Best B-cam to t2i

Indeed. I often shoot with 2 t2i's side by side.
I wouldn't mind a GH2 or something without recording limits, so I can have my B-cam be a "set it and forget it" camera, but Magic Lantern is addicting. Being able to match the settings exactly on two identical cams makes grading and coloring in post easier usually.
 
Why not a consumer camcorder like a Canon Vixia XX (there are a few, so I just wrote XX) perhaps for a wider shot or establishing shots? Sometimes wide shots on the aps-c canon's get a little muddy.
 
60D, t3i, t2, etc. Most have very similar sensor. If you go to something like a Vixia you will be facing a much greater visual difference between the angles and consequently a much harder time matching. That is if they're not intended to look different visually.

Noah
 
The T2i usually is the B-cam since it has the least features and is the lowest end out of Canon's 1080p cameras. If you have $800, you may want to grab yourself a T3i or a 60D (if you have a spare $100) and make the T2i the B cam. I wouldn't suggest going with a non-canon since you want the footage to match and you'll be able to have lenses that work for both.
 
DavidBeier said:
The T2i usually is the B-cam since it has the least features and is the lowest end out of Canon's 1080p cameras. If you have $800, you may want to grab yourself a T3i or a 60D (if you have a spare $100) and make the T2i the B cam. I wouldn't suggest going with a non-canon since you want the footage to match and you'll be able to have lenses that work for both.
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Actually, if you install magic lantern, it becomes the camera with the MOST features. The 60D has better ergonomics, but if we're talking strictly capability, it's very hard to match the feature set of a t2i with ml currently.
 
I know it may sound odd, but considering that the cost of the T2i is already so low and the feature set so high (with Magic Lantern), the T2i might be the best second camera option. Grading and matching in post will not be an issue either, and that alone could justify getting a second T2i.
 
MarcoPolo said:
I know it may sound odd, but considering that the cost of the T2i is already so low and the feature set so high (with Magic Lantern), the T2i might be the best second camera option. Grading and matching in post will not be an issue either, and that alone could justify getting a second T2i.
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...kind of what we've been saying.
 
I kinda agree with Rockmore. If the budget allows get a 60d and run magic lantern on the both of them. Magic lantern is unified now so on the t2i, t3i, and 60d its all the same. If the budget isn't quite as high you could maybe look at the t3i.

That being said there are some great advantages to the gh2, or the gh13. With the hacked firmware they have phenomenal image quality. They are smaller and lighter than the t2i for those situations when you don't want to be noticed. The biggest reason for me would be lenses. While if you go for another canon you can use all the same lenses, if you get a 4/3 you will have a MUCH wider range of lenses available to you including great classic OCT 18 anamorphic lenses and all the great old Russian cinema lenses.
 
treynolds said:
I kinda agree with Rockmore. If the budget allows get a 60d and run magic lantern on the both of them. Magic lantern is unified now so on the t2i, t3i, and 60d its all the same. If the budget isn't quite as high you could maybe look at the t3i.
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While they are unified, not all features work on all devices. See the Wiki here. You'll notice that the t2i has the most enabled functions of all of them, with the 60D a close second. The stuff the 60D lacks might not be so important (some intermediate and extreme ISO and Kelvin values), but its worth mentioning. Remember, the cheaper device is still ironically the most fully featured, save for the articulating screen (and I do kind of think the crop mode on the t3i is cool, but it is seriously lacking in the Magic Lantern feature dept).

That being said there are some great advantages to the gh2, or the gh13. With the hacked firmware they have phenomenal image quality. They are smaller and lighter than the t2i for those situations when you don't want to be noticed. The biggest reason for me would be lenses. While if you go for another canon you can use all the same lenses, if you get a 4/3 you will have a MUCH wider range of lenses available to you including great classic OCT 18 anamorphic lenses and all the great old Russian cinema lenses.
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Yes and no. The m4/3 mount takes more lenses, like old Canons. But if you are interested in some of the more modern features (image stabilization, etc), its nice to know you have more options in Canon-land. I wouldn't mind a GH2 in my lineup, but the lack of features offered by Magic Lantern (particularly the focus assisting tools and audio monitoring functions) are a deal breaker for me. Plus, I occasionally enjoy using a Canon IS lens when going hand held. Just playing devil's advocate here, there's always another side.
 
Your love of the T2i is starting to frighten me Gilden....

M. Gilden said:
While they are unified, not all features work on all devices. See the Wiki here. You'll notice that the t2i has the most enabled functions of all of them, with the 60D a close second. The stuff the 60D lacks might not be so important (some intermediate and extreme ISO and Kelvin values)
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60D already has intermediate ISOs and Kelvin dial without Magic Lantern.
 
Did you click to look at the ML wiki I linked?

DavidBeier said:
60D already has intermediate ISOs and Kelvin dial without Magic Lantern.
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I'm aware, but ML gives you MORE!! Especially EXTREME values, that non-ML cameras don't support at all!
Now, do you really need those? No, I'd say not. And that's why I listed them as an example of stuff that "might not be so important". The 60D also lacks the shortcuts ML supports on the T2i for its various features (instead of digging through the menu), however the improved layout of buttons and ergonomics on the 60D in general make this a moot point, IMO.

But my point was simply that many people don't realize Magic Lantern's feature set is NOT identical on all supported cameras. When you say "its all the same", for example, someone might not realize the t3i totally lacks audio control (setting analog gain to 0, not just disable AGC) or monitoring via headphones, and the focus tools on the 60D are listed as "unstable". I think it would be misleading to pretend it works the same on all 3 options.

Your love of the T2i is starting to frighten me Gilden....
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ROFL!!
I know it seems like I'm in love with my T2i, but I'm really not. I could really use an articulating screen, and would really love more than anyone to see the full feature set of ML ported to work on the 60D or T3i (particularly the t3i because of the crop zoom mode). But, sadly, its not yet. So in order to use all the tools I appreciate having (focus assist, live audio monitoring, etc), the ONLY choice is still the t2i unfortunately.

The fact that the t2i is also the cheapest option seems to be lost on people sometimes, so I feel compelled to point it out. I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but I can assure you that I don't have any biased opinions towards the t2i vs any other camera right now.
 
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I'm all for saving cash and I do think to myself some times about the extra lenses I could have afforded had I grabbed a T2i. But then I remember that I can't live with an articulating LCD and I feel better.

The T3i crop mode is cool though and I have no idea why Canon won't make it available for others via firmware.
 
DavidBeier said:
I'm all for saving cash and I do think to myself some times about the extra lenses I could have afforded had I grabbed a T2i. But then I remember that I can't live with an articulating LCD and I feel better.

The T3i crop mode is cool though and I have no idea why Canon won't make it available for others via firmware.
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Its part of how Canon rolls out new features- all future cameras will have it, but they won't retrofit features to their old ones, especially the less expensive ones (7D and t2i still lack official manual audio). Their flagship models like the 5D and 1D sometimes get updates with new features (notably, the 5D got manual audio), but I assume that is because they are expected to have a longer shelf life and aren't replaced as often as the less expensive prosumer models.

So the question is why didn't the 5D get crop mode? Two theories: 1) Feverishly working on the next 5D and an update this late in the current model's life isn't worth it 2) perhaps there is something different hardcoded in the sensor (unlikely, but a possibility. We already know the 600D/t3i has a totally different audio chipset and other hardware differences that keep Magic Lantern features from working).
 
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