Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR with 18-55mm STM Lens

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This is NOT a big heavy camera. Compared to my 5D MII it looks and feels like a toy! I got it for my son for his birthday to used with an adapter on his large telescope to do astrophotography. Well I can honestly tell you that SIZE DOES NOT MATTER!! This little camera is quite a surprising little boss!! I was shocked that it did pretty good at the higher ISOs. Sure, theres noise but not nearly what I expected!! My son loves that the video captures his piano playing quite nicely and the colors look pretty true to life according to him. I teach digital photography at a local college. One of my students bought this model for class and I was totally sold on it when I saw his fantastic homework!! I knew the small body and light weight would service well when attached to a telescope. I highly recommend this camera for anyone who wants to get started shooting in manual but some want spend a lot of money!

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Well there is definitely a different from an phone camera to a big boy camera. Awesome images and takes pictures fast. This might be my best purchase of the year. I have already bought 3 lens for it. This is a great camera for trips, family reunions and sport events. It takes great pictures. They look like a professional took the pictures. This camera takes outstanding pictures. It is easy to operate and is a great size and weight for my smaller hands. With the zoom lens the quality is superior. I am still trying to figure out all of the features! The autofocus works relatively quickly and accurately in both still and Live View/Video. The only con I have is the manual is poor, hard to follow at times, luckily there is a lot of online info. The size is great for traveling. Picture quality is great. I highly recommend it. You cant go wrong with Canon.

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I have never been more satisfied with an Amazon purchase in my life. 1) I am an outdoors person and I take this camera with me almost everywhere. It is compact enough and light enough to where it doesnt add much weight to a pack or bulk to it either. 2) I am a novice at photography and I have only had very little schooling with it. The camera helps tremendously with the learning curve. It has enough features on the auto settings to make it easy to use in the quick action scenarios, but also has PLENTY of manual settings to use as well. 3) This thing just looks and feels awesome. Oh and I will recommend using Canon accessories for the most part. Ive used a couple off brand accessories and they either didnt work or didnt work for long. Its worth the extra few bucks to get the real deal.

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I shoot video professionally. Ive used all types of setups and rigs. While the SL1 cant compare to a high end camera, I wanted something for home use. I shoot a lot of video on other Canon cameras (the 60D and 5D Mk ii and iii) so I was leaning toward one of those. But I saw a micro budget film (called FACES by a director named Tom Ryan) shot on the SL1 and it looked fantastic. I decided to try it out and I loved it, especially for the price. You are missing some features that you would get in a 60D or a 7D (no fold out LCD and I think the sensor is different are two things that come to mind), but I dont mind at all. As for photos, Im not that much of a still photographer but it seemed good enough. EDIT 2/26/16 Still love the camera. But the one feature I wish it had was a way to monitor audio. This isnt such a big deal since I usually use an external recorder, but a couple of times I attached a mic to a camera and would like to have monitored. I know there is an inexpensive device you can get to do this. Not worth losing a star for me because for the price it is well worth it.

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As a long time professional and user of many cameras.....I really like the new SL1. On a recent photo trip to Burma I elected to leave my 5D3 system home and took two SL1s. My last trip to Viet Nam I took two 5Ds....too heavy. The quality of the sensors today in these smaller cameras is go good that most people will never be able to tell the difference between the APSC sensor and the full frame. I did informal tests with the 5D and a T4i.....while the full frame may be better the difference is very slight...and for me not worth the extra cost nor the extra weight. I can still use all the L lenses on the SL1.....so glass makes no difference. Also, I really like the touch screen. I was skeptical about this till I used it for a while...I like it. Its better than trying to remember what button to push and in what sequence. Take a look at my Burma gallery if you like..... [...] Overall I give the SL1 two thumbs up.

