Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

Posted on February 22, 2012 (414 customer reviews , 4.6 rating )

First, I have an extensive background in both photography and video. I was looking for a smaller camera to carry around that could also shoot video. When I heard about this one I thought it would be perfect and it is good, very good BUT its does have its issues... I will try to keep this short and to the point. Pros: 1. Superb image quality in both photos and video. You can expect image quality comparable to a Canon Pro DSLR. And I am not just saying that. I actually did compare it to our 1Ds MkII. This camera can produces usable images up to ISO 3200. Noise is there but they do a good job of controlling it. With this said, it would be noted that there really isn't that much difference between a Canon 20D and the most expensive DSLR for photos that will be displayed on the web or in regular size prints. If you don't really need video then you can save yourself a lot of money and just get a used 20D :) I actually still have my original 20D as a backup. 2. Amazingly, the 18-55 kit lens turned out to be remarkably good. How good? Well, within the center area of the frame it would give the more expensive lens a run for their money :) Where it begins to break down is in corner detail but this is to be expected. The focusing is also too noisy to use for video, IF you are recording sound. UPDATE: if you are looking to upgrade the lens, I can recommended the Canon 15-85 IS. 3. The built in mic is also very good. Even on regular video cameras this is almost a universal weakness. If you are looking for a better mic I can recommend the Rode SVM Stereo Video Mic. Works very well with this camera, unlike the Audio Technica 24CM. Its not cheap but good mics never are. On all of these cameras hiss is a problem to varying degrees especially when recording in a quiet environment. The quiter the source the more you will hear it. The only way to get remove it is to use an external audio record like the Zoom H4N or do it in software with something like SoundSoap. 4. Light weight compared to the higher end Canon bodies. 5. Amazing low light video capability. With a fast lens f2.8 or lower even a Pro video camera can't touch it. So if shooting in dark places is a big requirement then these cameras are the way to go. Cons: 1. This is my biggest problem. I personally find the small body a lot more difficult to handle than the larger Canon cameras we have. Maybe I am just use to the larger bodies but they are a lot more natural and easier to work with. If you shoot pro or semi pro get the 7D just for this reason. The battery grip will help. I have small hands so I hate to think how it would feel with someone that has large hands. I would highly recommend you go somewhere and play with the T2i just to see how it feels in your hands. UPDATE: The BG-E8 battery grip makes a big difference in this regard! 2. For my personal taste I find the T2i to over expose a bit. This could be related to the Peripheral Illumination Correction, Highlight Priority, etc. I usually just under expose by 1/3 of a stop to compensate for this. 3. My 2nd big disappointment is the video. The video quality is superb this is not the issue. Where the problem lies is in actually using the camera as a video camera. It has two big problems in this regard: the manual zoom and lack of auto focus. It is practically impossible to hold the camera steady and do a smooth zoom in or out. Panning and zooming at the same time is almost impossible. A regular video camera have electronic zoom controls that allows you to zoom in and out very smoothly. The other problem is lack of auto focus. Sure you can refocus manually but again very difficult to hold the camera steady and focus. Using the camera auto focus in video mode is possible but its really slow and the mic will pick up the noise from the lens as it hunts for the focus. For me, this means, the camera is more useful for recording short video clips not a full video shoot e.g. shooting a whole wedding. I don't feel it can replace a regular video camera as yet. For example, if you are thinking of using this camera to shoot your kids running around, it can do it, but there will be a lot of out of focus parts because it cannot track a subject like a regular video camera can and you won't be able to adjust the focus quickly enough either. UPDATE: the video can work for the most part, IF you shoot with the intent of editing the final video. A SLR will require a bit more post production work than a regular video camera but the video quality will be superior. It works more like a professional film camera they use in movies than the video cameras we know. But with that said, this camera still has some real issues. Neither the shutter or aperture is continuous. You can only change them in 1/3 intervals...enough to cause a jump in exposure in many instances. On top of that you cannot change anything without recording the clicking noise the dial makes when you change the values. If you are using the mic in or on the camera this is a problem. With this camera you have to setup a scene, setup your exposure, set your focus, and shoot the scene. Don't plan on making any changes while you are shooting. So while the manual control is nice its not usable while shooting a scene. If you can live with the Cons. Its a great camera that offers image quality comparable to any high end Canon model.

