With Canon and Nikon both fighting for the entry-level market, they have both released movie friendly digital cameras to tempt enthusiast and professional videographers. Despite the two DSLRs coming from different companies, they have a lot in common. They are both useful upgrades to current digital SLRs (the D5100 and the Canon T3i), and are designed to maintain their markets by extending into movie making, which both Canon and Nikon see as potential areas for growth. It is clear that Nikon and Canon are treating the entry level market as a major battleground, particularly in the United States.
The Canon T4i doesn't feel quite so robust as the D5200, but it is solid enough for day to day use. It is a bit bigger than the D5200 though, and so much easier for someone with normal sized hands to grip. The scroll-wheel clicks comfortingly as it turns and the rear buttons are tactile. The layout at the back of the Canon T4i is well thought out and has more buttons, making delving into the menu options a lot more speedy and easier. Some are multioption buttons, which can need a little thought. For example, the same button that begins recording video in movie mode also starts Live View in still shooting mode. The small downside of this is that some of the buttons are quite close together. However, the Canon T4i does have a dedicated ISO button, and speedy access to white balance, drive mode, and AF settings (the D5200 lacks all of these). There is an IR sensor on the front of the camera, but no Fn button as there isn't really any requirement for it.
Both cameras have an articulating liquid crystal display view screen. The Canon T4i has an obviously larger resolution than that of the D5200. The Canon's liquid crystal display view screen has 1040 thousand dots, while the D5200 has 921 thousand. One of the the Canon T4i's best selling points is that the liquid crystal display view screen is a touchscreen. This makes it much easier to arrange settings and, more importantly, it lets you pick a focus point through Live View. You can also shoot your photograph by tapping on the area where you want the camera to focus. These are very progressive and useful functions, taken from the Compact System Camera (CSC) ranges that are for sale now. It is splendid to see this technology being picked up by the Canon T4i as it makes it far more accessible than any other DSLR in its range.
The Canon's phase detect AF system is exceptionally quick. Whilst it has only 9-point Auto Focus system, against the 39-points of the D5200, it is both quick and accurate for general-purpose picture taking. The Canon T4i lacks a dedicated AF assist light, but it is able to use its built-in flash in these circumstances. The T4i offers full-time AutoFocus in video mode, which matches the D5200 and, with Canon's STM lenses, the focussing is quiet enough for shooting video. It also has an external Mic socket. It is reasonable to say that the Canon Rebel T4i is likely to be the better digital camera for shooting movies. The LCD backscreen, full-time AutoFocus, and external Mic make it appropriate for your everyday video needs.
The Nikon D5200 is a very compact camera and smaller than it's predecessor, the D5100. This might introduce issues for those of us with expansive (average!) hands. It can sometimes not have the feel of a regular DSLR, especially when carrying a larger lens. While it doesn't equal the build quality of the magnesium alloy D7000, the toughened plastic body feels fairly solid and sturdy. The design at the back is easy to navigate with a good choice of buttons to make access to the various features simple to follow. Live view is easily accessed and video recording can be started with a press of a single button. It has just one control dial which is snappy and responsive. There is an IR spot on the front of the body and also a dedicated AF assist light, which the Canon T4i fails to have. On the right side there is a customizable Fn option which can be used to select image quality, ISO, active-D lighting, or white balance (there are no dedicated single buttons for these features). The pop-up flash automatic in green mode, meaning that the flash will open on its own if the camera thinks it is needed.
The liquid crystal display screen is inherited from the D5100, where it was enormously popular. Like with the Canon T4i, it is very useful for shooting at strange angles and is particularly useful when shooting films. The help menus are good and make the Nikon D5200 quite novice friendly. The visual display rotates with the camera, meaning that information on the status screen won't appear sideways when you're photographing portraits. The playback function is quick and efficient you won't have to wait for images to load. And there is a wide-ranging info screen which lets you control just about every shooting parameter that the camera has t choose from. However the four way selector is not as simple to use as the one on the Canon. The Nikon D5200 doesn't have as many external buttons as the Canon T4i, making some of the menu choices difficult to locate. The new(ish) Expeed 3 processor makes the Nikon quick and decisive in phase detect AutoFocus and extremely fast in Live View. The D5200's articulated screen is excellent for shooting video, and Nikon have raised the choices of frame rate options, introducing 60i and 50i. Like the Canon T4i, it will accept an external microphone and has full-time video AutoFocus.
At low very ISO, the Canon T4i equals the Nikon, though the D5200 is slightly better at the top (non-expanded) ISO. Overall, the Nikon provides slightly better image quality than the Canon. Remember, the Canon T4i also has a physically smaller sensor than the D5200. It may not seem like much, but 1.6x rather than 1.5x, combined with the increased resolution, puts the Nikon D5200 in the lead. For more information on the sensors, take a look at the sensor scores published by DxO labs.
In short, the Canon Rebel T4i has superb AutoFocus, a splendid articulated touchscreen and is a truly superb video camera. The Nikon D5200 has remarkable, fast AutoFocus, a good articulated screen, a great buffer/processor and very useful in-camera guides.
I believe if you had no camera loyalty either way, the Canon T4i would be the better camera to purchase. The difference in image quality is barely noticeable under normal conditions and the Canon certainly equals the D5200 on the movie front. Whilst both DSLRs are superb in their own ways, the Nikon D5200 costs more than the small improvements over the Canon T4i would warrant.
