Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D Adds Tilt-Swivel LCD

Canon has announced a follow-up to their hugely successful EOS Rebel T2i / 550D digital SLR introduced in early 2010. The new Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D DSLR is built on the same foundation as the T2i – DIGIC 4 processing powering an 18-megapixel APS-C sensor and 1920 x 1080 HD video capability – with the addition of a 3-inch tilt-swivel LCD and a bunch of new beginner-friendly features, including Movie Digital Zoom, Feature Guide and a new A+ Scene Intelligent Auto mode. The standard 18-55mm IS kit lens has also been updated to automatically differentiate between standard shooting and panning.

There are a couple key phrases in the official Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D press release. Canon said the T3i would be, “complimenting the T2i,” and that it, “offers fun and easy-to-use features for beginning photographers.” Translation: it’s not replacing the T2i and it’s targeted at beginners. The auto focus system (9 points), sensor (18 MP), video (1920×1080 HD) and burst rate (3.7 FPS) remain the same as the T2i. Photographers looking to upgrade from the T2i will either need to wait or take another look at the EOS 60D and EOS 7D. However, photographers and videographers looking at adding a second body should take the T3i / 600D seriously because of the 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD display.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D digital SLR - front and back with Vari-Angle LCD display

Canon introduced their first DSLR with a tilt-swivel LCD, the EOS 60D, late last summer. The benefits of a tilt-swivel LCD are obvious for video but I have been a fan of the tilt-swivel LCD display since I first set hands on the Olympus E-3 digital SLR back in 2007. I love a tilt-swivel LCD for landscape shooting and it’s much easier on my back when I’m doing tabletop product photography. Since I’m a Canon owner, the T3i is looking like a really good camera to compliment my EOS 7D and replace my XSi.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D Key Features & Specs:

18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
1920 x 1080 full HD video with selectable frame rates of 24p, 25p or 30p
3-inch Vari-Angle Clear View LCD display
DIGIC 4 image processing
Sensitivity range: ISO 100-6400
Burst rate: 3.7 frames per second
Integrated Speedlite Transmitter wireless flash control
Movie Digital Zoom
New A+ Scene Intelligent Mode
New Feature Guide
EOS Video Snapshot
Creative Filters: Soft Focus, Grainy Black and White, Toy Camera, Miniature Effect (tilt-shift)
Aspect ratio crop lines in Live View
New EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II kit lens

Besides the addition of the Vari-Angle LCD, some of the other interesting new features on the T3i are Movie Digital Zoom, the Feature Guide, wireless flash control, EOS Video Snapshot, Creative Filters (Soft Focus, Grainy Black and White, Toy Camera, Miniature Effect) and the “A+” Scene Intelligent Auto mode, which replaces the old Green Mode. The A+ Scene Intelligent Mode, EOS Video Snapshot and Feature Guide will make it easier for beginners and first time digital SLR owners to learn how the camera works and get better pictures. Scene Intelligent Auto automatically chooses the correct scene mode and now includes Picture Style in-camera image quality adjustments to further improve photos for point-and-shoot photographers. The Featured Guide “will walk Rebel T3i users through functions and provide recommendations for various settings…” making it easier for photographers and to learn and grow with their T3i. The new EOS Video Snapshot feature makes it easy to shoot and assemble short video clips into an in-camera video Snapshot Album.

The new feature I’m most curious about is Movie Digital Zoom, which allows 3x or 10x video zoom, on top of whatever your lens is capable of. My first reaction was, “Oh – crappy digital zoom.” But Canon says, ” Movie Digital Zoom crops the video image directly from the CMOS sensor at Full HD resolution to preserve video quality and still provide amazing additional telephoto power beyond just the lens.” Sounds great. Of course, I’ll have to see it to believe it but with a total pixel area of 5184 x 3486, there’s certainly plenty of room to “zoom” with 1920 x 1080 resolution video.

If it weren’t for the addition of the new Vari-Angle LCD display, I think the T3i would only be of interest to first-time DSLR buyers and photographers upgrading from 2 to 3 generation-old Canon digital SLRs. However, the Vari-Angle LCD makes for a much more versatile camera body – even if the basic camera specs have remained the same. For beginners and people considering their first digital SLR, the new T3i / 600D does offer some excellent new educational and ease-of-use shooting options. And if the new Movie Digital Zoom feature works, it’s going to be great. I’d love to be able get true HD quality 600mm or even 2000mm zoom from a 200mm lens. That would be awesome.

The new Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D should be at stores and online dealers early next month (March, 2011). The price for just the body will be $799.99. Canon will also be selling the T3i with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II kit lens for $899.99, or with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens for $1099.99.

Official Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D Press Release >>