Canon T3i or T5i

[Tydal]

Hey everyone. Im new to this website so I'm giving it a try. I went to the local camera shop to look for a new camera to buy. I was looking for the Canon t3i. Ive looked up reviews and determined its a good entry level camera. While I was there the owner of the shop told me that Canon is discontinuing the t3i this month or next month that I should wait to see if the t5i comes down in price. I was wondering what everyones opinion on this was. Is the t3i for $500 worth it or should I wait to see if the more expensive t5i comes down in price. I want to spend near $500. Thanks

 

[goodguy]

Canon t3i and Canon t5i are almost the same camera.
Yes you have the touch screen and few more things but its same sensor, same low light performance and same image quality.
I wouldn't wait, if you set your heart to get a Canon then don't wait and get the t3i, wait long enough and you will be able to buy the t6i.

 

[Tydal]

Is the 9 cross type focus points important or a huge difference?

 

[Tydal]

The only thing stopping me is the t3i only has one cross type focus compared to the 9 the t5i has. Is that important? Also is the low light quality really bad on the t3i?

 

[shaylou]

The only thing stopping me is the t3i only has one cross type focus compared to the 9 the t5i has. Is that important? Also is the low light quality really bad on the t3i?

Yes it is very important in my opinion. I started with a t3i and loved it. It was a great entry level camera . I went full frame so I do not keep up with the crop cameras anymore. I didn't know it had an upgraded focus system. But the focus system is an important part of any camera. For some reason the focus system is overlooked or under valued when comparing cameras. I have a 5D mrkIII and people try to say the 6D is just as good even though it has an inferior focus system amount other things. I say bull s#%*t, the focus system is the main reason I went with my camera. The t3i is a fine camera but I would wait to see if you can get into the better focus system if I was you. That's my opinion.

 

[shaylou]

Also is the low light quality really bad on the t3i?[/QUOTE]

No not at all. Go to my flickr if you want some examples of how good the low light performance is . Just make sure you look at the efix to make sure what camera I used. I have more than one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47096888@N06/

 

[bryguy_ASU]

The digic5 processor in the t5i is suppose to perform better in high ISO than its predecessor -- it's faster and has less noise. Have you also considered the SL1? It's cheaper than the t5i and more than the t3i. The SL1 is basically a t5i without the articulating screen, shoots 1 fps less burst, and won't be able to use a battery grip. But you do get the same picture quality for less $$$ and come out with a smaller/lighter camera. If you're into taking videos as well, the SL1 and t5i have continuous AF tracking. New virtually silent motor in the STM kit lens. Not to mention both have touch screens with some interestingly fun looking filters. IMO, if you can wait and pay a bit more, get the t5i. If you want a DSLR now, get the SL1 and invest the difference in a 40mm pancake lens. The t3i is still a great camera, but it would fall 3rd between them.

 

[Tydal]

I have bigger hands and the SL1 feels really small in my hands. I feel like the extra $300 for the t5i isn't worth it when the t3i in the end does the same. Does anyone have any comments on this. Is the t5i worth an extra $300 when I'm a beginner?

 

[Lumens]

I started by purchasing the T2i with the 18-55mm and 55-250mm kit lenses. It did wonders for me - The main thing is once you have purchased make a true effort to learn how to use the equipment.

I have now moved up to a Canon 7D (Which also has the same sensor), but has MUCH better processing speed for continuous shots and a MUCH higher Frames per second for catching action shots. The only reason for me to upgrade was for shooting Birds in Flight which I greatly enjoy.

I still use the T2i a good deal as it IS the same sensor as my 7D and produces the same Image Quality with the lenses I have. The T3i or T5i would produce similar results as my T2i - main advantage is they may be better built to handle video and may have few new bells and whistles my T2i does not have. To determine if the T5i is worth the extra $$$$ you need to compare the specifications to determine if any differences actually benefit what you intend to use the camera for.

 

[JacaRanda]

I also think it is important to look at all the features the camera has, including the sensor. You may find some things are deal breakers and other things are not.

Good idea mentioned by shaylou to go look at photos around the web taken with each camera. Depending on your needs, you may find the T3I totally suitable for your needs.

 

[Gavjenks]

Low light is going to be almost identical, if not literally identical (they may actually have the same sensor, I don't remember).

Autofocus is better on the T5i, but IMO it is not a huge deal with the cross points, etc. They matter if you're shooting flying birds or sports or something really rapid and chaotic like that. Otherwise not terribly important, since I'd pretty much always use the center point anyway for everything else...

The other stuff is mostly fluff. Unless you shoot video, in which case the flipout screen is nice, however you should be looking at the 70D in that case anyway, not either of these.

 

[bryguy_ASU]

I have bigger hands and the SL1 feels really small in my hands. I feel like the extra $300 for the t5i isn't worth it when the t3i in the end does the same. Does anyone have any comments on this. Is the t5i worth an extra $300 when I'm a beginner?

Found the t5i on slick deals from Adorama. Cheapest I've ever seen it. I should know because the t5i was on my radar for a bit.

Anyways, seems like a good deal because you get two lenses.

http://slickdeals.net/f/6702158-can...-300mm-f-4-5-6-lens-filter-kit-658-fs-adorama