Advice on Canon 600D / Rebel T3i

Sammio2 · Jul 6, 2011

Hi Guys,

I was just wondering if any of you helpful and knowledgable people could give me any advice or pointers. I'll start by saying i've searched previous posts, and have done a fair amount of research on the topic, but I guess i'm looking for someone to help / advise on my personal situation.

I'm an amateur photographer, used to be very active and enthusiastic, but have recently been at Uni and really didn't have time to pursue my hobby much. Having finished Uni now i'd really like to get back into it, but here is my conundrum...

I currently have a Canon EOS 10D (handed down many years ago by a family member) and the results are just not pleasing to me anymore. I am well aware that a lot of it has to do with my skill level (pretty low), but a couple of years ago, my friend had just brought a Nikon D40 and out on a shoot, he let me have a go, and I was producing images with qualities that were leaps and bounds better than from the 10D, in terms of colour, white balance, sharpness, everything really.

I understand also the importance of good lenses, however the same family member who handed the 10D down to me, has a good collection of Canon lenses, most are L series. I'm incredibly fortunate that i'm allowed to borrow some of these lenses, so i'm sure it's not the lenses.

So my question really is... Is the Canon EOS 600D a good camera for me to upgrade to from a 10D? I'm looking for something which will kind of help me along as I learn and develop my skills, and also for something which will last a good few years. I tend to like close up / city scene photography, but have played about with a bit of everything to be honest. One thing i'm looking to do is also experiment with DSLR video, the 600D seems to be a good choice for this, with full HD resolution at a selection of frame rates. Not to mention the articulating screen, which i like, a lot (if only for the fact it protects the screen while it's in the bag.)

I must reiterate, that i understand completely that buying a new camera is NOT the definitive solution to getting better photos, but does it seem like a logical upgrade for me right now? I should mention that this saturday (9th July) I can get a very good deal on the camera, hence me posting this now!

If anyone has any advice on this camera in particular (600D) or can recommend any alternatives, pros / cons, etc It would be very much appreciated! Apologies for the long post as well!

Many Thanks
Sam

runlsd · Jul 6, 2011

T3i will be a good upgrade for you.

I could also suggest upgrading to a T2i and use the money you save on a lens. They are pretty much identical. T3i has an articulating rear LCD.

If you want a camera that will help you learn now and allow for "growth" in the future, the 60D would be a logical choice too.

Can't go wrong with any of these.

Keleko · Jul 6, 2011

The technology in digital cameras is still updating pretty quickly. There's a big difference between a 10D and a 600D. I will say the more "logical" upgrade is the 60D, since it is the same product line. I have a 60D myself, though it is my first DSLR camera. I have not used a 600D to compare them. However, it is also more expensive than the 600D. If you can afford it, you should consider it. If not, the 600D has the same sensor, so the picture quality will not be significantly different from the 60D.

Either one will be a good upgrade from the 10D.

Sammio2 · Jul 6, 2011

Thanks for your replys, it really is appreciated!

I've been looking at the 60D quite seriously, but I really am at the very top end of my budget with the 600D. As much as I'd appreciate the higher burst rate, and better AF system, I don't think I can stretch to that price (I'm pushing the budget for a 600D as it is)

With regards to the T2i, I was looking at that as well, but I just like something about the articulated screen on the T3i, also some of the firmware features are important to me, (Manual control of audio is a big one). Also spending money on lenses is slightly less important to me, as I can borrow those lenses I mentioned.

Thanks for your advice again, may sound silly to some, but I've just graduated so this is a lot of money for me, I want to make sure I'm not doing something silly, etc!

Sam

acearchie · Jul 6, 2011

I got myself a 600d for equal photo and vide usage and I can say that it is definitely the best value for money camera you will find and if it is the top of your budget you should go for it.

Just a pointer that manual audio control is actually quite difficult to control on the camera so it shouldn't be the defining feature over the 550d but in my opinion the rotating screen, wireless flash control and digital zoom are worth it.

richpjr · Jul 6, 2011

Sammio2 said:
Thanks for your replys, it really is appreciated!

I've been looking at the 60D quite seriously, but I really am at the very top end of my budget with the 600D. As much as I'd appreciate the higher burst rate, and better AF system, I don't think I can stretch to that price (I'm pushing the budget for a 600D as it is)

With regards to the T2i, I was looking at that as well, but I just like something about the articulated screen on the T3i, also some of the firmware features are important to me, (Manual control of audio is a big one). Also spending money on lenses is slightly less important to me, as I can borrow those lenses I mentioned.

Thanks for your advice again, may sound silly to some, but I've just graduated so this is a lot of money for me, I want to make sure I'm not doing something silly, etc!

Sam

Were you looking at the body only or with a lens kit? And as you are probably already aware, Canon has an instant rebate going on with most of their cameras until early September.

compuwar · Jul 6, 2011

Sammio2 said:
my friend had just brought a Nikon D40 and out on a shoot, he let me have a go, and I was producing images with qualities that were leaps and bounds better than from the 10D, in terms of colour, white balance, sharpness, everything really.

