We almost felt like Sookie Stackhouse in HBO's True Blood . We closed our eyes and the next thing we knew, a year was gone. In this case we didn't travel in "fairy space time," but blinked and Canon sent out a replacement for the XS and XSi DSLRs.

The EOS Rebel T3, or 1100D, is Canon's latest entry-level DSLR. Announced in February 2011, it comes no less than two and a half years after its predecessor, the EOS Rebel XS / 1000D; indeed it's such a long time in the digital camera industry, especially for Canon, that many wondered if the company...

Good image quality that's similar to modern 14 Mpixel rivals; Quick and easy access to many settings; Live View and HD video recording (albeit at 720p only); Supplied with decent RAW and remote control software

Plasticky body with no rubber surfaces - feels cheap, Continuous shooting buffer small; Slows down for RAW, Relatively small 2.7in screen, Weaker popup flash than many rivals

The Canon EOS 1100D (Rebel T3) builds upon the previous EOS 1000D (XS) release. But just how good is the 1100D (T3)? Can it be crowned the king of entry-level DSLRs? The What Digital Camera Canon EOS 1100D (Rebel T3) review…

Fast AF for entry-level model; good image quality

Build quality (plastic finish); slow live view focusing

The EOS 1100D is Canon's budget model and it shows in the comparatively simple specification and cheapish look and feel of the camera body. However, the camera gets all the important stuff, such as metering and focus, right most of the time, and the targeted user group should be perfectly happy with...

Decent resolution and detail at base ISO; Consistently reliable metering and good AF accuracy; Useful highlight tone priority mode; Intuitive user interface; Beginner-friendly 'Basic+' control Screens; On-screen Q-Menu offers good access to shooting settings; Good battery life; Comprehensive...

Plastic body has a cheap feel to it; no rubberized grips; Very simple video mode (no manual controls; only one resolution setting; no external mic; Very slow contrast detect AF in live view and movie mode; Comparatively small viewfinder; Combined battery/card compartment can make tripod use a little...

The Canon EOS 1100D is well worth a look for users wanting to step up to the digital SLR market. It's affordable, offers a good range of features and is easily capable of shooting amazing photographs.

Spiritual successor to the Rebel XS line, minus many features of other Canon DSLRs

Good color accuracy for the price; Excellent noise performance

Not a huge array of manual controls; Upgrade from the kit lens ASAP

Canon has long catered well for the entry-level digital SLR market. Canon's EOS 300D was the first digital SLR available for under £1000 and as technology has advanced, its cameras aimed at this market have been made cheaper and more compact, whilst still sporting a decent array of features.

What follows is a quick overview of the video capabilities of the Canon EOS Rebel T3. Read our comprehensive analysis and testing results in greater detail at DigitalCameraInfo.com . Introduction The EOS Rebel T3 is a budget DSLR from Canon that offers a 720p HD video record mode.

Verdict: Although the EOS 1100D looks and feels its budget price tag, it is a capable SLR that offers great photographic results.

The Canon T3/1100D entered life as an entry-level DSLR with basic features including an entry-level basic feature that everyone can love - a low price . That feature, low price, is indeed the primary reason to buy this DSLR over the rest of the Canon EOS DSLRs - including the announced at the same...