Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (discontinued by manufacturer)

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I received this camera from Amazon in early January 2013. Since then I have shot nearly 4000 photos with it. Are there better cameras? Of course there are but they cost a lot more money. With regard to the quality of photos, I doubt you would be able to actually see the difference between this and a much more expensive camera unless you made an enlargement over 20 X 30 inches. I owned a Minolta SLR, completely manual, from around 1975 till I traded it in for my first digital camera around the late 1990s. I should have kept the SLR longer but I jumped into digital too early and the first camera was expensive and really not very good. My second digital camera was about the same money but much better. The Rebel T3 has met and exceeded my expectations. I truly enjoy every aspect of using it. Really the first thing I noticed was how well this camera fit my hands. I have about average man sized hands and the fit was excellent. This camera is lighter than my nearly 40 year old Minolta because the T3 is made of plastic. Being lighter is a good thing. I dont think the camera looks or feels cheap. One of my friends, when he first saw the camera, thought I must have spent a fortune on it. I like to get all the bang for my buck I can get and that was the principle reason I bought the T3. The rebel T3 does everything I needed a DSLR to do and does it well. When I bought it, I knew it could only shot about 3 shots a second and some cameras can shoot more. I havent found this to be much of a loss. 3 shots a second is adequate. It doesnt have a built in GPS. My son has this on his Sony camera and says it takes time to locate itself and really doesnt work as advertised. That might have been a feature I would have liked. This camera can take excellent photos up to 6400 ISO. Considering my background in SLR cameras, where the film you used set the ISO and only went to about 800, 6400 allows me to shot in really low light even using the kit lens. By the ways, I found the kit lens very usable and I am able to get great shots with it. I plan to buy the 50 mm f1.8 prime lens in the near future and I am sure it will give me added ability combined with the T3. With regard to ISO, some of my shots at concerts with low and odd lighting have turned out excellent even using an ISO of 6400. Other shots, taken at this same ISO, have had camera noise that diminished them, but they were still usable. Some other cameras have the ability to shoot at higher ISOs and this would be useful, but not really necessary other than in really extreme low light situations. Many DSLRs shoot a larger number than the 12.2 MP the T3 has. More MP is needed only if you want to produce a print that is truly huge or do very severe cropping. Otherwise, 12.2 MP can make an up to 20 X 30 inch print that is excellent. More MP do not make a better picture other than the instances above. They do, however, take up more hard drive space. I can crop a T3 exposure in a severe manner and still have a good 8 X 10" print. I have taken shots outside when the temperature was below zero, and the camera functioned fine. It could take it as long as I could take it. Using the AEB setting (auto bracketing) I can take 3 different exposures of up to two stops apart in an instant. This is really useful for HDR photography. The T3 is easy to learn even if you dont have an extensive background in ISO, F-stop, and shutter speeds. The best way to learn with any camera is to take many, many shots. If some important shot is coming up, take a couple hundred shots with the T3, to get to know it a little, and you will do well. Ive read some reviews that didnt think the T3 took good pictures. It is the photographers fault, not the camera. You have to learn to use enough shutter speed, combined with the right ISO and aperture, and then you can get nearly perfect pictures every time. This camera will help you with that but it still takes practice and a little skill to get it right. Even being an experienced user of an SLR, I still makes mistakes and am continuing to learn. Sometimes I make really dumb mistakes but even making mistakes makes you a better photographer. I have only taken maybe 3 videos with this camera. I didnt buy it to be a video camera. The videos I did take were adequate, not exceptional, and the sound quality was ok but not excellent. Get a good and large capacity sd card to use with the camera. The camera needs a good sd card to do all it can do. The first SD I purchased really didnt cut the mustard because it couldnt keep up with the camera on rapid shots. If you want excellent pictures shoot a large, fine jpeg or RAW or combine the two. Then the large SD card will pay for itself. While I plan to buy extra batteries, this camera can shot hundreds of shots on a single charge. It has a superb battery life. If you purchase a T3, Ill probably see your photos on Flickr. I like to look at the photos taken witha T3. Good luck and good shooting.

