T4i or old T3i

now that theT4i is available I cant decide which I should get as a NEWBIE. Thanks for any help

I'm a newb too, have never had a dslr. I had the same decision to make last month. I opted for a refurb T3i from Canon Direct. Since I had a broken point and shoot to trade in, i got 20% off the refurb price. I got the camera plus the 18-55 kit lens for $556 shipped, incl CA sales tax. Such a good deal, couldn't pass on it.

Haven't had any probs with body or lens, each arrived without a scratch, couldn't tell they were refurb. In fact, neither unit had the refurb sticker, wonder if there was a mix up... naaaah. Very happy thus far.

Hi Jeaniesmig and welcome!

The T4i is quite an improvement over the T3i in AF capability, FPS, and Video performance.

If any(or all) of these are of importance to you, and if your financial situation will allow, then I think that the T4i is worth a long look.

You might also want to consider a refurb model on a higher level camera, as many of these are also available with prices on par with a new T4i kit.

Hi

After using 300D for 9 years I upgraded to T4i and could not be happier. I don't have experience with T3i but I have read several posts that the picture quality is equal for both. In addition to improvements mentioned above, the touch screen is very handy for previewing shots. So the main difference is in handling.