[bluebasetech]

Hey guys, which do you think is better the Canon Eos Rebel T3i Or the Nikon d5100 been debating with my friend all day, both are great entry level DSLR's I prefer the Canon because of its smooth looks and great usability, my friend prefers the Nikon for the same reasons!

[TheSownRose]

Rebel T3i = 600D in the UK (for anyone else answering and unsure what it is. )

It's all just personal choice. One of my cameras is the 550D, which is essentially the same as the 600D without the rotating screen. I was (and am) really happy with it, and chose it over similar Nikons (I think I had a go with a D5100) ... but plenty of people have gone the other way.

[evening sunrise]

(Original post by bluebasetech)
Hey guys, which do you think is better the Canon Eos Rebel T3i Or the Nikon d5100 been debating with my friend all day, both are great entry level DSLR's I prefer the Canon because of its smooth looks and great usability, my friend prefers the Nikon for the same reasons!

This is a rare instance where there really is a material difference between the cameras, due to technology generations. The difference is the sensor and associated ADC etc .

Sensor wise they are in different classes. The 18mp Canon sensor scores 66 on the DXO bench marking, the D5100 scores 80, like a D700 or 5DMKII or Pentax K-r (I think). Now the above is a set of abstract numbers (clarified if one accesses the DXO site) so for context I have a D300S which scores 70 (it was tweaked compared to the original D300 which scored 67) and I have a D7000 (same sensor as the 5100) which scores 80. The difference is real, visible and allows you to change how you capture in challenging circumstances, the results are visibly different, I can also avoid fitting fliters for longer, it is always best to avoid additional glass between you and the subject if you can.

If you wondering why the D5100 sensor scores the same as the FF D700, D3 and 5DmkII it is because at higher ISOs they out perform the D5100 sensor, the D5100 sensor however spanks the 7D, D300, D90 gen sensors at high ISO, but it cannot compete with FF. But at ISO 400 and below the D7000/D5100 sensor out performs the FF sensors, especially for dynamic range which is desirable for landscape, sun sets etc. The new sensor in the D3200 scores even higher, in the mid 80s....

Here is the interesting bit.......

The best sensor performance thus far is that of the D800, which scores 95, but its pixel pitch is the same as a D7000/D5100............ i.e. it is simply a larger collection of APS-C sized pixels.......


So ergonomics are not a measure of camera capability, but a very personal and hence subjective view point, albeit it a very important one. As you and your friend have illustrated.

As mechanical bodies and auto focus systems, no difference to speak of I think the D5100 might squeak it on frame rate at 4fps.

Sensor. No comparision, they are in a different league and it is unfair really to compare the old 18mp Canon sensor with these new, by two generations, sensors, from Nikon, Sony and Pentax etc. I expect Canon to launch a new APS-C sensor which will perform like the new generations very soon.

Mind you new launches do not always mean improvement. Certainly the D4 has lots of features important to photojournalists etc which the D3S does not, but in terms of high ISO performance the D3S still has its nose in front.

So in this instance I would recommend that you execute a dignified and strategic with drawal from the debate with your friend. You would not debate the performance of your Ford Escort RS Turbo with your mates Subaru WRX Pro drive, no matter how much you prefer your seats and the colour of your furry dice ..