With Canon and Nikon both fighting for the beginner level market, they have both launched video friendly digital SLRs to tempt enthusiast and professional videographers. Despite the two DSLRs coming from different companies, they have a lot in common. They are both useful upgrades to current digital SLRs (the Canon T3i and the D5100), and are designed to maintain their markets by extending into video producing, which both Canon and Nikon see as potential areas for expansion. It is clear that Nikon and Canon are considering the beginner level market as a major battleground, particularly in the States.
The Canon T4i doesn't feel quite as sturdy as the D5200, but it is solid enough for everyday use. It is a bit bigger than the D5200 though, and so easier for someone with normal sized hands to grip. The scroll-wheel clicks comfortingly as it turns and the rear buttons are responsive. The design at the back of the Canon T4i is well constructed and has more buttons, making diving into the menu settings a lot quicker and easier. Some are multioption buttons, which can need a little thought. For example, the same button that starts recording video in movie mode also starts Live View in still shooting mode. The small downside of this is that some of the buttons are quite close together. However, the Canon T4i has a dedicated ISO button, and speedy access to white balance, drive mode, and AF settings (the D5200 lacks all of these). There is an IR sensor on the front of the camera, but no Fn button as there isn't really a need for it.
Both cameras have an articulating liquid crystal display backscreen. The Canon T4i has a recognizable higher resolution than that of the D5200. The Canon's liquid crystal display view screen has 1040 thousand dots, while the D5200 has 921 thousand. One of the the Canon T4i's best selling points is that the LCD view screen is a touchscreen. This makes it much easier to program settings and, more importantly, it lets you select a focus point through Live View. You can also shoot your photograph by tapping on the area where you want the digital SLR to focus. These are very progressive and useful functions, taken from the Compact System Camera (CSC) categories that are for sale now. It is splendid to see this technology being used by the Canon T4i as it makes it far more accessible than any other camera in its range.
The Canon's phase detect AF system is exceptionally quick. Whilst it has only 9-point AF system, against the 39-points of the D5200, it is both fast and accurate for general-purpose photography. The Canon T4i lacks a dedicated AF assist light, but it is able to use its built-in flash in these circumstances. The T4i offers full-time AF in video mode, which rivals the D5200 and, with Canon's STM lenses, the focussing is quiet enough for shooting video. It also has an external Mic socket. It is fair to say that the Canon Rebel T4i is possibly the better digital camera for shooting video. The liquid crystal display viewingscreen, full-time AutoFocus, and external Mic make it perfect for your everyday video needs.
The Nikon D5200 is a very compact camera and smaller than it's predecessor, the D5100. This might introduce issues for those of us with big (average!) hands. It can sometimes not have the feel of a proper DSLR, especially when carrying a large lens. Although it doesn't equal the build specifications of the magnesium alloy D7000, the toughened plastic body feels pretty solid and sturdy. The layout at the rear is easy to navigate with a good choice of buttons to make access to the multiple functions simple to follow. Live view is easily accessed and video recording can be started with a press of a single button. It has just one control wheel which is snappy and responsive. There is an IR port on the front of the camera and also a dedicated AF assist light, which the Canon T4i lacks. On the right side there is a customizable Fn function which can be used to control image quality, ISO, active-D lighting, or white balance (there are no dedicated single buttons for these options). The pop-up flash automatic in green mode, meaning that the flash will engage on its own if the camera thinks it is required.
The LCD screen is inherited from the D5100, where it was hugely popular. As with with the Canon T4i, it is very handy for shooting at different angles and is really useful when shooting movies. The help features are excellent and make the Nikon D5200 quite novice friendly. The display rotates with the camera, meaning that text on the status screen won't show sideways when you're photographing portraits. The playback option is quick and efficient you won't have to wait for pictures to load. And there is a wide-ranging info screen which lets you change just about every shooting parameter that it has t choose from. However the four way selector is not as simple to use as the one on the Canon. The Nikon D5200 doesn't have as many external buttons as the Canon T4i, making some of the menu choices hard to get to. The new(ish) Expeed 3 processor makes the Nikon fast and decisive in phase detect AF and extremely fast in Live View. The D5200's articulating screen is excellent for shooting video, and Nikon have raised the choices of frame rate options, introducing 60i and 50i. Like the Canon T4i, it will accept an external microphone and has full-time video AutoFocus.
At low very ISO, the Canon T4i matches the Nikon, though the D5200 is a little better at maximum (non-expanded) ISO. Overall, the Nikon provides slightly better image quality than the Canon. Remember, the Canon T4i also has a physically smaller sensor than the D5200. It may not seem like much, but 1.6x rather than 1.5x, along with the increased resolution, puts the Nikon D5200 in the lead. For more information on the sensors, take a look at the sensor scores published by DxO labs.
To summarize, the Canon Rebel T4i has excellent AutoFocus, a great articulating touchscreen and is a really superb video camera. The Nikon D5200 has excellent, fast AutoFocus, a good articulating screen, a great buffer/processor and very useful in-camera guides.
