Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D vs Canon EOS Rebel T4i / 650D — Which Is Better?

The Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D and Canon EOS Rebel T4i / 650D are APS-C DSLRs released one year apart, in 2011 and 2012. The two bodies measure 133 x 100 mm across the front, with the T4i 79 mm deep against 80 mm for the T3i. The T4i also weighs 575 g against 570 g for the T3i.

The T4i is the stronger choice for moving subjects, shooting 5 fps against 3.7 fps on the T3i, a 1.3 fps advantage for a child running toward the camera or a football match. Its standard ISO ceiling also reaches 12800 instead of 6400, double the setting headroom, and it processes images with a Digic 5 rather than a Digic 4 chip. The lens mounts differ too: Canon EF-S on the T3i against Canon EF on the T4i.

The stills fundamentals match on the numbers that matter for framing. Both produce 18 megapixel files from an APS-C sensor, so a heavy crop of a distant bird keeps the same pixel count on either body. Both offer 9 autofocus points, a 1/4000 second top shutter speed, an optical pentamirror viewfinder and no in-body stabilisation.

Video tops out at Full HD on both cameras, with 30 fps the maximum frame rate on each. That is enough for ordinary handheld family clips on either body. The useful split is file handling: the T3i records MOV files, while the T4i records Motion JPEG, so check that your editing software accepts the format of the body you pick. Neither camera offers a built-in interval timer for timelapse work.

The T4i gives you touch control over its 3-inch LCD, so you can tap to place the focus point in live view and swipe through photos at playback. Both screens share the same 1,040,000-dot resolution and flip out, letting you compose at waist level or hold the camera overhead at a parade. Live view is available on both.

Flash options are identical: each body carries a built-in flash plus a hot shoe for a speedlite, useful for indoor portraits and fill light outdoors. Neither camera has GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or weather sealing, so geotagging and wireless transfer need external accessories and neither body should go out in rain unprotected.

Batteries and cards carry over between these two bodies. Both use the LP-E8 pack with the same 440-shot rating, and both write to SD, SDHC and SDXC cards in a single slot. Neither camera charges over USB, so a dedicated charger stays in the bag.