Following up on my previous Canon T2i post:
Originally I was saving up for a RED Scarlet. However, the production schedule got pushed back. Since I could use a new backup camera and also a better HD camcorder, I opted to go with a T2i instead of waiting. It lacks many features I wanted in the Scarlet, but since the Scarlet won't be available for 6 months, that's 6 months I can be shooting projects and honing my skills. That seemed worth the asking price to me. There are lots of accessories to upgrade it if I so choose, as well.
So far I REALLY love the camera. In fact, it makes me want to move up to a Canon 5D to get a Full-Frame sensor. But I don't really want to have to get a follow focus, rails, external LCD screen, and so on, when I can just wait for the Scarlet and get all of that in one package. With automatic focus tracking. So for now I'm perfectly content to enjoy my little T2i.
I haven't used the stock 18-55 too much; I actually picked up an old 35mm Zeiss from the 50's or 60's awhile back and have been using that manually. I am a really big fan of Zeiss glass and how it makes the image look. I also got some old Nikon glass from a friend and have an adapter on order from eBay, along with a few of my own newer Nikon lenses, so it should be fun to play with a variety of glass (Canon, Nikon, Vivitar, Zeiss, etc.).
Bear in mind, this is no camcorder replacement. This is a different kind of video recording tool - shorter clips, sharper image quality, real depth-of-field. It has some quirks that don't make it too great for recording something like your kid's soccer games, like the max 12 minutes per clip and the overheating issue when it's used too long. But if you're into documentaries, short films, or just want something really cool to screw around with (that's me!), then this is a really great option.