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Our newest family member – Canon EOS #RebelSL1

ByChristine @ theDIYdreamer

Every year, for the past 9 years, we go to Smugglers Notch Resort in Vermont as a family for Thanksgiving. The first year we went, Gabrielle was only 3 months old and now she’s 8.  Crazy how time just flies by. This year it was only my parents and my family who went (usually my sisters come too with their families), however we did bring along our newest family member… the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 camera. And what a fun family member to travel with! You can see some pictures from last year’s trip here: Our Family Tradition. You’ll notice right away the difference in the quality of the photos.

Canon EOS Rebel SL1 - #RebelSL1

I always have a camera by my side when we go on family outings and vacations, but I find it gets in the way sometimes. It’s bulky and heavy… however, bulky and heavy are not words meant to describe the Canon Rebel SL1! It’s the World’s Smallest & Lightest Digital SLR Camera (as of March 1, 2013, Canon’s research. Among digital SLR cameras with APS-C size equivalent sensors)! I put it to the test and it’s way lighter than both DSLRs that I already own.

As soon as we arrived at Smugglers Notch, Sébastien brought us to the scenic Notch so that we could snap a few shots. We were quite surprised to see that many of the trees had already lost most of their leaves. Of the 9 years we have been, this is the first time the trees have little leaves in the Notch. Luckily when we drove down from the Notch, the trees still had leaves. As you can see in the below photos, the camera captures beautiful shots!

Smugglers' Notch
Smugglers' Notch Vermont
Smugglers' Notch
Horses

The first full day of our family vacation, we always visit the town of Stowe. It’s a beautiful town filled with breathtaking scenery. Our first stop is a shop where they sell everything under the moon from candy, clothes to even books! After we are finished our shopping, we always have to pick up some of their delicious cookies! What a delight.

Stowe Vermont
Stowe Vermont - Canon Rebel SL1
Grandparents with girls
Covered Bridge
Church Stowe

Once we were done our shopping, we decided to go on the Toll Road up Mount Mansfield. We have never been up there before, but my sister did last year and highly recommended it to us. We drove as high up as we could and we hiked the rest of the way up. We weren’t prepared to hike (I for one, was not wearing proper hiking shoes), but we made it that high, no way were we not going to see the rest. The entire time we hiked up, I held the camera in my hands… and I honestly forgot on many occasions that I had it, it’s really that light! What a sight it was! We were 4,393 feet high!

Mount Mansfield - Canon #RebelSL1
Mount Mansfield
Girls and I Mount Mansfield

During our trip, we brought the kids to do real hiking. This was the first time they went hiking. We had so much fun. Little Emanuelle was a trooper, she didn’t complain once, but lucky for her when we got to areas that were wet, her grandfather would carry her. I was really impressed with Gabrielle too, she hiked and hiked and she was willing to keep going when we decided it was enough for the day. Even our Canon #RebelSL1 hiked like a champ! A true pleasure to hike with, snapped pictures when asked and he didn’t weigh us down one bit!

Grandparents with kids
Smugglers Notch
Grand-maman and Gabrielle
Emanuelle Hiking

We spent the rest of our long weekend enjoying the activities at the resort, walking, hiking and spending quality time together. Each year I make sure to take a family photo. I set the timer and run to join the family but the Rebel SL1 has a great feature that I love! It has a timer that you can set the time for! Yes, that’s right… you can select how many seconds until it takes the photo! Not just 5 seconds or 10 seconds, but custom! It came very handy when I was standing further from them and I needed the extra time to reach them and place myself.

Family Portrait with the Canon #RebelSL1
Girls Portrait
Pumpkins
SH109308

Check the difference from last year’s family photo:
See how much crisper the colors are. Way better quality of photo!

The camera is GREAT for portraits! I rarely take portraits, I never seem to get them right. But that’s not the case with this camera.  The view finder is so clear and the screen has such great resolution that it allowed me to take many portraits. The 40mm lens is a true gem! I love how simple it is to change the lens. Press a button to unlock, twist the lens to remove it and twist on the other lens.

