Canon EOS Rebel T6i Digital SLR (Body Only) – Wi-Fi Enabled

The first few paragraphs outline my journey, reasoning, and learning curve for the T6i purchase.

(+)Far better than my previous T5i. I resold my Amazoned T5i purchase in 2016, and shopped for months for the next move upward. I had heard that many were ditching Canon and Nikon for Sony, and looked at the rx100ii and the a6000-6500, but kept coming back to Canon for great optics at affordable rates. Canon has such a huge lineup of lenses that have been around for years, it didn’t make sense to dump my 24mm, 40mm, 18-55mm, and the 55-250mm, that I kept while selling my T5i on Amazon. I took some wonderful pictures with my T5i too.

(-+)I like shooting animals, birds, flora, and landscapes. I use my cameras primarily with center point auto focus on M. I’m a hunter! I have tried taking auto-focus pictures with the T6i and the T5i at parties, and I guess I’m just too picky to like the outcomes. I want flash and auto working great, but I never see great results. Faces are very often a little soft(with built-in flash). Now, my friend at these affairs has a Sony RX100ii which is the ultimate party camera IMHO. Multi-face detection and more AF points make that camera a no-brain winner for candid pics or poses at parties, with a powerful pocket camera and Zeiss lens. On the other hand, shooting hummingbirds, the T6i is awesome, the RX100ii, forget it(stay with parties and vacations). If I wanted to work harder, like a wedding, in manual mode with a better flash, the T6i would then be the clear party winner. Low light without flash, the Sony RX100ii is amazing. I tested it against a Canon 6d at Yosemite and beat the 6d for those dark scenes(like inside Ahwahnee Hotel). Enough about the RX100ii. The T6i has a video snapshot feature that stitches several seconds of video together into a single movie, which is a much better party option for this camera, and super for trips. In a few minutes people can watch a video of your entire trip to somewhere without boring them to tears with hours of video.

I had used the T5i for about 2 years, and rented the Canon 6d and 80d in the last year while running tests for the next camera purchase. I really wanted the 80d or 6d, but ended up spending money on furniture that was earmarked for camera gear, and had to set my sights on affordability/quality. I rented the 80d for a trip to Eagle Lake in Lassen County, and paired it with a 400mm to shoot eagles/birds and other far off objects. I really don’t know why, but that combo did not produce good photos. With my EF-S lenses, I had better luck, and from much closer, like dogs and people in the campground. Again, I’m picky. I’m a bit of a pixel snob. I was very disappointed, but remember, I rented these and do not know how they have been handled previously. 80d is over a $1000 new, and under that used. As for the Canon 6d and its full frame sensor, WOW! Now that is a $1500 camera worthy of its entry fee. Photos were the best I’ve ever taken. I took that on my new favorite two day trip circuit, Yosemite and then Fresno Zoo. Don’t laugh people, the Fresno Zoo is up and coming with world class amenities!! Amazing animal/bird photos and landscapes in Yosemite. I was also using the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L for a super combo. OK, I couldn’t afford that $3000 combo option after my furniture spending. So I came back to earth, with awesome photos in hand, and set my wallet towards something more practical but hi-tech.

(+)So the year long journey ended at the Canon T6i. I had the four lenses already, so that made this purchase even easier. By the way, remember what I said about party photos, I purchased the camera from someone that had shot several weddings, and I can see why he sold it. There are other far superior wedding cameras, like a 6d for sure. I rated this camera 5 stars, because it combines great features, photos, and a great price. I can definitely see better photos with the same lenses listed above. The Digic 6 processor with 24mp is producing far nicer pictures than the T5i. When I bought the T5i, many people did not move to that camera from T4-3-2, because they just didn’t see the better features. I think this is the first huge jump from one iteration to the next. My pictures of birds are far better than T5i. There aren’t flowers out yet, so nothing to report there. I have only used this with STM lenses and the primes of 24mm/40mm. I can’t wait to connect a Canon 70-200mm f2.8L lens on this T6i, and hopefully see a big jump up from my 55-250mm.

