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.

Excellent advice, Alan, from a very old HS News and Yearbook photog. The are many shots of clubs, committees etc. that go from 5-20 students. The 50 and an off camera flash will do well. And don't forget the Queen, King and "Court" pictures. The computer, software and backup, i hope, is provided by the school. But the skills and habits last a lifetime. I hope she enjoys her assignment, it will take most of her extra curricular time.

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.

The question was about the, "suitability of the T5i with 18-55"!!
If you can wade through all the deep, mumbo BS, I think the answer is a simple.....
YES, that T5i combo is "VERY suitable"!
The Rebal line is the MOST popular camera line, and the MOST used camera model on this Planet.
Every camera has some short comings, and the fact that the Rebal is the stepping stone to the cameras used by more professional and serious amateur photographers in the world today is a big plus, especially if that young lady has her eye on someday being a pro or an extremely advanced amateur.

Johnston, yes, report back that the T5i is, "VERY suitable"!
AND that the T5i will look alnost as good hanging around her neck, as she, hanging from IT!!! :lol: :lol:
SS

Ignoring facts and listening to marketing hype has a great emotional effect, but buying a clearly inferior camera will not encourage the young lady, will not help her advance, and pointedly will not produce the level of image quality she deserves.

Here are interesting reviews (and Google will produce many others that all say essentially the same things).


http://cameradecision.com/compare/Canon-EOS-700D-vs-Nikon-D5500
http://www.cameraegg.org/nikon-d5500-vs-d5300-vs-d7100-vs-canon-t5i-specs-comparison/

Both snapshot.com and dxomark.com give specifications, but also rate the cameras. On snapshot.com the overall rating is 89 for the D5500 and 62 for the T5i. The dxomark.com ratings look like this:
Reality is pretty obvious...