Canon EF 40mm f2.8 STM Lens

I mentioned the screen had great resolution, but did I mention that it’s a 3.o¨ Touch LCD Screen? Seriously the best feature EVER! You can do so much with the touch-screen. When taking a photo, you can touch the screen to tell it where to focus, plus it will take the photo right after it has focused. GENIUS! Do you know how much time I have saved with this feature? No more needing to use the arrows to slowly get to the focus area I want, which gets very annoying when you have many photos to take.

I’m basically IN LOVE with the Rebel SL1 and I’m proud to say it! I love its size, weight and especially its features! I honestly believe that whoever gets a chance to play around with it will love it. To put it to the test, I will lend it out to some family members to see what they think of it. Stay tuned for an update!

Canon EOS #RebelSL1

Here are a few of its key features:

  • World’s Smallest and Lightest Digital SLR
  • Amazing low light performance
  • Easy-to-use 3.0¨ touch LCD screen
  • Two-in-One: Great photo quality and stunning full HD video recording
  • Continuous shooting allows you to capture all of the action
  • Filter Effects
  • Change the lens. Change the story.
  • Set it and forget it (automatic mode)
Canon EOS Rebel SL1 - #RebelSL1

Have a SUPER day!

Signature

Disclosure: Canon Canada supplied me with a Rebel SL1 and lenses for my personal use. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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496 Comments

  2. A camera this takes great pictures, love the cropping function, it gives me the ability to edit pictures right on the camera, love this camera, mine is crap, my daughter borrowed it for her trip to New York and droppped it, doesn’t take good pics anymore :)

  12. I Love the size and the HD Video. I’ve been needing a camera for a long time and this just looks like the one I need. Thanks for the chance.

  15. I love everything about it! Especially the low light performance, continuous shooting mode, video recording and direct print mode. I need this with a 4 month old! :)

  22. I like the New EOS Scene Detection Technology feature. Perfect for being able to take great pictures while I am still learning how to use the rest of the settings.

  27. I love that it the smallest and lightest digital slr on the market — so convenient. I also love the amazing low light performance.

  31. The enhanced Hybrid CMOS AutoFocus System!!! My 2yo is constantly moving. Most of the pictures I take of her end up looking blurry. Add that & the fact she wears glasses, and I rarely get a good picture! I would soooo love to win this camera!

  47. Wow!! These photos are quite beautiful. What a great camera to learn how to capture images in a very unique way. I could take a class to document milestones with a Canon EOS #RebelSL1, I have never had something as fancy as this.

  54. AWESOME camera. & ya I always want to bring my camera out, but sometimes I find it a little too bulky. and I’ll still int he phase of not being awkward with my DSLR when out in public at like a restaurant or event where I want to capture the days event.

  55. I’m excited abou the fish eye lense! My husband will be back from deployment sometime at the beginning of next year. I would love to win this to take on our very first vacation!

  68. Just having a camera that I can carry in my purse/tote would be exciting…I leave that up to my phone but as we all know it doesn’t take the best pictures esp far away. Thanks so much for the contest!
    hugz,
    Suzanne

  75. I like the enhanced hybrid auto focus system, the kid scene mode and of course it is a Canon, need I say more. Thank you for this giveaway!!!!

  79. The Continuous shooting mode!!!! That would be GREAT with my children! I love taking photos for my blog and definitely need a new camera! This would be fantastic to win!

  97. I am most excited about the enhanced Hybrid CMOS AutoFocus System. One thing many cameras that I have used in the past seem to always lack a great focus system

  100. I’ve been looking at buying a DSLR camera for a few weeks now and this is one of the best reviewed cameras out there. I like that the size and weight is much less than many others which would be great for my smaller sized hands. Thankful for the opportunity to win this awesome camera!!