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I bought this camera to replace an older Canon full-frame digital SLR that I have had for too many years...it was a very reliable camera but it was very heavy...I was looking at the T5i and T4i and even considered going to the 6D...This camera body came up on special for one day only for about $360 and I figured I would give it a test drive just to see if it would be worth it after reading some very positive reviews...after testing it out, I love this camera...maybe it doesnt have all the features of a T4i or even T5i but honestly, I dont really need those other features...It definitely has a lot more features than my last full-frame camera...First thing I wanted to test out was my old and trusty lenses...with the exception of one lens, they all worked without a hitch...I then wanted to test out some bokeh shots simply because it was Christmas...my shots were fantastic...took some family pics and found some really helpful, nifty features that make taking a family Xmas pic profoundly easy...my last camera could only do one pic at a time on a timer...I was taking 8 at a time with this one...it was very important because I have young kids and they move around a lot...it worked exactly as I needed it too...saved me so much time...so far, I am very happy with this purchase as it was low in price and is keeping me very happy...it has absolutely no problems working with high ISOs and the focus is really quick...I didnt want to buy it with the lens that comes with it but was very worried that it might not work with my lenses...my fears are put to rest... I feel like I could carry this camera around all day with no problem...the light body is truly an asset...I think the major point of this camera is that it is smaller and lighter than the other cameras and Canon is trying to use it to compete with the mirrorless systems that have come up (Canon makes one too)...I dont like the mirrorless systems myself and have been using a Canon G1X for a while now and I much prefer that camera to the mirrorless ones...but I did miss using my DSLR very much due to the versatility it offers...this suits me just fine...I am a hobbyist, not a professional and can not always afford full-frame DSLRs (even though they are much cheaper than my last DSLR!)... If you are a complete pro, this may not be the camera for you...but if you are like me, and are looking to upgrade from an old system, I would recommend this camera as it wont break the bank...you lose a little with the cropped sensor but if you know what you are doing, you will get accustomed to it very quickly...if you absolutely need those extreme wide-angle shots, you may need to spring for a full-frame...but if you just want to take family pics, sports pics, landscapes and macros, this will work just fine... by the way, this camera takes amazing pictures with prime lenses... Update: Still love the camera but it really lacks in taking pictures up close...so I use a 50mm prime (80mm equivalent) but I have to be about two feet away from my subject...so in order to get the picture I want, I have to use an 85mm lens...no big deal but not as functional as I wish it could be...there is a Macro setting on this camera but I havent been able to use it effectively or efficiently with my smaller lenses...I am used to taking pictures within a foot if I want to...not a deal-breaker and it actually helps my creativity by making me think in a different manner but I still think it would be nice to have a closer range to shoot with...so if you are looking for macro, I wouldnt recommend this camera unless you are using an 85mm macro or higher...I think the distance to the lens elements from the sensor is a bit closer than in the slightly bigger cameras (T4i, T5i) and that is one of the trade-offs of making this one smaller...for the most part, this camera still rules but as I had said previously, if you are a pro, this may not be the camera you want anyway...I cant wait to take this to Washington D.C. later this year and snap to my hearts delight...

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I have owned a bunch of different cameras ove the years. It has been almost 10 years since I owned a DSLR. In 2006 I owned a Canon 20D. It was a great camera with a great 17-85mm USM lens. Some of my all time favorite pics were with that camera. I sold it when finances were tight. Since then, I owned a variety of super-zooms and pocket cameras. I still own a Canon S110. Until recently, I owned a Panasonic FZ200 and although it was a great camera, ie, fixed f2.8 lens with a lot of Manila controls, the small sensor could only provide so much. Images tended to be soft and looked like images youd expect from a small sensor. My initial test shots with the SL1 are magnificent. They are crisp and ultra sharp even with the kit lens. The kit lens is so much better than previous Canon kit lenses. Its build is better and it produces insane images. The body is small but feels comfortable. The menus navigation has a bit of a learning curve. This body has removed some buttons that would make quick navigation easier. But with some practice this can become easier. I hope to get a 50mm pancake lens and a zoom lens and honestly, I think at that point this would be a complete camera package for all occasions and shooting conditions! This camera is a great choice for travel, family pics or an advanced amateur.

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The Canon Rebel SL1 is a great camera. It pretty much takes the majority of features of a T5i and crams them into a smaller body. Image quality is very good (though possibly not as good as what Nikon offers at this price point), and the camera is very responsive. Its biggest asset, though, is its size. It really is tiny. And light. Its hard to imagine how the workings of an SLR camera can be fit into something so small and lightweight. Its biggest liability, though, is its size. It really is tiny. If youve got larger than average-size hands (or maybe even average size hands), it may be a little uncomfortable to hold it. The hand grip doesnt go very deep, so larger fingers have no comfortable place to go. My hands are pretty normally sized, if not slightly smaller than normal, and I found the camera to be just a bit uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. Certainly not because of the weight. But because I never could get my hands into a position that really fit properly. The grip just isnt quite big enough to be the right fit. I may be spoiled because normally I shoot with a Canon 6D or 70D, which fit my hands very well, but the SL1 never feels quite right. But for someone with small hands, or someone who is looking for a tiny SLR, the SL1 is great. Just make sure to try one on for size before purchasing to make sure it is something you can work with comfortably.