Sharpness? Between Canon L glass and a D40 with what was likely a kit lens? I think you're not evaluating the images well. Color and white balance can be taken care of in processing, especially if you're shooting in raw mode. I'd suggest spending a little more time getting into raw conversion and getting the color temperatures and white balance settings more to your liking rather than spending more money- upgrade time is when the camera can't do a specific job, breaks or something like that- if you're not getting the basics done, then it's best to build those skills up, because by the time you hit the "I need a new camera" point there'll be something better, faster and cheaper out there.

Paul

Sammio2 · Jul 6, 2011

richpjr said:
Were you looking at the body only or with a lens kit? And as you are probably already aware, Canon has an instant rebate going on with most of their cameras until early September.

Well there is an offer on where I can get the body with the 18-55mm lens kit for £599, so I'd probably go for that. As for the rebate, I hadn't heard anything about that? Is that UK as well, or USA only?

compuwar said:
Sharpness? Between Canon L glass and a D40 with what was likely a kit lens? I think you're not evaluating the images well. Color and white balance can be taken care of in processing, especially if you're shooting in raw mode. I'd suggest spending a little more time getting into raw conversion and getting the color temperatures and white balance settings more to your liking rather than spending more money- upgrade time is when the camera can't do a specific job, breaks or something like that- if you're not getting the basics done, then it's best to build those skills up, because by the time you hit the "I need a new camera" point there'll be something better, faster and cheaper out there.

Paul

Paul, thanks for your advice, and in a way I know you're right. Incidentally I don't think I was using an L series that shoot, but I can't remember for sure. I just can't help but feel I've been battling with this camera for years (minus the 3 year break recently) and in just an hour playing with the newer cameras in the shop, I was so impressed with the differences. I desperately don't want to be one of those, "I'm buying this to get instantly great photo's" brigade, I know it doesn't work like that, believe me I've spent years trying to convince people it doesn't work like that with audio gear!

I guess it's a mixture of the HD video capabilities (I don't have any other camera than the 10D right now, nothing for video) and all the spec upgrades.

I appreciate feedback that makes me think and consider my options though, that's exactly what I'm after, so thank you everyone!

rusty2192 · Jul 6, 2011

The 600D will be a perfect camera for you. I have a 550D and love it. I bought an old 350D about a year ago on ebay as my first DSLR. After using it for about 6 months I decided it was time to upgrade when Canon ran a huge sale on refurbished 550Ds at the end of the year.

As others have said, a lot has changed since your 10D came out. One of the biggest advances (in my opinion at least) has been ISO. I can easily shoot at ISO 1600 without hardly any noise. I can push it higher than that if needed with a little bit of noise, but even 6400 is manageable to get the shot.

Another place that really makes it easier to use the camera is in the screen. I'm not sure how small the 10D's is, but my 350D had a tiny screen that was pretty much only useful to check the general composition. With the 550D's big bright screen you can see every little detail.

So to wrap up, I think the 600D would be great for you if you have the cash. The 550D would also be great for less money, but with your interest in video the articulating screen sounds like it would come in handy.

compuwar · Jul 6, 2011

Sammio2 said:
Paul, thanks for your advice, and in a way I know you're right.

I'm of the firm opinion that battling a camera is good for you-- because then you'll produce even better images when you upgrade. Here's my further advice- spend two weeks shooting every day and running the raw conversions on what you've shot each night. Don't shoot hundreds of images, just 25-50 a day. Work on technique, framing and processing. At the end of that period, if you still have "I want a new toy" syndrome, get it and do the same thing for another two weeks with the new toy. One of the advantages of shooting for two weeks with the old camera is that you'll be able to tell what you do and don't like about the new models immediately due to familiarity.

Paul

Sammio2 · Jul 6, 2011

rusty2192 said:
So to wrap up, I think the 600D would be great for you if you have the cash. The 550D would also be great for less money, but with your interest in video the articulating screen sounds like it would come in handy.

Thanks for your advice, yep the 10D's screen is about the size of a postage stamp, if not smaller! :-D That was advanced back in the day though! lol

compuwar said:
I'm of the firm opinion that battling a camera is good for you-- because then you'll produce even better images when you upgrade. Here's my further advice- spend two weeks shooting every day and running the raw conversions on what you've shot each night. Don't shoot hundreds of images, just 25-50 a day. Work on technique, framing and processing. At the end of that period, if you still have "I want a new toy" syndrome, get it and do the same thing for another two weeks with the new toy. One of the advantages of shooting for two weeks with the old camera is that you'll be able to tell what you do and don't like about the new models immediately due to familiarity.

That's actually a really great idea, you've almost persuaded me to leave it for a bit. The only thing that's nagging me really is that my local camera shop is having a one day sale, where I can save almost £200 from the normal sale price of the camera, that's this Saturday. So I'll feel a bit silly if I decide I want the upgrade a couple of weeks down the line and end up paying a higher price.

