1. Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D: Thinking Outside of the Box

Whether you subscribe to the “my camera is just a tool” theory, or belong to the “an exquisite camera adds new capabilities to my shooting arsenal” camp, picking up a new Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D is a special experience. Those who simply wield tools will find this camera as comforting as an old friend, a solid piece of fine machinery ready and able to do their bidding as part of the creative process.

Other photographers see the low-light capabilities (up to H, the equivalent of ISO 12800), the 3.7 frames-per-second continuous shooting, commendable ruggedness, and ultra high 18-megapixel resolution of the T3i, and gain a sense of empowerment. Here is a camera with fewer limitations and more capabilities for exercising renewed creative vision. In either case, using less mawkish terms, the T3i is one of the coolest cameras Canon has ever offered. Whether you’re upgrading from another brand, from another Canon model (like one of the “lesser” Rebel models), or (O brave one!) your T3i is your first digital camera and/or SLR, welcome to the club.