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This is a great camera with a great default lens. I bought a mini fold-out trippod which is really easy to carry around as well (its basically camping tent poles and fold really easily). This thing made my recent trip to Iceland SO much better. 30 second exposures of the northern lights...beautiful pictures. The body is smaller than most DSLR cameras, making it more travel friendly as well. But it still has all the features of the full-sized ones, apparently. The lens is really nice too. Solid construction. I actually dropped the thing (rather, wind knocked it down from a tripod) and fell at the corner of the lens and on the body...not a single hiccup. Solid. Also, surprisingly, there is a food setting which the manual comically said it will make food appear more tasty...totally written by some Japanese guy who doesnt know English very well. But then again, that setting rocks for food...the food does look more tasty! Yay Japan ^_^

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This is a very compact DSLR similar in ability and layout to a Rebel T2i/T3i for stills. Enhanced autofocus has made it Canons best DSLR for point-and-shoot style movies (superseded by the 70D in 2014). Paired with small primes, it makes for an exceedingly capable travel camera. Larger kits can make the T5i preferable. Smaller kits come more readily from mirrorless cameras with smaller senors. ==== Rebel T5i: 18 MP 5 fps 9-point AF w/ 9 cross points Hybrid AF w/ 9% frame coverage 1080p/30, 720p/60 Articulating touchscreen Stereo mics 13m flash range 20 oz ==== Rebel SL1: + 14 oz, 30% smaller by volume + Hybrid AF w/ 64% frame coverage -- 4 fps -- fixed touchscreen -- 9 point AF w/ 1 cross point -- 9.4m flash range -- mono mic DIFFERENCES: * Size. This is the smallest DSLR from any make. Its a whole size tier below the T5i and level with a number of mirrorless bodies. Whether thats a worthwhile ergonomic compromise depends on the use case. With a small lens like a 40/2.8, the combined package reduces to prosumer point-and-shoot dimensions. Anything more ample (even the kit 18-55) and the bulk of the lens rapidly offsets the SL1s space efficiency. In-hand, the SL1 is a fingertip camera. The palm of my large right hand doesnt rest easily against the body without finger contortions, so support comes mostly from the left under the lens. It feels (and looks) lilliputian if youre used to larger DSLRs, but thats the only real adjustment; the button layout has no surprises relative to the T2/3/4/5i. * Single cross-point AF. First, context: Canon uses autofocus to differentiate between DSLRs. More expensive cameras tend to have better autofocus. Precisely what that means, and whether it matters, depends on your requirements. With the addition of movie capability, weve got three parameters to consider: stills with static subjects, stills with movement, and movies with movement. A complicating factor is that performance depends greatly on whether youre shooting through the viewfinder or from the rear LCD ("Live View"). Unlike point-and-shoot and mirrorless bodies, Canon DSLRs (and all others save Sonys) have two entirely separate autofocus systems. When I talk about phase-detect AF and cross-points, these are characteristics of the viewfinder AF system. The SL1s phase-detect AF array has 9 points. Only the center point is a cross-point. Cross-points (shaped like a +) detect contrast in any orientation. The 8 outer points (shaped like lines) only see contrast thats near perpendicular to them. The practical implication is that the T4i/T5i will be somewhat faster and more consistent with off-center compositions with wide-aperture lenses (e.g., 50/1.8) and motion-tracking. Both systems outperform the contrast-detect focus in any current mirrorless body with motion. You focus through an optical viewfinder thatll never wash out, show noise in dim lighting, lag the action, or smear colors. In exchange, you lose the clever information overlays of electronic viewfinders (EVF), the face tracking thats become a part of many contrast-detect systems, and the precise matching between what the EVF shows and the camera records. Heres the phase-detect breakdown for this body: VF, stills, static: fast and accurate in frame-center VF, stills, movement: moderately fast and accurate in frame-center VF, movies, any subject: not possible This is the same AF array as in the T2i/T3i. If you were happy with those bodies, youll be equally so with this one. * Hybrid AF II. In the T3i and prior, Live View focusing from the rear LCD was achieved by contrast-detect. This method is vastly slower than phase-detect and, in Canons DSLR implementation, isnt capable of tracking motion in movies. Its reasonably quick and quite accurate with stills. It isnt possible to use the main phase-detect