Canon 550D vs 600D

Unbreakable · 26 Nov 2011 at 23:29

Im planning on getting my wife a new dslr for Christmas and looking at the Canon 550D and 600D. She currently uses a 'bridge' camera and has an old canon slr so wanted to stick to the same brand.

What are the main differences between these models? From what I can see the 600D has an articulated screen but is slightly larger and more expensive. Are there any other advantages over the 550D?

iamtheoneneo · 27 Nov 2011 at 00:52

better sound controls, bit sturdier....to be honest i would miss the 600d as a good vs and look at the 60d instead.

An Exception · 27 Nov 2011 at 01:38

If she has an old SLR which I presume is 35mm, I'd be hesitant to get a crop sensor camera.
Out of the two I wouldn't get either, instead I would Opt for a 60D if you must stick with Canon and it has to be brand new, else I'd get a used 5D mk1 as it's a much better camera even though it's a little long in the tooth.

Unbreakable · 27 Nov 2011 at 12:30

An Exception said:
If she has an old SLR which I presume is 35mm, I'd be hesitant to get a crop sensor camera.
Out of the two I wouldn't get either, instead I would Opt for a 60D if you must stick with Canon and it has to be brand new, else I'd get a used 5D mk1 as it's a much better camera even though it's a little long in the tooth.

Yeh its an old 35mm that hasn't been used for a few years. Think she only has 2 lenses for it though so not a massive loss if they dont fit. 18-55 and an 18-135 I believe. Can't check as its at her parents house and wont be up there for a while.

60D looks like a great camera but is a little above my budget, especially with a lens. What sort of price does a used 5D mk1 fetch?

iamtheoneneo · 27 Nov 2011 at 14:14

Unbreakable said:
Yeh its an old 35mm that hasn't been used for a few years. Think she only has 2 lenses for it though so not a massive loss if they dont fit. 18-55 and an 18-135 I believe. Can't check as its at her parents house and wont be up there for a while.

its old glass, as good as useless on modern bodies to be honest. u need to start afresh.

Unbreakable said:
60D looks like a great camera but is a little above my budget, especially with a lens. What sort of price does a used 5D mk1 fetch?

i dont think the 5DMK1 was a sensible answer, you were looking at the 550d/600d price bracket so not sure why he suggested that since 2nd hand still fetch around £1k.
look at digitalrev if you want cheaper prices....obs its HK import but a camera is still a camera wherever you buy it from.

theheyes · 27 Nov 2011 at 14:27

Unbreakable said:
60D looks like a great camera but is a little above my budget, especially with a lens. What sort of price does a used 5D mk1 fetch?

I paid £650 for mine in a shop and I was a bit lucky because it was in fantastic condition. I don't think I would have parted with the cash if I hadn't looked it over, checked all the dials etc.

It's a fantastic camera, but if I'm being honest it's a little niche at this point in time in my opinion. The LCD screen is "usable" - no more, no less. There is no video mode, which is a dealbreaker for some, and also the expanded ISO limit is 3200. If you have slower lenses then you might miss the higher ISOs that you get on newer bodies.

There is very little in it, but I would go for the 600D.

An Exception · 27 Nov 2011 at 14:37

^^^
ISO of the 5D while limited to 3200 is actually allot better than the 60D etc.
Also none of that dreadful blurring at high ISO's and lovely sharpness, and it's FF in a decently sized body.
Also video is useless for most people if it doesn't have full time AF, manual focus is just too hard/slow, while trying to hold the thing still.

I'd take a 5D over a 60D any day of the week, there's a reason why allot of wedding photographers still shoot with this body and not a Rebel...

Edit: And I used to have a 550D

An Exception · 27 Nov 2011 at 14:39

iamtheoneneo said:
i dont think the 5DMK1 was a sensible answer, you were looking at the 550d/600d price bracket so not sure why he suggested that since 2nd hand still fetch around £1k.

Are you getting confused with a 5DMKII?

DampCat · 27 Nov 2011 at 14:40

iamtheoneneo said:
its old glass, as good as useless on modern bodies to be honest. u need to start afresh.

wuuuuuut?

Old glass is fine, and a lot of fun. I have a bunch of old Nikon lenses which are still spot on to use.

An Exception · 27 Nov 2011 at 14:42

^^^
Some folks don't like to manual focus...

Unbreakable · 27 Nov 2011 at 15:39

Humm lot of conflicting answers here but thanks for the input. To be honest as its a gift im not that keen on getting a older second hand model.

I'll have a look around for a well priced 60D but if a lens is also required then its going to get too expensive.

An Exception · 27 Nov 2011 at 17:26

^^^
I agree, buying second hand for a gift isn't really the done thing, but it is the best camera by far for the money in terms of image quality.
60D is a good camera though, and you could always pick-up a cheap 50mm 1.8 lens for next to nothing, but again that focal length will generally be more useful on a 5D.

Unbreakable · 27 Nov 2011 at 21:43

An Exception said:
^^^
I agree, buying second hand for a gift isn't really the done thing, but it is the best camera by far for the money in terms of image quality.
60D is a good camera though, and you could always pick-up a cheap 50mm 1.8 lens for next to nothing, but again that focal length will generally be more useful on a 5D.

So a 60D is considerably better then a 600D?

I see from your earlier post you had a 550D. Considering this will be her 1st dslr after using a lumix bridge camera for the last few years is she likely to use the extra features?

theheyes · 27 Nov 2011 at 22:04

It depends what she likes to shoot and whether you think she'll grow into using the camera. Maybe give us a brief description of what she generally photographs?

Unbreakable · 27 Nov 2011 at 22:21

I would say generally most of her photographs are Landscapes and architecture with a few natural people shots. Im not sure if that helps at all?

DampCat · 27 Nov 2011 at 22:40

Aside from not being full frame, the 550D and 600D are both superb cameras. Crop sensor really isn't a big deal unless you're shooting super wide anyway, and i'm of a personal opinion that most home users aren't going much wider than 20mm. On the cheaper lenses 18mm and less looks a bit cack (even on the 16-35 L teh barrelling is awful, on the MKII less so but it's still there) so you're not going to be screwed by it.

I'm using a 550D with L lenses at the moment for most of my stuff, can't say I can fault it. Feels a little light and plastic compared to my old 10D, but for a first time user i cant imagine that being an issue.

An Exception · 27 Nov 2011 at 23:04

Unbreakable said:
I would say generally most of her photographs are Landscapes and architecture with a few natural people shots. Im not sure if that helps at all?

Full frame is where it's at for those things...

An Exception · 27 Nov 2011 at 23:10

Unbreakable said:
So a 60D is considerably better then a 600D?

I see from your earlier post you had a 550D. Considering this will be her 1st dslr after using a lumix bridge camera for the last few years is she likely to use the extra features?

I think the question is how much is she going to be using the camera, and is she artistic at all or is she a happy snapper that just want's good enough?

If the second, then a 600D will do her just fine, but a 60D will be more comfortable/enjoyable to use.

If she really likes her photography then a 5D MK1 is a very good choice.

Unbreakable · 27 Nov 2011 at 23:19

Think I'll go for a new 60D with the kit lens to start then, seem to be able to get that for around the £700 mark if you look about. Bit more then I was planning to spend but looks to be worth the extra £100 or so.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated