Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP Digital SLR Camera Self Review
Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP Digital SLR Camera. This is my third Digital Rebel SLR and fourth Canon DSLR (the added actuality the 30D), and it does not disappoint. In fact, it is an alarming camera in aloof about all respects in its amount range. The sensor delivers accomplished after-effects (although this will depend abundantly additionally on the lens used), the aerial ISO images are stunningly acceptable for what they are, and the LCD awning is a joy to attending at. Coming from a 3″ awning with 200K pixels, it’s a contentment to attending at the aforementioned admeasurement LCD with over a actor pixels.
Of advance the big affection is the full-featured video approach on the T2i. At 1/3 of the 5D Mk.2′s price, it includes 720p approach that 5D Mk.2does not, and at 1/2 amount of the 7D , it has identical video approach PLUS the 640×480 crop video approach which the 7D does not, in aspect accouterment a zoom of about 7x deepening at any accustomed focal range. The crop video approach works like this: Rather than demography the accomplished achievement of the sensor and outputting that as either 1920×1080 (1080p) or 1280×720 (720p), it takes the complete 640×480 complete acreage at the average of the sensor and outputs that as the capture. So abundant like how the circumscribed sensor provides 1.6x deepening for the Canon DSLRs, the circumscribed video approach provides deepening for video shoots.
Canon EOS Rebel T2i SLR Digital Camera Kit with Canon 18-55mm IS Lens. By the way, I’ve been application a super-cheap eBay microphone that I originally got for Skype on my laptop, and it provides endless bigger auto than the congenital microphone. It’s got a adjustable neck, about 5″ long, and application it additionally reduces the lens zoom noise, administration noise, etc.
I was a bit afraid, afore the purchase, how the chiral absorption during video cutting would work. While there are auto-focus methods during the shooting, they are apathetic and will bandy the blow out of focus for 2-4 seconds. I’m blessed to say that for this complete video-on-DSLR novice, the T2i with the 18-55 IS kit lens angry out to be adequately accessible to use and accomplish acceptable results. The IS helps a lot to abate the changeless duke shake, unless you’ve got the camera army on a tripod.
I’ve got one ascertainment and two gripes, both appealing minor. The ascertainment is the computer assets appropriate to handle the abounding 1080p video. Anniversary minute of the 1080p and 720p video is approx. 330MB in size. 720p produces the aforementioned admeasurement because it annal at alert the framerate of the 1080p approach (60fps vs. 30fps). Viewing the built-in 1080p blow beeline from the camera will charge adequately cogent CPU power. On my Core 2 Duo laptop with 4GB of memory, it’s NOT smooth. I’d brainstorm any Core i5 or Core i7 processor would be fine. So I use a freeware alleged Handbrake to encode the video to h.264 mp4 format, which after-effects in about 1/3 of the admeasurement of the aboriginal book with around no accident in quality. This achievement plays flawlessly on my laptop.
The aboriginal ache is the punch mode. The two modes that I will use the most, “P” and “Movie”, are at adverse ends of the dial. It takes me two or three feel accomplishments to about-face the approach aback and forth. While it’s doable, it absolutely would accept been abundant added acceptable if the modes were afterpiece to anniversary other, or if there was a abstracted cine approach activation button on the camera (like the 7D).
The additional affair is the elastic aperture sealing the microphone/remote/AV/HDMI ports. I like to use an alien microphone for videos, so I accessible and abutting the aperture adequately frequently. The elastic articulation allotment seems rather fragile–only time will acquaint how continued it will last.
Canon EOS Rebel T2i SLR Digital Camera Kit with Canon 18-55mm IS Lens. T2i is amazing. Whether you appetite a nice HD camera for fun, to booty some pictures, to alpha a Photo/Video business or to aftermath an Indie Film…the T2i is a abundant advantage for the price. If acclimated accurately the Video can appear out attractive VERY Cinematic. Slap on a nice L Series lens, shoot in 24p and use a Glidetrack for some barrow shots and you won’t accept the results.
I admired it so abundant I bought a additional one. My alone ache is the complete and the abridgement of chiral ascendancy in that area…but I almanac all of my audio on an alien accessory anyways so it’s not THAT big of a deal. It’s aloof that, every already in a while I’d like to go out and bandy on any old mic and get some appropriate audio…and I accept yet to absolutely do that.
Small ache for me personally. You may charge to advance in a Rode Shotgun mic to get some appropriate audio if you don’t almanac externally.
