Review based on a production Canon EOS 1100D with Firmware V1.0.4
The bottom-end of the interchangeable lens camera has become fiercely competitive with manufacturers culling features and cutting-corners to offer a tempting upgrade path from compact cameras, at the most attractive price. As a result we've seen control dials, orientation sensors and even focus motors disappear to reduce the manufacturing costs of these entry-level, gateway cameras. From the consumer's perspective, of course, we've also seen technologies once only in the reach of the professionals filter down to almost compact camera prices.For several years, Canon and then Nikon were able to carve up the sub-$1000 DSLR market between themselves, without any particular concern about other players in the market. But this hegemony was never likely to last, especially once the electronics giants such as Panasonic, Sony and Samsung had time to prepare their own competitors. Eventually even Canon had to respond to the arrival of these companies' increasingly impressive low-end offerings, most notably with the splitting of its Rebel series into a multiple model range.
In June 2008, rather than just letting the outgoing model's price drop when the next camera was introduced, Canon launched a completely new model that sat below its then very recent Rebel XSi/450D. The Rebel XS (EOS 1000D in Europe) was unashamedly a cut-down version of the XSi but its mixture of a well trusted sensor and compelling price tag have seen it continue to sell strongly, particularly at the price-conscious end of the market.
Two-and-a-half years is nearly two lifetimes in contemporary camera terms, so it was beginning to look like the XS might turn out to be a one-off, until the launch of its replacement in February 2011. The Rebel T3 (EOS 1100D) builds on a successful formula and takes it further, offering a strong (if not exactly cutting-edge) set of features in a body that suggests it should be very capable of competing on price.
The 1100D takes a series of familiar-sounding components and folds them together in a distinctly conventional but still capable-sounding package. So there's a 12MP CMOS chip that is likely to date back to the 450D/XSi, coupled with Canon's now-standard 9-point AF system and the 63-area iFCL (Focus, color and luminance sensitive) metering system first seen in the EOS 7D. These combine with the equally well-known Digic 4 processor to offer a camera that's unlikely to offer much in the way of surprises (which should also mean the avoidance of any nasty ones).
| nternational naming | • US: Canon Rebel T3 • Japan: Canon EOS Kiss X50 • Elsewhere: Canon EOS 1100D |
|---|---|
| Pricing | • US: $599.99 with 18-55 IS II lens • Europe: €499 body only, €549 with 18-55 III lens, €549 with 18-55 IS II lens • UK: £419 body only, £459 with 18-55 III lens, £499 with 18-55 IS II lens |
| Body material | Plastic (Stainless Steel chassis) |
| Sensor* | • 12.2 million effective pixels • 12.6 million total pixels • 22.2 x 14.7 mm CMOS sensor • RGB Color Filter Array • Built-in low-pass filter with fluorine coating • 3:2 aspect ratio |
| Dust reduction | • Anti-static coating on sensor surfaces • Software based dust-removal (camera maps dust, removed later) |
| Image sizes* | • 4272 x 2848 (L) • 3088 x 2056 (M) • 2256 x 1504 (S1) • 1920 x 1280 (S2) • 720 x 480 (S3) |
| Output formats | • RAW (.CR2 14-bit) • RAW (.CR2 14-bit) + JPEG Large • JPEG (EXIF 2.3) - Fine, Normal |
| Movie recording * | • 1280 x 720 (29.97, 25 fps) • MOV (Video: H.264, Sound: Linear PCM) • Max duration 17min, Max file size 4GB |
| Image processor* | DIGIC 4 |
| Lenses | • Canon EF / EF-S lens mount • 1.6x field of view crop |
| Focus modes | • TTL-CT-SIR with a CMOS sensor • Auto Focus • Manual Focus |
| Auto Focus | • 9-point CMOS sensor • Cross-type F5.6 at center • AF working range: 0 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100) |
| AF modes | • AI Focus • One shot • AI Servo |
| AF point selection | • Auto • Manual |
| AF assist | Flash strobe |
| Shooting modes | • Auto • Program AE (P) • Shutter priority AE (Tv) • Aperture priority AE (Av) • Manual (M) • Auto depth-of-field • Portrait • Landscape • Close-up • Sports • Night portrait • No Flash • Creative Auto* |
| Metering* | TTL full aperture metering with 63-zone iFCL SPC* • Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points) • Partial metering at center (approx. 10% of viewfinder) • Center weighted average metering Range : EV 1-20 (at 23°C with 50mm f/1.4 lens ISO100) |
