Description
Canon just surprised the photography world with this latest announcement, showing off its EOS Rebel T2i that will take its place at
the top the company's Rebel line of lower-cost digital SLR cameras.
This 18-megapixel powerhouse is the beneficiary of a lot of trickle-down from Canon's twice-as-expensive EOS 7D camera. That means you'll be able to get a $799 camera (body only) with such advanced features as 9-point autofocus, a 63-zone dual-layering metering system just like the 7D, a 3-inch live-view smudge-resistant viewfinder, ISO of 100- 6400, and 1080p video shooting at 24, 25, or 30 frames per second with an external mic input.
Whoa, Nikon, you have a lot of catching up to do now. Canon's not saying yet when this relatively cheap camera ($899 with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 image-stabilized kit lens) will be available, but soon thereafter, the company's going to need to raise the bar on its higher-end cameras just to keep up. Take a look at the impressive specs for the EOS Rebel T2i:
The new flagship of the EOS Rebel line, Canon EOS Rebel T2i brings professional EOS features into an easy to use, lightweight digital SLR that's a joy to use. Featuring a class-leading 18.0-megapixel CMOS image sensor and increased light sensitivity for low light photography, the EOS Rebel T2i also has an advanced HD Movie mode for gorgeous Full HD movies. Able to capture up to 3.7 frames per second, it's ready to go the minute it's picked up. Advanced Live View, a new wide-area screen, plus features like Canon's brilliant Auto Lighting Optimizer and Highlight Tone features ensure brilliant photos and movies, easily. With some of the most advanced features of any digital SLR, it's simply the best Rebel Canon has ever created.
Features
18.0-megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processor
The EOS Rebel T2i has an 18.0-megapixel CMOS sensor that captures images with exceptional clarity and tonal range and offers more than enough resolution for big enlargements or crops. This first-class sensor features many of the same new technologies as used by professional Canon cameras to maximize each pixel's light-gathering efficiency. Its APS-C size sensor creates an effective 1.6x field of view (compared to 35mm format).
DIGIC 4 Image Processor
The Canon DIGIC 4 Image Processor dramatically speeds up the entire EOS Rebel T2i's camera operations for intuitive operation and offers improvements in both fine detail and natural color reproduction. It works in concert with the EOS Rebel T2i's CMOS Image Sensor to achieve phenomenal levels of performance in nearly any situation.
ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12800) for shooting from bright to dim light
The EOS Rebel T2i features an expanded ISO range that makes shooting possible in situations previously unthinkable without flash. With an ISO rating up to 6400 (expandable to ISO 12800), along with the DIGIC 4 Image Processor's improved noise-reduction technology, creative possibilities abound. Combine the EOS Rebel T2i with one of Canon's EF or EF-S lenses with Optical Image Stabilizer and the shooting possibilities for both movies and stills expand even further.
Improved EOS Movie mode with manual exposure control
Designed for the evolving, tech-savvy user, the EOS Rebel T2i features HD Video capture technologies--manual exposure control for more creative control, for example--borrowed directly from professional Canon SLRs to capture stellar video with all the benefits of shooting with an SLR. By shooting video with the EOS Rebel T2i, photographers as well as filmmakers can take advantage of the creative features native to SLR cameras. Along with its manual controls, the EOS Rebel T2i allows for full use of Canon EF and EF-S lenses, including Macro and Fisheye, providing a plethora of shooting options once reserved only for still photography. The resulting HD video is a standout in its beautiful depth-of-field characteristics and remarkable capture capability under poor lighting conditions. In a first for EOS cameras, a Movie Crop function is included: An SD-quality movie (640 x 480) can be cropped to the equivalent of about 7x magnification of regular shooting.
Video can be captured at a number of resolutions and frame rates for numerous applications. It can capture 1920 x 1080 Full HD video at frame rates of 24 (23.976), 25 or 30 (29.97) frames per second, for up to 4GB per clip. Movies are saved as MOV files and can be viewed in Full HD through the EOS Rebel T2i's HDMI output. Other recording sizes include HD at 1280 x 720 (50/60 (59.94) fps) or SD/VGA at 640 x 480 (50/60 (59.94) fps). The EOS Rebel T2i has a built-in microphone for simple mono recording and stereo sound can be recorded through a self-powered external microphone.
