Canon Rebel T2I 550D OR 7D?

It's so funny, that an inch here and there is supposed to make the difference between professional looking cameras. I can't imagine that the 7d looks so much more "professional" than a t2i when both can fit in a fanny pack :) Either way you're still showing up on a shoot with a camera that is about an 1/8 of the size of what clients might expect.

To think that 10 years ago looking professional meant huffing around a camera the size of a small suitcase :)

In my opinion get what you can afford to shoot with and have fun, because every year it's going to change. Both will get you great images and both will have limitations like most cameras. I had the 7d and returned it, have a Gh1 and now a t2i. All are great cameras and can do great things. We really have no excuses when it comes to image capture. You can pick anything apart, but just about anything out there works well in the right hands, so no excuses.

I for one love the t2i with an old Nikon Ai lens attached.
 
I have been using my T2i for a few months now along side a 7d. I shoot mostly video and it matches up perfectly with the 7d. I have filmed with both cameras in some pretty extreme locations from the desert to snow. The T2i can handle allot of abuse.

The 7d does have better iso ranges but for the most part I’m filming at 100 iso on the T2i using f 2.8, 1.8 and 1.4 lenses with vari nd.

I like the SDHC cards better then the 7d CF cards their cheaper and perform well. You wouldn't feel too bad about handing a $75.00 16 GB SDHC card over to a client if you had to.

I have not had any issues with overheating on the T2i and I do like the higher rez LCD. I don't use external monitors too often. I have had great success using the EOS utility software on a laptop and an I phone app. This allows me to have a client monitor via the laptop and an external monitor on an Iphone, with the cameras LCD still working in all modes. I can also control all the cameras functions via the iphone which is really cool in itself. I find the LCD on the T2i works great in most conditions and use an optical viewfinder for critical focus. The 7d does have full screen 1080 while in standby and during recording. The T2i is only 720 or somewhat less. Both do have 1080 in playback mode.

Weight is not an issue once you load it up with a lens. In fact the T2i's lighter weight works better with certain rigs and jibs I use. I feel that for video use the T2i is a great buy and the savings over a 7d can be used elsewhere, mainly lenses. I think they both can hold up for a few years. But with the way DSLR's are progressing it won’t hurt much to upgrade in a year and I can use my good glass on the next best thing Cannon comes out with.
 
One thing people have neglected to mention is the button layout on the cameras. The 7d has physical buttons for most everything, while the t2i utilizes combinations and menus to access some features. This for some people can be pretty annoying, I like having physical buttons for everything it makes it much easier adjust curtain things.

One of the biggest things that made me choose the 7d was that I wanted something that would last, because although I'm not a stills guy I know that maybe down the road I will want a camera thats made for photography to accompany whatever camera I have at the time (SCARLET!!!!!!)

The extra money is nice but I would rather have a pro stills camera that i know will last a long time than a good video camera that wont.
So thats my opinion...
 
I was going to buy, not a 7D, but a 5DII, but decided that with the fluid nature of DSLRs at the moment I went for the 550D, and the difference paid for a Sachtler tripod.
Dave
 
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I ended up getting the 7d as far as video the both Ive seen are incomparable.. I called up to best buy and asked if they had the t2i they had 2 left so I asked them to hold it for me, once I got there I immediately walked over to the 7D and picked it up.. I immediately fell in love.. it is quite heavy I can say, I don't know all the differences in the cameras just those that you all have listed... In all aspects I think they both are great cameras. I just had the extra money to spend so I went ahead and got the 7D, my friend who is a photographer has a tons of lenses and he said I could borrow anytime, so It just felt right.
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I would pick t2i as its cheap. Technology is replaceable in hust a year and i wont be surprised if a new dslr comes along and phases out the 7d or t2i... Atleast you spent less on a body bought good lenses earned money from it then by that time have enough money to buy a 5d mark 3 or something.
 
I got the 7d back in late Jan, like 6 weeks before the T2i came out. I considered selling it to get the T2i and pocketing the money, but i ended up keeping it since i got the 7D used for a pretty good deal anyway.
 
