Brand New Digital Camera

Full Review posted for Canon T3!
In the last weeks of 2008, we reviewed Canon's Rebel XS SLR, a camera we felt to be a pretty well-rounded, despite a few quirks that led enthusiasts to look beyond the entry-level pricetag. Still available on closeout, the Rebel XS is now showing its age, and so the Canon T3 replaces that camera. As the new entry-level point to the company's SLR lineup, the T3 is an interesting design, gifting significant upgrades in some areas, and paring back features in others. Based around a newer 12-megapixel image sensor and DIGIC 4 image processor, the Canon T3 most notably increases the upper sensitivity limit to ISO 6,400 equivalent, and adds high-def video capture. It also adds two more focus points, and switches to Canon's clever dual-layer iFCL metering chip, which takes account of color information when determining exposures. Canon has also slightly increased the LCD display size, updated the kit lens to improve the stabilization system, and cut the pricetag by another $100 below that of its predecessor at launch. What had to give, to achieve this? The Canon T3's new optical viewfinder has both lower magnification and a significantly tighter dioptric correction. Burst shooting speed and depth is also towards the lower end of what's available, especially when shooting in RAW or RAW+JPEG modes. In addition, Canon has removed the mechanical portion of its EOS Integrated Cleaning System. To find out whether these tradeoffs were worthwhile given the Rebel T3's aggressive pricing, you'll want to read our Canon T3 review.