Sensible upgrade? (10D > 550D)

AdamEW

AdamEW

AdamEW

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16 Apr 2006
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Location
Lanchester, Near Durham
I recently turned 21 and really want to buy something useful with the money I was given (being 21 Im obviously otherwise going to blow it on drugs and alcohol... ;) )

I currently use a Canon 10D and a 50mm f/1.8 and mostly take photos of people. I also use the camera to take photos of models, work Ive done for university (I study architecture)

Anyway.. I was thinking of buying myself a 550D, (second hand) Ive read loads of threads here singing the virtues of the 40D but Ive used friends xxxD bodies and I honestly find them fine, seeing as the 550D has a more up to date sensor it appeals to me. I think Id miss the top LCD screen a bit.. I could always buy a battery grip if I miss the chunkiness of the 10D?

The other idea I had was maybe buying an 85mm f/1.8 or maybe a flashgun, are there any wider primes I could get for the £350 mark? Do people think the 550D would be a good way to go for me?

Thanks for your help!
 
The flash and a new lens, be it the 85 1.8 or a wider prime, will probably make the biggest difference to your photography for the money.

Other than that, have you considered a used 5D? I paid £650 for mine.
 
what lenses do you have at the moment and what type of stuff do you like shooting. Whilst primes are great, it might mean the versatility of a zoom might be more of a use. However Am i correctly assuming the 10D only mounts EF lenses, in which case the move to the 550D will certainly open up your options to more lens choice as it will take the EFs lenses too.
 
Hi, thanks for the replies!

I mostly shoot people, my friends, people in the street etc. The fast aperture of primes really appeals to me in being able to isolate subjects/ use in lower light. I have a sigma 18-50mm (f/3.5 - 5.6) lens but I never use it. The 50mm rarely gets taken off the camera, but I do often think it would be nice to have some other options.

Yeah the 10D only mounts EF lenses. One of the main reasons Im erring on the side of a new body is that the 10D is really slow; at turning on, at focusing, at actually shooting once it has focused, often the moments passed by the time its ready to go! I appreciate the 50mm can hunt for focus, but Ive used it on other bodies and its much more bearable.

The idea of a 5D is wonderful (my dad has one and its such a lovely camera to use) but, I just cant justify anything that expensive, I was thinking of spending around £350.
 
well a new body will help with the focusing etc and better low light performance from the ISO.
Whist the 50 is a great lens, another woudnt hurt as you say. However i am leaning to a newer body first. If you want a longer prime, then the 85 is great and can be had for jsut over £200 second hand in good condition. might be worthdavnig up for this at a later stage.
 
Yeah think Im going to go for the 550D, then look at something like the 85mm if I have some money Id like to put into photography at a later date! I feel more like the frustration of the 10Ds slowness is really what I want to improve rather than focal length.

Stuart, reading about I cant really see (other than a flip out screen) what the 600D has to offer over the 550D?

Just got to wait for another 550D to appear on mpb, or maybe get a rebel t2i from an auction site? (reading about it seems they are pretty much identical other than the rebel defaulting to ntsc)

Thanks again!
 
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