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This camera is an amazing product. It is extremely light weight but very durable. The quality of the picture is amazing the 18-55mm is a great starter lens. I am a complete dSLR novice. I also bought the additional 50mm lens for 104.00 and it is absolutely perfect. It has a lot of option but you can figure out the basics of it without the guide but I did purchase an additional guide by David Bausch for the t3 it has been very helpful I read a little bit before my purchase in a sample on the kindle to see how comfortable I would be with the camera based on the guide. Together the guide and this camera is really amazing. I felt so comfortable with it as a novice. I also got the photoshop elements 10 and it is absolutely great. The camera does come with photo editing software but I prefer a different setting of software but you get everything you need for a basic set up it is amazing for an entry level and you can just do so much! I have to say I havent been this excited about a purchase in a while. My dog is now running away since he is my favorite test subject.

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WHAT I LIKE: - Quality image, good colors and contrast. - Camera setting allow for more creativity and you can experiment with depth of field (as opposed to auto point-and-shoots where you have little creative control over shots). - Built-in flash is nice to have, lights well for medium-range shots (but you cant be too close to the subject). - Comes with USB cable and EOS utility software CD that allows you to easily import photos to a PC/Mac. - Comes with battery and charger; battery life is very good. WHAT I DISLIKE: - Sometimes Autofocus does not always work properly, even though its very obvious what the subject should be (this only happens a small percentage of the time, and its not a huge issue because manual focus is the way to go in my opinion). - I remember that I thought the camera was a bit noisy when you snap a photo - Ive since gotten used to it. The one thing I would recommend is to invest in a telephoto lens, you will want to have it so you can zoom in on subjects that are farther away. Amazon often has discounts or offers if you purchase a telephoto lens with the camera. Heres a bundle, this seems to be the best deal currently (but Amazons prices are always changing): Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR and 18-55mm IS II Lens and EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens Bundle

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I havent tested this product out but I just got it in the mail! It is more than I expected. It came with a neck strap, charger, battery and USB cable all for 229$ from TEXTBOOKRUSH! NO this is not sponsored and Im not getting paid for this opinion. Although I was expecting a T3i not a T3... but thats my fault for not reading the name correctly. Other than that Im happy with this product! IT DOESNT COME WITH A MEMORY CARD. Oh and I just ordered this 5 days ago and it barely came in the mail!

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First thing to get out of the way is that if you need a DSLR mainly for photography (not videography) then you cant go wrong with this one. The thing that will make any difference in your photos/results is NOT the camera body; its your skills/vision/compositions AND the lenses you have. Save money on body, buy this cheaper unit and use your saving to buy a second lens (the 50mm f1.8 is a MUST HAVE). Now onto why i really like this camera: 1. Obviously the price! Espacially when paying more does not get you much more. This is espacially true for people who are looking for their first DSLR. These camera and their accessories WILL get expensive. As i said, the camera body is where you can cut some corners without impacting your end-results much. Buying it during holidays saves you more with deals and packages floating around. 2. Battery life: My first DSLR was a Rebel XSi. It was very good but the best part was battery life - outstanding! Later i upgraded to T1i and sold my XSi. The T1i offers higher resolution LCD screen BUT that also causes the battery to drain much faster. This T3 is infact sort of a clone of XSi - same resolution, same kind of LCD and yes, same great battery life! 3. Light weight: Its also very light and wont cause any trouble even after a whole day of shooting/wearing this on your neck. If you pair it with a light-weight prime lens like 50mm 1.8 or 35mm 2.0 (i would highly recommend both) - the whole package becomes a light-weight amazing photos machine. 4. Easy to use: Perfect for beginners and offers much room to grow/get serious with your stuff. If you are coming from a point-and-shoot, it can act like one where you dont have to worry about any settings at all. This is my 2nd body along with my T1i - notice that i did not call it a "backup camera" - it is infact one of my primary camera. I grab either one depending on which one has the lens mounted that i need at the moment. Final note: I was a Canon-guy and Canon was first to bring the affordable DSLR to market so i went with their product. If you are just starting, it might be worth looking at Nikon D3100 as ive heard that is a better entry-level camera. But if you already have a collection of Canon lenses (or like them more), this is your camera.

