General CANON 60D VS T3i

Styles Sylvian

Styles Sylvian

New member
Im looking to buy the 60d or the t3i, i would much rather have the 7d for its photos but i can save money and buy a few extra lenses instead.
Has anyone played with the t3i, is the rolling shutter any less on the t3i, can i use cards with a ratting lower than class 6?

What should i buy

-sty
 
Styles Sylvian said:
Im looking to buy the 60d or the t3i, i would much rather have the 7d for its photos but i can save money and buy a few extra lenses instead.
Has anyone played with the t3i, is the rolling shutter any less on the t3i, can i use cards with a ratting lower than class 6?

What should i buy

-sty
Click to expand...

7D is better for photos? ::scratches head::
All of these cameras (t2i, t31, 7D, 60D) have the EXACT same sensor and optics. In other words, a shot taken on any of them will look identical, and that's a well documented notion on these forums. Which should also answer your question.

The nice thing about the 7D is how robust it is (bigger, weatherproof body with more metal, 2 digic processors so you can have live HDMI out in full res while shooting, etc). The rebel line is more consumer oriented, and therefore made of plastic. But the optics are the same.

DADASALAM said:
t3i has some extra features like 10X crop in full hd video and 60d has expert function for audio
Click to expand...

I haven't actually used a t3i yet, but I'm under the impression that the new manual audio system is in both, and will likely be used in all future editions of these cameras as well. That's how canon works- they introduce a new feature, and the next models will have it as well. Watch the upgrade to the 7D or 5D have crop mode and manual audio as well as swivel screens soon.

Back to the OP's question:
The 60D and the t3i are both more recent than the 7D, which is why they have the newer features (manual audio, swivel screen) and the t3 is the newest, so it is the first to introduce the crop mode.

But, understand that with Canon's lineup, the various price points are not about features. Its about build quality and body design. There are 2 sets of consumer cams (rebel line, and the double-digit D line), and 2 sets of high end cams (7D and 5D).
THAT's the big difference between the rebel, 60D (and even in higher end models like the 7D). The price point is higher because the build quality and target audience is higher. The low end consumer cameras are made of plastic and designed to be replaced more often with new models. That's why you see more new stuff and fun features coming out there versus the 7D and 5D, which come out with new editions less often.

All things considered, I'd go with the t3i. Its cheaper, AND the newest model so it has all the things that are great about the others. If you want something a little more robust, maybe consider the 60D (it has more ergonomic controls as well). But until the perfect camera comes out, I don't plan on keeping any of these bodies for too long, so I'm not looking to invest in them. The more disposable (ie cheaper) the better.
 
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I just bought the t3i about five days or so ago. I had the same thoughts as you on this, After checking out the 60d, (friends) I didn't see any reason to go with it over the t3i. The t3i has pretty much the same feature set as the 60d, with a few features the 60d does not have. I think the t3i is a much better cam than the t2i, and worth the upgrade if you can get a decent price for a t2i. I wanted the gh2, but Pani failed on getting them out there. So Im glad I went with the t3i. It's a great camera. Oh, and it's heavier and feels more robust over the t2i. Just food for thought.

I bought mine at bestbuy. They have it for the same price as BnH, but I had to pay tax( 46.00) As where shipping from Ny, would have saved a few bucks. I wasn't worried about it. But some are on A tighter budget then myself.
 
maranfilms said:
I just bought the t3i about five days or so ago. I had the same thoughts as you on this, After checking out the 60d, (friends) I didn't see any reason to go with it over the t3i. The t3i has pretty much the same feature set as the 60d, with a few features the 60d does not have. I think the t3i is a much better cam than the t2i, and worth the upgrade if you can get a decent price for a t2i. I wanted the gh2, but Pani failed on getting them out there. So Im glad I went with the t3i. It's a great camera. Oh, and it's heavier and feels more robust over the t2i. Just food for thought.

I bought mine at bestbuy. They have it for the same price as BnH, but I had to pay tax( 46.00) As where shipping from Ny, would have saved a few bucks. I wasn't worried about it. But some are on A tighter budget then myself.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I won't consider the t3i OR the 60D personally until Magic Lantern is ported over. I rely on some of those features too heavily (like audio monitoring with headphones- a MUST for my docu-style shots) to sell the old model yet. Many will argue with me on this, but right now the most fully functional DSLR for video purposes is currently the T2i in my opinion. This will change soon hopefully.
 
Styles Sylvian said:
Im looking to buy the 60d or the t3i, i would much rather have the 7d for its photos but i can save money and buy a few extra lenses instead.
Has anyone played with the t3i, is the rolling shutter any less on the t3i, can i use cards with a ratting lower than class 6?

What should i buy
Click to expand...

