50D image quality

As a budget conscious 50D owner I have some sympathy with your position,

but it really is limited by the fact that you're demanding reliability out of a product not built to deliver it.

The enormous cost of the full pro- series cameras is in part new tech but mostly bomb-proof engineering and use of top grade materials

If you're making a living from photography then its up to you if you take the risk not to invest in that sort of insurance or not

but don't complain if you don't

Secondly the 50D is now positively old in sensor terms with at least two major steps forward in tech - it was always a mediocre 15MP sensor on steroids which can create the slightly meh images if not cossetted (proper exposure - often on a tripod). I always think of a beautiful model with breast enhancement and pumping iron - canon tried too hard to produce that 15MP at the time when the tech was not quite there and it just misses the beat in being 'naturally perfect'

If you need the current quality it means buying in a more modern sensor

j