With Canon and Nikon both fighting for the entry-level market, they have both announced movie friendly DSLRs to tempt enthusiast and professional videographers. Despite the two digital SLRs coming from different producers, they have a lot in common. They are both useful upgrades to current digital SLRs (the D5100 and the Canon T3i), and are designed to strengthen their markets by extending into movie producing, which both Canon and Nikon recognize as potential areas for expansion. It is clear that Nikon and Canon are regarding the beginner level market as a major battleground, particularly in the USA. 
The Canon T4i doesn't feel quite as tough as the D5200, but it is solid enough for day to day use. It is a slightly larger than the D5200 though, and so easier for anyone with normal sized hands to grip. The scroll-wheel clicks comfortingly as it spins and the buttons on the back are responsive. The layout at the back of the Canon T4i is well considered and has more buttons, making moving into the menu settings a lot more speedy and easier. Some are multioption buttons, which can take a little thought. For example, the same button that commences recording video in movie mode also enables Live View in still shooting mode. The small downside of this is that some of the buttons are quite close together. However, the Canon T4i has a dedicated ISO option, and speedy access to white balance, drive mode, and AF settings (the D5200 doesn't have any of these). There is an IR sensor on the front of the camera, but no Fn button as there isn't really any requirement for it.
Both cameras have an articulating liquid crystal display view screen. The Canon T4i has a noticeably higher resolution than that of the D5200. The Canon's liquid crystal display backscreen has 1040 thousand pixels, while the D5200 has 921 thousand. One of the the Canon T4i's best selling points is that the liquid crystal display viewingscreen is touch sensitive. This makes it much easier to program settings and, more importantly, it lets you choose a focus point through Live View. You can also shoot your picture by tapping on the point where you want the camera to focus. These are very innovative and useful functions, taken from the Compact System Camera (CSC) ranges that are out now. It is excellent to see this technology being picked up by the Canon T4i as it makes it far more useable than any other digital SLR in its bracket.
The Canon's phase detect AF system is extremely quick. Although it has only 9-point AF system, against the 39-points of the D5200, it is both quick and accurate for general-purpose picture taking. The Canon T4i doesn't have a dedicated AF assist light, but it can use its built-in flash in these instances. The T4i supports full-time AutoFocus in video mode, which competes with the D5200 and, with Canon's STM lenses, the focussing is silent enough for shooting video. It also has an external Mic socket. It is fair to say that the Canon Rebel T4i is possibly the better digital camera for shooting video. The liquid crystal display backscreen, full-time AF, and external Mic make it appropriate for your everyday video needs.
The Nikon D5200 is a neatly packaged camera and smaller than it's predecessor, the D5100. This could introduce problems for those of us with large (average!) hands. It can sometimes not have the feel of a regular digital SLR, especially when carrying a large lens. Although it fails to equal the build quality of the magnesium alloy D7000, the tough plastic body feels fairly solid and sturdy. The layout at the back is easy to navigate with a good selection of buttons to make access to the various options straightforward. Live view is easily accessed and video recording can be initiated with a press of a single button. It has just one control dial which is snappy and responsive. There is an IR spot on the front of the camera and also a dedicated AF assist light, which the Canon T4i doesn't have. On the right side there is a customizable Fn function which can be used to control image quality, ISO, active-D lighting, or white balance (there are no dedicated single buttons for these functions). The pop-up flash automatic in green mode, meaning that the flash will pop up on its own if the camera thinks it is required.
The LCD screen is has come from the D5100, where it was very popular. Like with the Canon T4i, it is very useful for photographing at unusual angles and is exceptionally useful when shooting movies. The help menus are superb and make the Nikon D5200 quite beginner friendly. The display rotates with the camera, meaning that text on the status screen won't appear sideways when you're taking uprights. The playback function is quick and efficient you won't need to wait for images to load. And there is a comprehensive info screen which lets you change just about every shooting parameter that the D5200 has to offer. However the four way selector is not as simple to use as the one on the Canon. The Nikon D5200 doesn't have as many buttons on the back as the Canon T4i, making a few of the menu options hard to get to. The new(ish) Expeed 3 processor makes the Nikon quick and decisive in phase detect AutoFocus and extremely fast in Live View. The D5200's articulated screen comes in handy for shooting video, and Nikon have increased the number of frame rate options, introducing 60i and 50i. Like the Canon T4i, it will accept an external microphone and has full-time video AutoFocus.
At low very ISO, the Canon T4i equals the Nikon, though the D5200 is a little better at the top (non-expanded) ISO. Overall, the Nikon provides slightly better image quality than the Canon. Remember, the Canon T4i also has a physically smaller sensor than the D5200. It may not seem like much, but 1.6x rather than 1.5x, along with the increased resolution, puts the Nikon D5200 in the lead. For more information on the sensors, take a look at the sensor scores published by DxO labs.
To summarize, the Canon Rebel T4i has great AutoFocus, a great articulated touchscreen and is a truly superb video camera. The Nikon D5200 has excellent, fast AutoFocus, a good articulating screen, a great buffer/processor and very useful in-camera guides.
I think if you had no lens loyalty either way, the Canon T4i would be the better camera to get. The difference in image quality is barely noticeable under usual conditions and the Canon certainly matches the D5200 on the movie front. Whilst both digital cameras are excellent in their own ways, the Nikon D5200 is more expensive than the small improvements over the Canon T4i would warrant.
