asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

I have a friend with a 17 year old daughter who has been using the older school Canon DSLR's (don't know what kind) to take photos for the paper / yearbook. She has decided that she wants her own camera and is looking at a Canon T5i. Her dad asked me for my opinion as to the suitability of this camera with a 18-55 lens. Only problem is I'm a Nikon guy. Asking for suggestions and advice from my fellow UHH'ers on this one.....

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

I am a Nikon guy too, but I had a T4i and a was a great camera, took excellent pictures.

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tdekany Loc: Oregon

I have a friend who has his birthday today who asked me last year what camera to get as a starter with a limited budget. Initially my suggestion was one of the Nikon lower end ones - d3300/d5300 but then he went to best buy and liked some of the features on the canon t5 or t6 vs the d5500 but that was only because he couldn't figure out how to change things in the Nikon. At the end I told him to get the d5500 because of the better dr range of the Nikon sensor. And also mentioned the Sony A6000 - so he went back to best buy to look at it. That is the camera he is getting. I'd suggest the same - let her handle each one . There is no wrong choice. All 3 models will take as good a picture as the person behind it is capable of

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

There are several web sites that provide comparisons between various cameras. Here is one comparing the Nikon D5500 with a Canon T5i.:

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-Rebel-T5i-vs-Nikon-D5500

Here is a site that provides dynamic range charts for many cameras, and this URL will start up with graphs for both the D5500 and a T5i (EOS 700D). It might be worth looking at a few other models too, for example the Nikon D5200 and D5300, plus maybe even a D3300.

http://home.comcast.net/~NikonD70/Charts/PDR.htm#EOS%20700D,D5500

In brief, the Canon T5i is not a good choice. Even an older Nikon D5100 will perform better, as will Nikon's entry level D3300. If money is tight, a used or refurbished Nikon D5200 or D5300 would be the right choice.

Note that if their budget allows, the Nikon D7100 or D7200 is an even better choice. At least within the APS-C sensor size limitations... And while more expensive, an FX entry level such as the D610 would be better than any of the APS-C models. You get what you pay for, and whether that is worth the cost or not depends on just how serious the young lady is about photography.

But make no mistake, perhaps the most significant parameter for a comparison in the case of a budding photojournalist is the dynamic range at ISO 100. The difference is how far off they can be with exposure and still get a usable picture.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

I would get the canon. The menu system is more intuitive. For newspaper reproduction even a brownie hawk eye is more than satisfactory.

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

Don't be afraid to buy refurbished from Canon---the cameras have been thoroughly checked by Canon technicians and still come with a year's warranty just like the new ones do. Here is a link for them:

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

Here is the link for Nikon refurbished cameras:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Store/Refurbished-Cameras.page

Donkas1946 Loc: Southern NH

I think she would be just as happy with the t3i and put more money toward a second lens. She could as the 55-200 or 70-300 with the savings.im thinking about picking up one just to have as it does such a great job image wise. Had the t4i but sold it shortly thereafter to get the 60d.

tbetress Loc: Skippack, Pa

I have the T5i and my boss also has the T5i.
I love it, great camera, good price and light enough to carry around.
My boss also loves it (upgraded from the T4i)
I also have a 40D and love it also, but a bit heavy to just carry around all day for me (62 years old).
Picture quality is great and has enough options for everything I do. Color quality is also very very good.
I have also purchased the Sigma 18-250 lens as my all around lens and that works fantastic.
There are really good deals around now on them since the T6i came out. I personally wouldn't hesitate to recommend the T5i.

ralphc4176 Loc: Conyers, GA

I suspect that she would be well-pleased with a T3i, which is nearly as "good" as the T5i but should be available new for significantly less money. You might also want to consider a Sony crop-sensor mirrorless camera--smaller, lighter, and Sony lenses for their crop sensor cameras which are reasonably priced. The disadvantage is that is uses Sony's new hot shoe, and their flashes seem to me to be overpriced. But I bought a Metz brand flash for my new Sony cameras for about $200 from B&H, and it has performed flawlessly so far.

ralphc4176 Loc: Conyers, GA

Addendum: The Sony APS-C cameras I'm aware of have built-in flashes, as do the T3i and the T5i, if I remember correctly. The built-in flash is not nearly as powerful as a good shoe-mount flash, but it should be adequate for photos taken within a distance of about ten feet.