Full review at: www.cameralabs.com : A ten minute video tour comparing the three most popular upgrade options for the Canon 18-55mm DSLR kit lens, by Gordon Laing, Editor of Cameralabs.com. To find out more about these lenses and how their quality compares, see our full review by clicking the link at the start of this text.
And, while you are imagining, imagine that your picture wins a local photo contest in your city. It is selected for entry into a nationally published photography magazine, and photographers all over are emailing you to tell you what a wonderful photo you have taken.
Meanwhile, back on earth, you realize you need that DSLR camera to take such a picture. And Canon is your final choice. (Excellent decision, by the way). Now all you need to do is decide between the TWO Rebels that are at the top of the entry level DSLR market.
First, there’s the Canon Rebel XSi (aka Rebel 450D), and then there is the Canon Rebel T1i (aka Rebel 500D). Both cameras are highly rated by people who bought them. Very few buyers have been dissatisfied with their purchase. You can find that out by going to amazon.com or B&H Photo and searching for one of the cameras. You will find that there are user reviews there, as well as testimonials from camera buyers. The reason buyers are so happy with their choice of Canon DSLRs is that these cameras are masterfully manufactured and they take amazing quality pictures. The differences between the two DSLR cameras are fairly basic and easy to understand.
The difference in megapixels is not as significant as some might imagine. When you are talking about 12.2 vs 15.1 megapixels, it is like a drop in the megapixel bucket! You can produce a huge print from either camera… larger than 9 by 13 (which is the largest image that can be printed on most home printers). By the way, the T1i has the 15.1 megapixel image sensor, and the XSi has the 12.2 megapixel sensor.
THE major difference is that the T1i can take video while the XSi does not have video capability. And the T1i does not just take video, it takes HD quality video. While it is not as good as a dedicated camcorder, the quality is very good indeed.
Another major difference is Creative Auto. This feature is available in the T1i but not the XSi. Creative Auto is similar to features on some of the better point and shoot cameras. It allows the photographer to take more creative shots using camera settings rather than relying on the individual’s own photographic knowledge. Canon’s claim is that the beginning photographer can take better shots while learning to use their DSLR. The last difference in this DSLR shoot out is price. In this category, the Rebel XSi is the clear winner, coming in at about 0 below the Rebel T1i.
I love photography and all things related to it. Cameras, camera gear, and image editing software fascinate me, so I am either buying the newest piece of equipment (or software) or researching my next purchase. Be sure to visit the Cameras-N-Stuff Blog.
YongNuo TC-C3 Precision Timer Remote Shutter Switch for CANON EOS DSLR Cameras – www.dealextreme.com Video Rating: 0 / 5
Canon Digital Rebel Xsi 12.2 Mp Digital Slr Camera Reviews
Great camera, one of the best low(er)-end DSLRs on the market My journey with DSLRs began back in 2003 with the original Digital Rebel. DSLRs changed my photography for the better like nothing else. Five years and some 25,000 shots later, it’s still going strong. Along the way I upgraded to the Canon 30D, which is a fantastic camera as well. When the 40D was announced, I decided to wait until the 50D sometime in 2009, but wanted a newer backup/second body for my photography needs. So when the XSi/450D was announced, it sounded like a perfect fit for my needs.
I got it from Amazon.com three days ago, and have given it a pretty good workout since then, having shot about 650 shots under a variety of shooting conditions and with a number of different Canon and third-party lenses. The following are my impressions.
The build feels very good. The camera feels wonderfully light yet well built. I’m 6ft tall with average size hands, and the camera feels good in my hand. The battery grip, to me, defeats the purpose of having a small, light DSLR, so I opted for a Hakuba/Opteka grip (it’s a plate that screws into the tripod socket that enables you to use the excellent Canon E1 hand strap with it) and I couldn’t be happier. I’m not a fan of neck straps, so this works well for me (see the uploaded photo for the configuration).
Most of the menu buttons on the back feel different from the ones on the original Digital Rebel and the 30D; the XSi buttons feel more tactile and have a definite “click” to them when you press them. The exception are the Exposure Lock (*) and AF selector buttons, which have retained the deeper, softer feel of the older cameras. Just different, not better or worse, for me.
The LCD is now 3″ with 230K pixels. The playback images look great, and probably because of the higher resolution of the sensor, there’s a very slight delay when you zoom in to 10x while the image loads and displays properly. People coming from other cameras or brands might not even notice it–I only did so because of the difference between it and my two other Canon DSLRs (which have lower resolution sensors). The viewing angle of the LCD screen (how clearly you can see the screen from side and up and down) is excellent; you can still see the screen holding the camera almost straight up for an overhead shot (more on this later). I’d estimate the viewing angle is about 160-170 degrees both horizontally and vertically.