Will definitely be doing a shoot with the 10D tomorrow though, that's for sure! Good advice, thank you!

tinman0 · Jul 6, 2011

600D is perfect, would love to have one.

Not sure about the 550D if you can afford the 600D. The biggest difference (apparently) isn't the articulated screen, but actually how it meters the colour red.

I believe (but not entirely sure) that the 60D also meters red properly.

To me, red is hugely important as many cars I photograph are red

richpjr · Jul 6, 2011

Sammio2 said:
Thanks for your advice, yep the 10D's screen is about the size of a postage stamp, if not smaller! :-D That was advanced back in the day though! lol

That's actually a really great idea, you've almost persuaded me to leave it for a bit. The only thing that's nagging me really is that my local camera shop is having a one day sale, where I can save almost £200 from the normal sale price of the camera, that's this Saturday. So I'll feel a bit silly if I decide I want the upgrade a couple of weeks down the line and end up paying a higher price.

Will definitely be doing a shoot with the 10D tomorrow though, that's for sure! Good advice, thank you!

What's the return policy of the store? You could always buy it, not open it, and return it if you decide you don't want it.

Spacer · Jul 7, 2011

Sam... If you can get that price on the 600, do it. You will never regret upgrading from a 10d to a 600. As everyone else has said, cameras have moved on so much. I plumped for a 550 just before the 600 was released (some great deals then too), and saved liked billio and bought the 24-105L. I think you'll love the 600. It'll be like stepping into a time machine. Oh, and if you haven't already, buy yourself "Understanding Exposure". It's the single best book on photography that I've read.

Sammio2 · Jul 7, 2011

richpjr said:
What's the return policy of the store? You could always buy it, not open it, and return it if you decide you don't want it.

Not sure of the return policy, that's a good idea, but I'm almost certain I wouldn't have the willpower to NOT open it and have a play with it when I got it home!

Spacer said:
Sam... If you can get that price on the 600, do it. You will never regret upgrading from a 10d to a 600. As everyone else has said, cameras have moved on so much. I plumped for a 550 just before the 600 was released (some great deals then too), and saved liked billio and bought the 24-105L. I think you'll love the 600. It'll be like stepping into a time machine. Oh, and if you haven't already, buy yourself "Understanding Exposure". It's the single best book on photography that I've read.

Hmm, I think the general consensus is to upgrade. The thing is, while I'm into photography, I also want a camera that's not too hard for the family to just switch into auto (and me when I'm in a hurry) and produce some great photos. The 600D seems to have that with it's 'intelligent auto' mode.

I think at the minute it's a head / heart decision. I took the 10D out this morning and managed around 20 shots before the battery completely died... Not great! It was showing fully charged in the camera and the charger last night! Think it's fubard, so would need a replacement for that anyway...

Besides, I've worked hard at uni for 3 years, I'm allowed this... Aren't I? Aren't I?

lol

steveash · Jul 7, 2011

Have you considered buying used? You could get a 50D or maybe even a 5D mkI for a similar price. Then you wouldn't have to downgrade the handling when you upgrade the image quality. The 5Di is still one of the finest DSLRs out there as far as image quality goes. You wouldn't get video though.

Sammio2 · Jul 7, 2011

steveash said:
Have you considered buying used? You could get a 50D or maybe even a 5D mkI for a similar price. Then you wouldn't have to downgrade the handling when you upgrade the image quality. The 5Di is still one of the finest DSLRs out there as far as image quality goes. You wouldn't get video though.

Hmm, I've had a look, but to be honest I've had some pretty bad experiences buying second hand in the past, and I'm a bit obsessive over keeping things shiney and new. So although it's undoubtably cheaper it's not something I ideally want to consider. Thanks for the suggestion anyway!

oli2140 · Jul 8, 2011

[deleted]

Sammio2 · Jul 8, 2011

oli2140 said:
I'm in a similar position (well, also want a new camera) and have been comparing the 550/600D with some of Nikon's offerings. So far I've just found Nikon's cameras to be nicer to hold but then again I've heard how good the Canon's video is. Will probably have another look at them both this weekend.

By the way you can get the 600D from here for £580 (http://www.digitalrev.com/en/special-bundles-offer-for-canon-eos-600d-8133-article.html?gclid=CITj2NP58akCFUoc4QodWQs0Xw). Not sure if that will help you from having to rush any decisions.

Aha I thought you'd thrown a spanner in the works there, but then I saw it was from DigitalRev, not sure if you realise but that company is actually based in Hong Kong and are importers, so it's actually a Hong Kong camera, although identical you can run into issues with the warranty and repairs in this country etc,

With regards to the Nikon / Canon choice, I've done a fair amount of research into these level of cameras, and it really does come down to what you're comfortable with. Personally I know the canon way, so the Nikons felt strange to me, but although there are minor differences they are essentially the same thing.

Thanks for replying though, and good luck with your camera search!

Advice on Canon 600D / Rebel T3i

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