Canon T1i Comparison Review

The Canon EOS Rebel T1i (called Canon 500D in some regions) is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was officially introduced in March 2009 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 15.1 megapixel.

Is the Canon T1i a good camera? The T1i has a Camera Elo of 1287. This rating puts the T1i below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the T1i also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Canon T1i is more than 15 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2009.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Canon T1i vis-à-vis a credit card. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon T1i alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon T1i	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	520 g	400	n	Mar 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
2.		Canon T2i	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	530 g	440	n	Feb 2010	US$ 699	ebay.com
3.		Canon T3i	133 mm	100 mm	80 mm	570 g	440	n	Feb 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Canon T4i	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	575 g	440	n	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
5.		Canon T5	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	480 g	500	n	Feb 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
6.		Canon T6	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
7.		Canon T6i	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
8.		Canon T100	129 mm	102 mm	77 mm	436 g	500	n	Feb 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
9.		Canon XSi	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	524 g	500	n	Jan 2008	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Canon XT	127 mm	94 mm	64 mm	540 g	400	n	Feb 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
11.		Canon XTi	127 mm	84 mm	65 mm	556 g	370	n	Aug 2006	US$ 799	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon T1i was launched in the US market at a price of $799. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check T1i offers at
ebay.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Canon T1i features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon T1i among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon T1i	APS-C	15.1	4752	3168	1080/20p	21.7	11.5	663	63
2.		Canon T2i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	784	66
3.		Canon T3i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	793	65
4.		Canon T4i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	722	62
5.		Canon T5	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
6.		Canon T6	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
7.		Canon T6i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
8.		Canon T100	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.4	695	63
9.		Canon XSi	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	none	21.9	10.8	692	61
10.		Canon XT	APS-C	8.0	3456	2304	none	21.8	10.8	637	60
11.		Canon XTi	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.1	11.0	664	62

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The T1i indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the T1i can use is 1080/20p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the T1i has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 95% and a magnification of 0.54x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Canon T1i along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon T1i	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.4/s	Y	n
2.		Canon T2i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.7/s	Y	n
3.		Canon T3i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.7/s	Y	n
4.		Canon T4i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon T5	optical	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon T6	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon T6i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon T100	optical	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon XSi	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
10.		Canon XT	optical	n	1.8 / 115	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon XTi	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the T1i is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS Rebel T1i and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon T1i	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon T2i	Y	stereo / -	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon T3i	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon T4i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Canon T5	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Canon T6	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon T6i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon T100	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Canon XSi	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Canon XT	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Canon XTi	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

Further information on the features and operation of the T1i can be found in the free online Canon T1i Manual or on the Canon support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the T1i in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon T1i	..	+ +	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
2.		Canon T2i	..	+ +	..	77/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	US$ 699	ebay.com
3.		Canon T3i	3/5	o	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Canon T4i	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
5.		Canon T5	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
6.		Canon T6	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
7.		Canon T6i	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
8.		Canon T100	..	o	3/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
9.		Canon XSi	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Canon XT	..	80/100	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
11.		Canon XTi	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	4/5	Aug 2006	US$ 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check T1i offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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