(Yet Another) 60D vs T2i Thread!

[Argonx16]

I am a high school student that's trying to decide between the 60D and T2i for Christmas this year. I had been sold on the T2i for a while, lured in by the low price ($512) on the T2i kit offered by the Canon Loyalty Program. However, the major drawback to that is that the kit lens of the T2i seems "inadequate" for all around shooting, as I don't plan on buying any lenses except for maybe a 50mm f/1.8 in the near future. The solution to that problem that I saw was to buy an unopened 60D kit for $850 (off of Craigslist - more convenient than CLP, though it's about $15 more), which would be cheaper than buying the T2i kit and buying a 18-135mm.
I know from lurking on this forum and other places that the T2i and 60D are roughly equivalent, with the 60D having some more fancy features, (tilty flippy screen), and other small differentiating features, but that is (I think?) pretty irrelevant in this discussion.



tl;dr
I want to buy a 60D kit instead of a T2i kit just because of the supposed superiority/versatility of the 18-135mm kit lens over the 18-55mm kit lens.
Is this a wise choice, and will I find the extra reach of the 18-135mm helpful?

[RichardTaylor]

The 60D, compared to the 550D T2i has:

Faster frame rate.
Larger buffer.
Better viewfinder.
Better focusing system
Better battery life.
Better handling. (just try dialing in some exposure compensation on the T2i)

I don't feel in any discussion that is irrelevant.

Yes the 18-135 is a more versatile than the 18-55, mainly because if the extra reach.
However the 18-55 may meet most of your general purpose shooting needs.
I don't own the 18-135 lens however I do own a 350D (Reblel Xt), 40D and 5D. I also own a whole pile of lenses including the 18-55.

[Preeb]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

The 60D, compared to the 550D T2i has:

Faster frame rate.
Larger buffer.
Better viewfinder.
Better focusing system
Better battery life.
Better handling. (just try dialing in some exposure compensation on the T2i)

I don't feel in any discussion that is irrelevant.

Yes the 18-135 is a more versatile than the 18-55, mainly because if the extra reach.
However the 18-55 may meet most of your general purpose shooting needs.
I don't own the 18-135 lens however I do own a 350D (Reblel Xt), 40D and 5D. I also own a whole pile of lenses including the 18-55.

I don't know about the T2i, but it can't be much different from my T1i, and dialing in exposure comp is a snap. I'm not sure why you say it's an issue.

The 18-55 is a decent starter lens. Not fast, not fast focusing, but it takes reasonable photos and it's a good learners lens. The more you try to stretch the focal length in a zoom, the poorer the image quality at some point in the range. I've read some user reviews about the 18-135 which were not too flattering. But the 60D is a step up from the T2i in body, so I guess in the long run it comes down to what you want to pay.

[ceremus]

However, the major drawback to that is that the kit lens of the T2i seems "inadequate" for all around shooting, as I don't plan on buying any lenses except for maybe a 50mm f/1.8 in the near future

This is really subjective and depends wholly on what is adequate for the kind of shooting that you're going to be doing. Do you know what focal lengths you're going to be using? The focal lengths needed for various types of portraiture may not necessarily be the same as those needed for shooting sports, wildlife, or landscapes. To say nothing of the differences in maximum aperture.

Trouble is, if this is your first experience with a DSLR you have a chicken and the egg problem, you probably have no idea what focal lengths you need until you actually get down and use them. Without knowing what sorts of shots you'll be taking, it's difficult to say whether the 18-135 range will be all that beneficial to you, or if you'll find it inadequate.

Neither the 18-55 nor the 18-135 are especially fantastic lenses, but whichever one you end up with, the more you use them the more you'll identify their strengths and weaknesses, which will give you a better idea of what future lenses you'll want to suit your type and style of shooting. These lenses, along with the 55-250, most often end up being "training wheel" type lenses. They're pretty inexpensive, somewhat limited, and don't particularly excel in any specialized area, but they're good for general beginner use and will help you get a feel for what you're looking for.

[veritasimagery]

Originally Posted by Preeb

I don't know about the T2i, but it can't be much different from my T1i, and dialing in exposure comp is a snap. I'm not sure why you say it's an issue.

Actually, there are some more significant differences between the T1i and the T2i, the biggest being completely different sensor. The T2i and T3i use the same sensor as the 60D. So where the T2i is a different camera from the T1i, the T3i is really just an updated, with added "flippy-screen" and remote flash capability, T2i.+


And I, too, have not had any problem dialing in exposure compensation with the T3i. Just spend time with it and it becomes second nature. Maybe it's because this is my first digital SLR, so I have never used the "dual-wheel" bodies, and have nothing to compare it to.

[RAWcop]

Get a T2i body refurb from Canon website ($559), and spend a little extra on good lens. Once you really get into photography you will realize the kit lenses are not worth the extra money. I'm not saying they are bad, but you are limited on what you can do with them.

Great video explaining it. Pro DSLR + Cheapo Lens vs "Cheapo" DSLR + Pro Lens - YouTube

Your DSLR will be out of date in 5 years. Your lens will still have value. Heck, get an XS and spend a lot more on a great lens.

[Krusty79]

According to this guy's post, you can buy the refurbished bodies with or without the kit lens:

Canon Loyalty Program - return old camera, get better camera

[Tzetsin]

Originally Posted by RAWcop

Get a T2i body refurb from Canon website ($559), and spend a little extra on good lens. Once you really get into photography you will realize the kit lenses are not worth the extra money. I'm not saying they are bad, but you are limited on what you can do with them.

Great video explaining it. Pro DSLR + Cheapo Lens vs "Cheapo" DSLR + Pro Lens - YouTube

Your DSLR will be out of date in 5 years. Your lens will still have value. Heck, get an XS and spend a lot more on a great lens.

+100

Too often... far far too often we get this question on this forum. this cam vs this cam. most of the time one body makes as good an image as another, more expensive body, just has fewer features. In the end, when your looking at your pictures you wont be able to notice at all the ones taken with one body or another.

Lenses on the other hand leave a signature on your photos that transcend time. I can look at almost any image I have and tell you what lens I used when I took it. even if i dont remember taking the picture, but I couldn't tell you which body I used.

Something else thats important to note is that proper lighting is KEY in getting sharp photos. Even lower quality lenses are a lot sharper than you think, when you use proper lighting. So When you get your camera and your lens, and your not happy with the sharpness, its not your body, and its not your lens. Its your lighting.

All that said... the right camera for you will always be a trade off. Budget is usually the deciding factor as when you first start the hobby there is A LOT of things to buy...

Body
lens
UV filter
battery
mem card
bag
tripod
ect ect ect (it never really ends)

If you have a budget, then your goint to have to choose items that allow you to stretch that dollar as far as you can so knowing what is most important is vital.

Go with the t2i if it leaves you enough money to buy a good lens and memory card. Dont cheep out on the mem card. dont buy the most expensive one either, a good mid speed high capacity mem card will be fine.

If you can spare the cash, the 60D is heads and tails a better camera (FEATURE WISE, not image quality wise) and is worth the extra money. But not if its means you cant get a good lens.

Good lens is most important, body second, mem card third, and UV filter last (but not least!)

I'd say that the uv filter and mem card are more important than the body, but they are easier to replace after the fact than a body is, so get a decent body first, but don't get cheap filter or mem card, or if you do, plan on replaceing them when you can.