Enhanced 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system, and 9-point AF system
The EOS Rebel T2i features Canon's newest Dual-layer sensor, with 63-zones. By measuring not only the amount of light, but also taking into account color and luminosity, this new system delivers a very high level of accuracy for better results every time. Since the metering sensor has a color measurement function, exposure errors and focus errors caused by different light sources are minimized; the EOS Rebel T2i gives stable exposure from shot to shot in situations where light changes, such as sports on a cloudy day, or indoor holiday scenes.
Additionally, the EOS Rebel T2i has a high-precision, 9-point AF system utilizing a high-precision, f/2.8 cross-type center point. The 9-point AF system uses both normal and high-precision focus depending on the aperture and available light. The 9 focus points can be chosen automatically or manually selected.
Wide 3.0-inch (3:2 aspect ratio) Clear View LCD monitor
The EOS Rebel T2i has a high-resolution 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor that features 1.04 million dots/VGA for spectacular detail. It also has the same aspect ratio (3:2) as the camera's sensor, making for clear and easy Live View composition. An anti-reflective and water-repellant coating provides a clearer and more smudge-resistant surface and screen brightness can be adjusted in 7 steps in accordance with ambient light.
New Quick Control Screen button
The EOS Rebel T2i's refined button layout includes a dedicated button that directs the camera immediately to the Quick Control screen, where it's simple to navigate among any number of settings, including ISO, Exposure and Flash Exposure compensation, drive mode, white balance, image quality and much, much more.
Improved layout with dedicated Live View/Movie shooting button
Without the need to navigate through a bunch of menus, the EOS Rebel T2i transitions effortlessly between still and movie mode. By pressing the Live View/Movie button, a situation that had required menu access with other cameras, still images can change to a movie shoot and vice versa. It's literally as simple as the press of a button.
3.7fps continuous shooting up to approximately 34 JPEGs or approximately 6 RAW
The EOS Rebel T2i can shoot up to 3.7 frames per second (fps) for up to approximately 6 consecutive RAW files or approximately 34 full-resolution JPEGs. Shooting at speeds of up to 1/4000 sec., the EOS Rebel T2i can capture even rapidly-unfolding scenes with ease.
New compatibility with SDXC memory cards
The EOS Rebel T2i is compatible with both SDXC memory cards for greater storage capacity and with Eye-Fi SD cards, which are outfitted with a Wi-Fi transmitter (IEEE 802.11b/g) and internal antenna for wireless, high speed transfer of images. With an Eye-Fi card installed, the EOS Rebel T2i can display the Eye-Fi's connection status and error notes with ease, for fully functional wireless uploading of images directly from the camera.
*Canon cameras are not guaranteed to support Eye-Fi card functions, including wireless transfer. In case of an issue with the Eye-Fi card, please consult with the card manufacturer. The use of Eye-Fi cards may not be available outside the United States and Canada, please contact the card manufacturer for territory availability.
Compatible with the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses
EF Lenses
The EOS Rebel T2i is compatible with all Canon lenses in the EF lineup, including compact and lightweight EF-S lenses, ranging from ultra-wide angle to super telephoto lenses. Canon lenses employ advanced optical expertise and micron-precision engineering to deliver outstanding performance and deliver beautiful results. Special technologies like the Canon Image Stabilizer technology in select lenses helps to minimize the effect of camera shake, effectively adding up to four stops of light. With a dizzying array of lenses perfect for travel, sports, still life and everything in between, photographers can truly maximize the quality and performance of their EOS Rebel T2i with superlative Canon optics.
