Canon Rebel T2I 550D OR 7D?

Brett

Brett

Well-known member
Im upgrading, and thinking about getting either the 550d or the 7d.. I know the price difference is abit lengthy but is there really any difference? ive heard that all your really paying for with the 7d is a waterproof body, and a few other minor things.. I have a dvx100b and am really thinking about going into the dslr world. thanks guys!
 
7d = looks pro, different ergos, 8fps, weather seal, dual proc, etc.

550d = looks consumer, less fps, no weather seal, small hand ergos, etc
 
I got the 7D because the stills capabilities are also a whole lot better - for example more AF tracking points, 18MP and the ability to store focus calibration for each lens (my D90 would front-focus on some lenses and back-focus on others). If you're not too serious about stills then I think the 550D is much better price performance wise. I also think the body is about the least expensive item in a good quality rig - I have lenses worth twice as much as the body.
 
7D has live HD output to an external monitor while recording, neither 5D nor T2i/550D have that. This is vital for focus pulling, but for example the team behind House prioritized DOF and lenses and chose the 5D. You may prioritize the low cost and choose the T2i/550D.
 
buy 550d and glass for rest of money,body only.
And about looking PRO,5d or 7d doesnt look more pro to me than 550d ,its camera thats why people are worried when you shoot movies with it,they think its for taking pictures and stills camera + video camera have opinion of "toy" most of the time and video on stills camera is gimmick.They are wrong but thats how they think and they judge by the look.
 
I have the 7D, but I got it a while before the 550d came out. I would say if you have the cash, get the 7D. To me, it just feels like a nicer camera and I like the larger size because it just has more weight and is more balanced with larger lenses.

But video wise, the 550d is probably just as good and certainly the BEST video camera ever made for the price.

Watch this. Shot with the 550D. AMAZING

http://philipbloom.co.uk/dslr-films/salton-sea-canon-rebel-t2i-550d/
 
If your a stills sports shooter, get the 7D. It has a great AF system for moving objects as well as more frames per second and of course a more rugged body. If you're not doing those things, you're kind of over buying.

For video you would have to weigh whether the ability to pick 320, 640 etc ISO is worth $800+ more for the 7D.
 
I'm going with the 550d for a few reasons. The cost of the SD cards is a big one, and I personally prefer a much smaller still/DSLR camera and the 7D and 5D seem like giant bricks to me. Ergonomically not as well balanced and funtional as a videocamera. I am also aware of the upcoming Panasonic videocamera and the Sony one and this DSLR I believe is a brief transition period till we can go back to a dedicated videocamera.

I've loved shooting with the 7D but man there area lot of compromises compared to shooting with a HMC150 or an HVX which I had before..... All in all, I think a prudent purchase is both the cheaper one and also the smaller one... For the price difference I could get myself a pretty nice lens and then use it in the future on a proper camera.
 
I have a T2i and love it! I will be spending my extra money on glass you should do the same. i think you will find the only thing you will be missing is that the T2i only goes up to 6400 ISO for I really have no need to go any higher then that.
 
gene_can_sing said:
But video wise, the 550d is (...) certainly the BEST video camera ever made for the price.
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Fully agreed.

Made by its S35mm sensor size -- that's what RED promised and accomplished but in another form factor.

A RED customer (from day one),

E. :-)
 
It depends on what you're using it more for. If you plan on beating the crap out of your camera than I'd probably go for the 7D. Aside from that (unless you want more photo capabilities) I don't see the point in not getting the T2i. Its the exact same image quality, and you can use the extra money for higher quality lenses. If you want to "look more professional" just shoot some awesome **** with what you've got. And with this camera its really not hard at all.
 
Had the 7D for two weeks and got the t2i instead. Unless you are a still sports shooter, the stills pics are the same.

Video is about the same, which I use the camera mostly for anyways.

For myself I love the lightness of the camera. I don't feel the weight is a burden so I take it out and shoot more often.

This is in contrast to the heavy HVX-200, which was a pain to lug around. When I sold the HVX-200, it had very little amount of hours on it.

I'd say get the t2i, use it and abuse it, and get another newer model next year. Put the savings to a good L lens that will hold its value. For sure the older camera bodies will plummet in price.
 
these are good suggestions and opinions for either camera. but i do think the extra expense for the 7D for the sake of having the professional model shouldn't be dismissed simply to buy better lenses. that $800 to $1000 difference certainly can go towards a better lens or other accessories, but there are customers out there that will pay a premium if THEY perceive the value.

it may be different in other type of productions, but for the weddings i do, more and more brides and grooms have asked me what equipment i use, what machine i edit on, etc. i doubt that i can demand the prices i quote if i were to respond that i use a rebel that a handful of their guests may also have, even if i could prove to them that the quality is equal to a more expensive 7D (or whatever). of course, there are budget conscience customers, so there's a niche for everyone. i just wanted to point out that the savings may actually cost more in loss revenue.
 
