Canon EOS Rebel T3i Verdict and Video Review

The new Canon EOS Rebel T3i is not a wolf in sheep's clothing waiting to pounce on unsuspecting consumers in the competitive entry level DSLR market. Like fine wine and its predecessor, the Canon EOS Rebel T2i, gets better with time. The time of exactly one year to the day of delivery of the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D to ChadSorianoPhotoBlog.



The 18 megapixel crop CMOS sensored Canon Rebel T3i is not just a Canon Rebel T2i with an articulating screen. It has big features in a small package. The most obvious one is the vari-angle high resolution LCD just like the Canon EOS 60D. The T3i has built in wireless flash control for Canon Speedlites just like the Canon EOS 60D. The T3i has manual audio control for video capture like the Canon EOS 60D. See a familiar pattern? Consider the T3i as a baby 60D. Wait a minute, the T3i replaces the T2i in the Rebel series. Let us finally move on to the T2i now.



My ChadSorianoPhotoBlog is not a Canon wikipedia, so I will only go over the major differences between the T3i and the T2i. The first thing you will notice is the slight change in ergonomics. The T3i has a slightly bigger grip with more non slip rubber areas on the surface of the body along with a taller stance and a bit more depth. All these minute changes were to accommodate the swivel screen. The button layout are well placed like the T2i despite the smaller 4 way controller. It just plain works.



The T3i is marketed to entry level DSLR consumers as well as more advanced prosumers. In other words, there is a lot of built in beginner oriented camera functions that make first time photographers at ease with making good pictures. Like the picture above, the new Creative Filters to the T3i give in camera manipulation of JPEG files effects. I found the "Toy Camera" effect as well as the "Miniature" effect quite convincing. There are plenty of "Scene Intelligent Auto" features otherwise known as fully automatic mode to fill pages of my PhotoBlog. I will now move on to the nitty gritty.



It is all in the details. Skin details. I mean where skin looks like skin and not some mushy digital reproduction of skin. Canon excels in this category. As seen in my Canon Rebel T2i Verdict and the Canon 60D Verdict, the tried and tested 18 megapixel CMOS sensor with DIGIC IV processor wins the skin detail and dynamic range contest hands down. Canon also carried over the same winning sensor as well as the reliable 9 point focusing system. It plain works,again.



The DIGIC IV processor enables the T3i a native ISO range of 100-6400 plus a digital expansion of 12,800. I can confidently say you can shoot at ISO 1600 all day with no problem. Very clean images. ISO 3200 is good but easily cleaned up in RAW processing. ISO 6400 is for freezing action in dark interiors like cathedrals and church halls, so expect gritty but useful images. ISO 12,800 is for pitch black emergencies. Let the snowfall begin! The picture above is shot at ISO 3200 with ambient light from the restaurant and was processed from RAW with Digital Photo Professional. That is the free software that comes with every Canon DSLR.



Now for the glorious HD video capabilities of the T3i. Just like the T2i, the T3i has 1080p, 720p and 480p video resolutions at various frame rates in both NTSC and PAL. All exposure controls for video and audio are fully manual. You can plug in a stereo microphone in the minijack for external audio capture as well. Full control like this are only found in the more expensive full frame HD DSLR like the Canon 5D Mark II. A particular video feature of interest that cannot be found in the T2i and the 60D is 3x to 10x digital zoom during 1080p video recording. The video above demonstrates the amazing resolution at 3x to 10x. Imagine a 400mm lens with a 1.6x crop factor at 10x digital zoom. That is a 6400mm equivalent focal length. You can video tape a NASA Space Shuttle launch 12 miles away or shoot a lunar eclipse with no problem.



The above T3i Video Test is shot at 1080p at 29.97fps. Edited with iMovie'09 and used Quicktime at best quality to compress the h264 video file. I also used an IGUS Drylin Camera Slider on Benro 3580 legs give the camera some lateral movement during the shots. If you are wary of non linear video editing, the T3i has a new "Video Snapshot Mode". You can shoot 2,4, or 8 second video clips and the camera will do "in camera video editing". The finished sequence is saved to camera's SDHC memory card as a single movie file.



The Verdict? There is nothing entry level about the Rebel T3i except its price. $899 for the kit and $799 for body only. It is so chock full of pro-oriented features that the Rebel T2i will be only a faded Canon memory. The line between novice and advanced photographic tools is grossly blurred. Say good bye to my Rebel T2i and say hello to my new digital friend, the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D.

You can view more pictures, videos and ISO comparisons in my Canon EOS Rebel T3i Gallery.

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***MAJOR UPDATE***

My initial Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D Video Test is posted here. My Canon EOS Rebel T4i Verdict and Video Review will be coming soon. Make sure you check out all the new features of the new Canon Rebel T4i/650D, it has all sorts of new goodies!


***Major Update***

I just posted my Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D Verdict and Video Test here.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i Video Test

Canon did it again just like Apple. The Canon EOS Rebel T2i impressed me and many other entry level DSLR newbies with outstanding image quality and Full HD video with full manual control performance in a small form factor. Now, exactly a year later, the Canon EOS Rebel T3i exceeds it's predecessor with even more features for the same price point. Sound familiar? Apple iPhone to Apple MacBookPro to Apple anything!



