Buy Canon T2i or wait for the "T3i"

[brothersage]

I'm definitely getting the T2i, its all about timing for me, if I can save hundreds of dollars I am willing to wait...

The 60D is out of my range and my dad says don't bother with his old 20D. If anyone has any input on whether or not I should bank on the Canon T2i as my main go to dslr let me know. I am going to be using it for stills, but predominantly for video. My good friend told me to get the body alone, and get the 50mm 1.8f lens.

Any other suggestions on accessories or lenses I should get? Or should I be looking at a different dslr for video all together?

[canonman]

You wont be saving money if the lens falls apart and you have to get a new one.  You will find many stories on the internet of that 1.8 where the lens falls out.  When you handle the actual lens, it feels like a plastic toy and is just as durable. 

My suggestion is to get the 50mm 1.4  over the 1.8.  Sure its more expensive, but the 1.4 will last many more years then that 1.8. 

Buy it from Amazon as they have a very liberal return policy.  I think when you get the 1.8 then you will send it back quickly as you figure out how toyish and undurable it is.  I ordered one a while back and when it came I sent it right back.  I figured it would not last with the way I handle things.

[Gothmoth]

My suggestion is to get the 50mm 1.4  over the 1.8.  Sure its more expensive, but the 1.4 will last many more years then that 1.8. 

the EF 50mm f/1.4 has a higher build quality that´s for sure.
but we get a lot of 50mm f/1.4 back because of defect AF motors.

the EF 50mm f/1.4 is known for this issue.

on the other hand the EF 50mm f/1.8 is optically very good and much cheaper.
it´s 90-95 euros here in germany... so even when you destroy one it´s not such a big deal.

only thing i don´t like is the sometimes poor bokeh.

[armando]

If your currently in the business of photography and need a new camera badly I'd say buy the t2i, but if you can save up for a bit longer to buy the 60d, i'm 75% sure that the 60d will be better than the t3i in my opinion and it will be worth your while!! the t2i - t3i will be the entry level dslr and will never have most of the important the features of the 60d (swivel maybe) , plain fact (get the camera body only)

[Edwin Herdman]

The T3i might have marginally better ISO performance, at equal ISOs, compared to the 60D, as it'll have to have a new sensor (unless Canon does something remarkable and recycles the same sensor for the same model update, which I don't think Nikon has done either).  But of course it'll remain the better camera for sports shooting and for sheer autofocus accuracy.  Pentaprism (vs. mirror), in addition to the points you mentioned.

[Neuron]

This is a long winded post, i know but here goes:

When I first started out I bought my rebel XS with the kit lens and a 50mm 1.8.

While i loved the sharpness and bokeh of the 50mm compared to kit, i ended up using the kit lens more simply because it was more versatile.

50mm on a crop body has the same view as a 80mm on a full frame, i.e it's very tight. While it's great for portrait photography and situations where you can step back a lot, it's difficult to use in many group/indoor sessions (at least that's how i fared).

If it's going to be your only lens maybe try the Sigma 30mm 1.4 (FANTASTIC lens when you get a good copy, but you may need to return one or two till you get a good copy), or if you want to stay with Canon maybe the 35mm f2 (same league as 50mm, just wider).

Simply put, i'd go with a wider lens and crop as needed on the computer. The T2i is 18MP, which should give you plenty of wiggle room. I'd prefer that route rather than missing a shot since I couldn't step back and the subject was too close.

Regarding the T2i itself, it's a great camera. It's what I'm using now. Regarding pricing, it seems to me that there are many great deals out there right now. Today is boxing day sale where I am so there's a bunch of cameras and gear on sale. Maybe that's true for you too?

Edit: I read in another thread that supposedly the T3i is supposed to come in 2-3months. Ugh, I, personally, would buy it now. With the holiday sales and everything by the time the T3i comes out the T2i would be marked at a similar level as they are now. It's not worth it, at least to me, to lose 2-3 months (maybe less, maybe more) of experience and photos to save an extra $50.

[Gothmoth]

wait.... wait until 2015---- im sure canon has better cameras by then.

or wait until 2017!
i heard rumors about even better cameras released in 2017.....


 

[Jan]

I'm definitely getting the T2i, its all about timing for me, if I can save hundreds of dollars I am willing to wait...

The 60D is out of my range and my dad says don't bother with his old 20D.

You won't save hundreds of dollars. Maybe a few dollars, yes, but not hundreds. Additionally, I don't think that there will be a T3i that soon. The T2i has no competitor right now and is a lot of camera for that price.

I don't agree with your dad. The 20D is a good camera. But the T2i isn't bad either...

[scottowasho]

I was planning on just buying the T2i, but i ended up getting the 60D for only a tiny bit more with tax than the t2i is with tax
here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300490162035&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

It came with an 18-55m lens aswell which isn't the best but still a super good deal

the t2i is a great camera though very nice and light and feature rich

[scottowasho]

I think you'll have a little ways to waith though for the t3i, canon can't add too much to it yet without invading on the 60D's sales. If you're choosing between the t2i cand t3i I would go with the t2i you won't be disappointed

[canonman]

I had the T1i, the T2i and now the 60D.  The 60D is a big improvement over those other cameras in many ways.  First, the articulating screen makes the entire camera more user friendly.  Organizing, editing, taking and looking at photos makes things a lot easier.  Second, there are basic post processing features and new scene modes such as "Vivid color".  I do enjoy the scene modes as it just makes things a little easier sometimes.  I hate downloading pictures to the computer and post-processing.  I like to be able to simply pop the card in and upload.  I can do all of the resizing and post-processing onboard the camera without the need to download to the computer.  Third,  the 60D is much faster then the T2i all the way around.  Fourth, the 60D seems more rugged and comfortable to hold. 

Shooting with the T2i (when compared to the 60D) seemed a lot less graceful.  The 60D seems more like a ballet dancer, more precise and more user friendly.