Digital SLR choice, Canon 50D for £1099?

morfmedia

morfmedia

morfmedia

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I'm looking at getting a "good" DSLR as a treat to myself for my birthday. Got a few big things coming up, couple of weddings I'm best man and guest at, possibly Le Mans, trip to Barcelona etc etc.

Seen a deal at a high street retailer for a 50D, 18-200 mm lens for £1099 and it seems better than everyone else online, runs out on Monday so gonna buy tomorrow if I like it. I compared the 450d / 500d / 50d at Jessops last night and it does seem like a lovely camera. The lens alone sells for £460 ish retail so I view it as quite a deal, especially with the £100 off they're currently offering.

I guess the other main things I need are UV filters to protect the lens and also memory card / bag.

Am I crazy to go with this setup or I'd be better off with the 40d / 450d. The 500d seems a bit overpriced just because it does HD video which I won't use.

They are also offering a Tamron 300mm lens for half price (£130) although this doesn't have the image stabliisation so although partially tempted I think I'll give that a miss unless anyone thinks its worthwhile buy? Guess I could always try it and sell it for more??

Look forward to hearing your advice, thanks in advance.
 
Have you owned a DSLR/SLR before? Or is photography something you are interested in getting into?

I personally would (and did) look second hand for something like a 400/450D or Nikon equivalent to get started with. Unless you have money to burn, in which case buy the best you can afford :)
 
Check out the review at:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2009/01/31/Canon-EOS-50D/p1

but you seem to have tested it. I have just bought a 500D myself for £600 odd quid body only and it relative to my 300D is just astounding. The video mode is excellent too regardless of its usefulness.

The 50D is one down from the 5D which is the one everyone would have but its £2000.

The lens is everything in photography and that lens is a gift for that price althought the camera is around £780 and the lans £450 so it should be around £1200 so £100 less is good but easily absorbed by them with their 30% profit margins.

The 500D is cheaper and almost as good a model as the 50D. Digic 4 processor, 920,000 pixel LCD, Live mode, 15 Mpixel capture and its so small I could not believe it.

One big difference is the use of a SD card as opossed to the compact flash in the 50D. My SDHC card (150x) was a 16GB one for £55 whilst a CF card will go up to around 300x speed and 32/64 GB in size. That speed difference is useful so the 50D is a more professional camera.
 
I've never owned an SLR before but borrowed a 350D a few times and took it to go to Goodwood Festival of speed and really enjoyed using it and getting plenty of action snaps.

Although I'd normally consider going 2nd hand, I'm currently doing ok (worked 3 months straight inc weekends) contracting so fancy treating myself to a useful toy for my birthday.

I have considered the 500D but also quite like the weight of the 50D and the lens on it was awesome.

Is the Tamron lense worth picking up with this deal for half price as well or the comments are related to the Canon lense? I'm a touch concerned it isn't stabilised, woud it always require a tripod at full length or just a semi steady hand?
 
The canon lenses have IS as standard and their quality is far better than any cheapo alternaive so stick with Canon kit (Or Nikon whose lenses rock to).

Simple as that really for happy amateur photography. A 350D is not in the same league as the 50D, the 450D is more the main one to use and cheaper.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Gonna nip down to the store in another location and see what they say and have a look at the 40 / 450 / 500 and the 50d again then decide tonight.
 
I'd get the 40D over the 50D IMO.

High ISO noise levels are a tad better on the 40D and without decent glass (which the 18-200 is not in the scheme of things) the MP is wasted.

40D + 17-55 USM IS TBQFH.
 
I had a relative that was visiting Hong Kong pick me up a 500D also, I seen them online for around £600 body only which was still cheap compared to high street camera shops. Turns out my £600 got my a the 500D with 18-55 lens kit, 4gb memory card, a tripod, a case and a second battery! I was pretty damn chuffed :)

img0290copy.jpg
 
If you want new then buy new, however I wouldn't discount second hand. There's some great bargains on some of the more popular photography forums at the moment. I managed to pick up a mint 17-55 for an absolute steal recently. As they say, glass is what counts. If I were buying with 20-20 hindsight I'd go for a second hand 40d with the 17-55 and work from there.
 
