HISTORY_This is my first SLR camera of any kind. My first was a 1960s Brownie Kodak that used 110 film, then it was a 1980s Canon 35mm point n shoot, someone gave me a 1990s Fujifilm 2mp camera to get in the age of digital, the 2000s got more efficient with a Kodak P880 8mp semi-pro camera which was an awesome camera(they still sell for $100), and then Amazon forced me to get a Canon T5i. OK, not quite at gun point, but the deal was ridiculously good. After watching a YouTube review of the T3i vs. T5i, it was NO contest.1st THOUGHTS_Canon almost got me on a 60x point n shoot at Costco, but I payed the bigger bucks, and am not sorry. I thought my Kodak pics with the nice S&K lens were great, but these are WOW. The only pictures that don't turn out and look great are the ones I have been setting up on manual, which produces wonderful results with a little more trial and error.PICTURES_I got it with only the stock 18-55mm lens and some of the Macro shots of spring blossoms fill an HDTV space with jaw dropping colorific pics. I just ordered the $10 macro reversing ring to play around with some superduper close-ups without having to spend $3-400 on the real macro stuff. Just about everything set on auto that I've taken turns out sharp and clear, and seemed dud-proof. My friends are not the SLR owning crowd and have been very praising of the few shots I have shared.CAMERA BODY_I'm a big guy, the camera is surprisingly light, and is not a problem to wander around with this hanging about your neck or in a side bag. Construction seems to be of strong gauge plastic with not much metal visible. Strap is very comfy too. There is NO(?) connector string for the lens cap. Spinning and flipout color screen is very useful. I have already used it for taking pics at goofy angles which make using the eye piece impossible. Controls, buttons, and switches are layed out nicely, The on-off switch and selector wheels literally feel like a Fisher-Price Toy they are so solidly built, and seem like they may last a while. Nothing on the camera feels flimsy. The battery is doubled locked in it's compartment, which I thought was an impressive touch. One drop and most batteries will barge their way out of a camera and damage the door.WHAT'S INSIDE_Having read many reviews before purchasing this unit, I really liked the difference between the Canon and Nikon, and the ones that put me over to Canon, fast action photography and ease of controls use. Watch any sporting event and the only lenses you see on the sidelines are white Canon lenses for fast action play. The reviews appear to be correct. I read the manual on my Kindle, computer, and the book for the first week. I tried to get up to speed, and the software and controls on the camera were very simple to follow. The camera actually gives you multiple ways to accomplish a software change with wheels, direction buttons, and a super nice touch screen display. Touch screen is one of the best parts of the camera. I tell people to read directions, do they listen, no. I do, and it makes difference no matter what the electronics. Go to YouTube and watch videos, it helps a lot.The battery charges fully in 1-2 hours. Having had the Kodak P880 before this did help ease into learning how to operate the camera. Read the directions and take pictures of anything as you go and see what they look like. I poked my head out the front door and took a handheld 3 second night exposure of streaky car traffic lights. A little unfocused but I learned how to do it when I have tripod in hand. I went back through some initial pics and post effected them with grainy BW or amped colors for some very nice artsy visuals. The software also defaults to save your original pic. The software discs that comes in the box provide manuals, and very good picture editing tools. They call them professional, but it isn't Adobe, I know that much, and does all I need it to do.HD VIDEO_I may add to this later. The STM lens focusing system is a must for video. I watched a YouTube video and the focusing is silent compared to lenses of the past. Even the USM lenses were adding noise to the video, just like my old Kodak did. I have turned it on, and the STM focusing is as advertised, quiet! The T5i is STM approved. T3i...NOT.FINAL NOTES_Even if you just use the no-brainer settings, the camera is well worth it. With IS(image stabilization), new STM(works on a sliding principle) lens focusing, and other Canon technology, the T5i will make your memories foolproof. There are pros doing reviews here on more technical items and I will not try to offer that level of reflection. I know how to build a great computer, but have no where near mastered what this T5i is capable of. Many reviews say this is a good starter $700 camera, and I believe them now, but like the