Canon has announced a new flagship camera in its consumer-oriented DSLR line, the 18-megapixel EOS Rebel T2i.

Like Canon's advanced prosumer digital SLR, the 7D, the Rebel T2i has a range of High Definition video capture options. It can shoot 1080p HD at 24 frames per second, 25 fps, or 30 fps. It can also shoot 720p HD at 50 and 60 fps.

"It's like the baby brother to the 7D," said Lisette Ranga, a product manager for Canon USA.

As a still shooting camera, the Rebel T2i has a frame rate of 3.7 fps. It's powered by a single Digic IV processor and has a buffer of 24 JPEG images or 6 RAWs. ISO range is 100 to 6400 with an extension option to ISO 12,800.

Individual pixel size on the T2i's APS-C, CMOS imaging sensor is 4.3 microns.

It uses a 9-point autofocus sytem with one center cross-point. For exposure, the Rebel T2i has a 63-zone, dual layer metering system.

Here are some other features on the Rebel T2i which will sell for $899 as a kit or $799, body only. (Release date has not been announced yet.)


• Stereo microphone input

• New Movie Crop mode magnifies by 7x using central portion of imaging chip. Only works in Standard Definition.

• 3-inch LCD screen with 104 million dots of resolution

• Dedicated on/off movie button

• Similar image sensor to what's in the 7D with galpless microlenses over the pixels. Though T2i sensor only offers 4-channel readout as opposed to 8-channel readout on the 7D.

• HDR shooting option

• HDMI connectivity

• 550-shot capability with new battery

• New battery grip available as an option

• Slightly more curved designed than previous Rebels with knurled mode knob.

• SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory card compatible