Concorde Rules said:
I'd get the 40D over the 50D IMO.

High ISO noise levels are a tad better on the 40D and without decent glass (which the 18-200 is not in the scheme of things) the MP is wasted.

40D + 17-55 USM IS TBQFH.
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I went down to the high st store and they stated they thought the 60D will be out within 4 weeks. Another very experienced photographer I respect well also said to get the 40D and good glass too.

Why does the 18-200mm not constitute good glass? I know its not as good as the L lenses (which I think are pro lenses) but does a £450 lens not count as good?

Probably gonna give this deal a miss and see what happens with the 60d release and 50d/40d pricing. I think 40D and 50D stocks are being run down hence the offer from the high st store.

Lots of 40D owners that have upgraded have said their pictures are turning out a lot better using the same lenses. I don't think the high iso "issue" is too much of a concern, it only seems to be on iso 3200 really, is that used that often??

Cheers.
 
Concorde Rules said:
I'd get the 40D over the 50D IMO.

High ISO noise levels are a tad better on the 40D and without decent glass (which the 18-200 is not in the scheme of things) the MP is wasted.

40D + 17-55 USM IS TBQFH.
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I literally just went and bought a 40D - I could barely tell the difference to the 50 in terms of features/feel - the 5 extra megapixels really ain't worth it for £200 or so.

morfmedia said:
I went down to the high st store and they stated they thought the 60D will be out within 4 weeks. Another very experienced photographer I respect well also said to get the 40D and good glass too.

Why does the 18-200mm not constitute good glass? I know its not as good as the L lenses (which I think are pro lenses) but does a £450 lens not count as good?

Probably gonna give this deal a miss and see what happens with the 60d release and 50d/40d pricing. I think 40D and 50D stocks are being run down hence the offer from the high st store.

Lots of 40D owners that have upgraded have said their pictures are turning out a lot better using the same lenses. I don't think the high iso "issue" is too much of a concern, it only seems to be on iso 3200 really, is that used that often??

Cheers.
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60D out in 4 weeks? 8 months after the 50D? Doesn't sound right to me.
 
Unless you're familiar with working an SLR than chances are diving straight into 40D/50D/D200 level will leave you a bit confuzzled, and it really is a rather large monetry and time invest for most people. Bare in mind that the system you go for is the one you'll likely stick (or be stuck) with, especially when you start looking at anything above so-called "entry level" DSLRs which you are unlikely to pass on so lightly. Also bare in mind that the resale value on DSLR bodies (below any Pro gear) isn't great -the real money is in the glass, so you don't want to be spending where it isn't necessarily necessary.

I'd advise you to get yourself down your local dealer and get some hands-on time with some of the key players (D40, 450/500D, etc). You'll soon find what suits you best and if you really think . Going from my 350D to a 50D was near a big a learning curve as picking up the 350 in the first place, and that was after a good 3+years use. At the end of the day it's going to depend a lot on your prio experience and just what you want from your camera.

Good deals are about on the highstreet if you crack your haggling shoes out though. I was pretty set on getting a 40D and maybe a secondhand Sigma 10-20 a few months or so ago as they seemed to be the best upgrade route for my money. In the end my local chain offered me the lens (new) and a 50D a good £450 cheaper than list price. Was too good to resist.
Best of luck finding what suits your needs.
 
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cosmogenesis said:
The 50D is one down from the 5D which is the one everyone would have but its £2000.
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No it's not. The 50D and 5D are totally different types of camera, intended for different uses. Whilst the 5D has many advantages over the 50D, it is only the "next one up" in regard to price.

cosmogenesis said:
The canon lenses have IS as standard and their quality is far better than any cheapo alternaive so stick with Canon kit
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Good grief, where do you get this stuff from? :rolleyes:

Only selected Canon lenses have IS, not all of them "as standard". Also, there are many third party lenses from the likes of Sigma & Tamron which offer better price/performance than their Canon equivalents or simply better performance full stop.