mikey50 said:
these are good suggestions and opinions for either camera. but i do think the extra expense for the 7D for the sake of having the professional model shouldn't be dismissed simply to buy better lenses. that $800 to $1000 difference certainly can go towards a better lens or other accessories, but there are customers out there that will pay a premium if THEY perceive the value.

it may be different in other type of productions, but for the weddings i do, more and more brides and grooms have asked me what equipment i use, what machine i edit on, etc. i doubt that i can demand the prices i quote if i were to respond that i use a rebel that a handful of their guests may also have, even if i could prove to them that the quality is equal to a more expensive 7D (or whatever). of course, there are budget conscience customers, so there's a niche for everyone. i just wanted to point out that the savings may actually cost more in loss revenue.
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100% false. Please show me 1 guest that you know or have ever seen that has a $1000 camera just for pictures?

$1000
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T2i-3-0...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1273881691&sr=8-2

Body only, T2i has only been out for less than a couple of months, No one who is not serious would spend that kind of money. Also the 7D goes for like $1500 now, so that's only a $500-600 difference.

These forums amaze me sometimes......
 
Please show me 1 guest that you know or have ever seen that has a $1000 camera just for pictures?


I'm not sure how you concluded that my comments were only about pictures. This is a forum for film making. So, to be clear, I shoot wedding videos, and I wouldn't want to show up at a wedding or reception with a Rebel, especially just to shoot pictures, while guests are using theirs for video.

as for the price difference, here's Canon list prices:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=111

$800 difference between T2 and 7D. Although you may not have intended it, you actually provide support to my comment that with the savings of only $500 (using your Amazon price) in getting the Rebel T2 instead of the 7d, someone may in fact lose more than that $500 in loss revenue because of the customer's perception that the 7D is more professional and may not hire someone using a consumer grade camera (even if someone may prove that the video quality of the T2 and 7D are the same).

Lastly, you're right that if you are going to spend any amount of money, whether $1000 for the T2 or $1500 for the 7D, you better be serious if you're looking to earn a living from that investment. If this is just a hobby, then spend based on what your budget allows, not the camera.
 
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I have both and if you have the money you should get the 7D,
1.7D has kelvin temperature for white balance T2i does not
2.7D has intermediate ISO, T2i does not, (better picture quality for sure under low light when you need to use ISO 1250 or so, T2i it full stop ISO goes from 800 to 1600)
3.Both camera shot a the same time and T2i overheat faster and this is before firmware update to extend warning on 7D.
4.much better built/weather seal
5.7D use CF, T2i use SDHC
6.7D has micro focus adjustment if you are shooting still and use autofocus, T2i does not and many other improvement for still which I don't care cause I don't shoot still.
But T2i does have a sharper LCD, a little easier to manual focus with video.
 
bwwd said:
APS-C is regular 35mm movie frame sensor size, 1d has APS-H super 35mm sensor size.
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Anything wider than 22mm wide (N35mm) can actually be considered S35mm as RED did (4.5K RAW is 24.4mm but RED 4K - 22.2mm sensor size - is closer to the APS-C format). 550D is 22.3mm wide. That's what the introduction of such designation "Super" does mean, as matter of fact. The same for the Super 16 in order to take advantage of the space originally reserved for the soundtrack.

You should be confusing the new S35 RED's Epic & Scarlet format (30mm wide) closer to the APS-H (28.1mm wide) than 24mm wide (24.84mm for 4-perf Full Aperture; 24.89mm for 3-perf) for sure.

BTW, there's an interesting discussion on the subject matter @ reduser.net with David Mullen:

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?p=423639#post423639
 
StenR said:
7D has live HD output to an external monitor while recording, neither 5D nor T2i/550D have that.
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This is simply not true. Both the 5D and the T2i have a live output through HDMI while recording. The output signal is not HD, but it's still enough for accurate focusing, as many users will attest.
 
As far as everyone crying about how the T2i looks and feels like a toy you would "buy for your 10 year old kid"....buy a frickin' battery grip for it and voila'....you have a camera that looks and feels like the "PROFESSIONAL" looking 7D/5D.

Jesus.

I saved about $1000 by choosing the T2i over the 7D (about $900 including tax at B&H as opposed to $1950).

There are a couple legitimate differences, yes, like no live HD monitoring and a weather proof body.

If I had money to burn, sure I would have gotten a 7d, and I'm not saying everyone should absolutely make the same decision I did. I just dislike this petty snobbish trashing of this camera which performs virtually identically in terms of video quality, simply because of its size or whatever. Quality lenses are a MUCH MORE crucial factor!

Furthermore, if I'm gonna stick a 3lbs lens on a camera for handheld work, the (T2i) body is a pound lighter than 7D and that weight difference is definitely preferred!

In the end I'm very happy I saved 1000 bucks to put toward sexy lenses.
 
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