  103. Oh man…I have been wanting to upgrade my camera so badly. I am the unofficial photographer in my very large extended family and could definitely use this!

  110. Oh! me…me…me…please! If I tell you a joke, would it get me any closer to winning? Hmm..hmm (throat clearing) What do you call an alligator in a vest? (drum roll…) AN INVESTIGATOR!

  116. This would be a dream come true to win this camera. I am trying to find pictures of the grandkids and I have so little because the old camera we have will not keep it’s charge, it is very old and in January we are expecting our first “Great Grandchild”.

  117. I’ll admit, I’ve gotten into the habit of only taking pictures on my phone. I would love to be able to actually work on some real photography skills. I’m also impressed with all the different modes to shoot in on this Canon. Thanks for the giveaway!!

  126. I would love to win this camera! I’m excited about its high-quality performance in low-light settings. I just got married and so many of my photos were ruined because the camera/user did not work well in the low-light settings. That particular quality is so important to me now!

  135. I am impressed with the High ISO. As someone who constantly takes night shots I am always looking to take better photos without a flash. And did I mention my current SLR is broken? I could use this camera like you would not believe. I can’t do my blog without one.

  143. The Canon EOS Rebel SL1 camera is exactly what I need! With the Kids Scene Mode, the blur that is my daughter will actually appear clearly more than once every 100 shots. Meanwhile, the Food Scene Mode will help me feel better about my less than tremendous cooking skills (and may even come handy when filming my artwork). And, because it’s small and lightweight, it will fit into my ballooning purse so I can point and shoot on the run.

  152. I love that it has a lighter body. I have an old old XTi and it can’t do 1/2 of what this new SL1 can! I love that you can edit and crop right Olin the camera and that it has a touch screen! The fact that it can focus on moving things is phenomenal as I have a toddler and always get some blurry shots!

  156. i love that it’s a cannon for one.
    it’s meant to take beautiful pictures,effortlessly!
    i can’t say the same about my cheapy camera currently.

  158. This camera is what my husband and I need to help not only with my blog but with our growing media business. We have been trying to find a good deal on a good camera. This would be a blessing!

  159. I sure could use a new camera, I have a cheap point and shoot. And with 9 grand kids there is always a reason to use a camera :)Thanks for the opportunity!

  160. I would love to win this camera. I have never truly owned my own camera before, but I have borrowed some and I love to take pictures and think I have an eye for seeing beauty in the most common things. I love the fact of the continuous shooting. That feature would be amazing to shoot tons of action shots, like watching the stunt planes behind my old house. They practice every sunday during the nice weather. I heard that yesterday they did the pink breast cancer ribbon. Stuff like that should be documented.

  161. I really like the creative filters, some of us aren’t very creative or very good with photoshop, and I think it would help capture some really unique moments and images :)

  165. everything,, DSLR, touch screen, way cool filters, kid mode, to catch my girl & not be blurry, continuous shooting, ISO, and auto focus. im in LOVE..

  166. LOVE that it’s lightweight! Mine has the goal to give me an extra workout during each hiking trip :/
    Also, LOVE the custom timer setting…definitely need that when you’re always the one shooting ;)

  184. I like the Continuous Shooting Mode as this would be great to capture each moment instead of waiting.

    Beautiful pictures you took. We have been to Vermont and it is beautiful.

    silverneon2000 at yahoo dot com

  201. The fact that it is light weight and editing can me done on the camera excites me. This would be ideal for my new business I am about to open in the near future!

  211. I love everything about this camera, honestly, but the picture quality is what I’m most impressed with. I plan on starting a nail blog soon and need to take amazing photos like yours’! Thank you for the opportunity! =)

  214. So many of the features really appeal to me! I love that this camera operates well in low light settings. With a baby on the way, it would be perfect for those dim maternity ward and nursery settings.

  218. This camera looks and performs amazingly! I think the most attractive feature is the low light performance. Being a blogger I tend to take photos indoors on a tripod, usually these photos don’t look as good as outdoor photography. With this function, photos could look just as good!

