Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D

The Canon EOS Rebel T3i, sold as the EOS 600D in some regions, is an APS-C DSLR released in 2011. It pairs an 18 megapixel CMOS sensor with an optical viewfinder and the Canon EF-S mount, which makes it a straightforward entry into interchangeable-lens photography.

For framing, the vari-angle screen tilts for high or low viewpoints, and Live View adds a screen-based alternative to the optical viewfinder.

Ownership is simple rather than connected. There is no wireless transfer, so images leave via the SD card. At 570 g the body is easy to carry, and a spare LP-E8 battery covers longer outings.

The optics specification scores a modest 40 out of 100, which places it in the bottom 6% of our database for optics. The imaging core pairs an 18 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with Digic 4 processing.

The limits show in speed. A 3.7 fps maximum burst and nine autofocus points are comfortable for portraits, landscapes and other unhurried subjects, but fast action sits outside what they can chase. The 1/4000 maximum shutter speed also caps how wide you can open the aperture in bright light.

Sensitivity spans ISO 100 to 6400. The low base suits bright daylight, while the 6400 maximum is the ceiling for dim scenes. There is no in-body stabilisation, so the body itself provides no shake reduction.

Framing is through a pentamirror optical viewfinder, which shows the scene directly. The EF-S mount ties the camera to Canon's EF-S lens system.

Video tops out at Full HD resolution, and the highest frame rate on offer is 30 fps. Footage records as MOV files. That covers web clips and simple projects, and the video specification scores a modest 43 out of 100.

The vari-angle screen does real work here. You can tilt it to frame a shot from the floor or above a crowd and still see what the camera sees, which makes solo filming far more practical.

There is no built-in timelapse mode, so interval projects need another approach. With Full HD as the resolution ceiling and 30 fps as the frame-rate ceiling, 4K and slow motion both sit outside its reach.

The 3 inch LCD is the handling highlight. Around 1,040,000 dots keep on-screen detail high, and the vari-angle mount lets you shoot low, high or facing the camera. It is not a touchscreen, so settings change through buttons and dials.

Connectivity is minimal. There is no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS, so the camera makes no wireless connection, and location tagging would rely on external tools.

Lighting is well covered for this class: a built-in flash handles quick fill light, and an external flash can take over when you need more power or control. The body carries no weather sealing, so dust and rain deserve caution rather than confidence.

Storage and battery is the weakest area, scoring a limited 24 out of 100. Single-card storage, a 440-shot battery rating and no USB charging account for most of that, and together they shape how you plan a shoot.

With one card slot there is no in-camera backup. For work that matters, offloading the SD, SDHC or SDXC card as the day progresses is the sensible habit, and SDXC support keeps high-capacity options open.

The LP-E8 battery carries a 440-shot rating, enough for a typical outing but not a promise for a heavy day. Because the camera cannot charge over USB, a charged spare is the practical way to keep shooting past that figure.