Have you shot with the new t2i?

[Mocha]

I am impressed with the knowledge and advice I have seen on this site and look forward to hearing from you.

I am relatively new to photography. I took a class (more like a hands on lecture series) last year to learn how to get out of "auto". I currently shoot with a Canon P & S -- SX100IS. I am now getting frustrated with the limitations. I like Canon and am leaning towards the new t2i for the following reasons -- This will probably be the only body I will be buying, no upgrades. I am a hobbyist, with no plans on going pro.

I shoot landscapes, some wildlife, macro, and family and church candids (indoor and outdoor). I am hoping to get some shots to enlarge and hang on the walls in my home. I would really like to have a range of "depth of field" options. Because of the indoor (poorly lit) candid shots, can you tell me how the "noise" is at the higher ISO settings? Because this will be my only SLR, I want to know that it will be one for me to grow into and not grow out of.

BTW, I am looking at a package that includes the body, the kit lens (18-55) and a zoom lens (55-250). I am also planning on getting a couple of filters (polarized and neutral density). These purchases will be the top of my budget. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Not too technical, please. The camera offers ******, which means your photos with have/be ******.

Sorry this was such a long post. Lots of questions. Thanks in advance!
Mocha

[ddr]

u'll enjoy the noise control on the t2i. I even enjoy it as subtly from upgrading on the t1i. next step up is a 7D or 5D (on Canon).

that's a good combo, but i say skip the filters and grab a 50mm f/1.8. these are cheap entry lenses anyways, and a good filter can easily be worth half the cost of each of those lenses. if you go with a cheap filter, they'll most likely introduce flare and degrade image quality. When you decide to get good lenses that for most cases, share a 77mm filter size, the cost of a $120 B+W filter will seem minimal.

note the semi-pro and pro features of full-frame cameras and contrast them with the rebel series (i.e. control ring, fps). if any of those things appeal to you then you may want to get get a used full-frame body. of your interests, the wild-life will be the most challenging with your starter options. next will be macro, since you will need a dedicated macro prime lens, or a reverse ring / extension tube + tripod. the tripod you will need eventually need anyways, and probably a flash.

you might be in the same shoes as me when I was starting. I really don't see myself blowing $2500 on a lens or a body. the T2i will be a more than sufficient starting point. you may also want to look at ancient film cameras to really learn about certain aspects of photography.

[inkista]

More information about the T2i than you can shake a stick at can be found in the dpreview review of the T2i. The high iso performance is compared to that of the T1i, Pentax K-x, and Nikon D5000 (comparable bodies in the same class) with 100% crops, and you can also find samples of the high iso use in the samples gallery. It's a good choice, although if you want to spend less, you could go with a T1i, which is similarly featured.

One problem with your assumptions are that if you buy a T2i, then you're done and that's it for the rest of your life. I wouldn't make that assumption, because dSLRs are digital electronic equipment. It's not a question of if they'll fail, it's a question of when. Shutter boxes wear out, electronics break. These are not like film cameras, which were mainly mechanical equipment that could be built to last for decades. This is more like a phone, iPod, or computer.

For me, the other problem with your plans come in that you say you only want to get the 18-55/55-250 IS twin kit, but also:

Originally Posted by Mocha

I shoot landscapes, some wildlife, macro, and family and church candids (indoor and outdoor). I am hoping to get some shots to enlarge and hang on the walls in my home. I would really like to have a range of "depth of field" options.

Those two lenses won't get you macro or particularly good indoor shots, nor a range of DoF options. You want to read up on maximum aperture. That will tell you why you're going to get inundated with folks telling you to think of adding a 50mm f/1.8 II to the bag.

But if you want macro, you're likely to also want a macro lens.

Also note that while ddr wouldn't think of blowing $2500 on a lens, there's an $1100 EF-S 17-55 listed in the signature of the post.

I'm a hobbyist photographer, too, with no plans to go pro. I never thought I'd spend more than $300 on a lens, and that my XT was all I was going to ever need. I now have so much gear I don't even list it in my sig (I am, however, a serious gearhead). If you're going to go dSLR and stick to your plan, be sure you can withstand the blandishments of the better gear and that you don't mind the limitations of the twin kit. Most advanced shooters would consider those lenses something of a waste of the T2i's sensor, or "training wheels" lenses, not final purchases.

[ddr]

haha caught red-handed

i went from 18-55, then 50, then 55-250, then the tamron 17-50, then sold ALL of it + cash just to get the 17-55 used.

[Mocha]

ddr,
Thanks for the head's up about the quality of filters. I have been so focused on body and lens research that I didn't even think about filter quality. Tripod -- have access to one, so there is one less start-up expense. Film camera -- I recently used a Rebel from the mid 1980's. I enjoyed it and will probably use it again when I get a little more comfortable with settings. For learning, I like the idea of the EXIF data being readily available. I also like having the control of post production on the computer. I'm not so much into setting up a dark room and film developing. BTW, If you have that expensive a lens in your bag, I think you might be a bit of a gearhead yourself.

inkista,
The link on maximum aperture really opened my eyes. Because I like to have the option to shoot with a shallow DoF, I may have to re-evaluate my lens choices. As far as future purchases, I have already thought about macro and wide angle lenses. For now, I will make do with my P & S for macro. Wide-angle will just have to wait. BTW, nothing wrong with being a gear-head. I see the beginnings of it in myself!

My thanks to both of you for your responses. Lots of food for thought!

Mocha