Decisions Decisions....

[OG]

Right then I've had my 500D for just over 4 months now and really starting to get into my photography.

I've been debating whether to sell the 500D body, kit lens and memory cards (all in excellent condition) and opting for a 50D seeing as they are currently dirt cheap over on warehouse express (remove if competitors please).

Any one think this is a good decision? Funds are a bit tight so would it be worth having a second hand 40D seeing as they seem to go for the same price as a 500D nowadays? Would it be a noticeable upgrade?

 

[A.N.Other]

Have you really reached the limits of your 500D in 4 months, or are you just itching to buy something new and shiney?

To be honest, lenses are generally more important than the camera anyway, so spend your money there first. Alternatively, get a flash unit and some umbrellas, or maybe some ND filters / grads for landscapes. There are plenty of things to spend your hard-earned money on that will be more useful to you.

 

[martinturner]

Unless I have reached some limitations which forces a new body purchase, a new lens is always a more favourable and enjoyable purchase. There are differences between those two cameras, but none which would make me get as excited about as that of a new lens. Although, only you can really determine your limitations, just don't get wrapped up in what you read and find them for yourself.

 

[D.P.]

http://www.bythom.com/blame.htm

I've written it before, but the camera body is usually the last thing up need to upgrade.... My basic order of "upgrading" is:

1. Upgrade the photographer. Technique has the biggest an observable impact on results. Want to be the Perlman of Pixels? Practice, practice, practice (studying at Julliard doesn't hurt, either).
   
2. Upgrade the support and shot discipline. You can't maximize what you get out of the pixels if the camera is shaking for any reason. Just having a tripod isn't enough; it has to work and you have to know how to make it work.
   
3. Upgrade the lens. Having shot thousands of test charts--maybe more, but who's counting?--and examining the results very carefully, the difference between a bad lens and a good one is as night and day as shooting those charts with a good lens and a 6mp and 24mp camera.
   
4. Upgrade your understanding. Complaining about dynamic range of your current camera but not using UniWB? Oops. You may not actually know what the real dynamic range of your camera is. Ditto for sharpening, contrast, gamma, color, and noise. You're not ready for an upgrade to the camera until you've actually maximized your efforts on the current one.
   
5. Upgrade your camera. If you've hit the limits of all the above, then it may be time to find a better camera (but that requires that you know how to do #4 and have state of the art #2 and #3). Note that it also may mean you need to move up a format to get a large benefit (e.g. 4/3 to DX, DX to FX, FX to MF).

I'm pretty sure there is still work to do at step 1, and I doubt you have maximized step 2 yet.

 

[martinturner]

Thats an interesting read; and so bloody true, lol!

 

[peterattheboro]

Yay I'm ready for a camera

Though i'm getting a 24-70L along with a 5D2 so upgrading a lens aswell

Some may say otherwise though

 

[bigredshark]

Thats an interesting read; and so bloody true, lol!

Quite - why I'm still shooting with a D200! (though I think in my case it is time for an upgrade this year...)

 

[Random-Rabbit]

I bought a 500D about 4 months ago as well ... have tbh I played with the 50D at the same time but other than the body and the burst shot rate there isn't a lot of difference in quality, both where in my price range .. I actually prefered the more compact 500D body. They both share the same DIGIC4 + sensor ... in all honesty the shots taken with both where give or take nearly identical. I certainly wouldnt upgrade a 500D to a 50D

I agree with the comments above and I have upgraded with lenses.

I do plan to get a more proffesional camera at some point rather than a hobbiests camera but in all honesty I wouldn't upgrade a 500D to a 50D ... maybe a 7D ... I would even go as far to say the new 550D would be a better by than the 50D currently.

I'm going to hold on and skip the XXD range altogether in favour of a XD when I can afford it. The 50D just doesnt really offer much by way of improvement over the 500D.

 

[OG]

Ah thanks for all the replies guys, I think I just got thinking 'it wouldn't really be that much money' but like people have said, I just want something new and shiny haha

However I am going to Canada in June so the main really was something I wanted a bit more substantial that would hold up against some knocks about whilst I'm travelling about.

Any more reasons why I shouldn't buy one are welcome

 

[p0ss3s3d]

you should'nt buy a 40D...


...because if your buying it for the rigidity, auto-focus, speed, image quality and reliablility you should actually buy a 1D Mark II. Since the MKIV was released the market became saturated with MKII's and if you look hard enough you can buy them for £500-£750 because of the flood. Ddepending on condition - I got mine mint for £450 off a mate- and sometimes they end-up cheap on the fleabay.

 

[FreeStream]

you should'nt buy a 40D...


