Canon T5i Impressions

Canon's T5 was its entry-level DSLR for quite some time before being replaced by the T6. The T5i provides a nice middle-ground between those two cameras in terms of features - with the T5i coming ahead in some regards, while the much newer T6 shines in other aspects. The T5i's body is fairly large and feels quite sturdy even though it is largely made of plastic with a slightly rubberized grip on the right hand side.

It's a far better grip than the one included with the A6300 or the D3300, and does help you hold the camera if you've been out all day and have worked up a bit of a sweat. Its lower-megapixel image sensor takes lower-fidelity images than either of those cameras, but still takes really crisp images in both raw and JPEG formats. Those just getting into DSLRs will probably want to stick with JPEGs, while most will find going with a mixture of raw and JPEG is best for things like family functions that you want to capture forever - just make sure to grab a larger-capacity SD card.

One of the T5i's nicest features is its moveable screen. This allows you to either reposition the screen so you can take a photo at a slightly-different angle with it off to the side, or you can get super-sharp selfies if you so desire. The best usage of this screen on a realistic level is using it for vlogging or shooting video to teach others something. If you have a Udemy course, or otherwise teach people in a virtual environment, being able to see exactly what you're shooting in real-time is a huge time-saver.

The T5i lacks any kind of wi-fi options, so unlike the previously-explored D3300 or A6300, you will have to use a wi-fi enabled SD card like an Eyefi card to have that functionality with this device. Other than that, it's a really solid camera and being able to move the screen around is a nice feature - albeit something that won't matter for everyone.