Here's why my next one will be a 7D (probably).
 

So I've had the T2i for a couple of months now and am sold. We've used it on a few projects and it's working great, so I'm going to get a second camera. But which to get, another T2i, 7D, or 5DMII?

The 7D is effectively $1000 more than the T2i, I could get two more T2is for the cost of a 7D. But working through it, here's why I think it's worth it. I'm posting this because I'd like to get the T2i community's feedback on it and see what your thoughts are.

1. Ability to dial in specific white balance temps. I never really used this before, but now that I'm paying more attention to the kinds of light I'm using and trying to match to cameras like my Z7U I'm finding that I wish for this ability.

2. Ability to use the in between ISOs. Seems that it's fairly conclusive that the ISOs the 7D and 5D can use (320, 640, etc.) give a cleaner picture than "whole value" ISOs like 200, 400, 800.

3. Ability to monitor out in HD. Of all the reasons this one may be the most significant to me. I'm finding focusing with my 7" monitor in SD to work just fine. But on the shoot, with the client watching, I just hate having a 4x3 SD image on the monitor. It would be easier, look better, and just be nicer to have HD out while recording.

4. Better construction. Unsure how significant this one really is, but I do have a few timelapses planned in the future and leaving the camera outside for extended periods might be less harmful to the 7D than the T2i. Also planning a trip to Nicaragua and will be shooting in some rough environments. Stuff like that would seem to be better dealt with better construction.

5. Seemingly better button navigation/customization. Having never used a DSLR for video before I've been fine with the way the T2i lays out its controls, but seeing how the 7D works I can see it's a slight bit easier to use in terms of buttons. Really long for the dial.

That's my list so far, each of those things are fairly minimal but added together I'm feeling the difference in cost to be justified.

On the T2i side the only thing I can really think of in its favor (other than the price) is the better LCD screen.

Anyway, thoughts?

If I was at your place I would buy better lenses for the T2i. But if you can buy a 5D Mark II, who can say no to it.

Lenses aren't a real issue. My sister is a professional photographer and I've got access to several thousands of dollars in lenses from her. That's a real blessing, my favorite so far is the Canon 24-70 2.4. It's on the T2i 75% of the time.

As for the 5D, you lose the HD monitoring out. I'd expect the next revision of the 5D to have that and I'd consider it again when it comes.

If it were me, the #1 reason to get the 7D would be for 1080 monitoring - assuming that you use an external monitor in your productions.

And the #1 reason to jump to the 5D2 is for the better selection of primes - especially at the wide end. It's also nice if you want to record audio into the camera.

If you use zooms and a loupe, the T2i/550D is a heck of a deal.

Pardon my ignorance on the subject, but as far as the in-between ISO's go, couldn't this possibly be fixed by a firmware upgrade, or maybe even through a Magic Lantern firmware? Is this a hardware limitation of the sensor?

Also, why is there a better selection of primes for the 5D Mark II? All EF mount lenses work just fine on the T2i, no?

Also again, how is the audio input on the 5D Mark II different than the T2i? Both are stereo inputs with AGC, correct?

The 5DM2 now has manual audio controls and monitoring, at least with levels. Does it have headphone monitoring as well?

I assume the ISOs could be changed via firmware but I would imagine it's unlikely that Canon would do this if no other reason than to keep the T2i from being too good and cutting into sales of cameras like the 7D. Obviously it's working on me. :)

As for Magic Lantern, I don't know what it would be capable of and have no idea of a time frame for getting it to work on the T2i (or if it's even going to be attempted). In any case, if I'm looking at making a decision in the next couple of weeks, neither of those things are likely to change.

If the 5D had HD monitoring out while recording it would be a slam dunk, no reason to even consider the 7D. But that alone makes it hard to spend so much on it when you know the next revision will have it.

5D is Full frame as you are probably aware. Same lenses have a wider field of view. 17mm is ultra wide on a 5D and just wide on A 550d.

For this reason, there are less wide angle lenses to choose from for the APS-C sensor cameras. Something amateurs like me have to live with. Still, I'm a telephoto guy at heart, so I'll take the bigger choice of long lenses every day.

a good argument. my thoughts:

#1- when I first used the t2i, there was some menu setting which showed the different white balance temps as numbers AND categories- in other words, it said "DAYLIGHT" and then had a 5600(?) underneath. Then I tried finding that menu again and could only find the categories without the numbers- I have no idea why, but I didn't have a chance to scour the manual and had to return the camera and am waiting for the replacement. So, to me, though the fewer WB options isn't as good as the 5D's version, it's a minor issue and not worth the extra grand for a 7D.

#2 - similar. Not such a big deal that I'd get a 7D.

#3- yes, agreed, if you need that HD output then that's a major factor. For me, the LED screen is so sharp on the t2i, I haven't needed anything- but in a situation where I need an external monitor, I don't know whether the HD is essential over an SD. However, if you get a 7D, you will not have such a sharp LED screen, and that's a BIG bonus to the cheaper camera.

#4- I would agree in theory, but the reality is that you will probably be upgrading to a newer, better model way before your plastic case stops doing it's job. Of course, if you're running around the world's jungles, this may not be the case, but in 95% of situations, I don't think the metal body actually is much of a bonus.

#5- that's a negligible difference to me.

At this moment, the winner by a little bit is the rebel, IMHO. If that external HD monitoring bonus is a necessity, I can see the 7D winning out, but that's a big IF.

OK here is a big beef I have: why do people call the 5DM2 a full frame camera? It is not a full frame camera. It is a 1.3x crop sensor camera. Granted it is a bigger sensor than the APS-C cameras and so I can understand your argument now, but I don't get why everyone calls the 5D full frame.