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Product Features

18.0-megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor; DIGIC 4 image processor for high image quality and speed
Kit includes 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12800) for shooting from bright to dim light; enhanced 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system
Improved EOS Movie mode with manual exposure control and expanded recording 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Wide 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor; dedicated Live View/Movie shooting button
New compatibility with SDXC memory cards, plus new menu status indicator for Eye-Fi support

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Many good things have been said about this camera. It is superlative in most ways that count for most users. See the other reviews for details of just how excellent a camera this is. I'll instead offer a few summary opinions and observations: 1) Upgrading from an XTi or higher will be very easy for you -- same lenses, many similar controls 2) Don't expect wonders from the kit lens. It is noisy, cheap-feeling, has a primitive and slow USM, uses a plastic (not metal) bayonet, and hunts hopelessly when autofocusing in anything but ideal light. It is altogether not worth the $100. Getting the camera now, is. 3) ISO response really is amazing. ISO 800 with my XTi is like ISO 3200 with the T2i. ISO 12800 is entirely usable in a pinch. It is not the horror story you might expect. You can also push it two stops further to the equivalent of 51,200, though I can say the results are ugly. They are the same kind of ugly that an XTi pushed two stops results in, with its ISO6400 equivalent push. These comparisons are based on visual comparison between non-noise reduced images. When you apply even mild NR using the DPP software, ISO12,800 quickly becomes a viable tool, rather than the butt of jokes. 4) Auto-ISO is finally here! Canon implemented it right, where you the user can limit the auto-selectable range. 5) Adobe has not caught up to the latest .CR2 RAW file format as of this writing (3/17). The latest ACR is 5.6, and we really really need a 5.7 patch for CS4. Until that is released, you'll need to scrape by with other plugins or programs. 6) Video capabilities meet high expectations. Do however follow the booklet instructions and use at least a SD class 6 card (class 10 preferable). I'm using a class 6 and get some jerkiness at 720p. It just can't keep up. So don't blame the camera until you give it a big pipe to write to. 7) Remote control? Impressively, yes. If you have a long USB cable, you can make some use of the EOS Utility software's remote control functionality, which includes controlling not only the normal features of the camera, but as well, you can schedule photos to be taken periodically (think time-lapse). You also use this software to register your name and copyright statement, if you wish, as imprints on every photo's EXIF. Overall a great purchase, well worth its price for ISO response and 18 megapixels, but it offers quite a bit more. I'm very pleased.

Just got my T2i/550D. Tested it with a few shots using my trusty 28-135mm IS lens. Other people have already highly praised this camera. For those looking to decide whether not to upgrade from XSI (or any other camera), here's a run down: 1) AUTOFOCUS: the T2i's autofocus beats the XSI hands down. I've had the xsi for two years and while i was happy with it overall, there were often moments of soft shots. Do a search for "front-focus"...it'll show a lot of threads that was problematic of the XSI. No such issues with the T2i. It locks on focus quickly and effortlessly and pictures turn out very sharp using my 28-135mm IS lens. I can get quality shots even at 1/10s handheld and 3200 iso in low light, but that's also dependent on the IS of the lens. 2) METERING The T2i inherits the 7d's metering system. I like it. color tones are more accurate and appropriate to reflect how an object really looks. One thing to consider, if you accidently set white balance to incandescent light while u take shots w/o flash and happen to use flash on the image, the end result will be a picture w/ a heavy blue cast. If it's shot in raw, easily edited in dpp. 3) EXPOSURE I have a gut feeling that the T2i's sensor is a tad bit over sensitive causing pictures to be slightly over-exposed compared to my XSI. I think i'll learn with time. On a typical shot, I think the XSI has a color that's a tad bit richer/pleasing in jpeg. Haven't tried out raw. Still tweaking the settings of my t2i. 4) BATTERY LIFE Haven't tried it long enuff and will comment later. The charger has a cord. I suspect it might be canon's way of saving money to allow for different cords to be shipped w/ different units depending on the country. On first charge, i got out 400 shots w/ about 20 being flash shots when battery meter was at half. I had another event to go to so I recharged it at that point. Took about 1-2 hrs to recharge. For those looking to generic batteries, there's discussions on dpreview of generic batteries from ebay that last 600 shots while battery meter still being full. After that, it sharply goes down in half and empty so a little more unpredictable than the canon ones but battery life still terrific. 5) BUILD QUALITY Seems almost as sturdy as the XSI. However, noticed battery door on T2i seems a bit loose and not snug like XSI. The little knob on the right next to the shutter (that you use to adjust the AF points) seems more sturdy on the xsi than the T2i. i.e. on the T2i, if u apply a bit of pressure, it rocks a bit but doesn't do the same on my old xsi. 6) LCD The t2i's lcd screen is amazing. Very vibrant and lots of pixels. Much better than XSI's. I'd recommend getting an lcd protector (plastic film) to add here. I'd recommend you get a 3.5 to 4" lcd protector and cut it out to fit the LCD screen. The ones on ebay that advertise "T2i screen protector" tend to be 1-2mm smaller than advertised since the LCD borders itself slightly curved. 7) VALUE At $799 for camera alone, this is the best value u can get right now for a camera that does 1080p video. The technology is here to stay. Best thing about this camera are 1) video at 1080p 2) 7d's metering system 3) usable iso 3200 that looks better than iso 400 on my canon point and shoot. Getting the camera alone is hard if you already have a set of lenses for this camera. If you decide to get the kit lens instead (18-55mm IS), you can sell the kit lens for around $90-100. 8)SOFTWARE The main thing I use is DPP to process RAW. One major fault with it is that you need 1024x768 screen to install/run it. As a result, it won't run on my netbook unless I attach a hdtv or external monitor to it. I have the Lenovo S10-2. Works fine on my regular laptop. You can also use EOS Utility to added your name/contact info to all the images taken. 9) VIDEO To be honest, video recording isn't very intuitive the first time I tried it. You have to turn the knob to the video recorder icon. Then you pressure the button for live view/red dot to record. It doesn't say the amount of time you've recorded unless you press the DISP button. You can also take photos during the recording by pressing the shutter button but that will add noise to video. Now that I've gotten used to it, not a major problem and makes sense. The AF mechanism of the 28-125 mm IS lens constantly makes noise during this time. 10) MEMORY CARD I use a Sandisk Extreme III Class 6 SDHC 8 gb/4gb card. Takes all my videos w/o problems even at 1920x1080 at 30 fps. SOME CONCERNS: A) WHITE DOTS For those new to this camera, at high ISO i.e. 3200+, you will see intermittent white dots that appear out of nowhere. It's like white speckles. This can be seen on dpreview's review of the t2i on 3200 ISO and even on the 7d. These are noise/hot pixels, and not dead pixels. You can either remove them in photoshop using the dust/scratch removal w/ radius 1 and threshold 10. Or, you can turn on high ISO noise reduction. You don't need to send the camera to manufacturer for this issue. B) OVEREXPOSURE I have the gut feeling that this camera's ultra sensitive senors tends to overexposed. Outdoors, I'd have to change the exposure compensation a bit up to -1 to get the desired exposure. Of note, where the focus points are centered also determines what metering is done for the image. C) SLOW AUTOFOCUS WITH CONTRAST DETECT AF using the contrast detect method w/ Liveview is slow and noisy. However, it's improved over XSI and easier to engage. Just press the Live view icon and start shooting. D) NO MINI-HDMI CABLE IN BOX TO STREAM TO TV I didn't find an mini-HDMI cable in my camera to stream to tv. Ordered one through ebay for $5. For $900, you would think they'd include this. E) RED AUTOFOCUS POINTS APPEAR BLURRY: When you look through the viewfinder, you'll sometimes notice that the AF points are blurry, particularly the lower ones which has appearance of reddish halo around them. This is likely due to diffraction and should not affect the ability of camera to focus properly. F) POSSIBLE FRONT FOCUS ISSUE: One poster on dpreview claims that the camera front focuses on fast lenses such as the 50mm f/1.4 lens. Read the thread for details. Personally, I've used the 28-135mm IS lens w/o focusing issues. [...]