...because if your buying it for the rigidity, auto-focus, speed, image quality and reliablility you should actually buy a 1D Mark II. Since the MKIV was released the market became saturated with MKII's and if you look hard enough you can buy them for £500-£750 because of the flood. Ddepending on condition - I got mine mint for £450 off a mate- and sometimes they end-up cheap on the fleabay.

How come they are so cheap!?

What are the gains over a 40D (I have a 40D atm!)

 

[OG]

you should'nt buy a 40D...


...because if your buying it for the rigidity, auto-focus, speed, image quality and reliablility you should actually buy a 1D Mark II. Since the MKIV was released the market became saturated with MKII's and if you look hard enough you can buy them for £500-£750 because of the flood. Ddepending on condition - I got mine mint for £450 off a mate- and sometimes they end-up cheap on the fleabay.

You know what, that didn't help in the slightest

 

[p0ss3s3d]

You know what, that didn't help in the slightest

How come they are so cheap!?

What are the gains over a 40D (I have a 40D atm!)

Cheap? - I guess it's because the markets sort of flooded with them. Just be patient and theres no reason you couldn't pick one up for £650, I think shops ask about £800ish but you get a warranty!!!!!!!.

Either way depending on patience £600-£700 is a realistic figure for good condition one on fleabay (remeber, 1 series good condition is different to xxD/xxxD good condition!!). But if it's not looking so great and a fair bit of metal underneath the black paint showing £500-£600 is a good target too.


Start with what you loose:
Compact size
10 mpixels to 8.2
Big juicy LCD
Self-cleaning sensor
14-bit RAW
Picture Styles
EF-S options
New control system (old camera requires you to always be holding buttons to navigate or change certain settings)


What do you gain:
45 AF points, 8 cross point sensitive
8.5fps shooting
Easier to use light meter (+/-3 stops which is nice too)
Good high ISO (5Dc level)
Multiple-spot metering (great way of maximizing tonal detail and finding the best comprimise on exposures)
Viewfinder
2/3rds of a stop shallower DOF (good or bad)
1.3x crop factor
1D series build
Insane battery life (2000 shots on each battery - heavy though)
Excellent flash metering with separate meters in the viewfinder
Less menus more button pressing
High level of customisation- including
AF jump speed from 1 sec interval to 0.125 sec interval (canon 0.5 secs on cameras by default),
AF expanison
Shutter Lag
Silent shutter (works well- mirror recocks slowly as you release the shutter)
Personal Functions ideal for disbling stuff you don't want/need like metering/ISO/Modes
Dual Card slots
Assist button very useful in sports shooting
Excellent adobe RBG jpegs ideal for sending out at speed (with or without RAW files)
Much less viewfinder black out (80ms)
40ms shutter lag on f/2.8 glass
Weather Sealing & of course
A heavier backpack!!!



For a hundred to two hundred quid more than a 40D? Yes please!!!

IMO the best value camera ATM - 6 months ago these were fetching £1200-1400!!! Not many people are looking at them so therefore they've sort of slipped under the radar.

 

[Stupot_]

Get a lens.

I'm still using a 350d and until it breaks/I win a load of money I don't see a need to upgrade.

 

[bigredshark]

you should'nt buy a 40D...


...because if your buying it for the rigidity, auto-focus, speed, image quality and reliablility you should actually buy a 1D Mark II. Since the MKIV was released the market became saturated with MKII's and if you look hard enough you can buy them for £500-£750 because of the flood. Ddepending on condition - I got mine mint for £450 off a mate- and sometimes they end-up cheap on the fleabay.

I see where you're coming from but disagree - it's a fairly old body now and new stuff like the 7D is arguably far superior so you'd be better off saving for that, which will last longer too.

The other thing is that it's a big beast of a camera, unless you're very committed you may find yourself taking it out less as a result and ending up taking less photos.

In a world where the 5DII and D700 exist there's not much point getting a top line pro body unless you explicitly need some of it's features, there's a reason that every landscape pro going is using a 5DII these days...my opinion anyways.

If you're specifically thinking about a trip then I think there are two ways to look at it, either you're going with a serious eye on good pictures, in which case you want all your gear, a tripod - the works. On your going on holiday and you want some decent shots to remember it - in which case a consumer body with a single walkabout lens (500D + 18-55 for example) or a top end compact (maybe even a GF1 or e-P1) is the better choice.

I've been on trip in the past where I've taken a D200, 17-55/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 but have really been annoyed I didn't have my tripod, full set of filters etc. Basically my advice is either do it properly and take the works or just take some decent holiday snaps on something smaller...

 

[OG]

I see where you're coming from but disagree - it's a fairly old body now and new stuff like the 7D is arguably far superior so you'd be better off saving for that, which will last longer too.

