Canon announces entry-level Rebel T5 (EOS 1200D) and macro ring light

There’s a new entry-level camera in Canon’s DSLRs lineup, and it’s the Rebel T5 (EOS 1200D). This model replaces the Rebel T3 (EOS 1100D) and features the company’s familiar 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 processor, and 9-point AF system. The T5 also has a 3″ LCD, 3 fps continuous shooting, and 1080p video recording. Canon also announced the MR-14EX II Macro Ring Light, which can be controlled wirelessly using the radio-based ‘RT’ system. Both the camera and ring light are priced at $549, with the former including an 18-55mm lens.

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Press Release:

THE NEW, EASY-TO-USE CANON EOS REBEL T5 DIGITAL SLR CAMERA PROVIDES PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH HIGH IMAGE QUALITY AND FULL HD VIDEO CAPTURE

Ideal for Entry-level Digital SLR Users, the New EOS Rebel T5 Digital SLR Camera Helps Users Confidently Capture Outstanding Still and Video Images

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 11, 2014 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today introduced the EOS Rebel T5 DSLR Camera – the latest model in the company’s popular EOS Rebel lineup. The new camera provides entry-level photographers with an affordable way to take their imaging skills to the next level. Incorporating an 18.0 megapixel CMOS (APS-C) image sensor and a high-performance DIGIC 4 image processor, the EOS Rebel T5 camera delivers improved functionality with the speed and high quality needed to create impressive images – even in low light.

The new EOS Rebel T5 DSLR camera offers users an extensive ISO range of 100–6400 (expandable to 12800) to accommodate shooting situations from bright natural outdoor lighting to dimly lit indoor settings. The camera can also automatically lock-in on moving subjects with ease using the EOS Rebel T5 camera’s nine-point AF system (including one center cross-type AF point). With help from the AI Servo AF, users can benefit from the camera’s outstanding autofocus capabilities. The new EOS Rebel T5 camera also offers a continuous shooting mode of up-to-three frames per second (fps) to help photographers capture the action at children’s activities, sporting events and more.  Images can then be easily viewed on the camera’s large three-inch LCD monitor.

“The EOS Rebel T5 camera is designed for entry-level DSLR photographers looking to expand their creative options and advance their photography skills,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. “The improved functionality of this new EOS Rebel camera will help them do just that as it intelligently guides users on how to pinpoint their perfect shot and capture high-quality images and videos worth sharing.”

Detailed, High-Quality Images
Photo enthusiasts can capture high-quality images that are true-to-life in color, sharpness and contrast with the EOS Rebel T5 camera’s 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) image sensor and  DIGIC 4 image processor. Shooting is also made easy thanks to the EOS Rebel T5 camera’s Intelligent Auto mode that helps deliver expertly optimized photos and offers improved scene detection, especially useful for shooting at night.

The Canon Rebel EOS Rebel T5 camera is also compatible with the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses as well as other accessories like the new Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX II.  Ideal for close-up photography with EF Macro lenses, the Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX II supports E-TTL wireless autoflash in conjunction with one or more Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT flash units. 

Full HD Video Capture
The camera’s Full HD Movie mode helps make shooting high-quality 1080p movies simple. Capable of shooting in a number of recording sizes and frame rates, the EOS Rebel T5 enables easy manual control of exposure, focus and Live View features, as well as in-camera editing.

Intuitive Design and Full Creative Control
The new EOS Rebel T5 camera offers a full creative feature set – providing a variety of effects and settings to enhance photographs and video. Whether adding contrast for a more dramatic effect or boosting exposure for additional brightness, Canon’s EOS Rebel T5 camera will guide users on how to hone their photo editing skills and view their original photographs from a new visual perspective. The camera features fun, creative filters including Toy Camera, Fisheye and Miniature Effect enabling photographers to expand their creativity.