This is a terrific camera, just as the other reviewers have indicated. I have had more expensive cameras (Nikon D700), but considering value and price, the Canon T2i tops them all. I know the T2i only has a APS-C sized sensor, but the photos look great. The ergonomics of the camera are the best. Controls are easy to use, and you are just a touch away from changing any setting on the camera. IMAGE QUALITY: Image quality is amazing. I took some shots of the blossoms on a flowering plum tree and had the photos enlarged to 10x12. They are perfect. The blossoms are sharp, clear, and the colors are right on. Even when you use auto ISO indoors, I find that photos that are enlarged up to 10"x12" are perfect, even at 800 ISO. SDHC CARD: I purchased a Sandisk 8GB HDHC card (class 10) for the camera. It is recommended that you have at least a class 6 card. The videos are amazing. The colors are true and you will be surprised by the quality. Look around the net and see what is being done with this camera, even at night. CANON 18-55mm LENS: I'm not impressed with the kit lens on the camera, but it works. I purchased an EF 28mm f1.8 and a EF 28-135mm IS, and the glass on these two lenses makes a nice difference, especially if you plan on enlarging your photos. CAMERA QUALITY: The body of the camera is not built like the Nikon D700, which costs over $2,300 and weighs over two pounds. It feels like plastic but doesn't really appear to be cheap. The body only weighs 18.7 ounces, including the battery and card. It feels light-weight without being cheap. The control knobs and buttons have a nice feel, and function well. The camera body is a little small, but I wouldn't go back to the D700. LCD MONITOR: The monitor on the Canon T2i is awesome! It has a 3:2 aspect ratio and is 3" wide. It has 1.04 million dots, which means it is very, very sharp. I have used the monitor in the sunlight, and it is still easy to read and exceptionally bright. You can also display the control functions on the screen in four different colors, which is quite nice. IMPORTANT FEATURES: Canon's Auto Lighting Optimizer really works and is designed to enhance shadow detail and even add contrast if it is needed. It also has Peripheral Illumination Correction which tends to reduce the darkness in the corners. The Highlight Tone Priority tends to improve the overall look of highlights which can sometimes be rather harsh.