At this point in time, where an update of the 5D probably is in the making as we write, when new interesting cameras are to be released in the next couple of months, I just can´t see why one would choose the 7D over the 5D - for video work that is.
Also 60D with HD video has long been rumored and will probably surface at Photokina - I will buy the t2i now, learn to shoot with the shortcommings of the VDSLRs and get "the new breed" at the end of the year or in early 2011... Just my 2c.
 
Spartacus said:
, I just can´t see why one would choose the 7D over the 5D - for video work that is.
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I can think of two...the 7D offeres a FOV closer to 35mm than the 5Dll and it also does things the 5Dll doesn't do...like 60p. You want the same FOV as the 5Dll...than just back that thang up. :Drogar-Happy(DBG):

I think it's a good in between cam (between the T2i and 5Dll especially with those extra ISOs which coome in very handy) . The 1D Mark lV would be an even better "in-between" cam..but I can not justify the cost.
 
Spartacus said:
At this point in time, where an update of the 5D probably is in the making as we write, when new interesting cameras are to be released in the next couple of months, I just can´t see why one would choose the 7D over the 5D - for video work that is.
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Besides what Ian listed, I can think of a thousand reasons -- dollars. $1699 vs. $2699 is a pretty big spread for a lot of folks.


I will buy the t2i now, learn to shoot with the shortcommings of the VDSLRs and get "the new breed" at the end of the year or in early 2011... Just my 2c.
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I think those are wise 2c. If I was buying into a Canon at this time, I'd go with the t2i as well. It's so incredibly affordable, its disadvantages in video are very minor compared to the more-expensive 7D, and it has a movie-sized frame as opposed to the 5D. t2i seems like the real sweet spot of Canon DSLRs.
 
Barry_Green said:
Besides what Ian listed, I can think of a thousand reasons -- dollars. $1699 vs. $2699 is a pretty big spread for a lot of folks.



I think those are wise 2c. If I was buying into a Canon at this time, I'd go with the t2i as well. It's so incredibly affordable, its disadvantages in video are very minor compared to the more-expensive 7D, and it has a movie-sized frame as opposed to the 5D. t2i seems like the real sweet spot of Canon DSLRs.
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I was under the impression that the 5D is Canons best camera ( other than the MarkIV). What do you mean when the t2i is a movie sized frame and what are the benefits of that when compared to the 5D?


As always thank you Barry for your knowledge!
 
Cieloent said:
I was under the impression that the 5D is Canons best camera ( other than the MarkIV). What do you mean when the t2i is a movie sized frame and what are the benefits of that when compared to the 5D?


As always thank you Barry for your knowledge!
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The T2i has a cropped sensor, which gives it a similar DOF to S35 mm film, where as with the 5D having a Full Frame sensor, it gives you even less DOF. This was one of the reasons why they used it on House because the director loves insanely shallow DOF. It is harder to pull focus with a FF sensor though and harder to get a deeper DOF.

But aside from that and the 5D having slightly better light sensitivity and DR (do to the FF sensor) They all produce pretty much the same image.
 
Cieloent said:
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......
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Why are you being confrontational with this? How does it occur to you that this is appropriate posting behavior?

I can name off the top of my head at least ten people I know personally who have $1K+ still cameras just for personal snapshots. I don't find the idea of it the slightest bit surprising, or "amazing."
 
Barry_Green said:
Besides what Ian listed, I can think of a thousand reasons -- dollars. $1699 vs. $2699 is a pretty big spread for a lot of folks.



I think those are wise 2c. If I was buying into a Canon at this time, I'd go with the t2i as well. It's so incredibly affordable, its disadvantages in video are very minor compared to the more-expensive 7D, and it has a movie-sized frame as opposed to the 5D. t2i seems like the real sweet spot of Canon DSLRs.
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Sorry, I didn´t want to say "choose the 7D over the 5D" but over the "550D". Here the t2i is the 550D and my mind mixed that up.
I definitely want a FF for photography at some point of time, but it´s pretty obvious that a MarkIII or 5D follow up is in the pipeline...
Having said that, I just bought myself the 550 4 hours ago, battery is charging, tomorrow I´ll shoot sth...

BTW is there a sticky on SDHC cards? Just have a 4GB Extreme III from my Sigma DP1 right now, and I think I want at least 2 x 16GB... Thanks!
 
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