360Photography

The Canon EOS Rebel T6 / 1300D is an entry-level DSLR targeted toward first-time ILC users and smartphone upgraders. Built around an 18MP APS-C sensor, the T6 offers Wi-Fi with NFC for easy photo sharing when you’re out-and-about, and adds a faster processor compared to its predecessor, the Rebel T5.

Its closest competitor in the category is the Nikon D3300, which was announced in January 2014 and is getting a little long in the tooth at this point.

As per Rebel tradition, the T6 packages up some tech borrowed from previous-generation higher end models, and that’s no bad thing. It offers a 9-point AF module, 1080/30p video and built-in Wi-Fi with NFC. Battery life is a very respectable 500 shots per charge, putting it near the top of its class in that respect. But one of the T6’s headline features isn’t on the inside of the camera at all, it’s written on the outside of the box: that sweet $ 500 price tag with lens.

Offering tech handed down from previous generations at a very reasonable price is what the Rebel line has traditionally done best. The original Digital Rebel is just about 13 years old, and was essentially a single-dial 10D in a plastic body, priced at $ 1000 with kit lens – a breakthrough price-point for DSLRs at the time. As well as being cheaper still, the T6 is a vastly more capable camera than that pioneering Rebel, and better tuned to a beginner’s needs. 

In short, with the T6, Canon has gathered up various components it had lying around on the shelf from Rebels past and put them together in an aggressively priced bundle. Smart business move for Canon, but is it the best way to spend your $ 500? Read on. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)