PaulR01 Loc: West Texas

The t5i partnered up with a quality lens is a good combination. If she shoots any basketball or football she will need a faster lens. I would recommend if you make a purchase with a kit lens, make sure it is a STM lens. The quality is better and it will broaden her video capabilities.

Gendarme Loc: Katy, TX

Intuitive is very subjective. I have an older Canon bridge camera and a Nikon DSLR. I find the Nikon menus easier to navigate. They just seem to make more sense to me. I think saying one is more intuitive than the other is like saying Android/Apple is more intuitive than the other. You will find a lot of agreement, but a lot of argument as well.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The T5i likely can be found at clearance prices now, because it's being replaced by the T6i/T6s.

If the school has a Canon DSLR system, she might be able to borrow lenses for certain purposes, rather than have to buy them.

I would encourage her to go handle both Canon and Nikon in store and see which one "feels" better and more intuitive to use. Some folks like one or the other better, but either can be learned and both are very capable and supported by extensive OEM systems as well as lots of third party manufactured lenses and accessories.

Some differences....

Dynamic range: Yes, at ISO 100 the Nikon has a little bit wider DR. However, as ISO is increased, the difference disappears by about ISO 800 or 1600, and beyond that at really high ISOs the Canon has slightly wider DR. It's arguable that wider DR at higher ISOs is likely to be more important, since low light situations where high ISOs are needed are where underexposure issues are more likely to occur.

Lenses: Both systems are extensive. However at this price point (and with some of the models suggested above) you may be looking at a Nikon camera that doesn't have a built in focusing motor, in which case only "AF-S" lenses (where the focus motor is built into the lens itself) will autofocus on the camera. Nikon "AF" lenses will be manual focus only on those cameras. And manual focus is rather difficult on modern DSLRs, especially crop sensor models due to their smaller viewfinders, and the lack of manual focus support features.

In comparison, the Canon camera is fully compatible and able to autofocus any of the 100 million or so EF or EF-S lenses produced over the past 25 years.

When it comes to vintage lenses... the Nikon is much more backward compatible with their own lenses. However, via adapters those old Nikkors can also mostly be used on modern Canon. And, for that matter, a lot of other manufacturers' vintage, manual focus lenses are easily adaptable to the Canon... Far fewer can be adapted to the Nikon.

Still, when it comes to the most commonly needed and wanted lenses and accessories, there's no shortage of choices in either system.

T5i is often bundled with an EF-S 18-55 IS STM lens, which is the latest and in many ways the best Canon 18-55 variant to date. The EF-S 18-55 IS II is not a bad little lens, either, but won't focus as quickly or quietly. "STM" stands for "Stepper Motor" and refers to a type of focus drive Canon has developed and begun offering the last few years. Both Canon current 18-55mm are relatively small, light and plasticky (like similar spec lenses from Nikon and everyone else).

An alternative that might be a bit more versatile is the EF-S 18-135mm IS... which is also found in both STM and non-STM versions. The non-STM uses micro motor focus drive, which is a little slower, noisier and less certain. STM is faster, smoother and quieter. It's also better for videography, and the T5i is optimized for use with STM lenses.

I agree that some other things might be needed. "Year book" photography suggests a lot of different purposes that may call for different lenses and accessories.

A wide angle lens would be useful for large groups, events, wide shots indoors and architectural shots... Canon has recently introduced an EF-S 10-18mm IS STM lens that's one heck of a bargain at $300 and, even better, has been on sale recently for $250! That's about half the price of anything even close to comparable for Nikon or any other manufacturer.