Software
Canon EOS Digital Solution Disk (Version 22.0)
The EOS Rebel T2i comes bundled with a Canon EOS Digital Solution Disk, which features powerful software programs designed to extend the EOS experience to the computer. These include Canon's EOS Utility (Version 2.8.0), Digital Photo Professional (Version 3.8.0), ZoomBrowser EX for Windows (Version 6.5.0), ImageBrowser for Macintosh OS X (Version 6.5.0), the Picture Style Editor (Version 1.7.0), MovieEdit Task (Win/Mac, Version 3.4.1) PhotoStitch (Windows Version 3.1.22/Mac Version 3.2.4), Memory Card Utility (Windows Version 1.3.0/Mac Version 1.2.3), WFT Utility (Win/Mac, Version 3.5.1), and Original Data Security Tools 1.8.0 (Win). Each application is designed to perfect the captured images and streamline the digital workflow.
Compatible Operating System
Windows: Windows XP SP2 or SP3 / Windows Vista (all version except the Starter Edition) / Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Macintosh: OS X 10.4 to 10.5
EOS Utility (Version 2.8.0) for Macintosh or Windows handles the connection between the camera and computer whenever they're connected via USB. It allows remote controlled shooting from the computer, handles downloading of images from the camera to the computer, and allows seamless linking to either Canon's ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser or Digital Photo Professional software once images have been copied to the hard drive. Furthermore, it's used to upload settings back into a USB-connected camera.
Digital Photo Professional (Win/Mac, Version 3.8.0) is an image processing program that enables high-speed RAW image processing, high-speed previewing for real-time image adjustment and support for sRGB, Adobe RGB and Wide Gamut RGB color spaces. Because it's CMS (Color Management System) compatible, Digital Photo Professional allows for easy image layout and printing in Adobe RGB in conjunction with Easy-PhotoPrint and PictBridge printers. It also features the Dust Delete Data Detection tool for cleaner images.
Picture Style Editor (Win/Mac, Version 1.7.0)
Canon's Picture Style Editor enables you to create custom Picture Style profiles that can be used to customize the appearance of JPEG and RAW images captured with EOS Digital SLR cameras. Picture Style files created with Picture Style Editor can be loaded into the EOS cameras that support Picture Style and may also be used when processing RAW images in Canon software applications Digital Photo Professional, ZoomBrowser EX (for Windows) and ImageBrowser (for Mac).
ZoomBrowser EX (Version 6.5.0) for Windows and ImageBrowser (Version 6.5.0) for Mac OS X are the easy, user-friendly options for viewing and editing of JPEG and even RAW image files. Both allow viewing of numerous types of images including finished TIFF and BMP files. Both also have a variety of search options for finding images, allow re-naming of single images or batches of files, and offer a variety of options for printing without using a separate image-editing program.
Press Release
London, 8th February 2010 Canon today announces a groundbreaking new addition to its expanding, world-famous EOS range of Digital SLR cameras the EOS 550D.
The EOS 550D redefines the boundaries of Canons consumer DSLR range, incorporating technologies and features more commonly found in semi-professional DSLRs into the compact, lightweight body favoured by consumers. With a newly-developed 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, coupled with Canons advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and the ability to shoot Full HD movies, photography enthusiasts are empowered to explore new levels of creativity.
Creative control with no compromise on quality
The EOS 550D makes Canons powerful imaging technology more accessible to consumers. Canons advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and 18MP sensor support standard ISO settings of 100 6400 (expandable to 12800), while enhanced in-camera noise reduction technology boosts performance in low light conditions. The systems 14-bit image processing also produces smoother tonal gradation and natural looking colours for high quality prints and on-screen display.
For swift and accurate focusing, the EOS 550D features a 9-point AF system with one extra-sensitive crosstype point at the centre for f/2.8 or faster lenses. The EOS 550D also supports high-speed, continuous shooting at 3.7 frames per second (fps). These features provide users with the opportunity to exert greater control over their images, allowing them to capture split-second moments with ease and accuracy.
Continuing Canons tradition of filtering new technology and features down from its advanced and professional DSLR ranges, the EOS 550D includes the iFCL metering system first launched in the EOS 7D. New for EOS is the ability to set the top limit for automatic ISO, allowing users to control the maximum amount of noise in their images. In a first for entry level EOS, exposure compensation and bracketing can be set up to plus or minus five and two stops respectively, allowing the photographer to take a number of differently exposed versions of the same shot to ensure they capture a well-exposed image, even in difficult lighting conditions.