The other thing is that it's a big beast of a camera, unless you're very committed you may find yourself taking it out less as a result and ending up taking less photos.

In a world where the 5DII and D700 exist there's not much point getting a top line pro body unless you explicitly need some of it's features, there's a reason that every landscape pro going is using a 5DII these days...my opinion anyways.

If you're specifically thinking about a trip then I think there are two ways to look at it, either you're going with a serious eye on good pictures, in which case you want all your gear, a tripod - the works. On your going on holiday and you want some decent shots to remember it - in which case a consumer body with a single walkabout lens (500D + 18-55 for example) or a top end compact (maybe even a GF1 or e-P1) is the better choice.

I've been on trip in the past where I've taken a D200, 17-55/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 but have really been annoyed I didn't have my tripod, full set of filters etc. Basically my advice is either do it properly and take the works or just take some decent holiday snaps on something smaller...

Ah thanks for the good advice! Yeah my plan would be to take 500D, battery grip, flash siggy 24-70 and maybe a 70-200 F4 if I don't get a 40/50D instead. But I have calmed down a little bit now about buying a different body and will instead be buying another lens

 

[p0ss3s3d]

Ah thanks for the good advice! Yeah my plan would be to take 500D, battery grip, flash siggy 24-70 and maybe a 70-200 F4 if I don't get a 40/50D instead. But I have calmed down a little bit now about buying a different body and will instead be buying another lens

Good choice. Lenses are almost always more important than the camera your using.

I see where you're coming from but disagree - it's a fairly old body now and new stuff like the 7D is arguably far superior so you'd be better off saving for that, which will last longer too.

The other thing is that it's a big beast of a camera, unless you're very committed you may find yourself taking it out less as a result and ending up taking less photos.

In a world where the 5DII and D700 exist there's not much point getting a top line pro body unless you explicitly need some of it's features, there's a reason that every landscape pro going is using a 5DII these days...my opinion anyways.

If you're specifically thinking about a trip then I think there are two ways to look at it, either you're going with a serious eye on good pictures, in which case you want all your gear, a tripod - the works. On your going on holiday and you want some decent shots to remember it - in which case a consumer body with a single walkabout lens (500D + 18-55 for example) or a top end compact (maybe even a GF1 or e-P1) is the better choice.

I've been on trip in the past where I've taken a D200, 17-55/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 but have really been annoyed I didn't have my tripod, full set of filters etc. Basically my advice is either do it properly and take the works or just take some decent holiday snaps on something smaller...

Yep, I agree.


If your buying for pure IQ as most landscape or portrait photographers would be then a high resolution body like a 5DII or even a 7D is a much better choice, especially since the costs of those bodies are so inexpensive compared to the 'pro' equivalent.

They are also soooo much lighter and easier to carry around. Always a bonus if it's being taken on holiday.

However if your buying a camera to throw around the world then a pro-series body is, in my opinion, 100% worth it. If your shooting fast subjects in tough conditions (hot dusty rallies or cold slopes) and your okay with a maximium ISO of 3200 and your shooting sports then I'd take a 1DII over a 5DII anyday simply for the AF an build especially since in most sports photography when images are supplied between 1800 and 2700 pixels on the longest side, then resolution doesn't really matter at all.

But for the OP a new lens is obviously the best choice and a xxD body will probably suit his future needs better too (sorry, I got excited when you said 'rugged' and '40D'- I thought to myself, obvious choice here, lesson learnt: don't skim read threads).

 

[D.P.]

There is a big difference between the D700 and 5DMKII when it comes to focus and build quality, the Nikon is ain a totally different league here.

 

[bigredshark]

There is a big difference between the D700 and 5DMKII when it comes to focus and build quality, the Nikon is ain a totally different league here.

Both have good and bad points, the D700 isn't talked about as much as the 5DII here but is a really excellent body, the AF is an obvious big bonus over the 5DII (that and the availability of the 14-24 lens). I would tend to agree Nikon semi pro bodies do seem to be really solidly built but I don't hear many stories about Canon ones falling apart either. End of the day, both are excellent. I'd have the D700 myself but then I've always preferred Nikon...

 

[bigredshark]

Ah thanks for the good advice! Yeah my plan would be to take 500D, battery grip, flash siggy 24-70 and maybe a 70-200 F4 if I don't get a 40/50D instead. But I have calmed down a little bit now about buying a different body and will instead be buying another lens

I would suggest looking into some kind of support to take, maybe not a full tripod but something, particularly for landscapes in my experience of canada as you can't really shoot half second exposures hand held no matter how hard you try...

The beanbag type idea isn't a terrible start, particularly if you get something a little rugged like the MagBag range.