The 18-135mm might give "long enough" telephoto for many purposes other than sports. However, if some sports shots are needed, a longer lens like EF-S 55-250mm IS may be needed. Once again, this lens comes in both STM and non-STM versions, with the STM costing about $50 more, but recommended for a number of reasons.

A cheap telephoto that's best avoided tho it's often sold in kit with Canon Rebel series is a Canon EF 75-300mm non-IS, non-USM... It's just a pretty poor quality zoom, one of Canon's worst efforts... But it's cheap (often $200 or less). For just a little more money, though, either of the EF-S 55-250mm is a better choice. (Note: there are much better EF 70-300mm lenses, several versions, and even was a somewhat better older version of the 75-300mm with IS and USM... but all these cost a lot more.)

For sports shots in particular, Canon's USM lenses are the fastest acquiring focus and best tracking moving subjects. But, in general USM lenses are more expensive, higher end models. STM are a close "second best" choice for sports shooting.

Portraiture: The new EF 50/1.8 STM is the least expensive lens Canon offers and is ideal for portraiture, plus a "fast" lens can be handy for low light shooting when flash isn't possible.

Canon lenses in these price ranges do not come with a lens hood (only their premium "L series" do). It's sold separately, but I'd encourage getting a matched hood for any lenses purchased to get her in the habit of using one. It's simply good practice, has the potential to improve photos in many situations, and the hood can provide some physical protection for the lens (forget using "protection" filters... they are largely a waste of money).

Flash: All the Canon Rebel series have built-in flashes, but I'd still encourage an accessory flash as a much better choice, if at all possible. Modern dedicated flashes are super easy to use and can do an excellent job with just a little practice and basic understanding of how they work.

She'll need memory cards (get several smaller ones rather than one huge one... that way if one is lost, not all her work will be lost with it... with 18MP Canon models you can get a little more than 250 RAW images on an 8GB card).

She also might want an extra battery or two. It varies a lot depending upon how the camera is used, but probably a battery charge is good for about 500-800 shots. Cut that number in half or less if using the built-in flash or shooting long videos or reviewing images on the rear LCD of the camera a lot. All of those consume a lot more battery power.

She may also want a software to work with her images on her computer. Canon provides a fairly complete suite with the camera. But a lot of people find something like Adobe Elements very helpful, more versatile, and easier to use. Get her in the habit of backing up her photos, too... perhaps with an external drive or cloud storage or similar.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

None of that is accurate. Look at the graphs I previously cited. They are measurements by Bill Claff. DXOMark and others produce similar data with identical results.

http://home.comcast.net/~NikonD70/Charts/PDR.htm#EOS%20700D,D5500

This is typical of the differences between Canon and Nikon cameras, but is specific to the Canon T5i (700D) and the Nikon D5500 the OP mentioned.

At ISO 100 the Nikon is better by a huge 2.1 fstops more dynamic range than the Canon. But the biggest significance is that by ISO 1600 the T5i at 5.9 fstops (the Nikon has 6.7 fstops) is less than what prints can produce (roughly 7 fstops of DN). At ISO of 3200, the Canon at 4.9 fstops (the Nikon has 5.7), is pretty much at it's the upper limit for usefulness. The Nikon can be used to ISO 6400 where it has a dynamic range of 4.7 fstops. (And note that the Nikon still has a higher dynamic range even at ISO 12800, though it is also less than 4 fstops at that level and is not really useful.)

As noted previously, even the D3300 at the bottom of Nikon's DSLR offerings has better dynamic range across the board than a Canon T5i. And dynamic range is the most significant parameter for a budding photojournalist.

A Canon T5i is simply not the best choice.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Has anyone asked the lass why she wants to change camera?
Its all right jumping in with suggestions but what are her needs...If she has been using a camera for a while then she should know what shortcomings she want to overcome with her new camera. It might simply be a different lens, or the ability to remote shoot or even good old fashioned live view envy caus her friends have it. I would say discuss with her first.