Canon SL 1

I read the advertisement for the Canon Sl 1. The world's smallest and lightest digital SLR camera. Being a Canon shooter with some good lenses I considered a back - up or using a two camera system. Not having to change lenses in a windy environment is a good thing. With an upcoming trip to the Roaring Forties in South America , finding my price point was the main impediment. I considered a body only but on October 30 Amazon had a kit price equal to the body only and I made my move. This gave me a month to practice my safari system and learn the new camera before we left for the cruise. The learning curve from my t3i was simple and I consider the touch screen and new video switch to be a definite improvement. With it's small size and weight I found it to be my go to camera during our trip. I will post some photos when we have some time.

I appreciate your thoughts.

I'd love to see pix.

Thanks.

As I was taking this picture of Glacier Perito Moreno I noticed the ice giving way so I shoved the button in to video and captured a video of calving.

Video

Here is a stich of the Canal Beagle

nice!

My understanding is that the SL1 is essentially a smaller T3i, making it a good camera for walking around/traveling/whatever. The IQ is of course comparable to all the other cameras with that sensor with most of the "drawbacks" being features that were removed to save space (non-TS, non-tilt LCD, slower FPS, etc).

It looks to be a pretty solid choice for someone who wants a little more power than your typical P&S, but still saving on space and money.

My understanding is that the SL1 is essentially a smaller T3i, making it a good camera for walking around/traveling/whatever. The IQ is of course comparable to all the other cameras with that sensor with most of the "drawbacks" being features that were removed to save space (non-TS, non-tilt LCD, slower FPS, etc).

 

It looks to be a pretty solid choice for someone who wants a little more power than your typical P&S, but still saving on space and money.

I prefer the touch screen of my SL 1 to the non-touch , tilt screen of the T3i. The new STM (STepper Motor) lens that came with the SL1 is vastly superior to the noisy Ultrasonic lenses currently in my kit. The Stepper motors are much smoother and quitter for zooming during video. So I use my T3i married to my 70 -300 telephoto and the SL1 for everything else. In the DPreview product reviews , the T3i received a Silver Award. The SL1 received a Gold Award. Additionally , the SL 1 was one of five products to receive a Gear of the Year award.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/4966601607/dpreview-gear-of-the-year-canon-rebel-sl1-eos-100d

This is a video review from DPreview

I spoke too soon. You are correct, the SL1 has a touch screen. I still hold that it's a slightly trimmed down T3i in terms of overall performance. That's by no means a slight to it or criticism. The SL1 has SLIGHTLY better ISO performance and the continuous video focus can be great if you plan to shoot video with it.

Given the choice, I think it comes down to a few main considerations:

1. Size - The SL1 is about as small a DSLR as one can conceive of. It's all the performance of the T3i in a smaller package. For some, this is less important than others. I have large hands and prefer a bigger camera. Others may prefer the smaller size of the SL1 for traveling. To each his own and I recommend people try them out before buying.

2. LCD - The SL1 is touch-screen, the T3i has a tilt-screen. The tilt-screen has it's fans. The touch-screen has it's fans. If you want Touch-screen AND tilt, you have to go to the T4/5i.

The SL1 has sort of a "Rebel series Best hits" feature list overall and I'd recommend it to anyone who needs a smaller camera, but still wants to use their Canon EF and EF-S lenses.

As for lenses, it's a moot point. They are both APC-S crop sensor EF mount cameras. You can use EF and EF-S lenses without issue. The STM is generally found on entry level and bargain consumer lenses (18-55 kit lens, 40mm 2.8 pancake, etc) and is a perfectly fine system. USM is the preferred focus motor system for higher end lenses like basically everything in the L line and so on and so forth.

Nice pics! What lens did you use on the SL1 to get those pics?

I just bought the camera body only SL1 - since I have other lenses.

Now I'm wondering what lens is a MUST for traveling. - going on Med cruise in June...don't want to bring too much camera equipment.

I've been on Med cruises the last two years. If I could only take one lens, it would be my 18-270. It covers 90% of my needs. We also travel with a "bridge" camera (35X zoom) for situations where we want to get even closer in.

I've been on Med cruises the last two years. If I could only take one lens, it would be my 18-270. It covers 90% of my needs. We also travel with a "bridge" camera (35X zoom) for situations where we want to get even closer in.

The two lenses I have are:

75-300

18-200

:-/ which do you suggest? Not sure I gave cash for a new lense at moment.

Though, I think my friend is interested in buying my old rebel xt with stock 18-55 lens from me :D:D

The two lenses I have are:

 

75-300

18-200

 

:-/ which do you suggest? Not sure I gave cash for a new lense at moment.