The Canon T4i doesn't feel quite as tough as the D5200, but it is solid enough for day to day use. It is a slightly larger than the D5200 though, and so easier for anyone with normal sized hands to grip. The scroll-wheel clicks comfortingly as it spins and the buttons on the back are responsive. The layout at the back of the Canon T4i is well considered and has more buttons, making moving into the menu settings a lot more speedy and easier. Some are multioption buttons, which can take a little thought. For example, the same button that commences recording video in movie mode also enables Live View in still shooting mode. The small downside of this is that some of the buttons are quite close together. However, the Canon T4i has a dedicated ISO option, and speedy access to white balance, drive mode, and AF settings (the D5200 doesn't have any of these). There is an IR sensor on the front of the camera, but no Fn button as there isn't really any requirement for it.
Both cameras have an articulating liquid crystal display view screen. The Canon T4i has a noticeably higher resolution than that of the D5200. The Canon's liquid crystal display backscreen has 1040 thousand pixels, while the D5200 has 921 thousand. One of the the Canon T4i's best selling points is that the liquid crystal display viewingscreen is touch sensitive. This makes it much easier to program settings and, more importantly, it lets you choose a focus point through Live View. You can also shoot your picture by tapping on the point where you want the camera to focus. These are very innovative and useful functions, taken from the Compact System Camera (CSC) ranges that are out now. It is excellent to see this technology being picked up by the Canon T4i as it makes it far more useable than any other digital SLR in its bracket.
The Canon's phase detect AF system is extremely quick. Although it has only 9-point AF system, against the 39-points of the D5200, it is both quick and accurate for general-purpose picture taking. The Canon T4i doesn't have a dedicated AF assist light, but it can use its built-in flash in these instances. The T4i supports full-time AutoFocus in video mode, which competes with the D5200 and, with Canon's STM lenses, the focussing is silent enough for shooting video. It also has an external Mic socket. It is fair to say that the Canon Rebel T4i is possibly the better digital camera for shooting video. The liquid crystal display backscreen, full-time AF, and external Mic make it appropriate for your everyday video needs.
The Nikon D5200 is a neatly packaged camera and smaller than it's predecessor, the D5100. This could introduce problems for those of us with large (average!) hands. It can sometimes not have the feel of a regular digital SLR, especially when carrying a large lens. Although it fails to equal the build quality of the magnesium alloy D7000, the tough plastic body feels fairly solid and sturdy. The layout at the back is easy to navigate with a good selection of buttons to make access to the various options straightforward. Live view is easily accessed and video recording can be initiated with a press of a single button. It has just one control dial which is snappy and responsive. There is an IR spot on the front of the camera and also a dedicated AF assist light, which the Canon T4i doesn't have. On the right side there is a customizable Fn function which can be used to control image quality, ISO, active-D lighting, or white balance (there are no dedicated single buttons for these functions). The pop-up flash automatic in green mode, meaning that the flash will pop up on its own if the camera thinks it is required.
The LCD screen is has come from the D5100, where it was very popular. Like with the Canon T4i, it is very useful for photographing at unusual angles and is exceptionally useful when shooting movies. The help menus are superb and make the Nikon D5200 quite beginner friendly. The display rotates with the camera, meaning that text on the status screen won't appear sideways when you're taking uprights. The playback function is quick and efficient you won't need to wait for images to load. And there is a comprehensive info screen which lets you change just about every shooting parameter that the D5200 has to offer. However the four way selector is not as simple to use as the one on the Canon. The Nikon D5200 doesn't have as many buttons on the back as the Canon T4i, making a few of the menu options hard to get to. The new(ish) Expeed 3 processor makes the Nikon quick and decisive in phase detect AutoFocus and extremely fast in Live View. The D5200's articulated screen comes in handy for shooting video, and Nikon have increased the number of frame rate options, introducing 60i and 50i. Like the Canon T4i, it will accept an external microphone and has full-time video AutoFocus.
At low very ISO, the Canon T4i equals the Nikon, though the D5200 is a little better at the top (non-expanded) ISO. Overall, the Nikon provides slightly better image quality than the Canon. Remember, the Canon T4i also has a physically smaller sensor than the D5200. It may not seem like much, but 1.6x rather than 1.5x, along with the increased resolution, puts the Nikon D5200 in the lead. For more information on the sensors, take a look at the sensor scores published by DxO labs.
To summarize, the Canon Rebel T4i has great AutoFocus, a great articulated touchscreen and is a truly superb video camera. The Nikon D5200 has excellent, fast AutoFocus, a good articulating screen, a great buffer/processor and very useful in-camera guides.
I think if you had no lens loyalty either way, the Canon T4i would be the better camera to get. The difference in image quality is barely noticeable under usual conditions and the Canon certainly matches the D5200 on the movie front. Whilst both digital cameras are excellent in their own ways, the Nikon D5200 is more expensive than the small improvements over the Canon T4i would warrant.
About the Author:
Jeremy Bayston has worked in the photography industry for twenty years. He has a particular interest in digital imagery. Learn more about the new Nikon D5200 on his website www.d5200.org and read the free 25 page guide to the new camera. Discover more about the Canon rebel T4i on his website www.rebel-T4i.com. Both sites offer expert advice and reviews of Nikon and Canon products.
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