computers I build, you need to do more than check mail. AND read the directions!! Professional photographers are spending thousands on just the body of a camera. I'm not there yet, or maybe never. Right now, the T5i, looks pro enough.UPDATE 2015-06-24: I still really like my T5i!! After a year and a half of use and several thousand clicks to boot, I know what it can and can't do well. I have even started doing some research into the 70D, but not the LCD tiltless 7D, which is the top of the line APS-C. I'm going to update some pictures here also. The T5i pictures are always downloaded to my computer and HDTV. These are ridiculously awesome viewed on a big screen. My friend has a very nice iMac Apple computer and they do not measure up to the HDTV at 46 inches or larger.I just returned form Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Lassen volcano, and several zoos, with picture you can only stare at in amazement. Vacation photos and video never looked so good. The T5i has a 4 second video snapshot feature that stiches all the clips together for one movie. Your friends will love you, because they don't need to watch home movies lasting more than a few minutes. At zoos, this is a huge bonus. The T5i is not the pinnacle of cameras but it can make you look like a pro to your non techie friends, and easily. One more tip on video, and this is fun. Load the supplied software, connect your camera to the PC, convert some of your favorite music to WAV(only), download the WAV files to your SD card via the usb cable, and voila, you hear your music instead of the low quality sound picked up by the in-camera mike. Turn off the mike so that it is silent. Also, turn on the audio wind filter if you want that sound. I listen to my videos with the new Sherlock Holmes BBC soundtrack, goes with everything.I really thought the versatile LCD screen would be really nice for photo taking, but is just useful for some video and video viewing. The eye piece viewer is still the best for picture taking. One thing I just learned, I have always left the image stabilizer on. I have started using the camera without it and have had some revelating(new word) results. The image stabilizer holds the camera back from doing instant focus. Getting a picture of a bee has been impossible with the IS on, but off, the T5i will focus instantly, instead of hunting for AF, and then it is too late. This is also the dilemma for video on the T5i, and has tendency to hunt for focus. If you do the 4 second clip video, sometimes half the clip is horribly blurred before snapping into clarity. Look at a guy like Ansel Adams(genius), the guy could out shoot 99.9 percent of the waking camera public with a shoe box pinhole camera. His favorite 'til the day he died was not a very a fancy camera in the least. It will always boil down to how good and persistent you are with whatever tool you have in the box.The t4i and t5i in the hands of real pros can produce stunning pictures, but again, one is older than the other. The main reason Canon dumped the t4i, and you won't get them to admit it, was too much zinc in the rubber grip handles. This produced several episodes of allergic skin reactions/discoloration of the grip itself, and corporations run away from potential lawsuits with track shoes laced up. Since the t4i was dumped hurriedly, Canon decided to add a few new great wrinkles to the mix, mainly the STM lens line up, and the battery will get you another 100 shots per charge(big plus). I think those two and no lawsuits are winners.The 70d and 7d(top o' line of APS-C) are just above this T5i in one and two position. Canon's 6D is the entry level full frame(non APS-C) but suffers the same video problems as the t5i, or so I hear. The HD video performance on the 7's is outstandingly better than the t5i which sometimes has a tendency to hunt for focus with the image stabilizer on. 70d is another $300 more than the t5i and has better specs. 70d is $1,100 with two lenses, plus extras. It even has the new dual AF, which really helps on the video end. I purchased the 55-250mm and it has been the biggest boost to my picture abilities. Only until a recent camping trip did I long for a 400mm, when I got some decent pics of an Osprey across the river and high on a branch. My best nature shot so far. Generally, the 250mm range gets you almost everything, and nicely, I will do a separate review of that lens. Some reviewers claim it is in L glass class, and I believe it, but have not used L myself.The T5i with two lenses, and extras sells for $800, which is an unbelievable deal. The 70D is $1,100-1,200 and sports better specs than the T5i, with two lenses and extras. For $300-400 more, if the piggy bank allows, buy the 70D, with the new dual AF system, wifi, and more. So much for this update.