The Canon T4i doesn't feel quite so robust as the D5200, but it is solid enough for day to day use. It is a bit bigger than the D5200 though, and so much easier for someone with normal sized hands to grip. The scroll-wheel clicks comfortingly as it turns and the rear buttons are tactile. The layout at the back of the Canon T4i is well thought out and has more buttons, making delving into the menu options a lot more speedy and easier. Some are multioption buttons, which can need a little thought. For example, the same button that begins recording video in movie mode also starts Live View in still shooting mode. The small downside of this is that some of the buttons are quite close together. However, the Canon T4i does have a dedicated ISO button, and speedy access to white balance, drive mode, and AF settings (the D5200 lacks all of these). There is an IR sensor on the front of the camera, but no Fn button as there isn't really any requirement for it.
Both cameras have an articulating liquid crystal display view screen. The Canon T4i has an obviously larger resolution than that of the D5200. The Canon's liquid crystal display view screen has 1040 thousand dots, while the D5200 has 921 thousand. One of the the Canon T4i's best selling points is that the liquid crystal display view screen is a touchscreen. This makes it much easier to arrange settings and, more importantly, it lets you pick a focus point through Live View. You can also shoot your photograph by tapping on the area where you want the camera to focus. These are very progressive and useful functions, taken from the Compact System Camera (CSC) ranges that are for sale now. It is splendid to see this technology being picked up by the Canon T4i as it makes it far more accessible than any other DSLR in its range.
The Canon's phase detect AF system is exceptionally quick. Whilst it has only 9-point Auto Focus system, against the 39-points of the D5200, it is both quick and accurate for general-purpose picture taking. The Canon T4i lacks a dedicated AF assist light, but it is able to use its built-in flash in these circumstances. The T4i offers full-time AutoFocus in video mode, which matches the D5200 and, with Canon's STM lenses, the focussing is quiet enough for shooting video. It also has an external Mic socket. It is reasonable to say that the Canon Rebel T4i is likely to be the better digital camera for shooting movies. The LCD backscreen, full-time AutoFocus, and external Mic make it appropriate for your everyday video needs.
The Nikon D5200 is a very compact camera and smaller than it's predecessor, the D5100. This might introduce issues for those of us with expansive (average!) hands. It can sometimes not have the feel of a regular DSLR, especially when carrying a larger lens. While it doesn't equal the build quality of the magnesium alloy D7000, the toughened plastic body feels fairly solid and sturdy. The design at the back is easy to navigate with a good choice of buttons to make access to the various features simple to follow. Live view is easily accessed and video recording can be started with a press of a single button. It has just one control dial which is snappy and responsive. There is an IR spot on the front of the body and also a dedicated AF assist light, which the Canon T4i fails to have. On the right side there is a customizable Fn option which can be used to select image quality, ISO, active-D lighting, or white balance (there are no dedicated single buttons for these features). The pop-up flash automatic in green mode, meaning that the flash will open on its own if the camera thinks it is needed.
The liquid crystal display screen is inherited from the D5100, where it was enormously popular. Like with the Canon T4i, it is very useful for shooting at strange angles and is particularly useful when shooting films. The help menus are good and make the Nikon D5200 quite novice friendly. The visual display rotates with the camera, meaning that information on the status screen won't appear sideways when you're photographing portraits. The playback function is quick and efficient you won't have to wait for images to load. And there is a wide-ranging info screen which lets you control just about every shooting parameter that the camera has t choose from. However the four way selector is not as simple to use as the one on the Canon. The Nikon D5200 doesn't have as many external buttons as the Canon T4i, making some of the menu choices difficult to locate. The new(ish) Expeed 3 processor makes the Nikon quick and decisive in phase detect AutoFocus and extremely fast in Live View. The D5200's articulated screen is excellent for shooting video, and Nikon have raised the choices of frame rate options, introducing 60i and 50i. Like the Canon T4i, it will accept an external microphone and has full-time video AutoFocus.
At low very ISO, the Canon T4i equals the Nikon, though the D5200 is slightly better at the top (non-expanded) ISO. Overall, the Nikon provides slightly better image quality than the Canon. Remember, the Canon T4i also has a physically smaller sensor than the D5200. It may not seem like much, but 1.6x rather than 1.5x, combined with the increased resolution, puts the Nikon D5200 in the lead. For more information on the sensors, take a look at the sensor scores published by DxO labs.
In short, the Canon Rebel T4i has superb AutoFocus, a splendid articulated touchscreen and is a truly superb video camera. The Nikon D5200 has remarkable, fast AutoFocus, a good articulated screen, a great buffer/processor and very useful in-camera guides.
I believe if you had no camera loyalty either way, the Canon T4i would be the better camera to purchase. The difference in image quality is barely noticeable under normal conditions and the Canon certainly equals the D5200 on the movie front. Whilst both DSLRs are superb in their own ways, the Nikon D5200 costs more than the small improvements over the Canon T4i would warrant.
About the Author:
Jeremy Bayston has worked in the photography industry for two decades. He has a particular interest in digital imagery. Learn more about the new Nikon D5200 on his website www.d5200.org and even download a free 25 page guide on the new camera. Discover more about the Canon rebel T4i on his website www.rebel-T4i.com. Both sites offer expert advice and reviews of Nikon and Canon products.
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