  220. I think my favorite feature of the Canon Rebel is the low-light performance. It seems like all our family gatherings are in the evening, dinners, birthdays, cookouts… This camera looks like it fits everything I need !!

  222. I am digging the low light performance, continuous shooting mode, and that it takes video! I’m sure if I knew more of the camera lingo I’d love some of the other features as well but I’m not that up on DSLR camera lingo lol Great giveaway!

  228. I love everything about this camera and I need a new one sooo badly! This would make my Christmas with my family PERFECT

  232. I love the simplicity of the camera and the size! I NEED a new camera SO bad. So happy to already be your follower everywhere, Christine. Thanks for the great chance at a fabulous giveaway!!

  241. Hi Christine!
    What a fabulous giveaway – We love Vermont, too – it’s so beautiful. :)
    I love that this has a touch LCD screen – how cool!! One of the reasons that I haven’t wanted to get a ‘big’ camera is because of the bulk and weight, so I love that this is lightweight, too.
    Happy (early) Thanksgiving!
    ang

  245. I would love to try it out in low-light conditions. I always struggle finding a balance between grain and slow shutter speeds!

  249. The simple fact that it is a dslr camera excites me the most. SLR cameras take amazing photos. I would love to own one.

  250. Wow, neat giveaway! I would certainly make use of the touchscreen and the smaller size. I often leave my clunky dslr at home because I’m too uncomfortable with it’s size.

  255. I can’t believe how many leaves the trees had lost so early in October. Crazy!! And here in Michigan…we still have tons of leaves…even some green ones…and it’s the end of October.
    Glad you had such a lovely trip and so much fun with your new camera.
    My fingers area crossed for a win!!

  261. Wow, what an awesome giveaway Christine! I have had my eye on this camera for a few months now and hoping to some day own one. I’m currently using a little Canon Powershot A800 so this would be a dramatic improvement. Keeping my finger’s crossed.

  269. I’m most interested in the expanded ISO range for amazing low light performance. I always have a hard time getting good pictures indoors.

  271. Hi Christine,
    This is absolutely fantastic, wow would I love that Camera.
    I will not be entering, as it is a bit much to expect it to be sent to South Africa, but I wish everyone, the best of luck.
    The photo’s above are absolutely fantastic.
    I hope that you have a fantastic day.
    Love and best wishes.
    Anne

  272. I like that its Canons smallest and lightest DSLR. I sometimes skip bringing my DSLR because its so heavy! This one would go everywhere with me.

  275. Wow! I’m amazed by how much clearer the pictures are and love that it’s so lightweight! Some cameras are so bulky and heavy that you tend to leave them home to avoid the hassle. You’ve definitely sold me on the Canon Rebel. Thanks for the chance to win such an amazing prize! :-)

  278. Since my camera died last weekend, I was getting all excited about the chance to enter the giveaway. I didn’t notice until halfway through that it said Canada only. Oops.:-)

  281. my digital camera is several years old so i am in desperate need of a new, awesome camera like this!!! i have recently started my own business and am getting ready to jump into the etsy craze so i seriously need GREAT photos.

  288. I LOVE taking pictures, but the shutter speed on my camera is too slow to capture my constantly moving 1 year old grandson! I have been wanting to purchase this camera for awhile, but simply cannot afford it. I would LOVE to win this!

  290. I cannot release my creative ideas through my hands but I can visualize them. That is why photography is a creative outlet for me. This camera would enable me to amplify my ability to capture me creativity with ALL of the amazing features.

  296. I would love to have this camera to photo family pics with my 2 year old daughter and also to photo for my blog. I am using a point and shoot right now and would love to upgrade and learn how to photograph even better!! Thank you so much for the generous giveaway!

