Canon EOS Rebel T5i Pro Reviews

Recommending the T5i for still photography is a no-brainer. It’s easy to use, takes quality images and has enough technical headroom so you can spread your creative wings if you care to. Movie quality is just OK, however; perhaps we’ve been spoiled by the 70D, which we had just finished testing before taking on the T5i. Focusing is still an issue for most DSLR video and the T5i is no exception, although there’s a definite improvement over other Rebels. If videos are very important, consider other options such as Canon’s 70D or Sony’s using Translucent Mirror Technology. Also the 9-point AF system isn’t robust enough to zero in on all intended subjects without a little work. Beyond these few issues, you really can’t go wrong with this camera.

The Canon EOS 700D doesn't break new ground for this class of camera, nor is it a huge change from the 650D before it. If you own the previous camera, there's little reason to upgrade: it should be the excellent 70D that you set your sights on. There are just about enough differences between the 700D and the 600D to justify the older model's continued presence in this line-up of cameras, although the newer model brings much more to the party, especially for those interested in video. If you're simply interested in stills photography and not convinced by touch control, then you might find that a good deal on the 600D will serve you just as well. With the Canon EOS 700D you know what you're getting. The imaging is great from a camera that's a pleasure to use and approachable for those beginners who want it to do everything for them, through to those looking to use the manual controls it has on offer. We can't say the Canon EOS 700D is a hugely innovative model, because it's such a small shift compared to its now discontinued predecessor, but it's still a great DSLR camera to use day-to-day.

The Rebel T5i is called the upgrade to Canon's Rebel T4i DSLR camera from last year, but it's more like a very close sibling. Canon only made a few changes to the T5i versus the T4i. This fact makes it unlikely that Rebel T4i owners will want to consider the T5i. Anyone else looking for an entry-level DSLR camera, though, will want to give the Rebel T5i a close look as it is a strong contender versus others in its price range. If you plan on using the optical viewfinder most of the time, the T5i's performance is going to be outstanding. For movies and shooting still images in Live View mode, though, the T5i's delays and fast battery drain are a bit frustrating. If you can live with these drawbacks and if you don't mind a large and heavy camera body, the Rebel T5i will serve you well ... as long as you don't already own the Rebel T4i.

Like the Nikon D5200 that I recently reviewed, the Rebel T5i is a nice little camera with no glaring weaknesses. The viewfinder offers 95% coverage which makes precise framing of images problematic, and like the Nikon the T5i has no weather sealing. That puts both cameras at a disadvantage when compared to the Pentax K-30 and the T5i seems to clip highlights a bit more than the others when shooting high contrast scenes. If you're a T4i owner there may not be enough incentive to change cameras this time around, but if you're moving into a DSLR for the first time, the Rebel T5i isn't a bad place to start looking.

The Canon EOS 700D / Rebel T5i seems to have been released just to accompany the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. The only other notable changes from the previous 650D / Rebel T4i model are a subtly different finish to the body, a 360-degree shooting mode dial, and the ability to preview the Creative Effects, hardly anything to shout about. Indeed, the 650D / Rebel T4i seems to have disappeared completely from some parts of the world, leaving the 3-year old 600D / Rebel T4i as the next model down in the EOS range. Despite there being no significant reasons to upgrade from the 650D / Rebel T4i, this new model remains the best mid-range Canon DSLR and crucially still competitive in today's market, so don't let the lack of new features put you off what is a very accomplished camera.

The new kit lens eradicates some long-standing niggles to deliver a superb all-rounder

The Canon EOS 700D / Rebel T5i is an upgrade to the 650D almost in name only, but still combines very good image quality with a comprehensive, well-designed touchscreen interface. AF performance in live view mode and video is an improvement over early Rebel DSLRs, but still lags behind mirrorless options.

With a virtually identical kit price to its closest competitor, the Nikon D5200, it's fair to say that the Canon EOS 700D is competitively priced. For those looking to upgrade from an existing EOS DSLR, unless it's a EOS 500D or earlier triple-digit EOS, it's hard to recommend. In most respects its identical to its predecessor – the Canon EOS 650D – with the exception of a couple of cosmetic changes and a real-time preview of Creative Filters, and with this in mind upgraders should perhaps look further up the EOS ladder. For new users though looking at their first DSLR, then the Canon EOS 700D is one of the best options out there. It's a very polished and refined camera that, while it may not excel in every area, will deliver the good across a range of shooting conditions.

The most trivial of updates from last year’s 650D, but an improved kit lens reaffirms Canon’s dominance of the consumer DSLR market

The Canon EOS Rebel T5i is essentially the same camera as its predecessor, and it's still a solid performer.

Competitors have improved their Live View/contrast autofocus systems to the point where Canon's version, with its requirement of special lenses for optimal performance, is starting to look less appealing. The T5i is a fine camera and I really like the touch screen for video, but the old AF system and terrible AF-point visibility in the viewfinder make shooting action stills awkward. One of the reasons you still might want to buy a dSLR rather than a more compact interchangeable-lens camera is the optical viewfinder, and the T5i's simply isn't compelling when you consider competitors such as the Nikon D5200 that produce equally good stills and video but offer a better viewfinder and phase-detection AF system.

The Canon EOS 700D, like the 650D before it, is an excellent Digital SLR capable of producing excellent images, with good exposure, multiple options, including HDR, handheld night shot, 5fps continuous shooting, DIGIC 5 processor, and the Q. menu lets you change settings and options quickly. The touchscreen implementation is very good, being easy to use, quick and responsive, as well as allowing precise selection of options in the menus, and the high resolution 3 inch screen with 1040k dots looks excellent. The 700D has a small number of updates and improvements over the 650D, which has left us and a number of other people searching to find out about them. The updates are welcome, of course, however for anyone expecting any great differences between the 650D and the 700D will be disappointed. There is a very slight improvement in ISO performance from this new model, but if you already have a 650D, then there is very little reason to upgrade. The 700D offers an improved finish and design, a new mode dial, improved live view with preview on creative filters, and new grid displays, as well as improved video options, which now let you use ISO12800. The new STM kit lens delivers very good results with quiet focus and good macro performance for a kit lens, although disappointingly there is still very slow live view focus, and the lens is larger than the model it replaces. If you are buying new, and have an older Canon EOS camera, or are looking for your first Digital SLR, then the Canon EOS 700D makes an excellent choice.

The Canon EOS 700D isn't a major step up from the 650D, but it's definitely a very good camera. It's capable of capturing high quality images, it's relatively easy to use and it doesn't feel heavy in the hand, especially with the 18-55mm STM kit lens attached. It's not a model to upgrade to if you already own a 650D, but if you're new to digital SLRs or want to upgrade from an older entry-level EOS model, go for it.

What we have in the shape of the Canon EOS 700D is basically an incremental upgrade from the Canon EOS 650D. It makes sense that the company has decided to keep the Canon EOS 600D in the lineup but removed the 650D altogether, since the two cameras are very similar. Existing users of the Canon EOS 650D shouldn't feel too put out by the fact that the camera has already been replaced, since the key internal factors, most notably the sensor and the processor, remain exactly the same. One interesting factor here, though, is the new kit lens, which - like a couple of the other newer lenses in Canon's range - is an STM lens. This should mean that the camera and lens combination offers enhanced performance when in Live View and Movie mode when compared to the previous standard kit lens. Of course, you could always buy the new lens separately if you're already a Canon EOS 650D owner. The Canon EOS 650D was a solid performer and deserved its place at the top of the "consumer" lineup of EOS cameras. We're sure that the Canon EOS 700D will offer pretty much identical performance and will also be a popular model - look out for our full review at a later date.