Canon Rebel T5i Review

The Canon Rebel T5i (aka 700D outside the US) follows the solid Rebel T4i, which followed the solid Rebel T3i, and so on. The thing about about the Rebel series in the recent iterations is that it seems like Canon is getting rather lazy and predictable with its flagship cameras in the Rebel lineup.

While the Rebel SL1 offers a bit of a fresh take on the modern DSLR, the Rebel T5i could easily be confused with the Rebel T4i were it not for the badge on the front of the camera.

On its own, the Canon Rebel T5i is an excellent entry-level DSLR with solid image quality and great features overall. However, when you look at it in the landscape of other entry-level DSLRs (and paying particular attention to recent cameras in the Canon Rebel series), it looks and feels kind of stale.

That said, Canon has absolutely nailed the capacitive touchscreen input on the LCD. While the menu and buttons might need a little finesse, Canon has done an excellent job of making a very responsive touchscreen for the T5i. Those who choose this new camera will be pleased with this feature for sure. This is the new standard for Canon cameras, which I first saw on the Canon PowerShot N back at CES 2013 and said should be included on every subsequent camera from Canon. After using it on the T5i, I stand by that statement.

Canon has pretty much refined the controls and ergonomics of the Rebel series to the point where there are no surprises and it becomes a personal preference when choosing a brand of DSLR system to buy into.

As noted, image quality remains solid with the Rebel T5i.

T5i-3750-ISO 200-L

Here is a quick look at how the Canon T5i handles noise throughout the ISO range. These shots were captured in raw format and then converted to .jpg. The chart compares 100% crops of the images across the ISO range and the original files are available for download below for additional personal inspection (not for republication).

Canon T5i ISO Chart

Additionally, here are a few other images in lower resolutions and heavier processing captured with the Rebel T5i.

T5i-3683-ISO 200

T5i-3706-ISO 200

T5i-3714-ISO 200

T5i-3718-ISO 200

T5i-3744-ISO 160

T5i-3713-ISO 200

T5i-3700-ISO 200

Canon continues to rule with its HDSLR (i.e., video) features – even on the Rebel lines. The LCD, as noted, is great thanks to the excellent touchscreen control and tilt/swivel articulation. The inclusion of a mic port makes adding something like the Rode VideoMic Pro easy. However, the absence of a headphone port is immediately noted once any kind of serious production gets underway. While manual audio levels are appreciated, dreams of serious videography should push to toward a higher end HDSLR camera.

All in all, there are no real complaints about the Canon Rebel T5i. If you don’t own a DSLR and are looking to buy into a system, it is certainly worth a look because it is a heckuva camera. Likewise, if you have a very old Canon DSLR and are wanting to upgrade the body, the T5i is certainly a reasonable selection if you don’t want to move further up to the more professional Canon DSLRs.

If you are looking to upgrade a Rebel T3i or T4i, the jump is just too incremental for me to make a solid recommendation. Either move up to a higher grade DSLR, or wait until the next round of Canon Rebels are released next year.

Again, the Canon Rebel T5i is a great camera. It’s just isn’t different enough from the past couple generations of Canon Rebels to be inspiring.

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