  298. I am a mom of three little ones. Every day presents special moments that I love to freeze in time for future memories. Unfortunately, our camera is practically an antique, so the quality of my pictures is a little shaky at times. I am itching to get my hands on a DSLR so I can capture all the magical moments that motherhood brings with full clarity and gorgeous colours!

  305. I would love to learn to use this camera. Currently I just have a point and shoot camera and with another baby on the way I would love to be able to take better pictures.

  306. I love the touch screen part and that it takes awesome pis , my camera is a hand me down , i so need a new one this would be so awesome to win ! TY for the chance to win !!!!

  310. What excites me the most about Canon’s EOS Rebel SL1 camera is that it’s their smallest and lightest DSLR yet! It would be perfect for my small hands to manage :)

  311. Omg, I would love to win this camera! Where do I start…I’m so excited about the 18-55mm and the 40mm f2.8 lens combination in the giveaway, the focus ability, the grip, and the fabulous photos I could capture of my family and for my blog and. If I don’t win, I want this in my Christmas stocking!

  314. What a beautiful location in FALL, and your family is adorable.
    Great photos!!!! My husband loves this location for skiing, but I’d love to take a Fall trip here.
    Lovely trip for your family each year:)

  318. What a fun trip! Isn’t it fun when the kids start getting adventurous? We just got back from Hawaii and I loved that my 3 year old snorkeled (my favorite) with the mask and everything! Great pictures… a good camera makes all the difference. Would love to have it as the newest member of my family too :)

  320. I am entering your givewaway. It would be great to win this Canon DSLR camera.
    I like the fact that you can focus by touching an area on the lcd screen.
    Thank you for having this giveaway.

  329. I love Canon cameras! What I like most about this camera is the weight of it – the lightness of it. There are a lot of cool features too, such as the Creative Filters.
    Thanks!

  330. Wow, this sounds like an amazing camera! I love all of the great features, but especially the fact that it is the world’s lightest camera, and has continuous shooting to allow you to capture all of the great action shots. Thanks for hosting such a fantastic giveaway!

  333. Wow, I have been looking for a Canon Rebel for so long to improve my photography. I’m no professional or anything, but still, what a great giveaway!

  339. my daughter loves to take pics and is thinking of starting something . this would be a great gift to give her for xmas . thank u

  346. I used to have a DSLR, until it was stolen out of my dorm room. I would love to have this one! It’s an incredible upgrade from what I had. I love that it has full HD video.

  347. what a great giveaway Christine :-) I would love to have one of these (my blog needs it) I love the quality of your pictures; beautiful :-)

  357. I am in serious trouble, I don’t own a camera and I’m going on a trip South. Winning this camera would make my day, my year.

  362. I recently had my camera stolen, then lost my job, then lost my cell phone. I would realy love the chance to feel happy again, and i feel most happy with my camera in my hands. Thanks for the opportunnity and good luck to everyone!

  364. I love the low-light capabilities of this camera. I have never owned a DSLR but it is something I want at some point. Thanks for the giveaway.

  365. I’ve wanted a Canon Rebel for years! It would help me tremendously with my Good Gracious Greetings card creations. Here’s hoping. Thanks.

  374. I would love to try a DSLR camera after using SLR film cameras for years. My point & shoot cannot match the clarity my old SLRs could deliver.
    Thank you for the wonderful chance to win this camera. :)

  382. You make it sound so easy to use! I’ve only ever had plain ole point n shoot, but have always dreamed of one of these, but could never afford one. Nice blog!

  383. What excites me most is the thought of having a real camera. I have not had a decent camera ever. I always use my phone. As my blog gets bigger I would love to have better quality pictures

  385. What excites me is that this is an award winning camera in its’ class, which is a class that suits me- entry level! It is light weight and small in size so would be a great upgrade from my aged point and shoot 7 mp.

  387. Honestly everything about this camera excites me. I never had a camera like that before, and that would be the best thing ever.

  396. Wow! What an amazing giveaway! It would be so fantastic to win this.. getting an upgrade to a DSLR camera has been on my bucket list, and this would be a dream come true!