Concorde Rules said:
I'd get the 40D over the 50D IMO.

High ISO noise levels are a tad better on the 40D and without decent glass (which the 18-200 is not in the scheme of things) the MP is wasted.
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Completely agree, you need very very good glass for the 50D and the 18-200 has not had good reviews considering its price point.

40D + 17-55 USM IS TBQFH.
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Well a new 40D body would save him £500 over the above 50D+18-200 kit and he's not going to get a 17-55 for that much.

I'd be inclined to go 40D + 18-55 IS (the new kit lens) and a 70-200 F4 which wouldn't cost much more than the 50D+18-200 kit.
 
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oli collett said:
60D out in 4 weeks? 8 months after the 50D? Doesn't sound right to me.
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I tend to agree - probably just wishful thinking from some people. I've seen a lot of forum posts from people praying Canon will see sense with the 60D and drop back to a 10-12mp sensor but that will never happen as they can't have the 60D seen to be "worse" than the 500D.

What the world really needs is a 40D mk2 :)
 
morfmedia said:
Why does the 18-200mm not constitute good glass? I know its not as good as the L lenses (which I think are pro lenses) but does a £450 lens not count as good?
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Don't read too much into price. The beauty with the 18-200mm is it's range - but equally the trouble with the 18-200mm is it's range ;) Whilst it might be useful to have 10x zoom in a lens, it inevitably causes compromises in the image quality as it's extremely difficult to get perfect IQ throughout a wide range of focal length.

In terms of the glass, I would suggest that you'd be better off learning with the 18-55mm IS kit lens and then deciding what lens(es) you may wish to buy later on, depending on what type of photography takes your fancy. If you want more range, try a 70-200mm F4, or if you want to keep it on a budget maybe the Sigma 70-300mm APO.

I would also personally recommend sticking to a 450D or 500D as a first DSLR - learn the ropes, then if you still want to aim higher upgrade at a later date. Photography kit holds it's value well if you look after it - and relatively speaking, it holds it's value more if you buy second hand (i.e. cheaper) in the first place :)
 
morfmedia said:
I went down to the high st store and they stated they thought the 60D will be out within 4 weeks. Another very experienced photographer I respect well also said to get the 40D and good glass too.

Why does the 18-200mm not constitute good glass? I know its not as good as the L lenses (which I think are pro lenses) but does a £450 lens not count as good?

Probably gonna give this deal a miss and see what happens with the 60d release and 50d/40d pricing. I think 40D and 50D stocks are being run down hence the offer from the high st store.

Lots of 40D owners that have upgraded have said their pictures are turning out a lot better using the same lenses. I don't think the high iso "issue" is too much of a concern, it only seems to be on iso 3200 really, is that used that often??

Cheers.
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60D out 8 months after 50D? I don't think so, the xxD range usually gets updated in 18 month cycles which now may be 12 months, especially as the 500D is ridiculously close to the 50D in terms of spec. I wouldn't bother and it would cost more than what your already paying!

Just because the 18-200 costs £450 doesn't make it good glass. Its a HUGE focal range, and thus compromises. The 17-55 USM IS which is £200 more is regarded as THE best lens on EF-S and it competes with L. This hobby is expensive, I started off with a £500 350D+18-55, I've now got £2k+ of kit ;)

As for what 40D -> 50D users say, maybe so, but from what i've seen, its hardly any better apart from some people getting slightly better resolution with 17-55/10-22/70-200s etc.

Get the 40D and a 17-55 or Tamron 17-50. But really, even if you need to go second hand, the 40D + 17-55 combo is immense. I really don't know what I would do without F2.8 + 3/4 stop IS :)
 
To those recommending a 500D - have you seen the price compared to a 40D? I cannot see why anyone would want one, unless they were desperate for the video features
 
Yea fair point - my advice would be a 450D then - I don't understand why a first time DSLR owner could really want anymore than a 450D, which really is perfect for this market. Buy this and there is more cash left over for good glass ;)
 
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