I give my EOS Rebel T3 a 5* rating: it is more than i expected!! I have an elaborate set-up for the OM/2 gathering dust. But, having done a lot of photography with the OM/2 I had a set of expectations: The Rebel T3 needed to do the same sort of things that the OM/2 camera system did.First off was evaluation of the lens. The Rebel cameras using the APS-C sensor (22.2 x 14.8mm) have a "crop factor" of 1.6 which means you take the focal length of an EF-S type lens times 1.6 to get the equivalent 35mm "full frame" focal length. So the lens that comes with the T3 is 18-55 mm APS-C or ~ 28 to 90 in full frame (36 x 24 mm) 35mm format. Close focus capability is included. This is an excellent lens to start out with. The old advice, when purchasing a camera: get and keep the standard lens certainly apples here. This 18-55 lens is also called the "Kit" lens and it is ideal for every day shooting, including birthday parties and such.
In learning Digital Photography I have found the T3 to be a good "stepping stone": it includes a number of "pre sets": or "automatic" modes for portraits, pets, close ups, sports, landscapes, automatic, night and such that let you take the camera out of the box, charge the battery and start taking great pix with only a brief session with the "getting started" manual. You do need to learn to charge the battery and install and format the memory card ( be sure to buy one ). And get the lens hood if you shoot out doors. Set the camera on AUTO and go to it!! You can learn to use the additional features at your own speed, as you need them.
The package includes a CD with some *very* good photo editing tools that let you download pix from the camera and then edit your collections. Great stuff, very useful if you like to Play with Pix on Computer -- as is very popular these days!!
Speaking of Playing with Pix on Computer if you are into OnLine sharing, FB, Windows/Live etc you will likely find images in the range of 1024x768 pix are adequate for casual online sharing. Images online do not need to be larger than you can display on-screen. For this reason the 12 m/px T3 will probably be all that is needed for sharing pix online. 12 m/px is 4272x2848 -- much bigger than you need for on-line sharing!!* The 18 m/px of the T3i would be desirable for higher level work, particularly printing where you will want to change the image to 300 dpi or even to 1200 lines/inch. But that is another subject entirely; those interested in this area will likely want to start looking at the EOS 60D and possibly settle on a full frame model discussion of which is beyond my level of expertise. Although it appears to me that improvements in the sensors -- APS-C and now Nikon's CX -- are going to obsolete the old 36x24mm "full frame" systems. "IMHO", anyway. Check out stuff done with the G12 -- using a 1/1.7 (7.6 x 5.7 mm ) sensor
Last but not least: the T3 is a great "stepping stone" offering "point and shoot" or camera control as photographer's choice, and as the EF-S type lenses are compatible through the EOS/Rebel line generally -- a lens that you add for the T3 might be used also on a T3i or 60D that you add later -- which you won't do if you go into a "high end" "point and shoot".
I have already added the EF-S 15-85 IS lens; I'll comment on that, in a month or so.
* the Digital Photo Professional software -- included with the camera -- will let you re-size -- and you can even do a whole set of images in a single "batch" operation -- after you have your selections to upload. Although the camera will let you shoot smaller size original images, I wouldn't do that: If you get a good one: you can't go back and say: I want full resolution. Better to shoot all originals at full resolution.
Review by Mike Acker
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