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I wasn’t sure about buying a used DSLR without putting my hands in it first. There had to be dozens of used Canon T3 from an equal number of vendors. I chose one from Phototronics because of their description, the photo they provided of the gear, and the 100-day Hassle Free Return Policy. I paid for expedited delivery and it arrived a day earlier than promised! I was excited to get it, so arriving early was a great surprise. It was packed well, the gear clean and 100% functional. Promise made, promise delivered. The T3 itself is a great camera for entry into the art, and functional enough to backup your higher-end cameras. I learned photography long before digital cameras; my first working camera was a Canon F1 SLR - the camera used by US Navy photographers before digital. Even though there are better cameras out there, I am not disappointed with the Canon Rebel T3.

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I love this camera, but what I dont love are the spots that have started appearing in the same place on each picture. Doesnt matter if we change the lens, its still there which means its something internal on the light sensor or something. A friend of ours also has spots appear in her photos. They are small, black/grey spots that look more like mold spots. In some pictures you dont even notice but when taking a landscape picture they really stand out in a beautiful blue sky. My hope is that Canon recognizes this problem and has fixed it in newer cameras. In the old days you could just take off the lens and clean the mirror for SLR Film cameras. Cleaning the light sensor on these is beyond my pay grade. Other than that its a great camera, batterys last forever before needing a charge, holds quite a few videos and photos (one trip we had 550 photos before finally downloading to our computer). Other than the spots it seems pretty durable and decent quality photos. I wouldnt complain so much about the spots except that it appears to be a common problem with this camera. Otherwise I would have thought that we had just done something to screw it up.

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I spent weeks looking through Amazon to find a replacement for my point & shoot camera that finally quit working. I looked specifically for a camera that was under $500 and had quality auto focus abilities, as I do not like to fiddle around with camera settings (because I usually screw them up), rapid fire picture taking so I dont have to wait while photographing the grandkids, superior picture quality, HD video setting, excellent battery life (a must), easy to upload to my computer and was overall reliable. I spent hours reading the comments about a number of cameras, (Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic) but kept coming back to this Canon EOS Rebel T3 because it met all of my above requirements whereas the other cameras for one reason or another (usually not good battery life or slow picture taking), did not. As a side note, one person who bought this Canon through an Amazon vendor, was not happy with the package condition upon arrival at his home, and he had to return the damaged goods. The day I decided to purchase this camera, it was actually $5 cheaper and on Prime through a vendor, however, I opted to pay the extra $5 and have it fulfilled and shipped by Amazon (whom I have never had a problem with packaging or customer service). Package arrived is excellent condition BTW. Anyway, I LOVE this camera!!!! For me, who is not a camera whiz, it does everything I want or need it to do. The button functions are easily found, the pictures are superior and the lens fits just about every need I have. However, I love this camera so much that I will probably spring for another zoom lens to experiment with more photography. I also purchased the Transcend 16 GB SDHC smart card from Amazon and that works just fine. I will have to purchase another camera case as the lens is a little too big to fit into my modestly sized old point & shoot camera case. I am very glad I purchased this Canon EOS Rebel T3!

