EOS cameras have an enviable reputation, and it sometimes feels like Canon doesn't have to try too hard to maintain healthy sales. Last year's Canon EOS 600D was a relatively conservative update, with an articulated screen and wireless flash control but little else to tempt upgraders.

Targeted at the more amateur user stepping into the world of advanced DSLRs, the Canon EOS 600D is the latest kid on the block of its widely accepted Rebel series. Christened the Rebel T4i, the camera is the big brother of all the other cameras of this series dating back to the Canon EOS 300D and...

The latest model in the EOS Rebel lineup offers a nice jump in functionality from it's predecessors, the T2i & the T3i, for a reasonable price. I bought the T4i as a backup for my 7D,, I mainly shoot youth field sports and motorsports.

Quicker & more sensitive AF; Speedy 5 frames-per second; Video Liveview AF

Digic5 processor throttled by small buffer; fiddly Touchscreen

Canon's pro cameras have been scoring plenty of points in my world but Canon's consumer-level DSLRs just haven't managed to excite me. Until now, that is, because the EOS 650D is a terrific package.

Over the last few years, Canon's EOS Rebel series of entry level DSLRs has become a fertile market for those wishing to make the jump to DSLR while remaining budget conscious. For 2012, Canon has announced the T4i , described as their flagship entry level model.

When a company touts a new feature that turns out to be, well, not so hot, it casts a pall over the entire product, sometimes unnecessarily. This is one of those cases. Most people still don't think of SLRs primarily as video cameras, so that the on-sensor phase detect isn't as responsive or...

9 cross-type AF points; Records Full HD video; Improved AF during live view and movies (but still slow compared to most CSCs; Stereo microphones; plus external mic jack; Infrared remote port; Display sensor turns off LCD automatically when the camera is against your eye; Very good JPEG image

Movie Servo AF not fast enough for most purposes; No real improvement in high ISO performance despite the increase in maximum ISO; Dynamic range not as good as competing models; though HTP helps; Auto and Incandescent white balance very warm in tungsten lighting; Tends to overexpose; particularly

For example, Basic+ mode gives you nine options -- Standard, Vivid, Soft, Warm, Intense, Cool, Brighter, Darker and Monochrome -- to help you get the look you want. Three User Defined modes let you save your favorite personal styles of saturation, sharpness and more as your own custom shooting...

First DSLR with a touchscreen; which experts call fantastic; New features help in backlit or dimly lit situations; Faster live-view autofocus than other entry-level DSLRs; Faster burst shooting than basic DSLRs

Live-view autofocus isn't that quick; Loud autofocus can be heard on videos

Canon and Nikon are still the top choices when selecting a digital SLR for poster-sized professional results, as they maintain the widest range of lenses and accessories. Following on from the 550D and 600D, the 18-megapixel APS-C sensor 650D is described by Canon as ideal for beginners, though the...

High quality rugged feel; tilting touch screen LCD; high stills and video resolution; razor sharp images with image stabilised 18-135mm lens; good jack of all trades DSLR

Pricey for the beginners this is aimed at if going for the body and lens combo we had on test; no anti shake built into the camera body itself

Video is improved thanks to stereo sound and continuous AF, although this is still generally quite slow compared to mirrorless cameras, and the noise of the lens focussing is easily picked up by the internal microphones.

Excellent noise performance up to ISO3200 and above; Live view allows 5x and 10x magnification to aid manual focus; Excellent image quality; Excellent colour reproduction; Excellent touch screen; Solid body with good handling; Playback image star ratings

Slow live view focus (compared to Sony SLT or Mirrorless; Lens focusing motor loud and picked up by microphones; Noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion with 18-135mm lens; The lens aberration correction feature slows continuous shooting

"The best camera is the one you have with you." You've probably heard the quote: it's often used these days to explain why smartphones are threatening to push traditional point-and-shoot cameras...

Great images and video from any angle; Genuinely useful touchscreen control; Better at picking settings for you; Vastly improved frame rate (and shutter sound!

Image quality on par with cheaper predecessors; Continuous autofocus not (yet) worth the investment; Difficult to grip