Buy Canon Rebel 1100D (T3) ~ 3 Reasons

Panasonic, Olympus, Samsung, Sony... they all make great cameras. However, if you are among the majority of photographers who are about to enter the world of Digital SLR, you are wavering between Canon and Nikon. This is just a fact.

Additionally, if your decision is to get the best beginner's DSLR for the least amount of money (under - $600), that's where the Canon Rebel 1100D enters the picture (pun intended :-).

OK, so focus for a few minutes on this one camera.

Image Quality

Image quality of this photo, taken with a Canon Rebel is amazing!

No matter who you are or what type of photos you want to take, your number one concern must be the quality of the photos you will be taking with your new digital SLR.

While compact cameras (point and shoot models) continue to get better and better, they just can't match the quality of DSLRs.

Why is this true?

Simple math reveals that the camera's image sensor is the root of the success of the Canon Rebel 1100D with regard to image quality and the comparison to a compact camera. Most people look at the "size" of an image sensor in megapixels. For instance, the Rebel 1100D has a 12.2 megapixel sensor. The Canon SX20 IS also has a 12-megapixel sensor, but it is a compact camera. Even though the number of pixels are almost identical, the size and quality of those pixels is far from equal.

The Canon Rebel 1100D has an APS-C sensor that measures about 300 square millimeters. The Canon SX20 IS has a sensor that is approximately 30 square millimeters. Mathematically, that means the 1100D's sensor is 10 times as big. Thus, the engineering of the light capturing capabilities can be much better. Pixels can be larger with much more detail in each pixel leading to better overall quality of the final image.

Now, this is all very technical in nature, but suffice it to say that, in the case of image sensors, bigger is better... by far.

Ease of Use

Photo of ducks was taken with a Canon Rebel set to iA (Intelligent Auto) - literally Point and Shoot.

Camera producers have included many of the same settings and modes in both compact and beginner's DSLR cameras, making the transition quite simple. The Canon Rebel T3 is very intuitive for new users, but perhaps the best feature of all in this respect is the "Feature Guide." Each time you change or select a new setting, the Feature Guide on the LCD panel explains exactly what the feature does. This is very helpful for new users as well as users who do not memorize the camera's full gamut of settings.

Speed

Get consistently great action shots without worries about "shutter lag".

Possibly the very first thing most new Canon Rebel users realize is how fast their Digital SLR is. Especially if they have never used a camera of this type before (and compared to their old point and shoot camera).

The experience is practically life changing for many. They immediately begin to snap photos everywhere and stop strangers on the street to let them know about their joy in this life-altering photography experience. And that joy does not end quickly. Each time the shutter button is pressed, the camera responds with speed and accuracy. The photographer can begin to have faith that the camera will perform without fail. Compare that to the question you may have each time you take a shot with your compact camera, never knowing if you pressed the shutter button at the right time. Quick focus and dynamic shutter speed are the hallmarks of a digital SLR, even a beginner's DSLR.

This is obviously quite a brief commentary about the newest Rebel. There is much more information at Canon Rebel T3i VS T3.

The Rebel 1100D is an upgrade of the wildly popular Rebel 1000D. The older Rebel was, and continues to be one of the hottest sellers as a beginner's DSLR. When you add the newer technology and extra megapixels of the 1100D, it just makes sense that the newer version will continue to satisfy buyers.

Happy Shooting!

Male Cardinal - This one was taken with a Canon Rebel T3i.

Cardinal photo by the author.