With Canon and Nikon both competing to dominate the beginner level market, they have both unveiled movie friendly digital SLRs 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 strengthen their markets by extending into video producing, which both Canon and Nikon see as potential areas for growth. It is clear that Nikon and Canon are regarding the beginner level market as a major battleground, particularly in the United States. [I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston21.jpg]
The Canon T4i doesn’t feel quite as tough as the D5200, but it is solid enough for day to day use. It is a bit bigger than the D5200 though, and so easier for anyone with normal sized hands to hold. The scroll-wheel clicks comfortingly as it turns and the rear buttons are tactile. The design at the back of the Canon T4i is well considered and has more buttons, making diving into the menu settings a lot quicker and easier. Some are multi-functional, which can require a little thought. For example, the same button that commences recording video in movie mode also commences Live View in still shooting mode. The slight 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 doesn’t have any 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 articulated LCD backscreen. The Canon T4i has a recognizable higher resolution than that of the D5200. The Canon’s liquid crystal display viewingscreen has 1040 thousand dots, while the D5200 has 921 thousand. One of the the Canon T4i’s biggest selling points is that the LCD view screen is a touchscreen. This makes it much easier to program settings and, more importantly, it lets you choose a focus point through Live View. You can also shoot your picture by tapping on the location where you want the digital SLR to focus. These are very clever and useful functions, taken from the Compact System Camera (CSC) ranges that are for sale now. It is excellent to see this technology being adopted by the Canon T4i as it makes it far more useable than any other DSLR in its category.
The Canon’s phase detect AutoFocus system is extremely fast. Although it has only 9-point AF system, as opposed to the 39-points of the D5200, it is both fast and accurate for every day picture taking. The Canon T4i doesn’t have a dedicated AF assist light, but it can use its built-in flash in these circumstances. The T4i supports full-time AF in video mode, which matches the D5200 and, with Canon’s STM lenses, the focussing is silent enough for shooting video. It also has an external Mic socket. It is reasonable to say that the Canon Rebel T4i is possibly the better DSLR for shooting movies. The LCD viewingscreen, full-time AutoFocus, and external Mic make it ideal for your everyday video requirements.
The Nikon D5200 is a very compact camera and smaller than it’s predecessor, the D5100. This could create issues for those of us with large (average!) hands. It can sometimes not carry like a regular digital SLR, especially when attached to a larger lens. While it fails to match the build quality of the magnesium alloy D7000, the tough plastic body feels fairly solid and sturdy. The design at the back is easy to navigate with an array of buttons to make access to the multiple options simple to follow. Live view is easily accessible and film recording can be initiated with a press of a single button. It has just a single control wheel which is snappy and responsive. There is an IR spot on the front of the camera and also a dedicated AF assist light, which the Canon T4i doesn’t have. On the right side there is a customizable Fn function which can be used to select image quality, ISO, active-D lighting, or white balance (there are no dedicated single buttons for these options). 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 has come from the D5100, where it was hugely popular. As with with the Canon T4i, it is very useful for shooting at different angles and is particularly useful when shooting video. The help menus are excellent and make the Nikon D5200 quite beginner friendly. The visual display rotates with the camera, meaning that information on the status screen won’t show sideways when you’re taking uprights. The playback mode is quick and efficient you won’t have to wait for photos to load. And there is a comprehensive info screen which lets you manage just about every shooting parameter that the D5200 has to offer. 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 hard 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 comes in handy for shooting video, and Nikon have increased 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 maximum (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 on top. For more information on the sensors, take a look at the sensor scores published by DxO labs.
In summary, the Canon Rebel T4i has great 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 think if you had no lens 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 matches the D5200 on the video front. Whilst both digital cameras are remarkable in their own ways, the Nikon D5200 is more expensive than the small improvements over the Canon T4i would warrant.
Jeremy Bayston has worked in the photographic 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 download a free 25 page guide to 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.