Canon has formally announced the T3i, the third in the series of cameras in this group. The T1i and T2i are both still available and their prices will drop as the latest model is added to the series.
Canon obviously decided that they had the formula right based on the strong success of the T1i and T2i. The T3i has some small improvements over the T2i but the basic specs are pretty much the same. Canon’s marketing for this camera seems to have relied on having an 18 megapixel capability for still shots (higher than any of its competitors) and having full HD video (with the “cinema” 24 fps option) before most of its competitors. When you look under the covers, you find that the more detailed specs are not as impressive. Canon uses a smaller sensor on the T2i than the ones used on some of the T2i’s key competitors like the Sony A560 and the Nikon D5000 / D90. The result is that the picture quality of the T2i wasn’t at the same level as these other cameras. This obviously doesn’t matter much to the many purchasers of this camera. Canon seems to have gauged the market well and appealed to the “hot buttons” that these purchasers are most interested in.
The T3i has a couple of key features that will help to push the hot buttons even harder. The first is an articulating screen like the higher end Canon models (versus a fixed screen on the T2i). The other one is a high-resolution 10x zoom for video. This is a first for a DSLRs and it will likely push the other companies to respond. Since the standard lens is only capable of 3X zoom, this presumably uses a bit of software magic. The details of how this is done have not been announced (but someone will figure it out soon enough). These features will likely appeal to first-time DSLR buyers who may be moving up from a Point and shoot camera or may be debating the purchase of an Advanced Point and Shoot camera versus a DSLR. In addition to these key “marketing” changes, the new T3i has a few other new features including a manual audio gain control and a wireless flash transmitter. These new features will help to keep the T3i at the top of the Entry Level DSLR market and push the other companies to provide similar capabilities.
NOTE: We will be revising the comparison charts soon to include the T3i and re-assessing the placement of the T2i.
Canon obviously decided that they had the formula right based on the strong success of the T1i and T2i. The T3i has some small improvements over the T2i but the basic specs are pretty much the same. Canon’s marketing for this camera seems to have relied on having an 18 megapixel capability for still shots (higher than any of its competitors) and having full HD video (with the “cinema” 24 fps option) before most of its competitors. When you look under the covers, you find that the more detailed specs are not as impressive. Canon uses a smaller sensor on the T2i than the ones used on some of the T2i’s key competitors like the Sony A560 and the Nikon D5000 / D90. The result is that the picture quality of the T2i wasn’t at the same level as these other cameras. This obviously doesn’t matter much to the many purchasers of this camera. Canon seems to have gauged the market well and appealed to the “hot buttons” that these purchasers are most interested in.