I've often joked about HD cameras that will come free in a box of cereal or a McDonalds Happy Meal (makes you sick even to think about it eh?). Well, today, I've come across a interesting toy that is going to upset a lot of people. The Canon "Rebel" T2i, here's my initial thoughts.
Canon's latest 1080p full HD DSLR may have obliterated the price floor of basic, entry level "digital cinematography". Much of the camera is based on the technology of Canon's more expensive 7D including the 7D's 18 megapixel CMOS imager. The price point does come with some concessions, a 9-point autofocus system being one of them compared to the 7D's 19 focus points, and it has a four channel channel reader vs the 7D's eight.
Low light capabilities are similar to the 7D, the T2i is rated from ISO 100 - 6400 (up to 12,800 in the menu settings).
The T2i chassis is similar to the T1i and Canon claims a battery life of 550 shots. The T2i also supports SDHC and SDXC memory card formats for up to 64GB storage per card. It's the first SLR with SDXC support; Canon was first to announce an SDXC-capable camcorder, the HF S21, in January as well (that model will ship in April, just after the T2i's expected late-March availability).
The camera also features HDMI-CEC support. HDMI-CEC lets an HDTV control the camera's playback features.
Both the 5D and 7D have found solid acceptance as a HD acquisition tool in the hands of many digital cinematographers. Commercials and low budget features have and are being shot with the 5D and 7D, and for many the T2i will be a welcome addition to the family, bringing a large sensor, single CMOS chip HD camera with a cinema like shallow depth of field and wide choice of lenses to even more would be and aspiring film makers.
The new trend in HD video capable DSLR's has not come without criticism from professional and established cinematographers. The small form takes some getting used to, and requires specialized adaptors and camera support gear to assume a useable cinema setup. DSLR lenses are suited to stills work, with auto focus and auto iris and a small focus throw on the lens barrel, all of these factors make for an extremely compromised cinema lens. There are questions of whether the plastic, lightweight build of a consumer camera body and lenses will withstand the rigor of commercial use. Most cinema equipment is heavy and solid, and expensive for good reason.
The other major compromise for many is in the high video compression and limited latitude of the resulting H.264 codec HD video files. However, to be fair the image quality from these Canon cameras is very good.
The T2i represents the latest in the chain of new tools for low budget film makers that bring HD digital video with a cinema aesthetic to storytellers at a grass roots level. If the revolution started with the Red One, at $17,500 for the body only (granted at a much higher image quality, resolution and far lower compression), the essence of a large format, single chip HD camera has progressed quickly down to the $899 consumer level, making basic digital cinematography truly accessible to all.
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