Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP: With HD Movie Mode (Review)

The name is Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP and as the name suggests, this camera does possess a rebellious look. Mind you, rebels don’t come with traditionally gorgeous looks. If you are looking forward to an uncomplicated, simple looking camera then Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP is your answer. You are going to read a lot of reviews of this camera which would criticize the ho-hum look; feel and feature set. To be honest, I was not very happy with the lack of rubberized handgrip myself but after spending some time with this camera I found it simple, yet competent little DSLR which gets the most important thing right.

The camera comes with a glossy plastic finish that doesn’t boast great gaze or make it a high-end camera. But the camera’s construction is very taut. And as I told you earlier, there is no rubberized handgrip, which I think is a mistake on part of Canon to omit this on this camera. Knowing the fact that the competitors have them, this mistake becomes a great one. The handgrip is a very nice size. Due to the lightweight plastic the camera feels very light with the kit lens attached.

As it is generally found in Canon, the buttons and menu system have the typical degree of straightforwardness. That is the reason T3 is a good solicitant for a student or someone who wants to learn photography in general and wants a camera they can grow with. Yes, it offers full Auto mode but T3 is very unflinching if you are ready to try more advanced manual controls. Also, for the hobbyists who are currently using an advanced point and shoot, this DSLR is a great entry.

The camera has a nice chunky battery which delivers excellent battery life. The screen resolution is rather low at 230k, but in real-world use, it’s not as bad as you would think, and somewhat viewable in direct sunlight. It has a 2.7 inch LCD screen. The viewfinder has 95% coverage and it is satisfactory, some people complain it is really cramped but personally I think it’s alright. I think both the viewfinder and the LCD are of better quality than the ones found on the Nikon D3100.  It is also compatible with Canon EF and EF-S Lenses.
The image quality of T3, overall, is excellent. Detail capture is good.  Metering and exposure are excellent, dynamic range is great and color reproduction is punchy without being cartoonish and oversaturated. The ISO performance is excellent with ISO sensitivity 100 – 6400. There is one little cavil that the JPEGs come out just a tad soft. But if you do a bit of in-camera sharpening, they respond well and of course, you can shoot in RAW as well.

There is no doubt that it delivers solid video quality but the movie mode is rather limited. It shoots in 1280×720 HD quality for both stills and movies. It’s more like something you would use for quick clips rather than longer videos or movies. If your interest parts in videos and photos then it is better to go for something else. But if you’re main interest is still photography, then this one is still a great buy.

It would not be wrong to say that the Rebel T3 is not the sexiest camera around but it is a simple, uncomplicated, enjoyable camera to shoot with that delivers great results with minimum effort and its appeal reaches many camera users or lovers. From DSLR newbie to hobbyist, to even professionals looking for a light-weight backup to their higher-end gear. At its current price of around $ 500, it gives value for money.