Okay camera for digital beginner?

vintagecam94 · Jun 30, 2011

Is a Canon t3i an okay camera for a digital beginner? For someone who normally shoots film but is interested in having a good, but beginner level digital camera for.... practicality purposes? Pros and cons of this camera?

Thanks for the help

tyler_h · Jun 30, 2011

Yeah, it's a decent place to start. Coming from film you may find the crop factor annoying but unless you are willing to shell out a lot more or hunt around for used (5D classics get down around the $1000 mark body only I think).

I don't see a lot of point going with the t3i over the t2i if you could use the extra you'd save on lenses/accessories.

One other thing, you might find all camera in that level are a bit plasticy for you liking if you are coming from solid metal bodies in your film cameras.

BaliEagle · Jun 30, 2011

You may even want to save up your money for a 60d, which will feal more sturdy and offer you room to grow. If you are serious in photography, it won't take you too long to out-grow a t3i. On the other hand, if you just want a camera that takes good pictures, and aren't extremely serious about photography, go for the t3i. I guess it also depends what kind of film shooting you were doing.

PJL · Jul 1, 2011

What film body did you shoot? If it was modern and anything above the Rebel line (Elan series, A series, EOS-1, etc.), the T3i will probably feel foreign in your hands and not have the type of controls you've become accustomed to. I tried out a lot of camera bodies when I was making the transition from film to digital and none of the entry level cameras from Nikon or Canon felt right to me. Hence my decision to pay a little bit less than I would for an "entry level" camera and went with the Canon 40D.

vintagecam94 · Jul 1, 2011

not serious about digital photography, more serious about film. The want for a digital camera is more based on the practicality of certain instances and the difficulty of getting some shots successfully on film. For example, if we wanted to shoot fireworks or lightening, using film could be a huge waste because we very well may never get the shot and just not know it until we use the money or energy to develop it. With digital, in those certain instances, delete the picture, move on. Like I said, serious about FILM photography, not really digital, really ust looking for the basics of a good digital camera. To answer the question about the age of the cameras shot with, they are almost all 50's and 60's models aside from one Canon Rebel film camera.

Thanks for the input

PJL · Jul 1, 2011

Well, that being the case, set your price and get the most bang for your buck. T3i would definitely meet your needs. The only cons of going with an entry level rather than a "prosumer" model is that you usually have to do more menu-hunting to get them to do things, whereas the more "advanced" cameras usually have dedicated buttons. For example, let's say you're shooting in manual mode. Any vintage film camera has a dedicated aperture control and a dedicated shutter speed control. Set your aperture, set your shutter speed, and you're off. A Rebel series DSLR, such as the T3i, will have one control wheel, so you'll be able to set the shutter speed, but then you have to press and hold down another button while using the same wheel to set aperture. My 40D (and other x0D cameras) have two control wheels, more like a film camera (they have other advantages, obviously, but if you're doing long exposures on a tripod, they shouldn't matter too much to you). If you can live with that, though, you should certainly be happy with it.