 

Though, I think my friend is interested in buying my old rebel xt with stock 18-55 lens from me :D:D

I would, and just recently have, go with the 18-200.

With the 75-300, you can't take photos with any level of wide angle. Actually, 50mm or so matches the view of our eyes... So the 75-300 gives you some to a lot of zoom. The 18-200 gives you some wide-ness and a good amount of zoom. You can crop for the extra zoom if desired.

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Yup prob will take 18-200

I got the 75-300 many years ago and quickly realized its limitations.

Live and learn

The 18-200 served me well in Costa Rica in 2012

Nice pics! What lens did you use on the SL1 to get those pics?

 

I just bought the camera body only SL1 - since I have other lenses.

 

Now I'm wondering what lens is a MUST for traveling. - going on Med cruise in June...don't want to bring too much camera equipment.

Congratulations on your new body ! Because of the cold and variety of subject matter found in South America , I carried a fair amount of equipment in and on my Scottievest jacket. The wide angle lens is a Canon 10-22 that I usually carried in a pocket and changed to the SL 1 when needed. The walk around is a Canon 24-105 usually on the SL 1 and secured with a Clik Elite wrist strap. The strap was purchased to deter theft and I can "dangle" the SL 1 when I need to. My older T3i holds my 70-300 Canon telephoto for wildlife. It is secured with a Black Rapid shoulder strap across my body to carry the weight. Thus one camera dangles while the other is held. This is a Guanaco with the 75-300.

You would do well with the 18-200 but if you sell your other camera you may consider renting or buying a super wide angle. It shows some dramatic landscapes and works great indoors to "open up" the view and show some of the high ceilings found in Europe.

Thanks for the tip - started researching wide angle lenses.

Do these get attached to my 18-200 lens or is the wide angle its OWN lens?

:confused::confused::confused:

I may see if I can rent one I suppose....

Wide-angle lenses are their own lenses (typically range from between 4-15mm) and are available in prime and zoom. There are front mount "Wide Angle Adapters" but they aren't really true wide angle and the differences are noticeable.

Canon makes a dedicated EF-S 10-22mm lens that is apparently quite popular and likely more affordable than the EF equivalents. The thing to remember about your SL1 is that it's got a cropped sensor and thus, it takes a fairly short focal length to truly qualify as Wide angle. The Canon APS-C sensor has a crop factor of 1.6, so the shorter, the better.

It takes a little getting used to to use a wide angle lens. A lot of people tend to under estimate how close you can/should get to your subject to truly take advantage of it's field of view. I personally don't own one, but I borrowed a friend's for a weekend and quickly found that I got the best results when I was practically within arm's reach.

Renting a lens is always a great option though. With the price of glass these days, being able to go out and use a lens without spending the equivalent of your mortgage payment is a godsend. Additionally, it's great for stuff like cruises because you may not need that lens for the rest of the year. Enjoy.

Could you ballpark what renting a wide angle lens costs for a week? I wouldn't know where to start to look.

Depends on brand and such, but for instance, the Canon 14mm f/2.8L would probably run around $100 for a week. The Sigma, Tamron, or Tokina equivalents are generally cheaper to rent (but arguably lower quality).

http://www.lensrentals.com btw

Could you ballpark what renting a wide angle lens costs for a week? I wouldn't know where to start to look.

I have never rented a lens but I found some good prices at borrow lenses.

http://www.borrowlenses.com/category/canon_wide_angle

I would consider the Canon 16-35 for some flexibility $61/week

A good third party lens is the Tokina 11-16 and at $44/week , it's a bargain.

They are both good , solid ( in case of accident) f 2.8 lenses .

Thank you for all the great info here....I am looking at the Canon t3i and sl1...this thread has pushed me to the sl1 since it is a bit smaller...I have handled the t3 and t3i at a local box store but not the sl1....

I am planning a visit to a " major camera store" in NYC that buys old equipment ( I have a Canon FTB that I loved and lenses that are no longer usable for digital..someone make an adapter!!) I haven't used this camera in over 10yrs since I purchased my p&s digital but miss the functions of SLR...

Since I plan on buying a "bundle"...what is a good lens to start with??? The bundles have different ones...plus the cases, lens cleaning kits, straps...etc.

Thank you....I am so glad I found this thread and the wealth of information from fellow cruisers..:D

The two lenses I have are:

 

75-300

18-200

 

:-/ which do you suggest? Not sure I gave cash for a new lense at moment.

 

Though, I think my friend is interested in buying my old rebel xt with stock 18-55 lens from me :D:D

I would go with the 18 - 200. It will cover a great majority of what you need.