Compare Canon EOS T2i vs Nikon D90 vs Canon T1i

General conclusion

The Canon T2I Vs the Nikon D90 might come down to speed alone. The 550D or T2I has stepped up to Full HD and includes an Exterior Mic Socket, so they have gone after the HD video market, but at the cost of some pro camera points like burst of only 34 JPEG Vs the 500D's 170, both of which follow the D90's speed. Face detection seems standard at this level, but what was Nikon thinking when the limited the ISO of the D90 to 200-3200 (auto). If your looking for video power, the T2I is the one for you, because if you need more speed than the T2i has, then your opting for a Pro level DSLR like the Canon 7D or the Nikon 300s.

DSLR Camera Model	Rebel T1i EOS 500D	Rebel T2i EOS 550D New Model	Nikon D90
Retail price	$899 w/ EF-s 18-55mm IS	$899	$999.95
Discounted Price (3-20-10)	Canon EOS Rebel T1i Black Full HD DSLR Camera - Body Only Under $649 from NewEgg	EOS Rebel T2i EF-S 18-55mm IS Kit Digital SLR Camera Avail 4-1-10 ish preorder body $799 From Abe's of Maine	D90 DX Format Digital SLR Camera Body From Abe's of Maine UNDER $850 (up 70 over 3 mo.)
Mega Pixels	15.1	18	12.3 MP
Shutter life (real use data)	No Data	No Data	No Data
Startup time	.2 sec		0.15 ms
Crop Factor	1.6 APS-C	1.6 APS-C	1.5
LCD size	3 inch	3 inch	3 inch
Image Processor	DIGIC 4	DIGIC 4	Nikon DX
Memory card used	SD and SDHC	SD card, SDHC card or SDXC	SD SDHC
File types	Still: JPEG, RAW (14-bit, Canon original), RAW+JPEG Video: MOV (1920 x 1080P - 20 fps max)	Still: JPEG, RAW (14-bit, Canon original), RAW+JPEG Video: MOV ( 1920 x 1080 - 29 fps max)	JPEG, AVI, Compressed 12-bit NEF (RAW) HD 1280x720 / 24 fps
AF points	9	9	11 points
Metering Range AF (ISO 100 at 73°F/23°C)	EV -0.5-18	EV -0.5-18	-1 - +19 EV
DSLR Model	Rebel T1i EOS 500D	Rebel T2i EOS 550D	Nikon D90
Exposure Control Metering Mode (50mm f/1.4)	35-zone, Evaluative, Partial,Spot, Center-weighted EV 1-20	63-zone, Evaluative, Partial,Spot, Center-weighted EV 1-20	0 to 20 EV (Matrix or Center-Weighted Metering), 2) 2 to 20 EV (Spot Metering)
ISO range	100-3200 (expandable to) 12800	ISO 100-6400 (expandable to) 12800	200 to 3200 (100-6400 expanded)
Auto Shutter speeds (sec)	1/4000 to 30	1/4000 to 30	30 to 1/4,000th
Shutter lag	NA	NA	65 ms
Max FPS	3.4 FPS	3.7 FPS	JPEG CH: Up to 4.5 FPS CL: Up to 4 FPS
Max Frame Burst apporx.	JPEG 170 RAW 9	JPEG 34 RAW 6	continuous as shown above
Battery form	LP-E5	LP-E8	EN-EL3e
Max images @ 50% flash use	400	400	500 (CIPA)
Lens mount	Canon EF / EF-S	Canon EF / EF-S	Nikon F
Live View	YES including Face Priority AF	YES including Face Priority AF	YES including Face Priority AF
Full HD 1080	1920 x 1080 pixels @ 20 FPS	1920 x 1080 @ 29 fps + Ext. Mic socket	YES
Cleaning	integrated	integrated	YES / YES
Additional	Creative Auto mode, Video OUT terminal: NTSC/PAL selectable, mini-HDMI OUT	Creative Auto mode, Video OUT terminal: NTSC/PAL selectable, mini-HDMI OUT	GPS opt.