| AE Lock | • Auto: In 1-shot AF mode with evaluative metering exposure is locked when focus is achieved. • Manual: By AE lock button in creative zone modes. |
| AE Bracketing | • +/- 2.0 EV • 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments |
| Exposure compen. | • +/- 2.0 EV • 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments |
| Sensitivity | • Auto (100 - 6400) • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200 • ISO 6400 |
| Shutter | • Focal-plane shutter • 30 - 1/4000 sec (0.5 or 0.3 EV steps) • Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec • Bulb |
| Aperture values | • Depends on lens used |
| White balance | • Auto • Daylight • Shade • Cloudy • Tungsten • White Fluorescent Light • Flash • Custom |
| WB Bracketing | • +/-3 levels • 3 images • Selectable Blue/Amber or Magenta/Green bias |
| WB fine-tuning | • Blue (-9) To Amber (+9) • Magenta (-9) to Green (+9) |
| Color space | • sRGB • Adobe RGB |
| Picture style | • Standard • Portrait • Landscape • Neutral • Faithful • Monochrome • User 1 • User 2 • User 3 |
| Drive modes | • Single • Continuous: 2 fps up to 5 RAW frames / 3 fps up to 830 JPEG • Self-timer (2 -10secs) • Self-timer continuous |
| Mirror lockup | Yes (custom function) |
| Viewfinder | • Pentamirror • 95% frame coverage • Magnification: 0.80x * (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity) • Eyepoint: 19 mm * • Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter • Fixed precision matte |
| Viewfinder info | • AF information (AF points focus confirmation light) • Shutter speed • Aperture value • ISO speed (always displayed) • AE lock • Exposure level/compensation • Spot metering circle • Exposure warning • AEB • Flash ready • High-speed sync • FE lock • Flash exposure compensation • Red-eye reduction light • White balance correction • SD card information • Monochrome shooting • Maximum burst • Highlight tone priority (D+)* |
| DOF preview | Yes, (assign via custom menu) |
| LCD monitor * | • 2.7" TFT LCD • 230,000 pixels • Wide viewing angle (170° horizontal and vertical) • 7 brightness levels • Up to 10x zoom playback |
| LCD Live view | • Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor • 100% frame coverage • 30fps frame rate • Real-time evaluative metering using CMOS image sensor • Grid optional • Magnify optional (5x or 10x at AF point) • Autofocus: Quick mode, Live mode • Manual Focus • Remote live view using EOS Utility 2.0 (via USB or WiFi/Ethernet using WFT) |
| Flash * | • Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash • Guide number approx 9.2* • Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On/ Off, Red-Eye Reduction • X-Sync: 1/200 sec • Flash exposure compensation: +/-2.0 EV (0.3 or 0.5 EV steps) • Coverage up to 17 mm focal length (27 mm FOV equiv.) |
| External flash | • E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites • Hot-shoe |
| Other features | • Orientation sensor |
| Auto rotation | • On (playback uses orientation data in file header) • Off |
| Processing | • Highlight Tone Priority • Auto Lighting Optimizer (4 settings) • Long exposure noise reduction • High ISO speed noise reduction (4 settings) • Auto Correction of Lens Peripheral illumination • Basic+ (Shoot by ambience selection, Shoot by lighting or scene type) |
| Playback mode | • Single image • Single image with info (histogram brightness / RGB ) • Magnified view (1.5 - 10x in 15 steps, browsable) • 4 and 9 image index • Auto play • Image rotation |
| Custom functions * | 10 custom functions with 32settings |
| Menu languages * | • English • German • French • Dutch • Danish • Portuguese • Finnish • Italian • Norwegian • Swedish • Spanish • Greek • Russian * • Czech • Hungarian • Romanian * • Ukrainian * • Turkish * • Arabic * • Thai * • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Japanese |
| Firmware | User upgradable |
| Connectivity | • USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) mini-B • Video out (PAL / NTSC) • HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC compatible)* |
| Storage * | • SD / SDHC / SDXC card |
| Power * | • Lithium-Ion LP-E10 rechargeable battery • Optional ACK-E10 AC adapter kit |
| Direct printing | • Canon Selphy Printers • Canon Bubble Jet Printers with direct print function • Canon PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge • PictBridge |
| Dimensions * | 130 x 100 x 78 mm |
| Weight (no battery) * | 495 g |
| Software | • Zoom Browser EX / ImageBrowser • PhotoStitch • EOS Utility (inc. Remote Capture; Windows & Mac except Mac Intel) • Digital Photo Professional (Windows / Mac) • Picture Style Editor |
