Help a noob decide!

[beachrat]

So yer not kiddin'.
I see.

 

[beagle100]

I see.

ya see'
w/ too much junk !

 

[goodguy]

The T3i is good, in general Canon models will give you a better "IQ" image quality and better selection of lens
(why the pros use Canon)
but also look for refurbished deals on T4i, T5i, T6i, etc.

Is the t3i a good camera ?
Yes it is but in its price range there are much better and more modern cameras like the Nikon D3300 that I mentioned.

Pro's use Canon ?
Some do, in my area I know more then few pro's and most use Nikons mostly the D610, D750 and D800/D810
The few that use Canon have 6D and 5D III

Stating pro's use Canon is very misleading, yes pro's use Canon and Nikon and lately I see some that even use Fuji and more then few are starting to o with Sony especially the A7R II

In regards to lens selection both Canon and Nikon have a big lens selection, unless you have a specific lens you like from a specific maker there is no big advantage or disadvantage with either Nikon or Canon with their lens selection.

And about looking for refurbished T4i, T5i, these camera use same sensor as the t3i and even the very old t2i, all use the 6 years old 18MP sensor
The t6i is a new camera with a good sensor, if you find one in your price range then its a camera to consider but I think its way out of your price range.

I still think in your price range the Nikon D3300 is your best choice!
As I said it will have better low light performance and much better dynamic range then the t3i

 

[beagle100]

The T3i is good, in general Canon models will give you a better "IQ" image quality and better selection of lens
(why the pros use Canon)
but also look for refurbished deals on T4i, T5i, T6i, etc.

Is the t3i a good camera ?

most professionals in the US use Canon (editorial, sports, fashion, etc) for the image quality
1Dx, 5DS, 5DIII, etc.,
of course lens selection, AF, etc. is also important
but it's possible a refurbished 6D is the best option

 

[goodguy]

most professionals in the US use Canon (editorial, sports, fashion, etc) for the image quality
1Dx, 5DS, 5DIII, etc.,
of course lens selection, AF, etc. is also important
but it's possible a refurbished 6D is the best option

I would love to see the statistics on which you base your claim that most professionals use Canon cameras in the US.

Actually the best option is a refurbished Nikon D750 which is better then both the 5D III and the 6D but its out of our friends price range.

 

[AceCo55]

The T3i is good, in general Canon models will give you a better "IQ" image quality and better selection of lens
(why the pros use Canon)
but also look for refurbished deals on T4i, T5i, T6i, etc.

Congratulations! Your "trolling" comment is likely to send this thread to go "off task".
As I'm sure you knew when you made it. Shame on you.

Apologies to the OP.
You will find excellent cameras and lenses manufactured by all the major camera brands.
You just need to find the one that will suit your needs.
Others have given you some good advice.
Ignore the "it should be a Canon because that's what professionals use". Professionals use a wide range of camera brands.

 

[jaomul]

Yes, the brand/sensor fight off here becomes tedious. Some of these differences may be relevant to certain types of photography for certain types of photographers. Be confident any dslr you get will do the trick (I am saying dslr because you mention the t3i). If you have time go to an actual shop and pick up and look at a few different models in your price range. Buy, be happy, take nice photos

 

[TCampbell]

Pros use Canon and Nikon in roughly equal number -- nobody seems to have the professional market cornered. The systems are roughly equal and they'll trade places from time to time.

But this is all a big distraction... the photographers skill is key to getting good shots regardless of system. When I take a good image, I don't give my camera the credit and when I take a bad image I don't give my camera the blame. That would sort of be like blaming your piano when you hit a wrong note.

Canon introduces a new EOS Rebel series (that's the entry price range for their DSLR camera bodies) roughly every year. The latest batch (introduced in 2015) was the T6i and T6s, before that it was the T5i (2014), the T4i (2013), and before that the T3i (2012). So the T3i is an older body.

The Nikon D3300 is a 2014 release, but in the product line-up it's down at the low-end of the entry range. The difference in ISO/noise performance on a Nikon D3300 vs. a Canon T3i is subtle -- that difference might not jump off the page. But then you have to remember that the D3300 is a 24 megapixel camera while the T3i is an 18 megapixel camera. Normally when you pack more pixels into the same space (1/3rd more pixels) the tinier pixels end up having more "noise". But in this comparison, they really don't -- in fact as I look closely I think the Nikon has a tiny bit less noise (it's not a big difference and I have to go back and forth before I can reach the conclusion but I think the Nikon looks little better.)

I shoot using Canon gear, but I'm not stuck to a brand -- frankly in today's modern market, it's hard to buy a "bad" DSLR -- so don't over-agonize the purchase decision. But I think the D3300 is slightly better in terms of image performance while providing a higher res image. The one thing the T3i has over the D3300 is that the T3i has an articulated LCD screen that swings out. But if you want that articulated LCD you could get a D5300 and you'd get a camera body with a sensor nearly identical (technically it's not the same sensor ... but performance and specs are so very close to each other that you wonder why they didn't just use the same sensor) and the D5300 is a higher end "body" so you'll find more features. (The D5500 is the latest in Nikon's entry range and it's basically at their top of the entry-range before you move into the mid-range bodies.)

All of the entry-range cameras have polycarbonate (plastic... but fairly durable plastic). As you move into the mid-range the bodies switch to either polycarbonate + magnesium alloy combination bodies... or straight magnesium alloy bodies. The magnesium alloy body cameras tend to be much more rugged and they can take a beating. They also start to get more technical in terms of features. The Canon 7D & 7D II bodies are optimized for action photography (much faster shooting speeds and more advanced focusing systems.)

 

[James W.]

Ben,

I got myself a Nikon D5200 with the 18-55 kit lens ($450 on sale) and it works very well for me. Low light performance is great and the VR in the lens works quite well. It's small for a DSLR, and thus is quite light. All in all, my kit has cost $500 (includes the cheap camera bag, SD card, Polarizer filter, and a lens hood for protecting the glass) + 9.99 per month for Lightroom and Photoshop. So for your $1200 you could use the extra $700 for getting one or two really great lenses, or a new computer monitor, or use it for gasoline, etc... I've got an old Vangaurd tripod that my father gave me, but for hiking I would recommend a monopod, they appear to be more portable (and some can double as a hiking stick).

Good luck, I hope that helped a bit.

--James