Canon T5 vs XS

The Canon EOS Rebel T5 (called Canon 1200D in some regions) and the Canon EOS Rebel XS (labelled Canon 1000D in some countries) are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2014 and June 2008. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The T5 has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the XS provides 10.1 MP.

As their names suggest, both the Canon EOS Rebel T5 and the Canon EOS Rebel XS belong to Canon's Rebel line of DSLR cameras. This range of APS-C cameras, which started out with the Canon EOS Digital Rebel in 2003, has been a big commercial success and the backbone of Canon's dominance in the digital camera market. The popularity of the Rebel cameras is the result of them inheriting much of the sensor and shooting technology from earlier released professional DSLRs, while being sold at a much more budget-friendly price point. The strong brand reputation of Canon and the comprehensive EOS system of compatible lenses and accessories further contributes to the appeal of the Rebel cams, including the Canon T5 and Canon XS. Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon T5		Canon XS
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
17.9 MP – APS-C sensor		10.1 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/30p Video		no Video
ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800)		ISO 100-800 (100 - 1,600)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 460k dots		2.5" LCD – 230k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
500 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
130 x 100 x 78 mm, 480 g		126 x 98 x 65 mm, 502 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS Rebel T5 and the Canon EOS Rebel XS? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon T5 and the Canon XS is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon XS is notably smaller (5 percent) than the Canon T5. However, the XS is markedly heavier (5 percent) than the T5. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the T5 nor the XS are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon T5	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	480 g	500	n	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
2.		Canon XS	126 mm	98 mm	65 mm	502 g	500	n	Jun 2008	449	ebay.com
3.		Canon T100	129 mm	102 mm	77 mm	436 g	500	n	Feb 2018	399	amazon.com
4.		Canon T6	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
5.		Canon T6i	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
6.		Canon T6s	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL1	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon T5i	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	580 g	440	n	Mar 2013	649	ebay.com
9.		Canon T4i	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	575 g	440	n	Jun 2012	849	ebay.com
10.		Canon T3	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	495 g	700	n	Feb 2011	449	ebay.com
11.		Canon T3i	133 mm	100 mm	80 mm	570 g	440	n	Feb 2011	599	ebay.com
12.		Canon T2i	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	530 g	440	n	Feb 2010	699	ebay.com
13.		Canon T1i	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	520 g	400	n	Mar 2009	799	ebay.com
14.		Canon 40D	146 mm	108 mm	74 mm	822 g	750	n	Aug 2007	1,299	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the XS is 1 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the T5 uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 4) than the XS (DIGIC 3), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

With 17.9MP, the T5 offers a higher resolution than the XS (10.1MP), but the T5 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.31μm versus 5.71μm for the XS). However, the T5 is a much more recent model (by 5 years and 8 months) than the XS, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.

The resolution advantage of the Canon T5 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the T5 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 17.3 inches or 65.8 x 43.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 13.8 inches or 52.7 x 35.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 11.5 inches or 43.9 x 29.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon XS are 19.4 x 13 inches or 49.4 x 32.9 cm for good quality, 15.6 x 10.4 inches or 39.5 x 26.3 cm for very good quality, and 13 x 8.6 inches or 32.9 x 21.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Canon EOS Rebel T5 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS Rebel XS are ISO 100 to ISO 800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-1600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon T5	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
2.		Canon XS	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.0	10.9	719	62
3.		Canon T100	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.4	695	63
4.		Canon T6	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
5.		Canon T6i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
6.		Canon T6s	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
7.		Canon SL1	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
8.		Canon T5i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	681	61
9.		Canon T4i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	722	62
10.		Canon T3	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	720/30p	21.9	11.0	755	62
11.		Canon T3i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	793	65
12.		Canon T2i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	784	66
13.		Canon T1i	APS-C	15.1	4752	3168	1080/20p	21.7	11.5	663	63
14.		Canon 40D	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.1	11.3	703	64

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The T5 indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the XS does not. The highest resolution format that the T5 can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The T5 and the XS are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the XS has a higher magnification than the one of the T5 (0.51x vs 0.50x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon T5 and Canon XS in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon T5	optical	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon XS	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon T100	optical	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon T6	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon T6i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon T6s	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon SL1	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
8.		Canon T5i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon T4i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon T3	optical	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon T3i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.7/s	Y	n
12.		Canon T2i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.7/s	Y	n
13.		Canon T1i	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.4/s	Y	n
14.		Canon 40D	optical	Y	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.5/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The T5 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the XS uses SDHC cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS Rebel T5 and Canon EOS Rebel XS and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon T5	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon XS	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon T100	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon T6	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon T6i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon T6s	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon SL1	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Canon T5i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Canon T4i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Canon T3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Canon T3i	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Canon T2i	Y	stereo / -	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Canon T1i	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Canon 40D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

Both the T5 and the XS have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The XS was replaced by the Canon T3, while the T5 was followed by the Canon T6. Further information on the features and operation of the T5 and XS can be found, respectively, in the Canon T5 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon XS Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon T5 and the Canon XS? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Canon EOS Rebel T5:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (17.9 vs 10.1MP) with a 33% higher linear resolution.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 4 vs DIGIC 3).
• Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 1080/30p movies.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (460k vs 230k dots).
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 8 months of technical progress since the XS launch.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS Rebel XS:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.51x vs 0.50x).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in June 2008).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the T5 is the clear winner of the match-up (6 : 2 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon T5 and the Canon XS place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the T5 or the XS perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon T5	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
2.		Canon XS	..	82/100	..	+ +	3.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2008	449	ebay.com
3.		Canon T100	..	o	3/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	399	amazon.com
4.		Canon T6	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
5.		Canon T6i	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
6.		Canon T6s	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL1	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon T5i	..	..	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2013	649	ebay.com
9.		Canon T4i	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	849	ebay.com
10.		Canon T3	..	80/100	..	69/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	449	ebay.com
11.		Canon T3i	3/5	o	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	599	ebay.com
12.		Canon T2i	..	+ +	..	77/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	699	ebay.com
13.		Canon T1i	..	+ +	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2009	799	ebay.com
14.		Canon 40D	..	+ +	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2007	1,299	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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