The Digital Rebel has a separate status screen above the main LCD screen, and the 30D had one on top of the camera, so I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the big LCD acting as the status screen and no top screen. I’m happy to say that this arrangement works well, at least for me. The back screen makes it really easy to take all the settings at a glance. The viewfinder is much larger and brighter than that in the Digital Rebel. A humongously welcome feature for me is the always displayed ISO value in the viewfinder.
The camera is only 1/2 of the image quality equation, the other being the lenses being used. Coupled with my favorite lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L telephoto lens, the XSi turns out fantastic images. The supplied kit lens is very light and compact for being an image stabilized lens, and turns out good performance. The IS is certainly very useful.
Two features that used to be missing from the Digital Rebels and found in the more expensive DSLRs are now featured in the XSi: spot-metering and flash exposure compensation (these may have been available in the previous Digital Rebel model, the XTi, as well). The inclusion of those two features make the camera a much more complete and compelling photographic tool. The timer function now has a custom mode, where it’ll count down from 10 seconds then take a number of shots (specified by you) in succession. No more running back and forth to reset the timer after each shot! There’s also the traditional 2-second timer.
Let’s talk for a minute about sensor and the ISO values. XSi/450D has five ISO values you can choose: 100 (best image quality), 200, 400, 800, and 1600. Higher ISO increases the camera sensor’s sensitivity to light, thus you can achieve faster shutter speeeds for a given lighting condition. However, the trade-off is that the sensor “noise” (think grain for film photography) increases with higher ISO, so you get a degraded image quality in return for less blurred photos from hand shakes (thanks to faster shutter speed). This may come in handy in situations where flash photography is not permitted, such as a museum or a concert or theater. HOWEVER, compared to point-and-shoot digital cameras, the larger sensors of DSLRs, including the XSi, means that even at ISO 800 and 1600 you get very usable images right out of the camera. Running the images shot at those ISO settings through any number of third-party noise reduction software will improve them even further.
This ties in to another very useful feature of the XSi/450D that makes life easier for the photographer: The Auto ISO function. By default, Auto ISO sets the ISO (the sensor sensitivity to light) between 100 and 800 (by using custom functions, this can be changed to 200-1600). If you are, for example, shooting your kid’s indoor basketball game and you know that you need a shutter speed of at least 1/200 sec to “freeze” the action, then you can set the camera to Tv (shutter priority mode) and set the value to 1/200, and set the camera to Auto ISO. Then the camera will match the aperture and the ISO to achieve proper exposure at that shutter speed. With my other DSLRs, setting the camera to shutter priority only allowed the camera to adjust the aperture value; ISO setting had to be adjusted manually. With the XSi/450D, the ability for the camera to adjust the ISO value automatically makes it one less thing for you the photographer to worry about.
I’ve only tested the Live View function to see how it works, but I can already see how useful it’s going to be in studio and macro shootings. Just a note, you can’t half-press the shutter to autofocus while in Live View mode. You can either manual focus, or use one of the two autofocus methods, quick (the mirror flips up, the LCD goes dark for a short while, and flips down with focus locked) or live (the camera uses the LCD’s contrast detection to achieve the focus–this method is slower than the quick method), both by pressing the exposure lock button (*) while in the Live View mode. Using either the RS-60E3 wired remote or RC-1 wireless remote in Live View mode will ONLY trigger the shutter, and has no bearing on focusing.
Some people seem to be under the impression that the inclusion of the Live View feature will enable them to use the XSi/450D as they do point-and-shoot digital cameras, to compose their shots. That is not the case. You can’t really make a functioning use of the Live View feature unless the camera’s securely mounted on a tripod or on a flat surface. Both Live View focusing modes, while precise, are too slow to be used for hand-held shooting.
Having said that, there is one use of Live View in hand-held shooting that I’ve come to value. When shooting overhead or over an obstacle, I can, with the same hand holding the camera, trigger the Live View, compose the scene through the LCD monitor (even if it’s out of focus, it’s easy to get the general framing right), disable Live View, and take the photo normally. With a little practice, this can be accomplished very quickly. Very handy when you’re just holding the camera overhead and hoping for the best.
The Direct Print button that’s been much ridiculed and maligned in most Canon cameras now double as the white balance menu button. The Set button in the middle of the four-direction arrow keys can be programmed for a number of different functions: Change image quality, flash exposure compensation, LCD monitor on/off (same as Display button, but can be triggered by the same hand holding the camera), and Menu display (again, can be triggered by the same hand holding the camera).
