’s like a point-and-shoot for videos, just click the movie button and start shooting great videos.
The T4i is an amazing HDSLR camera. It features a 3:2 high-resolution Fully-articulated LCD screen, has built-in stereo mic, 3.5mm mic jack to connect external stereo microphones, allows you to control shooting via the touch-sensitive display and offers great video quality as expected for Canon EOS camera range.
This is certainly a camera that many video enthusiasts will want to put their hands on. The Canon 650D / T4i certainly packs some very useful technologies that makes shooting video more fun.
Canon T4i / 650D Movie samples will be added here when they become available
Initial Impressions
The Canon Rebel T4i comes in the same packaging that pretty much all Rebels have. You won’t find anything spectacular here. As always, it comes with the standard manual and a pamphlet full of photography tips. Included in the box was the camera body itself, an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, a camera strap, the manual, and a pamphlet on basic photography tips.
My first reaction to the Rebel was neither positive or negative. Maybe I was super tired, or maybe I’m just around cameras too much, but after picking it up, well, I decided that it’s just a camera. Never mind how amazing it is that we actually have a device in existence that instantly records images – sometimes I forget how nifty that just is.
Right out of the box, the Canon Rebel T4i does have a little bit of a plastic-like feel to it. However, it is sturdy. Seriously, I think I could throw this at my neighbors who play loud music at night, hit them, pick it back up, hit them again (knocking them out, of course), and the camera would still be okay. Maybe that’s a little extreme, but I think you get the picture.
As you can tell, there are some nifty features with this camera. However, despite how great these features are, the camera just hasn’t changed very much since the T3i. Yeah, I haven’t forgotten about the touchscreen — we’ll get to that.
All-In-One Lenses
Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Macro OS ($349)
Weight: 16.6 oz.Max Aperture: f/3.5Pros: Light for an all-in-one lens and a great value. Cons: Aperture drop-off at the telephoto end.
Compared to the Canon 18-200mm below, the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Macro OS is a nice budget all-in-one lens. For about half the price, it covers more focal lengths with a zoom equivalent of 28-400mm and weighs only 16.6 ounces. Why is the Sigma so much cheaper? First, there is an aperture drop-off at the wide end—f/6.3 vs. f/5.6 on the Canon. The lens does come with Sigma’s OS (Optical Stabilization) technology, which is similar to Canon’s Image Stabilization, for shooting in low light. Second, the Thermally Stable Composite material used in the lens barrel isn’t quite as durable as a harder plastic or metal. Third, the optical performance isn’t as impressive with some distortion and softness in the corners. Nevertheless, it’s a great value at around $350. Make sure to use the lens lock as the barrel has a tendency to creep.See the Sigma 18-250mm
Canon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS ($699)
Weight: 21 oz.Max Aperture: f/3.5Pros: Versatility.Cons: Autofocus, distortion at the ends.
The Canon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is a quality all-in-one lens designed to go head-to-head with the popular Nikon 18-200mm. With a zoom equivalent of 39-320mm, the lens is extremely versatile, has a sturdy build, and fast and accurate autofocus. You can expect some distortion, particularly at the wide end, but this is common for all-in-one zoom lenses. Another issues with the Canon 18-200mm is that the manual focus ring turns when autofocus is in use, which can make the lens awkward to hold. These issues aside, the optical quality of this lens generally is excellent and it can serve as the only lens in your camera bag.See the Canon 18-200mm
Conclusions
The Canon T4i is a wonderful entry level camera with loads and loads of lenses available to the system. The image quality is excellent, it is easy to use, and it has a rather decent video mode. The menus can be a bit complex, but overall there really is absolutely no real problem with this camera despite what seems to be modest upgrades from its predecessor.
Still, it cannot outdo the Pentax K-30’s image quality, fps shooting, build quality, and overall ergonomic superiority. But it does beat it in terms of autofocusing capabilities, movie recording (you can actually change the aperture while recording in manual mode, but you always have been able to) and overall ease of use. I would also position it over the Nikon D3200 in terms of ease of use.