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Final Update, 8/27/14 Even though this camera was released back in early 2011, it still is a wonderful and simple camera to use which delivers excellent image quality under any shooting conditions. The camera has a glossy plastic finish which doesnt exactly exude quality or make it feel like a high-end camera. But construction on this camera is very tight. The plastic is light-weight but its not flimsy like you would expect. There is no rubberized handgrip, which I think was a mistake to omit this on this camera. Especially since its predecessor (and its competitors) have them. Outside of that, the hand grip is a very nice size. The one upshot to the lightweight plastic is that the camera feel very light with the kit lens attached. One thing you have to watch out for is that the camera feels very out of balance when attaching a heavier lens. The Canon EF-S 18-200, while a good performer optically when paired with the T3, feels way too front heavy. And this will be true with a lot of the pro-grade Canon lenses that you attach to the T3. That said, this camera is a perfect DSLR for hiking due to its light-weight design (when used with the kit lens). It doesnt weigh you down or make you feel like you have a boat anchor around your neck. The buttons and menu system have the typical degree of straight-forwardness found in most Canons. Canons menu system is easy to learn and navigate through. That makes the T3 a good candidate for a student or someone that wants to learn photography in general and wants a camera they can grow with. Of course it offers full Auto mode but when youre ready to try and manipulate the more advanced manual controls, the Canon Rebel T3 is about as unintimidating as they come. Its also a great entry into the DSLR realm for hobbyists currently using an advanced point and shoot (and can be found for almost the same price as some advanced point and shoots). With the exception of burst shooting, this cameras performance is excellent. Excellent start-up, shot-to-shot, and autofocus performance. It has 9 autofocus points compared to its predecessors 7 points. I do not reccommend this camera as a budget action shooter. It has a slow continuous burst rate (2.7fps) and a very limited buffer. The Nikon D3200 shoots at 4 frames per second, but that is currently retailing for $200 more than the T3. So youll have to decide whether or not that feature is important to you. The camera comes with a nice, chunky battery which delivers excellent battery life. The viewfinder is 95% coverage and I found it to be satisfactory, some people say its really cramped but personally I think its alright. The screen resolution is rather low at 230k, but in real-world use its not as bad as you would think, and somewhat viewable in direct sunlight. I think both the viewfinder and the LCD are of better quality than the ones found on the Nikon D3100. And overall, the T3 is faster and more fluid than the D3100. After having shot with both cameras, I personally think the T3 is more enjoyable to shoot with... despite the D3100s better plastic and more advanced spec sheet. The camera ships with the standard 18-55 kit lens but I suggest buying the kit which includes the additional 55-250 lens. The kit lens is sufficiently sharp but it might be worth investing in the newer 18-55 STM lens, as it is reportedly sharper than the 18-55 lens included with this camera. Despite having a sensor that is of lower resolution than the newer Rebel SL1 and Rebel T5i (12 megapixels is still plenty for everyday use), the camera has image quality that pretty much matches or exceeds those cameras in most areas. It takes a very clean shots up to and including ISO1600 and has excellent dynamic range, color reproduction, and exposure. The camera does a nice job of balancing noise reduction with detail retention up through about ISO3200. And despite being 2 1/2 years old..it still competes very well with newer models on the image quality front. The movie mode, while delivering solid video quality, is rather limited. Its 1280x720 HD and there are very limited manual controls. Its more like something you would use for quick clips rather than longer videos or movies. I think the Rebel T5i & SL1 are better choices if youre equal parts into videos and photos as they have far better video modes than the T3 does. But if youre main interest is stills photography, this probably wont matter much to you. The Rebel T3 may not be the sexiest camera around but it is a simple, enjoyable camera to shoot with that delivers nice results with minimum effort and it appeals to a broad range of folks from DSLR newbies, to hobbyist, to even professionals looking for a light-weight backup to their higher end gear. At its current price, it is a great value and I highly reccomend it. This camera was replaced by the Rebel T5 back in March. The T5 has a number of improvements over the T3. However.. image quality, autofocus performance, and battery life are not among them. Plus I have seen T3 kits at $300 or less lately. Its still a great buy even though its a 3 1/2 year old camera at this point.

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Ive had this camera for four years now and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with in all that time. It was given to me by family as a present and was my first DSLR camera. Its a great entry level camera, and can produce wonderful images if you know how to work the system! Video quality is nice, although I wish it had included automatic focusing while filming. Colors are captured nicely, and there are a lot of prefigured settings as well as manual settings you can use to achieve your desired results. The focusing system was tack sharp in the beginning, though the camera always had difficulty in shooting evening/night scenes. More recently the focus has not been so sharp, and it takes a while to "hunt" for the focus point, which is why I prefer manual focusing. But, it has been through four years of continuous use, so Ill allow it that! Again, while it is an entry level camera, if you play around with it and are willing to get creative, it can yield fantastic photos! Only half of the images success is in the camera after all- the other half lies with you the photographer!

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