Unfold the love
It’s time to get excited! Many people began out in images with the Canon Insurgent and proper now, it’s trending on the net. Odd, proper? Canon is presently specializing in the upper finish with the R5 II and different cameras. However there are many of us who need one thing way more inexpensive. They’re turning to the previous and shopping for older cameras — as they need to. These cameras ship a vibe and a sense that Canon and lots of the producers refuse to ship in the present day. Canon additionally has ended all help for DSLRs as it’s. However right here’s what it’s essential know concerning the Canon Insurgent collection if you happen to’re intrigued.
Why the Insurgent is Making a Comeback

We will actually solely level to social media hype concerning the Canon Insurgent. However Google Search knowledge has proven that previously week, searches for the digicam have majorly elevated. The digicam collection not too long ago turned 35 — and within the mirrorless world, Canon has but to introduce a Canon Insurgent R of any type. The closest factor that we’ve is the Canon R10, however that’s it.
So the plain factor to do then is to show to the web and search for cheaper used cameras to offer them a second or third life. The reality is that for a few years within the digital world, photographers have used the Canon Insurgent as a stepping stone of some type. They’d purchase the cheaper digicam, then get the dearer L glass, then lastly by a better finish Canon full-frame digicam. However issues have modified — full-frame turned inexpensive and the second hand market makes full-frame cameras much more out there now.
With that in thoughts, why purchase a model new digicam?
Certainly, I’ve used iterations of the Canon Insurgent on paid journalistic and editorial shoots in my 20s.
Search knowledge exhibits that the Canon Insurgent T3i is trending on the high. The digicam was reviewed by us in 2011, and even in the present day, I can look again on the photographs that I made with it and stare with fondness. That is partially the entire aesthetic that we’ve received today with the look of retro digital cameras and the way all of us have a look at movie pictures.
Which Ones Have been Good?
The Phoblographer has been round for over 15 years, and we’ve reviewed a lot of the Canon Insurgent cameras. At a sure level although, we stopped as a result of they only weren’t doing something to push the innovation house. Listed below are a few of our favorites.
The Canon Insurgent T5i

So which Canon Insurgent cameras had been good? Properly, fairly truthfully, I can keep in mind very vividly the appears to be like of confusion that different journalists and I gave one another each time Canon Insurgent cameras had been launched. In 2013, we reviewed the Canon Insurgent T5i — however we referred to as it the T4i Mk II. That is across the time that Canon barely did any form of updates to their cameras. I used to be one of many extra vocally pissed off ones who complained about this; and it took the remainder of the press years to agree.
With that mentioned, the Canon Insurgent T5i is one which I used to do precise actual editorial journalism with. I’m a former contributor to Gear Patrol, and all of the photographs for his or her European Trip article had been shot on that digicam.
The digicam boasted an 18MP APS-C sensor. That’s fairly low for in the present day’s requirements and your telephone most likely has larger decision. However the bigger sensor mixed with the decrease decision provides you each a softer and fewer processed look.
Canon Insurgent SL1

The Canon Insurgent SL1 was such an enchanting digicam. It was a lot smaller than all of the others and it was designed to fill in varied features. Mirrorless cameras had been actually beginning to change into a factor in 2013 when the SL1 launched. So to focus on that market on a budget, Canon made the Insurgent collection even smaller. Additionally they focused it closely in direction of girls.
Our overview said that the digicam was very able to making great photographs. Actually, I look again at lots of these photographs I did utilizing an off-camera flash and commend the work that I did with it. It proved that again then, it wasn’t all concerning the digicam. The reality is that images expertise has gotten so significantly better, however images in and of itself hasn’t. With that mentioned, the SL1 is a gadget obsession, however in 2025, it’s one which’s fairly legitimate. Fashionable cameras and telephones are means too processed in the identical means that you just’d just like the Large Mac towards a burger made by a butcher store. “The novice and novice customers that this digicam is focused in direction of might be ecstatic with their buy, however we have to clearly state the one the superior customers will be capable to take absolutely the fullest potential of the digicam’s strengths,” our overview mentioned. “Ultimately although, we have to advocate this digicam solely to those who are dying for a DSLR. You’ll get some distinctive outcomes with follow and also you received’t have the overkill that the upper degree DSLRs will give you.”
This digicam was fairly candy once you mixed it with the Canon 40mm f2.8 Pancake lens. The model nonetheless has but to make something like that for the mirrorless world. It’s fascinating too as a result of that was arguably considered one of their hottest and bought lenses attributable to how small it’s.
Frankly, if you happen to had been to get any Canon Insurgent, I’d say that every one you want is the SL1. It’s solely a few hundred bucks today.
Canon Insurgent T7i

The Canon Insurgent T7i was the final Insurgent they made that was price speaking about — and even that assertion is questionable. One of many Cons of our overview was that Canon’ sensors had been beginning to fall behind the others. However in the present day, that might be checked out with fondness. Nevertheless, the 24.2MP sensor on the coronary heart of the digicam rivals even these in some trendy cameras by way of decision.
I imply, isn’t the entire level of getting retro digital cameras to get the decrease decision choices on the market?
I don’t keep in mind this digicam very a lot — maybe as a result of I used to be so pissed off with Canon doing so little. I absolutely do recall that it shot phenomenal JPEG photographs although. It got here out in 2017 although, and if you need the Retro digital look, then I don’t assume you need to go for this one. It’s solely on this checklist as a result of it was the final one we cared to overview.