Digital SLR photography has captured the imagination of consumers globally, said Kieran Magee, Director of Product Planning, Consumer Products, Canon Europe. Every year, more and more individuals are looking to record key life events with unrivalled quality or to test and explore their creativity. The EOS 550D redefines the entry level DSLR category, putting technologies and features previously the preserve of the professional into the hands of the consumer allowing them to achieve outstanding results. With the EOS 550D, consumers are free to explore the limits of their own creative vision.
EOS Movies: Full HD video with creative control
As the ability to record Full HD video becomes increasingly important, Canon continues to deliver DSLR technology that sets the industry benchmark for multimedia functionality. The EOS 550D records video in full 1920x1080p HD resolution, allowing photographers to select the frame rate preferred from 30, 25 and 24fps, as well as offering 720p video at 60 and 50fps. The EOS 550D also includes a 3.5mm stereo microphone socket, enabling the use of an external microphone when capturing video.
Photographers can also take manual control over exposure settings, changing the depth of field and degree of motion blur to shoot more creatively. To provide the best possible video quality, highlight tone priority (HTP) can be set independently for movie capture, without changing any still image capture settings. In situations where the subject is further away, the EOS 550D Movie Crop function records with the central 640x480 pixel area of the sensor, creating an effective magnification of approximately seven times. The EOS 550D is the first in the EOS range to feature Movie Crop and gives consumers more flexibility to capture important moments which would otherwise be too far away.
A clear view of your world
The EOS 550D also allows photographers to view their images and video in unhindered clarity. A 7.7cm (3.0) 3:2 Clear View LCD screen with 1,040k dot resolution makes it possible to see 100% of captured images with no borders. The anti-reflective, water-repellent coating also makes it easier to see the screen in bright conditions and from a variety of angles.
EOS build Canon quality
As consumers would expect from an EOS DSLR, the EOS 550D is built to a high quality specification. It features bigger, more intuitive buttons which have been redesigned following feedback from users. Based on this feedback, the EOS 550D also features an additional button on the new, battery grip, allowing aperture settings to be changed when shooting with the camera in a vertical position, without having to reorient the body.
Share the moment with friends and family
For EOS 550D photographers, shooting great pictures and video is just a first step. Thanks to an integrated HDMI port compatible with High-Definition Multimedia Interface Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC), video and images stored on the EOS 550D can be viewed on an HD-ready TV and controlled via the TV remote.
For users who want to transfer content wirelessly, the EOS 550D includes Eye-Fi* connected functions. The EOS 550D features a dedicated Eye-Fi section in the User Interface and it disables the automatic power-down function when an Eye-Fi card is transmitting - allowing users to transfer content easily and without interruption**.
Accessories
The EOS 550D is fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX series Speedlite flash units, including the compact Speedlite 270EX. The EOS 550D is also compatible with the new RC-6 Remote Control, allowing photographers to capture high quality stills and Full HD video without touching the camera body. The slimline infrared controller can trigger the shutter release from up to five metres away, with users able to select either immediate release or a two second delay for greater flexibility when shooting. As well as supporting EOS 550D, the RC-6 is also compatible with the EOS 450D, 500D, 7D and 5D Mark II.
CANON iMAGE GATEWAY share your stories
Owners of the new Canon EOS 550D can join the CANON iMAGE GATEWAY, a free online facility for Canon users that makes it easy to share their photos and video. Users can take advantage of up to 2GB of personal storage space, creating enough room for hundreds of high-quality images. Mobile browsing is also supported, making it easy for friends and family to view photos on the move.
Features at a glance:
18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
7.7cm (3.0) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
Exposure compensation +/-5 stops.
Select maximum value for Auto ISO
External Microphone socket
Movie crop function
Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility
*Eye-Fi may not be available in all regions
**This product is not guaranteed to support Eye-Fi card functions (including wireless transfer). In case of an issue with an Eye-Fi card, please check with the card manufacturer.
Also note that approval is required to use Eye-Fi cards in many countries or regions. Without approval, use of the card is not permitted. If it is unclear whether the card has been approved for use in the area, please check with the card manufacturer.
