Canon EOS 600D / Rebel T3i design and controls

 

Externally, the Canon EOS 600D / Rebel T3i  looks virtually identical to its predecessor, with the articulated screen being the only major difference. Accommodating the screen has however resulted in a few minor changes which we'll discuss in a moment. But first lets discuss the size, weight and build quality.

The EOS 600D / T3i measures 133x100x80mm, which makes it between three and five mm bigger in every dimension than its predecessor. This is mostly to accommodate the articulated screen, and you're unlikely to notice the difference in practice. Likewise for the weight, which while heavier at 570g compared to 527g when both are equipped with battery and card, is virtually unnoticeable in your hands. The build quality of both models is also essentially the same, although we preferred the coarser texture of the rubber surfaces on the new model

There's a much bigger difference when comparing the EOS 600D / T3i against the next model up in the range, the EOS 60D. Measuring 145x106x79mm, Canon's higher-end body is noticeably wider and taller, and comfortably heavier too at 755g with battery and card. In your hands, the EOS 60D feels like a much more serious camera, albeit not in the same league as the EOS 7D. The EOS 60D enjoys the ergonomic benefits of a taller grip with a pronounced groove for your index finger and indentation for finger tips, not to mention a rest for your entire thumb's length while the EOS 600D / T3i leaves its tip dangling in mid-air. Of course while the EOS 60D is more comfortable to hold, many will prefer the smaller size and lighter weight of the 600D / T3i - it's better-suited for hikers or even balancing on the end of a telescope.

While the 600D / T3i is towards the smaller side of Canon's DSLR range, there are smaller bodies available from rivals, most notably Sony's Alpha SLT A33 and A55. Costing roughly the same price, the Alpha A55 is a natural rival for the EOS 600D / T3i and measures 124x92x85mm and weighs 500g including battery and card. The greater depth of the A55 is due to its protruding electronic viewfinder housing, but in every other respect the camera looks and feels much smaller - and impressively the SLT A33 and A55 also include built-in stabilisation which works with any lens you attach.

In terms of controls, the EOS 600D / T3i is essentially the same as its predecessor with only a handful of tweaks, mostly to accommodate its articulated screen. The upper left side is again left bare, with the bulk of the controls located on the right side of the body. Starting on the upper right surface, there's the main Command Dial, rotary power switch, finger dial, shutter release button, and dedicated buttons for ISO and DISP; the latter is new to the 600D / T3i and is used to switch the screen on and off in the absence of proximity sensors which used to be between the viewfinder and screen on the old model. Like most entry-level models, there's no thumb dial or wheel.

The mode dial is also virtually unchanged, featuring the same P, A, S and M modes, Canon's Green Auto, Creative Auto and A-DEP modes, along with the Movie Mode and direct access to the same five scene presets or flash-off option.

The Green Auto option is now nudged-up against P on the dial and relabelled A+ for Auto Plus. This mode now employs scene detection to determine things like whether the subject is in motion, but don't expect the same degree of sophistication of a camera employing scene detection with live view as this really does allow the camera to better analyse the subject.

Creative Auto, or CA for short on the dial, remains a beginner-friendly version of Aperture Priority, albeit with a redesigned interface over the 550D / T2i. So instead of dialling-in an f-number, the CA mode presents an on-screen slider labelled Background Blur to adjust the depth of field. Interestingly the exposure compensation slider of the 550D / T2i's CA mode is now absent, with the 600D / T3i only allowing you to adjust the 'ambience', self-timer and flash options. As before though, it remains a friendly approach to controlling depth-of-field which will appeal to beginners wanting a little more control than full Auto.

The AE / AF lock and AF point selection buttons remain in the top right corner of the rear and as before double-up as zoom controls during playback - along with manual focus assist controls in Live View and Digital Zoom controls in the Movie mode. Like other recent Canon DSLRs, there's no need to press the AE / AF lock button to autofocus in Live View. This was never an intuitive option, so we're pleased to find the 600D / T3i using a half-press of the shutter release to autofocus in Live View.

The rear of the camera remains dominated by the 3in screen, although the thicker surround required for the articulated mounting has resulted in a few minor changes. Most obviously there's no longer room for the proximity sensors which used to sit between the viewfinder and screen on the 550D / T2i. As mentioned above, you'll now need to use the new DISP button to manually switch the screen on and off on the 600D / T3i. The dedicated Live View button remains to the right of the viewfinder.

The controls to the right of the screen remain identical in number, position and function to the 550D / T2i, but the wider screen mounting has seen them reshaped and squashed a little closer together. Starting at the top you'll find the AV exposure compensation button, followed by the Q button to enter the Quick Access menu, which again doubles-up as the Direct Print control.

Below these are the traditional four cross-keys which share the same functions as the earlier 550D / T2i. Push up for White Balance, right for AF mode, down for Picture Style and left for the drive modes. Below these are buttons for Play and delete / trash. A final point worth noting is Canon has kept the depth-of-field preview button which can be found just below the 600D / T3i's lens release button; this works when composing with either the optical viewfinder or in Live View.