Nikon D3100 vs Canon 1100D/T3 – specs comparison
Three days ago, Canon has announced its latest entry-level DSLR camera : the Canon 1100D / T3 (north america). Both camera are on same level here ( entry-level DSLR ) , so i guess it’s OK to compare them. Please note that this is specs comparisons. There are other factors to consider if you want to pick the better camera : image quality , ISO performances, AF speed etc
So, let’s see
Nikon D3100 vs Canon 1100D/T3 – specifications :
| Specs | Canon 1100D/T3 | Nikon D3100 |
|---|---|---|
| Announcement | Feb-11 | Aug-10 |
| Effective MP | 12.2 megapixels | 14.2 megapixels |
| Sensor size | 22.2 x 14.7 mm CMOS sensor | 23.1 x 15.4 mm CMOS sensor |
| ISO | 100-6400 (expandable to 12800) | 100-6400 (expandable to 12800) |
| Shutter speed | 30-1/4000s, bulb | 30-1/4000s, bulb |
| Flash-sync | 1/200s | 1/200s |
| Bracketing | exposure, WB | none |
| AF points | 9 AF points | 11 AF points |
| Continous shooting | 3 fps up to 830 JPEG | 3 fps up to unlimited JPEG |
| LCD | 2.7 inch , 230K dots | 3-inch , 230K dots |
| Movie mode | 720p at 30fps | HD 1080p at 24fps |
| Lens support | Canon EF / EF-S lens mount | Nikon AF-S lens only |
| DOF preview | Yes, with custom function | none |
| Silent shooting | none | Quiet release (Q) mode |
| Storage | SD / SDHC / SDXC card | SD / SD HC / SDXC |
| Weight (no battery) | 495g | 455g |
| Dimensions | 130 x 100 x 78 mm | 124 x 96 x 75 mm |
| Price (+Kit) | $599.99 | $579.00 |
Megapixels : Nikon D3100 has the advantage here. Higher megapixels can gives more photo detail and produce more larger print size.
Bracketing : this is definitely a missing feature from Nikon D3100 :( . Canon 1100D support exposure and white balance bracketing. Exposure bracketing is particularly useful for creating HDR photos or in tricky lighting situations where you can shot several images with different exposure level at once.
Movie mode: Nikon D3100 is able to record Full HD movie 1080p at 24 fps , it records more detail than Canon 1100D
Lens support: I think Canon has better support for lenses. It has in-body focus motor so it can support all EF and EF-S lenses while Nikon only autofocus with AF-S lenses.
DOF preview : useful for ‘peek’ at Depth Of Field (DOF) effect on viewfinder/LCD , useful for macro photography.
Price: Nikon D3100 is $20 cheaper than Canon 1100D , not that much different
Beginner mode: this is useful for beginner in DSLR / photography. I think Nikon D3100 has a better approach with its Guide Mode
Others Nikon D3100 advantages : higher AF points , larger LCD screen and additional quite mode.
So, which one ?
Honestly speaking .. for learning purposes , i’ll go with the Canon 1100D. Sure , the Nikon D3100 has better specs but it lacks of some ‘learning’ features such as bracketing. Canon also has a wide range support for lenses so i can buy almost any Canon lens without worrying if it’ll autofocus or not. If i want camera with better specs , i’ll go for more advanced camera like Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D
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Thanks for the review… although I still am confused on this nikon vs canon debate…
I’ve got the Canon 1100D and it works great. Also the number of megapixels don’t really matter as long as they’re above 8, unless you plan on printing your pictures in huge sizes.