Canon T4i / 650D Review
The Canon T4i / 650D continues the line of fantastic, feature packed entry level cameras for beginners. When it comes to reviewing entry level cameras you have to look at them not as a pro but as a beginner. With that said this is a solid solid camera even though it is slightly more expensive than its Nikon counterpart.
I tested out this camera with the 18-55 Kit lens both for stills and video. You all know my feelings on kit lenses at this point but for those who don’t, I am not really a fan. I think they are a waste of money right off the bat and there are other better options out there. The thing is most new photographers do not know this so we can not hold it against them for purchasing the kit lenses. I started that way, I had kit lenses until I knew better.
The kit lens is fine, its nothing special, it will capture the moments well enough for the everyday shooter. Its fine for video though you will hear the autofocus motors moving if you choose to not shoot manual. What I will say is the sooner you graduate from kit lenses and understand how important better glass is the better off you will be.
The T4i handled very well, I loved the touch screen option for setting the camera, previewing images as well as zooming in on them. It was much more responsive then I had ever imagined and it left me wanting the same option on my Nikon D4.
Image quality looked good to me even up at 3200 or higher. The camera was easy to use and thats one of the only things that matters to a beginner.
Canon has always been known for the quality of their video and I have to say this camera definitely delivers on that. The video is clean, colorful and all around nice. In my opinion its much better than what you will find on most of the Nikon cameras.
I found the new continuos autofocus to not be very reliable. It just can not keep up with moving scenes or anything for that matter. But you should really be shooting most of your video using manual focus as that still is the best way to get your focus on.
In the end this is a great option for anyone starting out who is looking to spend around $1,000 for a starter camera. I had not to many complaints about it as I reviewed it for what it is, an entry level camera that gives you better than entry level results.
If you are interested in picking up one of these cameras please check out AllensCamera.com or call 215.547.2841.
