Just ordered my Canon T2i from BHPhoto, should have it in my hands tomorrow. Ive been getting a TON of questions about the differences between the T1i, the T2i and the 7D.

First lets talk about the major differences between the T1i and T2i (Cost difference is about $150-200)

– Slight improvement in pixel dimensions (T2i= 18MP, T1i=15MP)
– Slight Improvement in Monitor Resolution (T2i= 1,000,000, vs ~ 920,000 of the T1i)
– Manual Video Controls on T2i (For video shooters, this is significant)
– External Microphone input on T2i (This was a glaring feature that was missing on the T1i)
– Slight Ergonomics and Button improvements

There are a few very minor changes here and there, but really that is about it. What this means for you is this:

– If you are mainly interested in Photography, the T1i and the T2i are so similar I do not think you will notice any difference at all. If you are interested in doing anything remotely semi-serious with video, the T2i is a better investment just for the manual controls and microphone input. (Im curious to see if there are manual audio controls as well as we saw on the 5Dii update, Im guessing there wont be.)

Comparing the 7D to the T2i for Photography is clearly Apples and Oranges, the 7D is just TOO good to even compare in terms of pure photography shooting. However, when we look at the comparison for video, they are much more similar:

The T2i allows for true HD (1080p) shooting at both 30 and 24 fps, and 60 fps at HD 720 and SD 480. Consider the manual controls, the mic input….yes…the T2i and the 7D based on VIDEO features are extremely similar. If you are interested in getting a Canon Camera strictly for video purposes, the T2i is half the price of the 7D.

To sum it up, its as simple as this: If you are interested in Photography only, the T1i or 7D will make more sense. If you are interested in any kind of video work and are on a budget, the T2i is the best choice by far. We are not seeing these video features for this price anywhere else.

Canon T2i at BHPhoto