There is a dedicated ISO button, which is also very welcome. It can easily be accessed during shooting with the right thumb, thereby minimizing the interruption to shooting.
The battery life seems very good. I’ve shot about 500+ shots on a single charge and the status monitor is still showing charge at full.
I’m using Transcend 8GB Class 6 SDHC card with it. At ISO 100, the camera reports it can fit 396 RAW+JPG (highest quality) on it, but in reality it can probably fit about 420-450 (the camera’s always conservative when estimating). With RAW only, it can fit 507. With highest quality JPG, it can fit 1,822. Note that as ISO increases, so do the file sizes and thus you can store less images per card. For example, on ISO 1600, the same card can only hold 323 images, compared to 396 at ISO 100.
My only gripe, and this is more about me than the camera, is the RAW+JPG buffer. I always shoot RAW+JPG, and the buffer will only hold four images at that speed (this is a limitation that’s built into the camera’s memory buffer system, and thus using a fast memory card doesn’t help–see p.64 of the manual). When the buffer’s full, you can take two additional images at about a frame a second, then have to wait until the buffer empties (finishes writing to the memory card). When shooting RAW only, it’s 6 images. When shooting JPG only, then it’s no problem at more than 50 frames. I’ve found myself switching the mode dial to Sports mode when I’m shooting a fast-moving subject and the buffer simply can’t keep up with it. Well, that’s why Canon produces different grades and ranges of DSLRs.
I’ve uploaded some photos that I shot of the local wildlife. Most if not all of those were taken with the EF 70-200mm f/4 L lens.
All in all, it’s a fantastic camera. Pretty amazing to see how far the entry-level DSLRs have come in just a few years in terms of features, interface, ergonomics, and quality. I’m very pleased with my purchase and intend to have lots of fun shooting pictures with it.
Great camera, amazing battery life, now the perfect price! I have had the XSi for about 3 months now and I am thouroughly impressed with it. This is my first DSLR and I was a little wary about going with a brand-new and untested camera, but I have always like Canon (I used an ELAN II in High School and I bought a SD600 about 2 years ago to take snapshots of my son). Overall, I have not been disappointed with the quality of the photos that the XSi produces. The IS lens works great and I have taken some pretty amazing photos (for me at least). I do have just a couple of issues, both good and bad, that I think those who are looking at buying this may want to know.
Battery life — Great battery life. I should say, AMAZING battery life. I have taken over 5000 photos and I have only had to charge the battery twice.
Live View — LiveView is not for beginners. It is not a replacement for your Point-and-Shoot. You can’t use it in the AUTO mode (Green Square). This isn’t that big of a deal for me, I prefer full manual myself, but the whole point of this feature, I thought, was to make it more user friendly for the Point-and-Shoot photographer. My wife can’t use Live View in it’s current form (I specifically bought a DSLR with a live view function so she could still use the camera). So, if Live View is a big selling point for you, You may want to look at some others (If it isn’t that big of a deal to you, then this is still an amazing camera — added 4-23-2008). If you do studio work, though, you can hook the camera up to your PC and use it as a remote viewer. But it is not a point-and-shoot camera in Live View. In my earlier review, I said that it would be nice if Canon fixed some of the Live View issues with a firmware update, I was mistaken. Live View is a nice feature once you figure out it is not meant for beginners. Studio and landscape photographers will find Live View a great tool.
Image Quality — I have had some great success shooting in a studio setting as well as some great outdoor shots. In the studio, I used tungsten “hot” lights with the subjuect against a white background. The photos turned out great. Skin tones are perfect and there is very little, if any, chromatic abberation at the edges. It shoots great outdoor shots as well. We just got into beekeeping and I was able to get some AMAZING shots of our bees up-close outdoors. The bees looked dirty and not very interesting from a distance, but the macro photos I got up close are beautiful and full of wonderfully crisp details. The lens is a little short, the image quality you get from it is pretty good considering it only costs 0. I do plan on buying a longer lens in the near future.
Overall, the camera is solid and feels nice in the hand. It isn’t too heavy, yet still feels sturdy. If you can afford the higher price, I don’t think you will be disappointed. If you can’t, the XTi is still a great camera. And if you can afford to wait a few months for the price to drop a little (LIKE IT ALREADY HAS!!) I would. I was able to work a few extra weekends so I could afford to get this, and I can tell you, I don’t mind it a bit, because the quality of photos I am getting has been totally worth it.
— Update — I was incorrect when I said you couldn’t use the 9-Point autofocus in Live View. You can use the 9-point autofocus while in Live View, but the mirror flips down and focuses so you can’t see what you are trying to focus on until after the camera has actually gone through the autofocus process.
