NoahtheRed

In case anyone wants to see more :)

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.

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.

AIDABella in Norfolk about a month and a half ago. Last cruise ship to visit Norfolk's Halfmoon Cruise Terminal for the foreseeable future, unfortunately.