array without interrupting Live View because a mirror gets in the way. The T4i/T5i added a second phase-detect system integrated into the imaging sensor itself that boosted acquisition speed and improved motion tracking to mediocre/adequate levels, but only for the center 9% of the frame. The SL1 expands this system to 64% frame coverage. The result is significantly more confidence with continuous autofocus in movies. With off-center subjects, it hunts (bringing the scene in and out of focus) much less than the T4i/T5i. Heres the contrast-detect breakdown: LV, stills, static: reasonably fast and accurate over the whole frame LV, stills, movement: slow, accurate when it can keep up LV, movies, static: reasonably fast, occasional hunting LV, movies, movement: slow, accurate when it can keep up Motion tracking is still short of exceptional. STM lenses (which use a stepper motor instead of standard USM or a noisy micro-motor) work more quickly and precisely than non-STM lenses. Theyll track slow, undemanding subjects and faces. For more challenging movement, either prefocus, manually focus, or jump to the next performance tier comprised of Sonys translucent mirror DSLRs, many mirrorless bodies (e.g., Panasonic G/GH), and Canons own 70D. The SL1 has no focusing aids (e.g., focus peaking) for Live View except full-screen zoom. Focusing accurately by hand on a moving target is very challenging. OTHERWISE: Everything else is to lesser consequence. A slightly weaker flash, a slightly slower framerate, a smaller battery, one less microphone channel. Even the loss of LCD articulation isnt much of a bother unless youre continually shooting from vantage points away from the viewfinder. A major advantage of the SL1 is that, like the T4i/T5i, it has a new touchscreen that that significantly lowers the EOS learning curve. Its capacitive and almost as responsive as a modern smartphone. Adjusting functions (e.g., exposure, white balance, focus points; everything) is as simple as tapping what you want. The camera wont be at the ready when youre manipulating the LCD, but thanks in part to an integrated feature guide that explains most options, you probably wont need to pull out the manual on first acquaintance. Phone gestures (e.g., pinch zoom, swiping) are now part of the picture review system, which makes checking focus vastly quicker and more flexible than on any other non-touch EOS body. Focus itself is touch-enabled in Live View mode, so you can tap to focus on static subjects anywhere in the frame without ever having to manipulate the 9-point AF system. The interface isnt necessarily intuitive, but photography in general isnt intuitive. Theres a large gulf between a design for novice users that hides complication and one for experienced users that makes powerful features easily accessible. By offering redundant touch controls, Canon straddles this line surprisingly well. This is a camera that can grow with you. STILLS QUALITY: This sensor is functionally identical to those in the T2i/T3i/T4i/T5i/60D/7D save for the pixels devoted to phase-detect. Noise and dynamic range are similar in raw. Expect acceptable results up to ISO 3200. Nikons D5100 is slightly better, Sonys A65 slightly worse. Its about two solid stops better than a typical point-and-shoot. Unless youre in a JPEG-only shooting mode (e.g., multi-shot NR, HDR), raw gets the most out of this camera. JPEG often lacks the flexibility for significant changes in post. Raw shooting also lets you defer decisions (e.g., white balance, sharpening, noise reduction, color, lens corrections, tone curves, and even exposure) that distract from catching whatever moment youre after. That aside, if your scene and shooting technique dont call for major adjustments on the computer, youre likely to be pleased with the JPEG output. LENSES: The 18-55/3.5-5.6 STM is a stellar optic. Focus is as fast as the camera allows, near-silent, and inaudible in movies, as is the IS system. If you upgrade, itll be for speed, a different range, or perhaps more contrast, not because it isnt sharp enough. The 18-135/3.5-5.6 STM is equally impressive, though about an inch longer and twice the weight. Light and small primes are well-suited to this body. The 40/2.8 STM, 50/1.8, 28/1.8, and 28/2.8 are all more compact than the kit lens. Larger lenses work as with any other EOS body, though some will be slightly more awkward when youre trying to adjust the zoom ring and support the rig from under the lens at the same time. ACCESSORIES: For video, buy SD cards 32 GB or larger. My pair of 16 GB cards have been inadequate for even a one-day event. The highest recording quality uses 350 MB/minute, equating to about 90 minutes per 32 GB card. For stills (~7 MB in JPEG and ~25 MB in raw), two or three 8 GB cards is plenty. Interface responsiveness isnt much affected by