Quick T2si Lite License 17
Mandi Tofolla
See -0305-C.pdf for a quick overview of the terminology and software - Speaker dependent means one person. Speaker independent means anyone. It comes with the speaker dependent software so that you can train it for one person at a time with your own new words (not everyone at once) and about 30-40 built-in speaker independent words in several languages. There is a big variance between different people, and speaker independent is a harder problem.
The Canon T2i only has one new button, but the profiles of several other buttons have also been changed as part of accommodating the wider LCD display. I found the variation in button size and shape helpful, making it significantly easier to identify buttons by touch alone, and saving me removing my eye from the viewfinder so frequently. The new dedicated Live View / Movie Record button is perfectly situated, easily within reach when needed, but far enough from the thumb rest that I never accidentally bumped it. The place of the previous shared LV / Movie button has been taken by a Quick Menu function adopted from the previous EOS 7D design, and this proved extremely convenient for making quick settings changes without needing to dip into the T2i's menu system.
The only control element on the T2i that I felt could use some improvement was the Main dial, situated right behind the Shutter button. I found its resistance significantly too high, and as a result, had to press my fingertip against its knurled surface to make settings changes. When making a lot of adjustments with the dial -- shooting in Priority or Manual modes, for example -- my hand quickly tired, and my fingertip started to feel a little sore.
I found Canon's menu design on the T2i was among the clearest and easiest to understand compared to current digital SLRs, but I did find a few elements somewhat confusing. Several functions related to Live View are adjusted from a dedicated Live View function settings page, but it's not accessed from the Record menus, where I'd expect to find it. Instead, it's rather confusingly located in Setup Menu 2. Several of its options are also shared with the Canon T2i's Movie mode, whose controls appear in two menus that only appear when the camera's Mode dial is set to Movie mode. If these settings are adjusted in the Live View function settings page, they also change in the Movie menus (and vice versa), which could cause photographers a little confusion. I also thought the placement of the Histogram option in Playback Menu 2 was a little curious, given that it also affects the Live View mode's Histogram function. I believe the option might be better situated in the Setup menus. These quirks aside, though, I found the Canon T2i's menus easy to navigate, and the My Menu group was particularly useful for quickly recalling frequently changed settings.
Another feature of the Canon T2i that I welcomed was its modest increase in burst shooting rate. The difference between the T1i's 3.4 frames per second, and the 3.7 fps of the T2i is certainly not night and day, but I thought it both noticeable and worthwhile. My reflexes are perhaps not the best, and so when shooting unpredictable subjects such as children and pets, I frequently take advantage of a camera's burst capabilities, quickly firing several shots when I think the moment right. Every little bit helps with this approach, and the only real downside of the increased burst speed is that it is accompanied by a significant reduction in burst depth. All but the most extreme JPEG shooters will likely still be fine, with roughly 34 large/fine shots possible before the camera slows down.