Lee Roman Loc: Lavalette, West Virginia

I recently purchased the Panasonic LUMIX FZ2500 and I love it? I have a Canon T2i. My question is: I would like to get a good Camera that just takes great photos - not both video and photos!! My FZ2500 is super on video, but I'd like to step up a lot higher than the Canon T2i that is great in low light with high ISO and megapixels to blow up into 16x20's! Is there such a Camera that does that? I know you pay a lot more for a bridge Camera! Thanks Guys!!

cthahn

Here we go a gain think a new more expensive camera will take better pictures. The photographer takes the pictures, not the camera. Any good photographer can take any camera and take a good quality picture.

cheineck Loc: Hobe Sound, FL

Canon 6D... outrageous ISO.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I'm very happy with the image quality I get from my Nikon D700. It only shoots images, no video. I usually enlarge images from this camera to 12x18. I'm sure I can enlarge any number of the images I've taken to 16x20, but 24x36 would use the image area more efficiently.
--Bob

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

That might be true. However, when discussing cameras capable of producing images that can be enlarged to the size the OP mentioned, the number of choices drops considerably.
--Bob

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

What is your budget? You have a Canon dslr so I assume you have some lenses. If they are the kit lenses for the T2i they are EF-S mount so getting the 6D FF you will be starting over on lenses.
Sticking with APS-C sensors the T6i, T6s, T7i, 77D, 80D would all be good upgrades. (They are in price and low light performance order here) The T5, T6 are available but have a slightly improved version of the 18 mp sensor on your T2i and are not that much of an upgrade.
If you want to go FF than the 6D has great low light performance but the 6DII is supposed to be coming out in a few months??????Maybe?????? The 6D does have a simple AF system, but better than the T2i. If your budget stretches that far get then the 5DIII which is discounted now or better yet the 5DIV-but that is over $3k.

Lee Roman Loc: Lavalette, West Virginia

Hey thanks for the come back! With the lenses I have for the T2i, which one of them is 18 - 270mm Tamron and my Budget, I'm strongly considering the T7i. From what I've researched, it would be all I need!! This is the only Hobby I have and I love Photography, outdoors, landscapes, wildlife, flowers, Portraits and all! I literally have stacks of photo albums and totes filled from back in the 70's and now a l have a stack of CD's loaded with digital pics!

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

For what you described....Canon 6D !!!!!!
1/2 the price of the 5DIII and better IQ.
...6DmkII is rumoured in a couple of months which will likely result in reduced new and resale price. FF sensors just blow away crop cameras in lowlight. If lowlight is your shooting environment and you want to make larger prints its the way to go. Remember...your current lenses on your T2i will not mount on the 6D if they are EF-S lenses...factor that into your budget (other than the wonderful 50mm 1.8, EF lenses are generally 2x the cost)

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

you've got a good stable now, but if you feel you must upgrade, check out the t3i, t4i, and t5i on the used market. one of those should get you where you want to be.

Dr.CalebRodriguez

Hobbies are nice to have and they keep most of us out of trouble. Remember that for some reason hobbies can become expensive. Enjoy and have fun, and as a good friend said once "Go out and take many pictures, the more you take the better you get over time" Just my two cents worth.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Video is now standard.

Read comparisons and specs, and decide what features are important to you.
(Reviews) https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCameraStoreTV/videos
http://www.cameradecision.com/
http://cameras.reviewed.com/
http://camerasize.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://snapsort.com/compare
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

Jim Bob

What's wrong with the T2i? I have owned that camera for eons. With good glass and in competent hands, it is perfectly capable of producing excellent 16 x 20 sized prints. Assuming you wish to stick with Canon, the newer models do offer increased megapixel counts and dynamic range as well as more features. Do some independent research rather than relying on opinions from this or other similar sites. Don't be lazy.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You say you want better image quality and to be able to shoot in lower light conditions...

IMO, you should be shopping for lenses, not necessarily for a camera.

Tamron 18-270mm is the only specific lens you mention using, so the only one I can comment on. That's a "do-it-all super zoom"... with a fairly extreme 15X zoom range (270 divided by 18).

Typical of that type of lens, it compromises on a lot of things. It's largest apertures are f3.5 at the wide end, f6.3 at the telephoto end... Not that you'd want to use it wide open at either extreme since it goes soft, has poor contrast and has a lot of chromatic aberration. One reviewer describes it as an "f8 lens", that if it were his regular lens, he would probably try to shoot at f8 and avoid the larger apertures.... especially at the two extremes of the zoom range. With such slow aperture, it's pretty much the opposite of a "low light lens".

It also uses basic micro motor focus drive... slow and possibly not as accurate as some other drive systems might be.

Now, an 18-270mm might be really convenient, one lens that can do it all and never have to change lenses... and it's said to be reasonably well built, with good image stabilization and a nice handling lens. But for the convenience, you're compromising on other things that you are now saying are important... image quality and low light performance... as well as focus speed, which can be important for some of the things you say you like to shoot.

So, I'd recommend lens upgrades, before (or in addition to) camera upgrades.

For example, some Canon zooms that are more premium quality include:

EF-S 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM.... much better image quality and AF performance and a reasonably large focal length range... but doesn't help a lot with low light.

EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM... much better image quality and AF performance, plus larger aperture to help with low light shooting... but a narrower focal length range.

EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM.... better image quality and modest improvement in AF performance, relatively affordable with similar telephoto "reach"... but doesn't help with low light.

EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM II... better image quality and solid improvement in AF performance (new "Nano" USM), reasonably size/weight, moderately priced and some additional telephoto reach... doesn't help w/low light.

EF 70-200mm f4L IS USM.... far better telephoto image quality and AF performance, larger aperture at 200mm for help in lower light, better build/sealing and internal focus/zoom... not quite as much reach as 270mm.

EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM II... far better image quality and AF performance, much more telephoto reach for wildlife, premium build/sealing... no help in low light, fairly expensive and comparatively big & heavy.

See for yourself... you can compare the image quality of the convenient, but compromising Tamron 18-270mm with any of the above or other lenses at http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=492&Camera=474&Sample=0&FLI=7&API=1&LensComp=1077&CameraComp=963&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=5&APIComp=0

But for really low light shooting and max image quality, prime lenses (as opposed to zooms) can be the ticket. Primes often more affordably offer as large or larger aperture than any zoom (fastest of which are f2.8 typically... and those are big, heavy and expensive). Canon EF 20/2.8 USM, 24/2.8 IS USM, 28/2.8 USM, 35/2 IS USM, 50/1.4 USM, 50/1.8 STM, 85/1.8 USM and 100/2 USM are all reasonably affordable, as fast or faster than the fastest zooms, and offer superior image quality, very good focus performance, while still being reasonably compact... Their IQ is typically matched only by the very best and most expensive zooms. There are also some ultra compact primes, such as EF-S 24/2.8 STM and EF 40/2.8 STM. And for wildlife there are some excellent, reasonable size/weight and price telephotos such as EF 300/4L IS USM and 400/5.6L USM.

There are more possibilities... but based upon the subjects you mention (outdoors, landscapes, wildlife, flowers, portraits), I would recommend working on a kit of lenses, such as:

Wide angle for landscape... Canon EF-S 10-18mm IS STM is a bargain lens! Under $300, great IQ, while being the most compact and light weight in it's class... and currently the only one with IS.

General purpose, "walk-around" zoom, low light capable... Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM. Rather pricey, close to $900 new.

Alternative to the above two zooms: Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM paired up with one or two fast primes, such as EF 50/1.8 STM, which is also good for portraiture... Or perhaps a macro lens for those flower shots... such as Tamron SP 60mm f2 Macro, which also doubles nicely for portraiture.

Telephoto zoom for wildlife and other purposes: EF-S 55-250 IS STM II is a more affordable option... EF 70-300 IS USM II offers higher performance autofocus.

Yes, a camera update would help too... though I think you'd get more bang for your buck with lenses. If you want a camera too, I'd suggest T6i instead of the new T7i. The T6i has essentially the same image quality potential (both use a similar 24MP sensor). The T7i's main improvement are a much fancier 45-point AF system (compared to the 19-point used in the T6i, which it largely inherited from 70D and original 7D... any of which are far better than T2i's 9-point and in most respects).

I definitely would not encourage you to jump to a full frame 6D. Not only will the camera be more expensive, it also will require you replace any crop only lenses you have with larger, heavier, more expensive full frame capable lenses. 6D's AF system also isn't substantially better than your T2i's. Both cameras only have one dual axis AF point, at the center. One advantage of 6D's AF is that it can focus in lower light, -3EV compared to -0.5EV with T2i. However, that's limited to only that center AF point. The rest of the points in both cameras are lower performance single axis AF points (8 in T2i, 10 in 6D). The AF in T6i is 19-point with all of them dual axis type that offer higher performance than either T2i or 6D.

6D is a great landscape camera. It also would be fine for portraiture and close-ups such as flowers. And, yes, 6D is great in low light.

But, although a T6i wouldn't be as good in low light as the full frame camera, it would still be a significant improvement over your T2i in low light/higher ISO conditions. Besides, faster lenses also can help. And 6D is not all that ideal for wildlife, sports or action. T6i would be a better choice for those or anywhere else you might want fast focus and longer telephotos.

I also wouldn't be too quick to change brands... that will usually be more expensive than upgrading, too. (Partly it depends upon what other lenses you have and use with your T2i.)

As soon as T7i are available in stores, you can expect T6i to go on clearance sale. Right now they don't appear to be discounted. There also will no doubt be a lot of T6i traded in by folks upgrading to the new model.... so there likely will be a lot of used T6i available soon.

Canon USA online store is offering refurbished T6i body only for $579 (same warranty as new, which is selling for $749.) Or, for only $80 more they're offering it bundled with EF-S 18-55mm IS STM and EF-S 55-250mm IS STM lenses. (If duplicates of what you already have or you prefer other lenses, maybe sell off the extras to recoup some of your cost.)

Lee Roman Loc: Lavalette, West Virginia

Hey Jim, thanks for your info! This will help me decide what to do, seeing I'm not that learned!

Lee Roman Loc: Lavalette, West Virginia

Thanks again guys for all the knowledgeable explaining, there's a lot I don't know but willing to learn!! The only other lense I have for the Canon T2 i other than the Tamron 18-270 is the EFS 18-55. My budget is between 800 to 1200 dollars, so I guess I'll go with the New Canon T7i unless you all know of something better in that price range!! Thanks again!!