The EOS lineup is known for its easy-to-operate, intuitive camera models that deliver high-quality images. Canon’s latest DSLR camera offers advanced imaging features such as Basic+ and Creative Auto to direct entry-level photo enthusiasts through making camera setting adjustments. The camera’s built-in Feature Guide offers short descriptions of shooting modes, setting and effects for easy operation no matter what the shooting situation. This function is designed to guide and educate first-time users on the EOS camera settings, and will also intelligently provide recommendations while shooting in certain settings.

Availability   
The Canon EOS Rebel T5 Digital SLR Camera bundled with an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens is scheduled to be available in March for an estimated retail price of $549.99.

EOS Rebel T5 (1200D) specifications

Comments

What’s with all the complaining? This camera is intended to be Canon’s highest volume DSLR. They will stock these at every Wal-Mart, Costco and Target store. This model is intended to compete on a store shelf where price is king. Canon needs to cost down these consumer electronics models annually. That’s just the business of entry-level cameras; no point in complaining that it doesn’t meet the needs of the serious amateur or pro.

The problem is that it is not the cheapest Canon DSLR and it is by far the worst.

I think, as an entry level camera it looks quite good.

No-one is going to upgrade to this camera from any other DSLR because its is the bottom end entry level so comparisons with the previous model and other models in the Canon range are, to a certain extent, irrelevent.

Comparisons with other manufaturers are however very important as I guess a lot of people will be buying this as their first dslr and in many cases effectively choosing a system for life. I don’t know enough about Nikon/Pentax and others to know how it compares.

But it’s not April!!!! I don’t get it.

People who want THIS should just buy the ancient t2i off ebay, they go for as little as $88 nowadays, and they will get a better camera (bigger viewfinder, much higher screen resolution, faster sequential shooting, ISO12,800, more powerful flash, stereo mic, infrared remote control, 8.1Wh LP-E8 battery instead of 6.36Wh LP-E10…)

Oh good old days when Canon actually tried to design something competitive… They have passed so long ago, but brand name power, totally undeserved today, still survives…

Wow, it is even worse than SL1/100D, which was worse than more than 4 y/o T2i and easily won The Worst DSLR of 2013!

Great, the year just started but we already know the winner of The Worst DSLR of 2014!

Up until now it is the only DSLR launched this year. So it is also the best of 2014. Ofcourse de 645D II (2014) will be launched soon, so then it will loose one of it’s titles.

Yes we Canon! Upgrade the label. People will buy it anyway because all the pro’s use it……

Why does a macro ringlight need to be radio controlled? What’s the point off-camera?

(unless your extension tube bellows setup is too long for the cord to stretch…)

Blah

As far as I can tell you you can buy a better spec’d 100d for about the same money these days so what’s the point…?

A little over a month ago I did just that. No regrets.

Spot the difference .. please??

A forgotten robot must be stuck in the Canon factory, churning out the same camera for the last 4+ years. At least it was programmed to change name every year or so…

Why so many complaints about DIGIC 4? Isn’t the main difference between 4 and 5 the speed of processing. At 3fps Digic 4 will be more than able to cope. Why put in what is presumably a more expensive chip for no great benefit?

Considering it would only add a couple of dollars at most to the BOM you’d think they would have included it just for the marketing value. I suppose therefore it is a deliberate up-sell strategy: if you are savvy-stupid enough to insist on a Digic5 over a Digic4, then Canon will gladly sell you a T5i…

A Toyota from the 90s would nicely cover most all your today’s mobility needs. Entry level, basic equipment. Would you buy one as new today?

Thats one of the most pathetic analogies I’ve read. Completely irrelevent.

I was querying whether installing the Digic 5 chip in this camera would make any noticable difference to it’s perfomance.

No no, not at all irrelevant. The query should be: what the heck is DIGIC 4 doing around in 2014? The 6 is here, it should be dead. The cost of producing the 5 should already have paid off and – in fact – be less than what was that of 4 when new. The car analogy makes more sense now?

The flash deserves its own headline. Where can I find more info on it?

