Buying on Monday: 40D or 50D ??? again

The 50D is about $300 more than the 40D. Assuming I can afford the difference, the question is, should I pay it to get the 50D? is it worth $300 more?

I would only like to hear from those of you who have had extensive use of both the 40D and 50D. I've read the reviews and the previous posts on this subject but I have to admit that I am still a bit confused.

So let me take a quick poll: If you have extensively used both the 40D and the 50D and had to choose just one, would you pay $300 more to get the 50D?

I consider myself a somewhat advanced amateur. I will probably keep the camera for at least 5-8 years before upgrading again. My primary use will be studio portraits (maybe some glamour), travel and some nature photography. I will probably use Canon IS USM lenses 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 and 100-400mm f4.5-5.6

Thanks,

Dan

n/t means no text.

Joe Kurkjian

Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/jkurkjia



SEARCHING FOR A BETTER SELF PORTRAIT

The $300 difference would be much better spent towards glass or a flash. