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Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Digital Camera Review
May 28, 2010 By Kaitlyn Chantry 0 Comments (add your own)

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Conclusion

The Canon Rebel T2i (MSRP $899.99) doesn’t offer many improvements over last year’s Rebel T1i. The most significant, however, is the new 18-megapixel CMOS sensor borrowed from last year’s Canon 7D. This change increased the sharpness quality, but the Rebel continues to turn in only an average performance in noise, dynamic range, and long exposure.

Other improvements seem to be targeted at upgrading the video recording experience. The T2i sports a new, higher-resolution LCD and some minor changes in button layout — including a dedicated video record button in a more sensible location. There’s also an external microphone input, which should help in capturing better audio to go with your video.

Unless you use your T1i for shooting a lot of movies, there’s just no compelling reason to upgrade to the T2i. Meanwhile, first-time SLR buyers considering the T2i might be better off saving a couple hundred dollars and purchasing last year’s model. You’ll have to forgo the fancy new sensor and microphone input, but you’ll get the same phenomenal color performance, sleek menu design, manual controls, and access to the wealth of Canon lenses and accessories. The 2010 Canon Rebel T2i is a good, solid entry-level model, but there don’t seem to be many reasons to buy it.

Performance

The T2i had incredibly strong color and resolution performance, outshining nearly every camera in this price range. The color accuracy was no surprise, considering Canon’s legacy with excellent performance in this area. The sharpness was undoubtedly helped by the upgraded sensor; the T2i has an 18-megapixel resolution, compared to the T1i’s 15 megapixels. The T2i was on the weaker side, however, in long exposure, noise, dynamic range, stabilization, and white balance.

Video

As far as video-capable SLRs go, the Canon Rebel T2i offers some of the best video performance without forcing you to shell out loads of cash. The Rebel T2i nearly matched its more expensive cousin — the Canon 7D — in all of our video tests and it tremendously outshone its predecessor, the Canon Rebel T1i. Of course the T2i still has some problems (like overheating issues, a rolling shutter effect, and a lack of continual autofocus), but its combination of manual controls and 1920 × 1080 Full HD recording capability make it one of the best video-DSLRs we’ve reviewed.

Hardware

The T2i has reasonable hardware, considering the price point. The lightweight body does feel a bit on the cheap side, but the buttons and switches are all well-made and placed exactly where you would want them to be. The 3-inch LCD received a resolution upgrade from last year’s T1i, but the camera is still a hassle to use in Live View, thanks to slow autofocus. Just beneath the excellent viewfinder is a small sensor that automatically switches off the LCD — a nice touch, considering the T2i is an entry-level model. The built-in flash comes in handy, but it’s a shame that you have to use it for autofocus assist; the T2i does not include an autofocus assist beam.

Controls

The T2i’s controls are simple enough to feel manageable to new users. There is a full auto mode and a Creative Auto mode, which gives simple explanations for some of the settings. There are also six scene modes and a handful of color modes and white balance presets. Advanced users should be happy with the impressive ISO spread (100-12,800 if you include the extended range setting) and with the ability to tweak sharpness, contrast, saturation, and color tone in each of the color modes. What’s disappointing, however, is the narrow range for exposure compensation (±2 EV), scant flash controls, and overly complicated manual white balance system.

Sample Photos

In the following sample images, clicking on the larger image will download the full resolution original. Each photo is accompanied by four actual-size crops.

Interior Sample

Focal length: 55mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/100
ISO: 100

Taken indoors on a sunny day in New York, Program AE mode, Daylight white balance preset, Standard Picture Style. The camera compensates well for the strong backlight, though some highlights are blown out on

l the top of the subjects’ heads.

The crops below show good detail and clarity. The noise is kept to a minimum, which is to be expected at ISO 100. There are some small signs of chromatic aberration in the tweed. The colors of her dress are highlighted well, but they lose saturation in the shadows.
Exterior Sample

Focal length: 55mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Shutter: 1/200
ISO: 100

Another photo taken on a sunny day in New York, Program AE mode, Daylight white balance preset, Standard Picture Style. Our first attempt was overexposed from the sunlight on the bricks, so this shot used a -1 EV exposure compensation to set things right.

In the crops below, you’ll see that there is very little noise, even in the shadows. The bark shows a decent amount of detail in various levels of illumination.
Portrait Sample

Focal length: 55mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/100
ISO: 4000

Photo of an actor in spotlight, Portrait mode, custom white balance, spot metering, Standard Picture Style. A combination of spot metering and Portrait mode did a good job of capturing the subject without the problematic glare of a theatrical spotlight.

Unfortunately, the high ISO adds a great deal of noise, as you can see in the crop of the background, below. There’s also a large amount of chromatic aberration in the crop of the tunic. Detail is good enough to capture individual threads and to show you that’s clearly not his real hair.
Still Life Sample

Focal length: 51mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/13
ISO: 200

Some recognizable brand name products. Program AE mode, custom white balance, Faithful Picture Style. Despite a custom white balance, the indoor lighting definitely casts a warm glow over the scene.

Detail is fairly well preserved, but the image is certainly softer here in Faithful than in Standard Picture Style. In darker areas, we lose saturation. Some highlights (like on the bag of Cheetos) are blown out.
Macro Sample

Focal length: 55mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/100
ISO: 1250

Xylophone the cat. Macro mode, auto white balance, Standard Picture Style.

There is some fine grain noise in some areas (such as the first crop, below). The more difficult areas, like the middle of the eye, are lacking in detail, but areas of high contrast came out well. The white of the fur reveals some of the camera’s limitations in dynamic range.
Noise Reduction Example

Focal length: 46mm
Aperture: f/11
Shutter: 0.6 sec
ISO: 3200

Shot on a tripod using Aperture Priority mode, Standard Picture Style, with a custom white balance and evaluative metering. The three noise reduction settings did cost us some detail, but it wasn’t as drastic as could be expected — especially with NR turned up to High.

Noise Reduction Off

Noise Reduction Low

Noise Reduction Standard

Noise Reduction High

Canon EOS Rebel T2i Specs
Type Compact SLR / System
Focal Length Minimum 18.0 mm
Focal Length Maximum 55.0 mm
Sensor Size APS-C
Sensor Type - New CMOS
Aspect Ratios 3:2
Frame Rate(s) 24p, 25p, 60i, 50i
Original Price 899.99 $
Height 75.3 mm
Width 128.8 mm
Depth 97.5 mm
Weight 530.0 g
Model Colors Black
Display Type LCD
Display Size 3.0 in.
Display Resolution 1,040,000 pixels
Viewfinder Type optical
Viewfinder Magnification 0.87 x
Viewfinder Coverage 95.0 % coverage
Diopter Adjustment - New -3.0 to +1.0m^-1
Media New SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Connectivity Options USB, A/V, miniHDMI, microphone, wired remote, hot accessory shoe
Battery Type removable lithium-ion
Battery Model Number LP-E8
Mirror Technology (Interchangeable Lens) DSLR
Waterproof No
ISO Options 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, Extended ISO
Minimum ISO 100
Maximum ISO 6400
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