  399. I love that the camera takes great action pics. My daughter is attempting to become more active in extra-curricular activities and I would love to capture those. Also, I love photography but just can’t afford this camera at present.

    Thank you.

  402. What I really like about this camera is how light and portable it is. I’ve never had a DSLR, but I’ve always wanted a Canon DSLR, but one thing I’ve worried about is how to travel with it, because I love to travel. I’ve often wondered how I would manage a big bulky camera in a country like Morocco! That’s why I this this would be perfect for me – it’s the best of both worlds! Light, but still a DSLR.

  404. I need all the help I can get when it comes to taking photos! This one has all kinds of bells and whistles. It’s bound to help me take better pics…right?? :P

  406. I would love this new camera! My daughter has lead role in the school Christmas concert and I want wicked pictures of her taken by Canon!

  409. I love that it is the Smallest & Lightest Digital SLR Camera and it takes great quality photos. The weight has been my drawback in buying a SLR camera. I`ve been shopping for one and would love to win this!

  412. The fact that it is light and has touch screen is amazing, this camera would be perfect to capture the birth of our little princess in January vs using our camera on our BlackBerry LOL!

  415. Touchscreen feature?!? Wow! Super cool! I need a good camera to take stunning photos like yours!! Really beautiful photos, Christine!! Thanks for the opportunity to win one of these!

  418. This camera seems really versatile from portraits to great looking landscapes. I loved the hike photos. The shots were crystal clear and really told the story! Thanks for sharing.

  427. One of my passions is taking photos. I have loved doing this since I got my first camera, a Kodak brownie when I was about 10/11 years old. To be able to go out into nature with such a great camera like this Canon and shoot away would be a dream come true.

  429. What excites me most about this camera is the fact that I has a properly working flash! The flash on my current camera is toast…

  434. I have always wanted a DSLR… and this one seems to be just right for what I need. I have 5 children and a small business and I am always on the go with hikes and trips. I hope to win this camera!

  436. Love that the camera is small and lightweight yet still captures amazing crisp images and HD video! The touch screen and filters would also be fun to try out. Anyncamera from Canon would be so beyond wonderful!

  437. The smaller size and weight of this camera is a huge plus for me. My handbag is heavy enough…it would be nice to be able to take this along on any errand or trip…never know when or where the next photo opportunity will be.

  438. the HD recording feature excites me because I know canon is great in the photography department, but the fact that they have HD video recording too as well? very exciting. videos are my favorite way to capture memories!

  447. instagram has got me HOOKED with adding filters to my photos so the Filter Effects feature definitely excites me! HD photos + filters?! yes please!

  454. This camera is beautiful! I love your photos they are beautiful! This camera is exactly what I need for my fashion blog I am trying to get off the ground! I love that it is light and portable, but produces amazing photos. This would be a dream come true!

  455. I need this camera…there is nothing about it I don’t like! I love that it is lightweight, the kids scene mode, and it has a touchscreen!!! I want this so bad…I would use this daily!! Pick Me!!!

  460. Due to having back problems, and loving photography, I love that this camera
    Is the lightest DSLR camera. Perfect for me. Light is just right for me.
    And I love the gorgeous pictures it takes. They really look crisp and bright!
    It would be a dream come true to win this package.
    Thank you for the chance :)

  467. Smallest SLR with a touch screen LCD and the 40mm lens?!? That’s fantastic. The low light performance of SLR cameras is unbeatable. Plus the ability to change your settings on the fly is clutch. No more screwing around with various menus. This is the way photography is meant to be done.

  476. I love that it is a super light DSLR, as I know they are usually kinda heavy. I also really dig that its performance in low light is great. Oh gosh, this cameras a beaut!

  489. I like the fact that it is “Our smallest and lightest DSLR yet is 25% smaller, 29% lighter than the compact Rebel T4i” now that is pretty awesome! :]

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