Review on 📸 Canon EOS Rebel T5i EF-S 18-55 IS STM Kit: Professional-grade Photography Made Easy by Jessica Reed

STORY_This is my first DSLR. My first was a 1960's Brownie Kodak that used 110 film, then it was a 1980's 35mm Canon, someone gave me a 1990's 2MP Fujifilm to break into the digital age. The 2000s got more efficient with the Kodak P880 8MP Semi. - a pro camera which was an amazing camera (they still sell for $100) and then Revain got me to buy a Canon T5i. Okay, not exactly at gunpoint, but the deal was ridiculously good. After watching a review of the T3i and T5i on YouTube, this was NOT a competition. 1. THOUGHTS_Canon gave me almost a 60x spot shoot at Costco, but I paid more and have no regrets. I loved my Kodak photos with a good S&K lens but WOW. The only shots that don't come out and don't look good are the ones I manually adjusted, which gives great results with a little trial and error. Macro shots of spring flowers fill the HDTV room with stunning, colorful footage. I just ordered a $10 macro reversing ring to experiment with some super duper close-ups without spending $3-400 on true macro shooting. Almost everything I've shot in auto mode comes out crisp and clear and seems dustproof. My friends don't own DSLRs and are very happy with the few shots I've shared. in the side pocket. The design is made of durable plastic, the metal is almost invisible. The shoulder strap is also very comfortable. There is NO (?) connection for the lens cap. The rotatable and foldable color screen is very practical. I've shot with it at awkward angles that make it impossible to use the eyepiece. Controls, knobs and switches are nicely arranged. The power button and dials literally look like a Fisher Price toy and are built so solidly it looks like they might last a while. Nothing in the chamber seems thin. The battery is tucked away in its compartment twice, which I thought was an impressive touch. One drop and most batteries will burst out of the chamber and damage the door. WHAT'S INSIDE_ Having read many reviews before buying this device, I liked the difference between Canon and Nikon and those that led me to Canon, the time lapse shooting and the ease of use of the controls. Watch any sporting event and the only lenses you'll see on the sidelines are white Canon lenses for fast-paced gaming. The reviews seem to be correct. For the first week I read the manual on my Kindle, computer and book. I tried to get up to speed and the software and camera controls were very easy to use. The camera gives you multiple ways to change software with wheels, directional buttons, and a super nice touchscreen display. The touch screen is one of the best parts of the camera. I tell people to read instructions whether they're listening or not. I do and it doesn't matter what electronics. Go to YouTube and watch the video, it helps a lot. The battery is fully charged in 1-2 hours. Owning the Kodak P880 has helped make learning to use the camera easier. Read the directions and take photos of things as you go and see what they look like. I stuck my head out the front door and took a 3 second night exposure with traffic light stripes. A little fuzzy but I learned how to do it when I have a tripod in my hands. I went back to some of the original photos and processed them with grainy black and white or enhanced colors to get really nice artistic images. By default, the software also saves the original image. The supplied software CDs contain manuals and very good image editing tools. They call them professional but it's not Adobe, I know it and do whatever I need. HD VIDEO_I can add that later. The focusing system of the STM lens is essential for videos. I watched a video on YouTube and the focus is dumb compared to lenses of the past. Even USM lenses added noise to videos, just like my old Kodak. I turned it on and the STM focus is silent as advertised! T5i approved by STM. T3i.NOT.FINAL NOTES_Even if you only use basic settings, the camera is worth the money. With IS (Image Stabilization), the new STM (Slide Action) lens focus and other technologies, the Canon T5i will make your memories last. There are professionals here doing assessments on more technical subjects and I will not attempt to suggest that level of thinking. I know how to build a great computer but I don't know what this T5i is capable of. Lots of reviews say it's a good $700 entry-level camera, and I believe them now, but like the computers I build, you need to do more than just check email. And read the instructions! Professional photographers spend thousands on the camera body alone. I'm not there yet, or maybe never. For now, the T5i looks pretty professional. UPDATE 2015-06-24: I still love my T5i! After a year and a half of use and several thousand download clicks, I know what it can and cannot do. I even started looking at the 70D, but not the 7D with no LCD tilt, which is the top-of-the-line APS-C. I will also update some photos here. T5i images always download to my computer and HDTV. It's incredibly cool to watch on the big screen. A friend of mine has a very good Apple iMac and it won't fit a 46" or larger HDTV. I've just returned from Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcano and several zoos and this is a picture to behold. Vacation photos and - videos never looked so good. The T5i has a 4-second video snapshot function that combines all clips into one movie. Your friends will love you because they don't have to watch home videos longer than a few minutes are. In zoos, this is a huge bonus. The T5i isn't the top of the range cameras, but it can easily make you look like a pro in front of your non-technical friends. One more video tip and it's fun. Load the included one Download the software, connect your camera to your PC, convert some of your favorite music to WAV (only), upload WAV files to your SD card using a USB cable and voila, you're listening to your music instead of Low quality audio. caught the camera's built-in microphone. Turn off the microphone to make it mute. Also turn on the wind noise filter if you want that kind of noise. I listen to my videos with the new BBC Sherlock Holmes soundtrack, goes with everything. I really thought the versatile LCD screen would be really handy for taking photos, but it's only useful for some videos and watching videos. The observation eyepiece is still best for photography. I only found one thing: I always left the image stabilizer on. I started using the camera without it and got some insightful (new word) results. The image stabilizer prevents the camera from focusing at lightning speed. It was impossible to photograph a bee with Image Stabilization on, but with the T5i off it focuses instantly rather than looking for autofocus and by then it's too late. This is also a dilemma for video on the T5i, and it tends to chase focus. Sometimes when you create a 4 second clip, half of the clip is horribly blurry before it's sharp. Look at a guy like Ansel Adams (genius), this guy could film 99.9% of the people who are awake with a camera obscura in a shoebox. His favorite camera was not a very fashionable camera until his death. It will always come down to how good and persistent you are with the tool you have in the box. The t4i and t5i can take amazing shots in the hands of true professionals, but again, one predates the other. The main reason Canon dropped the t4i, and you won't admit it, was too much zinc in the rubber grips. This caused multiple episodes of allergic skin reactions/discoloration of the grip itself, and companies fled potential sneaker-lacing lawsuits. With the t4i being hastily thrown away, Canon decided to throw in some great new shorts, mainly the STM line of lenses, and the battery will give you another 100 shots on a single charge (big plus). I think those two and the lack of lawsuits are the winners. 70d and 7d (APS-C Top Line) just above this T5i in first and second positions. The Canon 6D is an entry-level full-frame (not APS-C) camera, but it has the same video issues as the t5i, at least that's what I've heard. HD video performance on the 7 is much better than the t5i, which sometimes tends to search for focus with image stabilization on. The 70d costs another $300 more than the t5i and has better specs. The 70d costs $1,100 with two lenses plus extras. It even has a new dual autofocus that really helps when shooting videos. I bought the 55-250mm and it has been the biggest improvement in my imaging skills. It wasn't until a recent hike that I dreamed of a 400mm lens when I got some decent photos of the osprey across the river and perched high on a branch. My best nature shot so far. All in all, the 250mm range pretty much gives you everything and I'll review that lens separately. Some reviewers claim it's L-class glass and I think so, but I haven't used L myself. The T5i with two lenses and additional accessories costs $800, which is an incredible deal. Priced at $1100-$1200, the 70D has better specs than the dual-lens T5i with more features. For another $300-400, if the piggy bank allows, buy a 70D with a new dual autofocus system, Wi-Fi, and more. So much for this update.