card speed. Faster cards have three advantages: they can shoot longer bursts at 4 FPS, clear the picture buffer more quickly, and record video at the highest quality without risking a speed warning. Buffer depth is 28 JPEGs and 7 raw files with a standard SD card. Buffer cycling times are much lower with UHS-1 (Ultra High Speed). In one-shot mode, this difference is invisible; very fast cards would only make sense if you were time-limited on card-to-computer transfers with a USB 3.0, SATA, or Firewire card reader. If you buy protection filters for your lenses, try Hoyas "DMC PRO1 Clear Protector Digital" line. They have very high light transmission and cause no visible flare. Digital sensors filter UV natively, theres no reason to pay more for that feature. Ive written reviews on the relevant Hoya product pages with more details and why you might (or might not) want a filter. IN SUM: Whether this DSLR is your huckleberry depends on your priorities. This is new territory for Canon. The SL1 is sized to compete with mirrorless, but the EOS lens line doesnt have many compact options to pair with it. And it never will, because the SL1 uses an APS-C sensor, the second-largest available. That applies doubly for Canons mirrorless EOS-M, which looks like a deck of cards beneath an Evian bottle when attached to any of the f/2.8 zooms or longer telephotos. Canons lens line is simultaneously the greatest strength and weakness of this body. The EOS mount makes accessible some extraordinary and unique high-dollar glass. If you want to shoot supertelephotos, or real tilt-shift, or superfast primes that see in the dark, or macro lenses thatll fill the frame with Roosevelts head on a dime, theres no other system that has it all under one umbrella. And if youve already invested in it, the SL1 is the obvious choice. But what if thats not you? What if you plan to stay with the general-purpose lenses that just about every system contains? The advantages of the SL1 narrow considerably. They are: subject isolation, motion tracking with stills, the immediacy of an optical viewfinder, and Canons highly polished user interface. Relative to a M4/3s body like Panasonics G6, the SL1 will have more foreground and background blur at any given aperture. If youre all about creamy backgrounds for portraiture, the difference is noticeable. You can still isolate with M4/3s, it just takes a closer subject and more telephoto. Motion tracking for stills used to be a huge arrow in the SL1s quiver. It still is relative to most mirrorless bodies, though recent ones have gotten surprisingly fast. Likewise for low-light focusing, formerly a mirrorless weakness. Still, if your subjects are often running children, or anything that moves toward or away from you at high speed, the SL1 will have a higher hit-rate. The optical viewfinder is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, youre seeing the scene in real-time with no processing delays from imaging hardware. On the other, youre not seeing what the camera sees. The DSLR shooting process involves a lot of chimping, where you take the shot with the viewfinder and immediately check the exposure with the rear LCD. Not so with mirrorless: what you see is what you get, for better or worse. The SL1 finder maintains an edge with fast action and in very dark conditions thatll cause OLED/LCD viewfinders to fade to black. And then we have Canons UI. Theyve polished it for thirty years and the effort shows, particularly relative to recent entrants like Sonys NEX line. But Panasonic and others are closing the gap. This SL1 isnt the only camera with a touchscreen and logical menus. More to the point, mirrorless bodies are often less clunky than the strange amalgam of Live View and traditional mirror shooting that defines this camera and other DSLRs. That may well consume the SL1s advantage. So what conclusions? If youre all about small size and you can sacrifice the SL1s advantages, mirrorless is where you want to be. The Olympus OM-series leads the pack now in this price range. Tomorrow, the leader may be something else. If you want to pair this body with fast, high-dollar EOS lenses or bulky accessories like an external flash, the T5i is a better alternative. The cost difference disappears into the system cost. The SL1 maintains an advantage with continuous focus in movie-mode, but lags everywhere else. If you want the smallest possible EOS-compatible body, the EOS-M has identical image quality in a truly miniature package. After a recent firmware update, its now acceptably fast at focusing, though still well behind the SL1 in general responsiveness. But if your priorities favor DSLRs, hands-off autofocus in movies, and small size, the SL1 is the best choice in Canons arsenal. A compromise, yes, but a good one.

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