I've known for some time that I wanted a DSLR. I waited until my digital point and shoot died nearly 10 months ago. And then I waited, and waited. When I realized that I was starting to be missing some key moment in my life that I would like to have photos of, I finally pulled the trigger and stepped up to the T3. It may be the entry model for the Canon DSLR line, but for the money the photos are gorgeous with just the kit lens. Adding a Telephoto Zoom is just another level of fun. I needed a camera that would allow me to experiment in manual modes, but one that could still act like a point and shoot for the wife. I love this camera. It's so easy to navigate the menu, which for most is the most complicated part of operating the camera. Without even a read of the manual, I was up and running in 2 minutes testing out all the features. Plain and simple, at this price point, this is a great camera for a beginner or intermediate photographer looking to edge out of the simple point and shoot cameras without spending a small fortune. Be wary though...all the accessories add up quickly.

I am very pleased with this camera. I would recommend this product to anyone interested in doing more than just point and shoot photography.

I spent weeks looking through Amazon to find a replacement for my point & shoot camera that finally quit working. I looked specifically for a camera that was under $500 and had quality auto focus abilities, as I do not like to fiddle around with camera settings (because I usually screw them up), rapid fire picture taking so I don't have to wait while photographing the grandkids, superior picture quality, HD video setting, excellent battery life (a must), easy to upload to my computer and was overall reliable.I spent hours reading the comments about a number of cameras, (Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic) but kept coming back to this Canon EOS Rebel T3 because it met all of my above requirements whereas the other cameras for one reason or another (usually not good battery life or slow picture taking), did not. As a side note, one person who bought this Canon through an Amazon vendor, was not happy with the package condition upon arrival at his home, and he had to return the damaged goods. The day I decided to purchase this camera, it was actually $5 cheaper and on Prime through a vendor, however, I opted to pay the extra $5 and have it fulfilled and shipped by Amazon (whom I have never had a problem with packaging or customer service). Package arrived is excellent condition BTW.Anyway, I LOVE this camera!!!! For me, who is not a camera whiz, it does everything I want or need it to do. The button functions are easily found, the pictures are superior and the lens fits just about every need I have. However, I love this camera so much that I will probably spring for another zoom lens to experiment with more photography. I also purchased the Transcend 16 GB SDHC smart card from Amazon and that works just fine. I will have to purchase another camera case as the lens is a little too big to fit into my modestly sized old point & shoot camera case.I am very glad I purchased this Canon EOS Rebel T3!

Great camera for amateur photographers just starting out. I've always had a digital point-n-shoot for the longest time, but a new cannon point-n-shoot camera and a trip to Niagara Falls changed my mind. I was so impressed by cannon quality of camera and image. I became interested in doing semi-professional photography. So I looked into DSLR's.This camera is a great camera. If you're just getting serious about photography like I am then I would highly recommend this camera. All the bad reviews I read here on Amazon made it seem like the camera had problems. But that's just not true, outside of defected product, the camera is good, it's the lenses you have to be careful about. The camera is comfortable to hold, not that heavy, and a heck of a lot better than the point-n-shoot you had before. It might take a while to get used to where all the setting buttons are, and moving between them quick enough. A lot of things are overwhelming with this camera when you never owned a DSLR or taken any photography classes. Such as where the buttons are, learning where all the features are, and the hardest is learning about aperture, shutter speed, and exposure. But don't let that deter you, if you take the time to learn then you'll be fine.Price was great here on Amazon. It was the lowest price BY FAR that i saw while researching for NEW equipment.For the lens it came with, the 18-55mm IS, it's a pretty good lens. When looking through all the reviews on here you'll see a lot of Auto Focusing problems. The thing is, if the lens can't auto focus, just switch to manual focus. You may ask though, "how often would I have to do that?". The answer, not very much. The only times my camera had auto focusing problems is with night shoots without a flash, and pointing it at the open sky. Sometimes you will get some shoots (depending on the scene and composure) that the camera wants to focus on something closer than your subject. Such as shooting through tall weeds or grass. Probably just want to switch to MF in that scenario like I do. I mean after all that's one of the primary reasons I got a DSLR, to have control of the focus. It's a good lens.Overall, great camera, great price, great quality. I'm happy I bought it.

This is my first SLR and it only took three years of research and self-justification to finally take the plunge and so far I don't have any regrets!I went with the 18-55 kit lens and the matching 55-250 lens to stay within a budget and even my worse pictures in automatic mode are optically better than my late model point and shoot.Moving from a point and shoot to an SLR is a little overwhelming. Concepts like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and how they relate do take some time to understand but once you get past that hurdle - all of the buttons just seem to make sense somehow. If you don't have a friend that can help you, I definitely recommend studying the basic mechanical concepts and reading up on composition tips - and then go out and shoot a ton of photos [just for fun] and try out some different things. Also, I haven't had any problems with the auto-focus issues that some have described - though now that I'm shooting in what's called Av or aperture priority mode, I changed my AF setting to use the center point instead of the all points mode and I get great focusing.P.S. Don't try to shoot flying butterflies, it's not practical :)

This was my first DSLR. Having only known point and shoot cameras this was an excellent next step. Easy to use, light enough to carry around though can get a bit heavy after awhile. The lens and features were great too. I've since added a 70-300 mm 1:4-5.6 IS USM lens and makes a great package. Picture quality is outstanding - didn't anticipate the significant improvement between a point and shoot and this camera. We visited Vienna recently and were amazed at the great photos! A very nice camera!

I recently decided to get a camera that could take photos of objects that were farther away, as I have an impending vacation where a lot of the views are going to be difficult to capture. My current point and shoot with digital zoom lens was just not doing what I wanted it to do. I started looking at Canon Rebel products and settled on the T3 model. This camera allowed a 'rookie' like me to be able to auto set the camera to get started, and then progress to various settings as I became more familiar with it. I did purchase the additional 55-250mm lens to go along with the 18-55mm one that came with it.Overall, what helped sell me on this camera?....... the autofocus and stablizer features to start with, then the overall price that I found the camera and lenses here on Amazon. (No other dealer, either online or locally in Phoenix has since beat the price in their ads).I was also looking for a camera that I could use the live view in the rear screen as well as the viewfinder. I wear glasses and this sometimes does not make the small viewfinder the easiest to use. One additional feature I found appealing was the video recording function. I carry a 16gb SD card for photos, and when I know I will be doing video I have another 16gb SD card to use.One disappointment was the instruction manual....while the included paper manual gave some startup tips, the more in-depth manual is on the included CD and not at all convenient to have available if you need to look up a questioned feature. I ended up buying a 'Dummies' book that makes the learning curve a lot easier.Overall I am impressed with the feel of the camera in my hands, and the nice quality photos that it takes. I would highly recommnend this camera to anyone that wants to 'step up' a notch to a better than point and shoot style camera.

I had used a few point and shoot cameras before, but I felt like getting into DSLR's. And good thing I chose this camera. Works like a charm. The auto moodes are great for first time photographers, and the manual mode is not as intimidating as other cameras. So if you are just getting into photography, it's a great price and an excellent camera.