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/news/canon_launches_new_macro_ring_flash.do?

If this is not suit for me then 5d mark iii still in the market. No need for silly complain.. no one force me to buy this though 🙂

lol!

It’s not the same 18MP sensor everyone. Please, please, read up on whats happening before you comment. Haven’t been here for a while due to the lack of knowledge and understanding from commentators on this site. I’m leaving again….

Oh please, cry me a river. No it’s not technically the same, there have been minor changes since the 7D was released, but the IQ and DR and shadow noise are all basically unchanged over 4.5 years. Even worse they didn’t even bother to give the 1200D a digic 5. Useless camera and every one should just look at the SL1 instead.

Yes, the 650D and 700D had a few CDAF pixels
Guess how was their af performance

bye

I praise Canon for putting in a CONSISTENT effort on sensor technology.
The same sensor from 550D to 1200D and everything in between. (ignore the 1000D and 1100D)

props for canon marketing, make a pro DLSR that’s really good, then make the entry level cameras with camera parts from 2010 and people will buy, because the pros use it.

Since so many people here seem to be unclear on the concept, I feel compelled to point out the obvious:

If you have a DPReview account, the 1200D isn’t for you.

Move along, nothing to see here.

Wow, the macro light is awesome. I am placing a pre-order for that one today.

Behold. This is 21st Century Canon all over so get used to it.

… and this is just one of the reasons why instead of newest Rebel I bought Nikon d5300.
Seriously, how many times can Canon re-release the same sensor? Did they fire their entire sensor R&D department? I loved my Canon lenses but could not justify buying new rebel with the same old sensor.

Look at it this way; this camera actually got a sensor upgrade, because the predecessor (1100D) didn’t have the 18 Mp sensor.

Wow!!!! This is really unbelievable….in 2014 introducing a dslr (even if its entry level) with digic 4….

And the g1 x ll is rumored to have digic 6….so honestly, I am in shock and disbelief about this kind of “innovation” coming from canon….and I have been shooting with canon for over 20 years….

I think someone needs to tell the executives at canon to wake up….

Andrew

They are cashing in on the uneducated first time buyers who know nothing except that they want an SLR with CANON on it.

And this camera will be good anough for them, pdelux. This old 18 Mpix sensor is ok for those who just shoot JPG on auto.

^^ There is a large difference between good enough and excellent especially in the tech world.

If you get much better features and performance from a competing product at the same price range then why go for the lower performing one. Unfortunately Canon has brand value and many people will blindly buy all this outdated tech due to the brand.

Just compare it to the similarly priced (at launch. Much cheaper now Sony A58).

This is probably heresy, but is there anything really wrong with Digic4 that Digic5 dramatically solves? Side by side would I even notice?

The 1x00D series is Canon’s low-budget entry-level offering. It’s for those who think that the 100D/SL1 and 700D/T5i are too expensive and advanced. Innovation were never an objective for the designers and engineers who worked on this.

Canon tried to initially price the T3 at $600 and within a month or two after its release it was already down to $500. I would bet this camera sells for $450-$500 later in the year or maybe even cheaper than that. So you would almost be a chump for plunking down $550 for an early copy of it.

As for the camera itself…it’s a simple, bare-bones, no-frills DSLR that I’m sure plenty of people will be happy with.

Yeah, T3 has been selling for $400 since last year around here, that would be adequate price for the new one as well.

It’s boring to death. Ugly LQ plastic with 18 MP.

At least Canon remembered to put a sensor inside the state of the art entry camera…

I thought they had a T5 a couple years ago?

The T5i/700D is the current ‘advanced’ entry-level model, while the T5/1200D is the stripped-to-the-bones budget offering.

And how could we define the SL1/100D ?