(+)My first big outing with T6i was to the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. Millions of birds, no really, millions! I took the best hawk photos I’ve gotten to date, best birds in flight, and video of thousands in flight. I paid $550 for the T6i, and that is the best camera at that price point. Refuge had deer, eagles, ducks, geese, hawks, and tons of varieties of each. The video on the T6i is really good HD at 30 frames per second. The other more expensive cameras give you 60 frames per second or 4k video. The 80d had time lapse video with 60fps which sounded really fun, but never got a chance to try it. I don’t own a 4k TV yet, and didn’t need 4k video. The T6i kills the competition(and higher end Canon cameras too) with one big, tilt out swivel feature, and flippable LCD screen. 2nd huge one that beats most other cameras(again other $$$ Canons too), is the touch screen, and is completely awesome. A movable touch screen moves this camera to the head of the line for most Canon cameras and the competition. Most pros, always say they thought it was a gimmicky feature, until they started using one. Try shooting a shot overhead or down at your shoes in water or mud, forget it!! You will move on or take a dumb pic. None of Canons cameras above this(OK, T6s) have a tilt out and touch screen LCD screens. I still cannot verify, from my use, that the 80d was a better camera which has tilt-touch. Video is touted as better, but I did not use it.

(-+)I was liking the fact that the T6i had NFC and wireless capability, compared to my old T5i which did not. I loaded the Canon software on my android phone and controlled the cameras basic functions from the phone for remote shooting. Fun feature, but usually for full auto applications that I don’t usually utilize. NFC, I set that up and tried it out, but i usually shoot in RAW mode, and phones don’t display RAW, I’m guessing, and my android is 4 years old now. So again, a nice add-on, but connecting a USB to the computer or pulling the SD card is more functional for picture or video transfer. Reviewing your photos on the camera, is again, way better than other cameras NOT offering touch screen. You can zoom in instantly to see how good that photo really is, instead of jockeying buttons or dials!! BIG PLUS!! Of all the Canon cameras I have used in the last two years, the T6i, has the worst battery life. Now I say worst, and that sounds bad, but you can get a full day of several hundred pics on a battery. The T5i and T6i are rated the same as 440 pictures on a battery(what is that the lowest jpeg quality with 440 shots in a row and then shutting down??) I have never seen 440 shots from either one of these cameras, which at single shooting mode, could take a couple days for many people. I purchased the camera with three batteries and do burn through at least one battery in half a day of a couple hundred single shots, with camera being on a lot. The Canon 6d and 80d, have ridiculously good battery life, which is hard to burn through in a day of casual shooting. I still think the T5i has better battery life, which is a subjective analysis. I had three of those batteries, and rarely got to the second one or spares. All batteries charge fairly fast. Get a USB charger or an AC/DC cigarette lighter adapter for the ultimate in recharging on the go. AC charges devices much faster and they are cheap to buy.

There are a lot of great cameras out there now, and they are exponentially getting better. Like the giant steps from T5i to the T6i, the advancements are bigger. Canon has two other cameras above this, not counting the T6s, 80d and the 6d, and the 6d is the clear winner beyond the T6 lineup, but again at another $1000!! I still have hopes for a 6d, and a 70-200mm f2.8L(with IS or not). I got so-so results from my 80d usage. That 6d+f2.8L combination for picture taking is all you need to approach professional photography at $3000+ new. My recommendation for new buyers on a budget, get this or the T6s body only, and spend a couple more dollars on great lenses. I find I use a 40mm and 55-250mm STMs, with the 24mm and 18-55mm STMs getting less use. A couple of better lenses than these will yield even sharper graphics. Many times the 18-55mm kit lens is FREE with the purchase, nice bonus. Read the manual, or get David Busch’s T6i/T6s manual on Kindle or print(Kindle is better). His version actually teaches many camera basics along with the T6 usage/features, smart guy. I’m still learning every time I pick up the camera. Read these things with camera next to you, and pick it up and try everything.

The T6i is a powerful camera packed into a small space. I fixed these photos only minimally, with none being Lightroomed or Photoshopped. I learned a lot on the T5i, and have learned to take better photos, and this Y6i is definitely a much better camera. Seeing is believing. I went back and looked at T5i moon pictures that didn’t even measure up! The kit lens combos with the T6i are really inexpensive too. For an extra $200 you can get $500 in lenses with a new camera purchase. Get one!