My guess is the rolling shutter will be exactly the same due to it using a very similar sensor and the same processor. You'll need fast class 6 cards with all the Canon DSLR's because they all use the same h.264 codec at a high bitrate.

Which camera is best for you depends largely on your shooting style. Do you want on-board audio and monitoring (t2i with ML) or do you not need audio at all? Will you shoot lots of hand-held low or high-angle shots (60d or t3i with rotating screen)? Do you need a HD LCD monitor for focusing (7d only)? Are you going to be shooting in dusty, or damp locations (7d)? Do you want zebra's, histogram, peaking and other focus/exposure aids (t2i with ML)? Do you need to have 2 control wheels (60d & 7d)?

If you are looking only at the 60d and t3i then I would personally go for the t3i and save a few dollars. The main thing you'll be missing is the second control wheel.

If a rotating screen is not absolutely essential, then I'd consider the t2i with Magic Lantern firmware.

dishe said:
7D is better for photos? ::scratches head::
All of these cameras (t2i, t31, 7D, 60D) have the EXACT same sensor and optics. In other words, a shot taken on any of them will look identical, and that's a well documented notion on these forums. Which should also answer your question.
Click to expand...

The sensor is not EXACTLY the same. Similar, yes, but there are very minor tweaks between the different sensors in each camera. Realistically you would be hard pressed to notice a difference between the images, but the sensors are not identical.

As for the 7d's other photographic benefits, well there is the 100% viewfinder with 1.0x magnification, 8fps stills, double the processing power (which I've heard gives better high ISO performance, though cannot confirm because I have personally only used the 7d for video) larger buffer, better AF system and a bunch of other bells and whistles. The 7d costs a lot more than the 60d and that is because it is a truly professional stills camera.
 
Styles Sylvian said:
Im looking to buy the 60d or the t3i, i would much rather have the 7d for its photos but i can save money and buy a few extra lenses instead.
Has anyone played with the t3i, is the rolling shutter any less on the t3i, can i use cards with a ratting lower than class 6?

What should i buy

-sty
Click to expand...

I think its better going with a Canon 60D rather than T3i. Canon 60d has much better built, 9 point AF and better shutter speed. I was in the same dilemma few days back and decided to go with Canon 60D, I feel I made a good choice :). On google these are some comparison I found Canon T3i vs Canon 60D, hope this helps!!!!!!!!
 
As stated above. all 3 camera (7d, 60d, and t3i) photo wise are pretty much the same. However, Video is where the 60D and t3i set themselves apart. If you favor the size and build of the 7D then go with the 60D. If you are going to be taking photos the 60d packs more features than the t3i. Honestly its pretty much common opinion that the 60d is a better buy than the 7D. 60d=7D with newer firmware, and swivel screen. (which BTW is great for capturing high or low shots without using viewfinder)
 
A feature I use often on the 60d is a balance meter to let you know when your camera is level. I know for a fact the t2i and 7d do not have this, maybe the t3i? This is very useful, on the other hand the 3-10x new feature on the t3i is probably the best thing ever invented as it actually makes all of your lenses telephoto at a slight cost of some softness.

Personally rite now I would buy the t3i for that feature alone, but just know that the 60d is a better made and feels more professional.


ps. Since you are holding up a picture with all of this money in your avatar just go ahead and buy a 5d or Af-100
 
vision_filmz said:
A feature I use often on the 60d is a balance meter to let you know when your camera is level. I know for a fact the t2i and 7d do not have this, maybe the t3i?
Click to expand...

Don't know where you got your facts, but the 7d does have the level. If you need help finding it let me know I'll be happy to show you how to get to it.
 
Syk said:
Don't know where you got your facts, but the 7d does have the level. If you need help finding it let me know I'll be happy to show you how to get to it.
Click to expand...

Yes, technically ALL Canons are capable of this feature, even the Point and shoot powershot models, because they include the accelerometer hardware to determine portrait vs landscape when shooting still and what orientation to display them when playing back.

The thing is, the Rebel is supposed to be a lower-end model (despite having nearly identical hardware), so they need to remove certain bells and whistles like manual kelvin values, accelerometer-based levels, etc. The nice thing about Magic Lantern, however, is that it is simply a matter of software to put just about any of that stuff back in. Technically if there were a hack for Powershot models, it could be done there as well.

But here's the bottom line- currently Magic Lantern doesn't support it. Why? I'm going to guess it is because it is NOT a requested feature! Most of the time, I'm actually NOT concerned with being level to gravity, but rather level to my shot! I used to shoot product reviews in a warehouse with a slanted floor- I wanted to make sure I was lined up with the backdrop, table, and most importantly the TALENT, and most definitely NOT what the level thinks its straight.

Meanwhile, for those times that I do want it to be straight according to gravity, every single tripod I own or ever rented had a little level on it (which I usually didn't find useful at all anyway).
 