— Update #2 — I have now had this camera for almost two months and I am happy to report that the more I use it, the more I love it. Once you learn the layout of the camera and you load the MyMenu with the tools you use most often, the camera becomes an absolute delight to use. I have taken over 5000 photos with it so far and now I need an extra hard drive to put them all on.
I was able to rent a Canon EF 24-105 IS L lens and a 580 EX II Speedlite for my sister’s wedding. WOW! What great photos. The camera interfaced with the flash flawlessly and I am more convinced than ever that much of the quality of your photos comes from the glass you use and not as much from the camera itself (I think it is about 65% lens to 35% camera body give or take a few points– I know there will be those who disagree, but that is my take on it, and I am sure if I had a 1Ds MkIII I would think that there wasn’t a peice of glass good enough for my camera).
This is a great beginner dSLR and a great camera all around. I am very happy with my purchase and I have had no regrets whatsoever about spending the 0 to buy such a great tool. Amazon now sells it for 9, you can’t go wrong at that price!
Wonderful digital camera! This camera is impossible to beat at this price. I won’t write a lengthy review, but, you can set this camera in fully automatic mode and hand it to a “point and shoot” person, and they will obtain fantastic results. For the amateur photographer, this has all of the bells and whistles, what I love is I can reset the camera rapidly for multiple shots of the same scene on very different settings. Married with a decent photo program on your computer, it is possible to achieve professional results.
Many reviews say, get this with the stabilization lens…. I wholeheartedly agree… the extra 0 is a bargain price for this lens… It is almost (and I do say almost) like having a tripod. I set the camera for 1/10th second exposures with no support, and obtained steady pictures with it, slower than this, and the stabilization did not fully correct for any unsteadiness.
We’d buy it again in a heartbeat, and I wish I could get one for everyone I know!! Best photos that I have ever taken and a joy to use! Connecting it to the computer and downloading photos takes a matter of seconds.
Get the largest SD card you can afford with it… We have a 2GB card with it, and it fills fairly rapidly. 1GB is far too small for this camera (primarily because you will take numerous shots with it, not because the pics take up a great deal of memory), I’m guessing 4GB would be near perfect (or a couple of 2GB cards, but one 4GB is safer, the cards are too easy to misplace).
Full article: cheesycam.com This is me testing out the IndieHardware stabilizer with a Canon 5D Mark II + Sigma 20mm. Camera + lens combo i’m using is pretty heavy, and the Hague MMC could not handle this. What can I say? It works, it works better than a Hague MMC and is cheaper. Two things i’m not a fan of is the brushed aluminum and the small handle. That’s not a deal breaker by any means, it’s definitely a decent stabilizer for anyone starting out, especially with a Canon 550D / T2i. Check out the blog for the full write up. Video Rating: 5 / 5
Canon Rebel XSi Or T1i – Which Canon Rebel Should I Buy
Personally, I would choose the Canon Rebel XSi unless I had some extra cash that I did not know what to do with. And I have some excellent reasons. Canon has been at the top of the digital camera market, and in particular at the top of the DSLR market (along with Nikon) forever. Their Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras are all excellent. You could not make a mistake by purchasing any of them.
Even the lowest of the Canon DSLR line, the Canon Rebels, are rated very highly by all the camera review websites. While there are plenty of really good cameras to choose from other than a Canon, not every one of them is a great choice, and you would have to do some serious research before making your buying decision unless you had some inside information from a professional photographer friend. But buying a Canon DSLR is a no-brainer. They are all good. You will be really impressed with the quality of the images.
OK, so why choose the Rebel XSi over the T1i? It’s because of the price. The XSi is more than 0 cheaper than it’s younger cousin, the T1i. And for the novice photographer (which is what most of us are when we are buying our first entry level DSLR) the technology differences of the two cameras are pretty much non-existent. The exception is the HD video. If you must have video in your digital camera, then you should get a Canon Rebel T1i. Otherwise, go with the XSi.
Use the 0 dollars you save to buy an extra lens or a tripod.
Bottom line if you are asking yourself the question “which Canon Rebel should I buy”.. You can’t make a mistake, because they are both fantastic. Buying a Canon Rebel XSi or T1i will transform your photographic life, especially if you get that extra lens. Make it a macro or a zoom lens to give yourself a bit more flexibility.
I love photography and all things related to it. Cameras, camera gear, and image editing software fascinate me, so I am either buying the newest piece of equipment (or software) or researching my next purchase. Be sure to visit the Cameras-N-Stuff Blog.