5D, 1Ds - full frame 1.0 crop
1D - APS-H 1.3 crop
Everything else - APS-C 1.6 crop

EOS 5D Mark II



Uh maybe because the 5DMK2 is indeed a full frame camera, a true sensor size which of 24x36. Canon has sold full frame digital slr cameras to the pro market for many years. Not everyone can live with their wide angle lenses becoming a very ho-hum 32mm focal length due to the smaller APS sized sensor cameras.

Yes. Headphone monitoring has been available on ML since the first release.

It has a headphone jack?

Magic Lantern yes, but what about the official Canon firmware update?

Nope. No headphone monitoring from Canon. And the graphic monitor is only available deep in a menu before recording starts.

So even on the 5D it would be hard to trust critical audio on it. I'm finding the external audio solution not nearly as troublesome as I expected.

Wow, my apologies. I guess I must have misread a report on this. I thought the 5DM2 was APS-H. Thank you for setting me straight!

(Except now I want a 5D Mark II.... :-/ )

The only APS-H sensor in the Canon product line is the 1D series (currently the EOS 1D Mik. IV).

The 5D and 1Ds cameras are full frame. Everything else is APS-C.

In terms of motion picture photography, the 7D and T2i are full frame, ie., very close to Academy 4 perf. The 5D is full frame for a still camera. In motion picture terms, it would be Vista Vision.

Check this test out.

how does the 2Ti perform in real-world situations under the stressful demands of indie filmmaking?

That is crazy, now I know what people are talking about. If that video is really indicative (why wouldn't it be?), 1250 and 2500 ISO are amazing sweet spots.

7D = £1150

Watching closely and can really see the 550d going on ebay in a few months.

One of the best remarks I have seen Bill.

It all depends on where you're coming from. To a 35mm still photographer, a 28mm lens might be considered reasonably wide angle. If he shoots with a Hasselblad, he'd think a wide angle is 50mm, or 90mm if he has a 4x5 view camera. In the motion picture or video world, a Cooke 18mm lens would be considered reasonably wide. If you shoot with a 2/3" chip video camera you'd consider 10mm as wide; if you come from 16mm, a 12mm is about the same; and in a 1/3" chip video camera, about 4-5mm would be wide. A motion picture cameraman would have to "translate" what 28mm really is if he were using Canon still camera lenses, while a 35mm still photographer would have to translate what it would be on an APS-C size chip. So in my world, consisting primarily of motion picture work, the 7D is very close to "full frame." When I made a living doing mostly stills, I considered 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 to be "full frame" and 35mm to be "miniature." In my 16mm days a 25mm lens was a "normal" lens. With my 7D, my 35mm is the "normal" lens.

60D is supposedly coming out soon too, but I think at some point you have to stop looking at specs and comparisons and just get busy. (Though you'd be able to sell that 550D for just about what you paid for it right now.)

I'm not a pro, I'm just a gear head!

I don't tend to hang on to things until they have lost all their value. Having said that, I am really appreciative of the size and weight of the 550d. Makes it easier to have with you at all times.

Although anything that boosts low light performance is ultimately the main draw for me, hence my comments about the intermediate ISO performance of the 7d.

I've shot with both the 7D and the T2i (I now own two) and the 7D is a much better option, however, for the price of one 7D, I got 2 T2is. A bud of mine with a slr background has the 7D and his work is just fantastic. I'll bet that a couple commercials we shot for a kick boxer will win some awards.

Before these cameras, I never even handled a dslr or an slr. I have no background in photography. My initial conclusion based on shooting with them from January to now (T2I for a month and a half) is that the video from the T2i looks about the same as the 7D under most conditions. However, the 7D just seems much better and more professional (which it is). It is bigger and heavier and I like that. But my girl uses one of my T2is and the light frame is a plus.

My latest interview was shot hand held with the cheap 50mm 1.8 lens (no IS). Here's the link: The Film Fix: AFF 2010 – Noah Barrow and Ariel Zucker-Brull on RICKY RIGGS: The Story of a Block Bitch

The other one that was hand held can be watched here: Film Fix TV: AFF 2010 – Maggie Sargent talks about DIVORCING GOD…

I shot at least 10 little interviews that day and alternated between purely hand held and my monopod.

I've shot a lot with the cameras for the last month and a half and I'm getting better with them. The first show I shot looked pretty bad.

When shooting hand held, I've used the steady stock (on those links above) and recently on the Drop Dead Diva set, I used a $30 shoulder brace I got on ebay and it worked very well.

If you can afford it, buy the 7D, that's my conclusion. But the T2i could be a two for one option.

Thanks for the feedback. I did also just want to mention (because I tend to forget this looking at these cameras) that I'm deciding between a $700 and a $1500 camera. That's just insane as my pretty Z7U gathers more dust on the shelf.

Pretty neat world we're living in.

Gotta love that Z7U! My FX1000 was similar, but I sold it and bought two T2is. I even had enough for several lenses.

I'm not letting go of my Z7U just yet, it still has plenty of uses. Event shooting can't be done easily with the DSLRs (though we don't do much of that).

But I am finally selling my FX1.

Bryan, I was in the exact same situation that you were in. I love my T2i, but went with the 7d and have not one regret.

After considerable debate, I've placed the order for a 7D. Am anxious to see how well the T2i and it work together.

When buying a 2nd camera consider that if you buy a different model then you'll need different batteries and cards.

Well sure, fortunately I've already got a slew of CF cards from my Sony Z7U.

Well, on a product shoot yesterday with the t2i, I realized why I really need the 7D. Was using my mini dolly/jib and while I was fine looking through the viewfinder, the client said he would like to see what was happening. Sucked to tell the client it couldn't happen but he was thrilled with the end results which overshadowed the inconvenience. Thankfully, I have all the lenses I need and support gear so I just need a body!