We compared the T3i head to head against the Nikon D5100. In full auto mode, the T3i beats the Nikon. They are probably identical in the hands of a pro using manual settings, but in auto the D5100 has lousy white balance and notable motion blur.
Then we compared the T3i head to head against the D5100, the Sony Alpha 55, and the Canon 60D. Found the 60D to be too heavy, and that the 18-135mm lens is also too heavy and cumbersome. I really liked the fixed mirror of the Sony and continuous phase autofocus in live view and movie mode. But the snapshots of the T3i were slightly better. With the shortcomings of the a55, it is probably a tier lower and thus overpriced. I think we'd have bought the a77 over the T3i if both were $700 for the body and 18-55mm kit.
The T3i excels under low light, the whole point of moving up from a point and shoot. It was hard to not go with a mirrorless or fixed mirror system, but the T3i had the best pictures, simple as that. After taking about 600 pictures in the last few days, had to learn a little about the semi-auto features. Very useful are setting white balance to scene instead of using auto or a preset, and using portrait mode for indoor shots and putting the flash up or down as desired. Also find shutter priority mode helpful to get shots without motion blur, and also like locking max auto ISO to 1600 or 800 for lower noise.
The bottom line is that we get extremely natural looking photos taken indoors at night without flash. I took pictures in dim tungsten lighting that look like they were taken in the afternoon with indirect sunlight coming in the windows. Amazing--why we bought the camera and why it gets 5 stars.
Also bought the Tamron 18-200mm zoom lens and the Rode Videomic Pro as accessories--both of those earn 5 stars, too.
We purchased the T3i and the Tamron lens online from B&H who has a no-hassle return policy.
Review by Christopher Burian
