# Canon T2i vs Nikon D3100



## hrnhntr

I am sure this will open a canon vs nikon debate, but I am looking to get a new camera.  I am an amature at best.  Looking for general photography and some wildlife/scenery photos and the HD video.  Is the T2i worth the extra $200 over the Nikon?  The only real differnce I could see was the 4 megapixel difference.


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## KmH

The Nikon D3100 has color-aware metering, the Canon doesn't.

The Nikon has better high ISO capability for use in low light.
DxOMark - Compare sensors

The Nikon has a bigger image sensor (physical size).

The Nikon has 11 focus points, the Canon only 9.

The Nikon can do focus 3D-tracking.

The Nikon has a dedicated auto focus assist light (for use in low light), the Canon uses the pop up flash to do auto focus assist, meaning auto focus assist may not be available with the Canon because the pop-up flash can't pop-up if something is on the Canon hot shoe.

The Nikon has a Quite Shutter Release mode, the Canon doesn't.


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## Nikato

Here is a good compare website: Compare the Canon EOS Rebel T2i vs Nikon D3100

EDIT to add: Also the Canon is 131 dollars off curently at best buy.com http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-...lack/9778635.p?id=1218171770784&skuId=9778635

If you go to the store they will price match the online price.

You may also want to check out this website link: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3100/page16.asp

It has a photo comparison for the Nikon vs other cameras. I set it to the t2i when I first looked through it and thought the rebel looked better. In the end I would just hold them both and see which you like. Also check out http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ and look at some lenses. While it may not be as important to the more professional photographers, lens price may be a factor as well.

Good luck =) Let us know what you went with ^_^.


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## cfusionpm

KmH said:


> The Nikon D3100 has color-aware metering, the Canon doesn't.


I don't know how many times I read that the T2i doesn't have color-aware metering. Every Canon since the 7D has the 63-zone iFCL (focus, color, luminace) metering system, which includes the 7D,* T2i/550D*, 1DmkIV, 60D, and up-coming T3i/600D and T3/1100D.



> The Nikon has a dedicated auto focus assist light (for use in low light), the Canon uses the pop up flash to do auto focus assist, meaning auto focus assist may not be available with the Canon because the pop-up flash can't pop-up if something is on the Canon hot shoe.


While it is true you can't use the pop up for autofocus assist with something on the hot shoe, if that something happens to be a Canon flash unit 430EX or higher, it will have a built in AF assist beam that is a bearly-visable, unobtrusive red/IR beam. As opposed to Nikon's bright, in-your-face, obnoxious flashlight.



> The Nikon has a Quite Shutter Release mode, the Canon doesn't.


Canon offers a silent mode in Live View. Don't know about otherwise, but I've never personally needed it in the first place.


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## FoggyLens

NIKON!!!!!!!!!! IMO


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## HWesh

I would personally go with the T2i because it has an auto focus motor, and generally has better specs than the D3100


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## cfusionpm

HWesh said:


> I would personally go with the T2i because it has an auto focus motor, and generally has better specs than the D3100



It's not that the Canon has a focus motor, it's the design philosophy that every lens since 1987 has its own focus motor built in.  With Canon, the issue of whether a lens will autofocus or not is a non existant variable for bodies.


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## HWesh

cfusionpm said:


> HWesh said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would personally go with the T2i because it has an auto focus motor, and generally has better specs than the D3100
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's not that the Canon has a focus motor, it's the design philosophy that every lens since 1987 has its own focus motor built in.  With Canon, the issue of whether a lens will autofocus or not is a non existant variable for bodies.
Click to expand...


Learn something new everyday, thanks.


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## KmH

HWesh said:


> cfusionpm said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HWesh said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would personally go with the T2i because it has an auto focus motor, and generally has better specs than the D3100
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's not that the Canon has a focus motor, it's the design philosophy that every lens since 1987 has its own focus motor built in. With Canon, the issue of whether a lens will autofocus or not is a non existant variable for bodies.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Learn something new everyday, thanks.
Click to expand...

Or put another way: No Canon camera body has had a focus motor in it since 1987 and the introduction of the EF-mount and EOS system.


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## cfusionpm

KmH said:


> HWesh said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cfusionpm said:
> 
> 
> 
> It's not that the Canon has a focus motor, it's the design philosophy that every lens since 1987 has its own focus motor built in. With Canon, the issue of whether a lens will autofocus or not is a non existant variable for bodies.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Learn something new everyday, thanks.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Or put another way: No Canon camera body has had a focus motor in it since 1987 and the introduction of the EF-mount and EOS system.
Click to expand...

Yep, because Canon made it standard that ALL functions of ALL lenses work on ALL bodies (at least until they introduced the crop-only EF-S line).

When I first learned about some Nikons not being able to autofocus with AF lenses, I was kind of confused since that issue had never come up in my time shooting with Canon.


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