I think if you had no camera loyalty either way, the Canon T4i would be the better camera to get. The difference in image quality is barely noticeable under average conditions and the Canon certainly competes with the D5200 on the movie front. Whilst both digital cameras are excellent in their own ways, the Nikon D5200 is more expensive than the small improvements over the Canon T4i would warrant.
The Canon T4i doesn't feel quite as sturdy as the D5200, but it is solid enough for everyday use. It is a bit bigger than the D5200 though, and so easier for someone with normal sized hands to grip. The scroll-wheel clicks comfortingly as it turns and the rear buttons are responsive. The design at the back of the Canon T4i is well constructed and has more buttons, making diving into the menu settings a lot quicker and easier. Some are multioption buttons, which can need a little thought. For example, the same button that starts recording video in movie mode also starts Live View in still shooting mode. The small downside of this is that some of the buttons are quite close together. However, the Canon T4i has a dedicated ISO button, and speedy access to white balance, drive mode, and AF settings (the D5200 lacks all of these). There is an IR sensor on the front of the camera, but no Fn button as there isn't really a need for it.
Both cameras have an articulating liquid crystal display backscreen. The Canon T4i has a recognizable higher resolution than that of the D5200. The Canon's liquid crystal display view screen has 1040 thousand dots, while the D5200 has 921 thousand. One of the the Canon T4i's best selling points is that the LCD view screen is a touchscreen. This makes it much easier to program settings and, more importantly, it lets you select a focus point through Live View. You can also shoot your photograph by tapping on the area where you want the digital SLR to focus. These are very progressive and useful functions, taken from the Compact System Camera (CSC) categories that are for sale now. It is splendid to see this technology being used by the Canon T4i as it makes it far more accessible than any other camera in its range.
The Canon's phase detect AF system is exceptionally quick. Whilst it has only 9-point AF system, against the 39-points of the D5200, it is both fast and accurate for general-purpose photography. The Canon T4i lacks a dedicated AF assist light, but it is able to use its built-in flash in these circumstances. The T4i offers full-time AF in video mode, which rivals the D5200 and, with Canon's STM lenses, the focussing is quiet enough for shooting video. It also has an external Mic socket. It is fair to say that the Canon Rebel T4i is possibly the better digital camera for shooting video. The liquid crystal display viewingscreen, full-time AutoFocus, and external Mic make it perfect for your everyday video needs.
The Nikon D5200 is a very compact camera and smaller than it's predecessor, the D5100. This might introduce issues for those of us with big (average!) hands. It can sometimes not have the feel of a proper DSLR, especially when carrying a large lens. Although it doesn't equal the build specifications of the magnesium alloy D7000, the toughened plastic body feels pretty solid and sturdy. The layout at the rear is easy to navigate with a good choice of buttons to make access to the multiple functions simple to follow. Live view is easily accessed and video recording can be started with a press of a single button. It has just one control wheel which is snappy and responsive. There is an IR port on the front of the camera and also a dedicated AF assist light, which the Canon T4i lacks. On the right side there is a customizable Fn function which can be used to control image quality, ISO, active-D lighting, or white balance (there are no dedicated single buttons for these options). The pop-up flash automatic in green mode, meaning that the flash will engage on its own if the camera thinks it is required.
The LCD screen is inherited from the D5100, where it was hugely popular. As with with the Canon T4i, it is very handy for shooting at different angles and is really useful when shooting movies. The help features are excellent and make the Nikon D5200 quite novice friendly. The display rotates with the camera, meaning that text on the status screen won't show sideways when you're photographing portraits. The playback option is quick and efficient you won't have to wait for pictures to load. And there is a wide-ranging info screen which lets you change just about every shooting parameter that it has t choose from. However the four way selector is not as simple to use as the one on the Canon. The Nikon D5200 doesn't have as many external buttons as the Canon T4i, making some of the menu choices hard to get to. The new(ish) Expeed 3 processor makes the Nikon fast and decisive in phase detect AF and extremely fast in Live View. The D5200's articulating screen is excellent for shooting video, and Nikon have raised the choices of frame rate options, introducing 60i and 50i. Like the Canon T4i, it will accept an external microphone and has full-time video AutoFocus.
At low very ISO, the Canon T4i matches the Nikon, though the D5200 is a little better at maximum (non-expanded) ISO. Overall, the Nikon provides slightly better image quality than the Canon. Remember, the Canon T4i also has a physically smaller sensor than the D5200. It may not seem like much, but 1.6x rather than 1.5x, along with the increased resolution, puts the Nikon D5200 in the lead. For more information on the sensors, take a look at the sensor scores published by DxO labs.
To summarize, the Canon Rebel T4i has excellent AutoFocus, a great articulating touchscreen and is a really superb video camera. The Nikon D5200 has excellent, fast AutoFocus, a good articulating screen, a great buffer/processor and very useful in-camera guides.
I think if you had no camera loyalty either way, the Canon T4i would be the better camera to get. The difference in image quality is barely noticeable under average conditions and the Canon certainly competes with the D5200 on the movie front. Whilst both digital cameras are excellent in their own ways, the Nikon D5200 is more expensive than the small improvements over the Canon T4i would warrant.