Yes, the 7D has the level, I've used mine many times.

The T3i does not have the level.

Photo handling on the 7D is _much_ better, faster AF, easier selection of AF points, 8fps, 16 shot raw buffer, choice of RAW size, great optical viewfinder. When you need it, you need it, but if your concern is only image quality and not handling, then a T2i or T3i is just as good.
 
I came dvxuser.com while looking for some information to help me decide whether to buy the T3i or 60D. I'm primarily interested in Photography, not video, but this forum seems to have a good amount of video related info.. thanks!

From looking at http://www.lightandmatter.org/2011/equipment-reviews/canon-rebel-t3i-vs-60d-who-should-buy-the-t3i/comparisons like this one, the 60D has a sturdier build, better autofocus system, faster burst speeds, and just seems like a better camera for not much more money.

The only thing that I'm really curious about at this point is the digital zoom on the T3i? Do any of you use it, and if so, how's the quality, really? Is it something you play with once or twice and then ignore, or is it something that's actually going to be a useful tool? (I understand that the 60D has something similar, but you can't zoom while shooting... is that right?

- Bertie
 
I use the 3x on a T3i regularly. Remember it is only available in video mode. The quality depends almost exclusively on the glass you have. If you are using a kit lens, forget it. With the right glass, the 3x can be better quality than the same focal length without it. Moire and aliasing are completely eliminated when using the 3x zoom for video.

Cheers,
Pete
 
Seems one of the biggest hits the T2i/T3i take is
the mono audio and the fact you can't monitor that
while shooting. I fixed that by purchasing one of
these.

http://tascam.com/product/dr-07mk2/

I'm still toying with it but first impressions are pretty
good. You can use it as a stereo microphone into
the T3i or record independently. Pretty cheap fix
at $150. It's a fun toy with many uses besides just
video audio capture.
 
wilcal said:
Seems one of the biggest hits the T2i/T3i take is
the mono audio and the fact you can't monitor that
while shooting. I fixed that by purchasing one of
these.

http://tascam.com/product/dr-07mk2/

I'm still toying with it but first impressions are pretty
good. You can use it as a stereo microphone into
the T3i or record independently. Pretty cheap fix
at $150. It's a fun toy with many uses besides just
video audio capture.
Click to expand...

Mono Audio?

Funny, if the audio were mono, the AGC hardware defeat trick wouldn't work as well as it did for everyone before Magic Lantern was a viable option.

Not only do these cameras record in stereo, but with Magic Lantern you can use the AV cables to monitor audio to headphones in real time. I do this regularly when I shoot interviews (see details in my sig). No need to sync in post, audio sounds great, and is super quick to set up.

But the Tascam is a pretty good option, too. Most people prefer the bigger Tascam and Zoom options because of the XLR mic input for compatibility with a wider range of pro mics.
 
M. Gilden said:
Mono Audio?

Funny, if the audio were mono, the AGC hardware defeat trick wouldn't work as well as it did for everyone before Magic Lantern was a viable option.
Click to expand...

As best I can tell my T3i features only a single built in mono microphone.
But, and I haven't tried it yet, if you plug a stereo mic into it it will
record in stereo.

I'm gonna put some time into recording both at the same time.
The TASCAM DR-07 mp3 recording and the T3i recording in
stereo the same performance. Then I'll get a chance to
see if there is a difference. I've got a chance to do that on
the 28th of this month at a gathering of Irish Bands.
Should be fun videos.
 
I've been renting a T2I for the past three weekends to shoot b-roll at weddings. Now that I'm satisfied with the cams capabilities, lenses, etc., I'm in the market for a T3i or 60D. To adjust the aperture on the T2i or T3i you press and hold A/V and turn the wheel simultaneously. This works while recording. I've read that it is not possible to adjust the f-stop or even ISO while recording video with the 60D. Is this true?
 
wilcal said:
As best I can tell my T3i features only a single built in mono microphone.
But, and I haven't tried it yet, if you plug a stereo mic into it it will
record in stereo.

I'm gonna put some time into recording both at the same time.
The TASCAM DR-07 mp3 recording and the T3i recording in
stereo the same performance. Then I'll get a chance to
see if there is a difference. I've got a chance to do that on
the 28th of this month at a gathering of Irish Bands.
Should be fun videos.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that there isn't a Canon DSLR body with a stereo mic internally. They only put a mic in the body for good measure. It is assumed that anyone recording audio will bring their own mic or use a dual system.

That being said, I strongly recommend you read the audio thread before trying to use the mic input. You *CAN* get good audio using that jack, but its a bit of a challenge, and you need to have the gain in camera as low as possible (which means you should be using a hot feed from the mic). Since you're using the Tascam, I'm not too worried.
 
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