The Canon 1100D is no longer to be found, but its wonderful older sister, the compact, flip-up screen, 24MP Canon EOS 200D, is… Do you want to know more? Take a look here.
It’s no secret how crazy I am about Nikon cameras, however the brand Canyon I deserve all the respect. It is a great firm that has produced great jewels in terms of SLR cameras, and above all that has been able to bring very high performance (such as the famous Full Frame sensors) to the amateur user with a relatively tight budget.
My admiration for this brand has led me to test and recommend several of their DSLR models. Among its range for amateur users there is a camera that I have recommended to many blog readers and from which I have received nothing but positive opinions: The Canon EOS 1100D (Also known as Canon Rebel T3).
If you need to check the compatibility of Canon lenses, this free tool is what you are looking for.
For what type of user?
The Canon 1100D is a great camera with many limitations of course (because every camera has them). If we leave it in the hands of the ideal user profile for it, the 1100D becomes an almost perfect machine that covers everything the user expects of it.
If you are looking to buy a digital SLR camera, it is important that you first assess whether you are the “ideal” type of user for this camera. From my point of view the 1100D is the ideal camera for:
- People with a very small budget.
- People who are going to touch a reflex camera for the first time.
- People who do not plan to go professional (or at least not in the short term).
Features and specifications
As always, if you are interested in knowing in detail all the features of this camera, you can find them on any page or blog. Here what I am going to explain to you are the points from my point of view that make it a little gem:
Price: There are compact and bridge cameras that cost more than 500 euros and I am not exaggerating. Here we are talking about a full-fledged SLR camera whose price is below 400 euros. The biggest complaint I get from people who want to make the move into the SLR world for the first time is the prohibitive price of SLR cameras, which is always true. Well, almost always, seeing the exception of the Canon 1100D 😉
Megapixels: It has the right amount of megapixels that the average hobby user needs: 12MP. Generally, they sell us twice as expensive cameras, offering us many more megapixels in return, something that will not really help us at all. It is as if we spent a fortune on a car that runs at 900KM/h when deep down we are not going to drive more than 120KM/h. The same thing happens with megapixels. 12MP is perfect. (More on the great deceptions of camera manufacturers in this article).
Focus Motor: For a camera to focus “automatically” it needs a focus motor. If the camera doesn’t have it, the lens will have to. If neither the camera nor the lens had it, we would not be able to focus automatically, only manually.
The Canon 1100D does not have its own focus motor but it is compatible with autofocus mode thanks to the fact that most Canon lenses have it built in (EF). This is a huge advantage that the competition, Nikon, lacks in many of their hobby models. Many Nikon lenses do not have a built-in focus motor.
Small size: If you have never worked with a digital SLR you will have the (false) feeling that the bigger a camera is, the better and more professional it will be. Nothing is further from reality. Believe me, those of us who have a bulky camera get fed up with how big it is, it’s hard to carry it around, it’s hard to store it, etc. The Canon 1100D has a perfect size that makes it go unnoticed and perfect to keep in any bag.
Battery duration: It has a battery life clearly superior to SLR cameras of the same division. The Canon 1100D can last about 800 shots on average when others like the Nikon D3200 (a great camera I’m in love with) barely manage 540 shots. Having a long battery life allows us to undertake long photo sessions without having to worry about carrying an extra battery or carrying the charger with us.
In addition, the 1100D comes equipped with all the current features that any amateur SLR camera has today: LiveView, High Definition Video, etc.
photo examples
Never buy a camera without first looking at some examples of photos taken with it. Here’s a sample:
Prices
The very affordable price to be a SLR camera of a great brand and with very useful features for the amateur photographer. Its price has been going down and right now I think it’s on Amazon for less than 400 Euros.
In short, a reflex camera to keep in mind if you are starting to take your first steps in this fascinating world of reflex photography. And you know what they say: good things, if cheap… twice as good! 😀
Happy photography.