I’m no pro at photography, but I do enjoy pretending I am. The truth is I would like to learn more, and I have a very basic understanding of what it takes to put a picture together. I like to experiment with different settings, and every once in a while a great picture will have been taken, most of the time purely by accident, but a great picture non the less.
When I had originally asked for a DSLR, I had told my husband the best fit for me would probably be the Canon Rebel T3. I felt it was an affordable option for what I considered to be a frivolous request. I did not need a DSLR camera, in fact I have an awful track record with cameras, I am forever breaking or losing them. But he was a good husband, and didn’t listen to me. I clearly did not know what was good for me, because when he gave me my present on Christmas morning and inside the box was a beautiful Canon Rebel T2i, I knew that I was in love.
One of the first things I noticed was how good it felt to hold it, an important aspect with any camera, I think. It really did feel better than the T3, you wouldn’t think there would be much of a difference, if any difference at all, but there is! Although the cameras are the same size, the T2i has a different surface texture around the gripping area, which makes it feel better than the T3 when holding it.
One of the most obvious performance differences between the two cameras is the amount of megapixels each has. The T3 is a 12.2 megapixel camera, while the T2i is a 18 megapixel camera. When you get to numbers that high, it’s hard for any regular person to tell the difference, but if you are going to want to blow the pictures up, or edit them, the higher the megapixel the better.
As far as ease of use, I’m no genius, but by simply reading the instruction manual I was able to pick up a lot of different tips and tricks, as well as learn about some cool functions that I might not have ever figured out if I didn’t read that smart little book. If most people are like me, they are probably thinking they’ll by the expensive fancy looking camera, because anything that beautiful must translate to gorgeous pictures, but to be completely honest, you must know how to use it at least 10%. The most important thing to remember is that just because the camera is on the automatic setting does not mean that the picture will automatically be good. Sometimes the camera just can’t do it without a little manual guidance. And that’s where the instruction manual comes in handy.
I recommend to anyone who does not know how to use this camera when they get it, to read up on it! Take the user guide, and your camera, sit down somewhere for an hour and read about how to use your new toy. While reading, it’s probably a good idea to experiment with the different settings you’re learning about to get a feel for what the pictures will look like. That is what I did, and on a recent trip to NYC, I was so glad that I did. I got many great pictures that would have otherwise been too dark or too washed out had I used the automatic setting the whole time and never learned how to somewhat use the camera.
All in all, if you’re looking for a DSLR, I would definitely suggest the T2i. It’s easy to use for a non pro like me and has the higher megapixel that the T3 does not. Canon does make a higher end model, the T3i, which does have some extra features, like a rotating view screen and the ability to shoot 1080 full HD video (the T2i only shoots regular HD video). But unless those two things are super important to you, the T2i will do the same job for a little less money. And definitely shop around, these cameras are pretty popular and stores usually offer them in packages that come with carrying cases, or extra lenses!