History repeats itself many times over. Just like the Canon technology turnover, I give to you my initial Canon EOS Rebel T3i Video Test in 1080p. I am working diligently on my full blown Canon EOS Rebel T3i review with ISO and image quality comparisons. So in the meantime, just like clockwork, I shot a video with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i and edited with iMovie'09 for you.



To the amazement of befuddled Canon Rebel T2i owners is the obvious addition of an articulating screen just like the Canon EOS 60D. It does not stop there with the similarities. Remote flash control of specific Canon TTL flashes and manual control of audio for video capture top off a very long list of features.



As you noticed in the Canon EOS Rebel T3i Video Test, I used an IGUS Drylin Camera Slider W1080-B to spice up the 1080p video shot at 29.97fps. The IGUS slider used a Manfrotto 701HDV head on top of Benro 3580 tripod legs. A Sennheiser MKE400 shotgun microphone captured my manually controlled audio and the T3i/600D was paired with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L and EF 100mm f/2.8L IS lenses. I edited with iMovie'09 and used Quicktime to compress a 550mb H264 video file.



Just like the T2i, the new Canon EOS Rebel T3i shares the same glorious 18mp CMOS crop sensor with a high native ISO range(100-6400) and Full HD and HD video resolution at frame rates of 24p,30p and 60p in both NTSC and PAL. I could go on but that is for my upcoming Canon EOS Rebel T3i Verdict and Review. As expected, the T3i captured video flawlessly with the added bonus of the vari-angle screen for high,low and reverse angle perspectives.



I captured the Canon EOS Rebel T3i in action for this video test with my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. I used a Rode VideoMic for audio and used the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L and EF 100mm f/2.8L IS lenses.



For all Final Cut Pro users out there, I just created a Canon E-1 Movie Plugin fix for T3i video. Do not be confused by all the complicated code in the above picture. It is the actual modified .plist file that Final Cut Pro uses for the Log and Capture feature. For all non Final Cut Pro users out there, the Canon E-1 Movie plugin automatically transcodes the h264 video files to a lossless editing codec called AppleProRes422. Confused? I was at first but if you dare to jump into the realm of Final Cut Pro, all this jargon will make sense to you. For exact instructions to implement this modified .plist file in your own Final Cut Pro software, go to the Discussion Forum on DVinfo.net. I explain with step by step instructions to install the .plist file in your computer.



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UPDATE: My Canon EOS Rebel T3i Verdict and Video Review is complete.

IGUS Drylin Camera Slider Video Test Review

The eleven hundred dollar price tag derailed my temptation of the Philip Bloom Signature Edition Pocket Dolly by Kessler. Believe me, you get what you pay for in this day of age. His cinematic tool looks like a fabulous piece of machinery but a little steep in the wallet for most. A quick Google search came up with an unusual result. A German industrial manufacturer specializing in mechanical systems with polymer bearing technology called IGUS. Confused?



I did not believe this at first but a quick search of IGUS on Amazon.com came up with a surprising affordable camera slider solution. For one hundred and fifty dollars, you get a precision Drylin bearing slider on a four inch by three feet piece of metal rail. The IGUS W1080-B with pre drilled holes to be exact.



A Manfrotto 701 HDV fluid head and Benro Carbon Fiber legs from my friends at North Tampa Photography plus a quick trip to the local hardware store, you can be setup very quickly for your next cinematic masterpiece. Well, I would not call my quick holiday weekend production shoot at Hermano Family Dentistry anything but epic. Dental eye candy fits the description better.



I used a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with EF 85mm f/1.2L, EF 35mm f/1.4L and the EF 17-40mm f/4L lenses. I paired the camera with the Sennheiser MKE 400 microphone for audio and used a Manfrotto 501 HDV fluid head for my other shots. The wonderful behind the scene photographs are provided by the "Time Lapse Guru", Getawaymoments.




The IGUS Drylin Camera Slider W1080-B is the perfect size to handle the heft of the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with a large lens with no problem. Anything heavier on either ends of the rail can be solved by a two tripod system. For even a lighter rig, you can support one end with full size legs and the other end with a monopod.



The IGUS Drylin Camera Slider Video Test was an astounding success. This great value for the money cinematic tool provided an invaluable element to this production. This unbeatable combination from IGUS paired with an HD Dslr is a "must have" especially compared to the more expensive Philip Bloom Signature Pocket Dolly. You will be seeing more of the IGUS Drylin Camera Slider in my future productions.

IGUS Drylin Camera Slider Preview

I would like to introduce my upcoming HDdslr video test with the IGUS Drylin W Camera Slider with much anticipation. No, it did not come out of the box assembled as you see in the iPhone 4 picture but with a fluid video head, tripod legs and a quick trip to Home Depot, you can be setup very quickly.



I have a small video production shoot this weekend and I thought this would a great test bed for this neat little rig. Of course, I will have the video, production shots and a brief review of the IGUS Drylin Camera Slider very soon after. Stay updated on my Facebook Fanpage and Twitter!