100D vs 700D vs 1200D:
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=canon_eos100d&products=canon_eos700d&products=canon_eos1200d

And I thought Nikon fans were the ones that complained …

Both Nikon and Canon are in the same pickle. Their low-mid-range APS-C dSLRs are perfectly good cameras, and have been for some years, but they are no longer attractive options for a lot of people who prefer now to go with something like Sony’s A6000 (or GX-7, or OM-D M10, or EX-2) for the smaller size if for no other reason…

really that’s odd .. seems rebels outsell every other camera body out there, including your mirrorless.

apparently there are a bunch of people out there that disagree with your marketing expertise.

No just people with blind brand faith.

Mcdonalds is the largest burger chain in the world but that doesn’t mean they make the best burger !

@rrccad

Trends are what’s important here. Of course Nikon and Canon still sell mountains of these cameras, but that mountain is slowly shrinking year by year.

” features the company’s familiar 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 processor, and 9-point AF system.”

T2i goes strong for the 5th year, under 7th name. Innovation Canon style!

where is top critique .. yabokkie, today??

Still using Digic 4???? That’s OLD technology – wake up Canon!!!!???

Somebody said it’s enough for the 3 fps it has. Also I suspect they don’t want to get it Magic Lantern’d into better model. Not that Digic 5 really brings much for the consumer.

Did they at least put dust removal (via sensor shake) back into the T5?

Right. So the Canon 550d of half a decade ago has been re-released by another name with a few bits and pieces actually taken out of it.

I’m not sure whether to cry or to laugh.

The sensor is not even the biggest insult. Its the fact that Canon purposely is using this entry level camera to clear out existing inventory of its OLD kit lens when the sharper and far superior AF STM version is already released.

I actually find this more repulsive…nickle and diming the blue collared consumer or starting enthusiast is a bigger offense to me than Nikon milking the old and rich with the DF or 58. Nikon is doing awesome with entry level. The new collapsible kit lens looks almost good enough for the 24MP sensors. The 18-140 super zoom is looking good too, and the sensors and AF on an entire slew of Nikon entry level is now indisputably just better lately.

Insulting? Repulsive? So much emotion over an inanimate object.

You’ve seen the street price of the 1x00D series, right?

Just quit while you are behind Canon. At least your G1X II was a promising announcement. Your DSLR business is going no where fast though.

Well, they aren’t behind in the one area that really matters to a commercial business: sales and market share. Canon’s brand name and market position are so strong, that they don’t need to be on the cutting edge to sell their products. That may change in the future, but right now that’s the status quo.

I don’t shoot Canon DSLRs, but there is more to camera innovation than sensor innovation. Film cameras got better all the time, without the image quality improving. If you improve AF, handling, viewfinders, etc., those are legit improvements. I’m still shooting–gasp!–an Olympus E-410, and the sensor is not bad for what I use it for. Let’s hear about the camera first, before we trash it based on the sensor. Maybe the camera tech is recycled too, but let’s see.

The problem is that they are playing catchup in the sensor, AF, processor, video, burst rate, ergonomics, and price departments. They have nothing going for them except for their lenses.

Ergonomics is a matter of taste. I think Canon dslrs have quite a good handling and ergonomics while Nikon models under the D7000 tend to fall out of my hands every time I try to hold one..
Same applies to the m43 Olys including em-5..
..so this is rather sublective.
Sensor is an other thing: yes in low-ISO DR they lag behind but in colors they are still up there with Pentax (for me, again).

Is the ring light seriously $549?

“Both the camera and ring light are priced at $549, with the former including an 18-55mm lens.”

Isn’t the better and more full featured Canon SL1 already selling for less than this camera? Why would anyone ever buy this camera?

I agree, what on earth is the point of this rubbish. digic 4 and the same 4.5 year old sensor tech. Could have at least given it digic 5. 1100D was rendered obsolete by SL1 and this adds zero to the mix. Very sad to see they’ve given up at this end of the market.

It is sad when a “macro ring light” outshines your camera announcement.

Hello Canon? Anyone home? Will the T6 through T83 have the same sensor? Innovate guys.

yes it will!!!!

Lame iteration….

Another 18MP sensor?

not another one, the same one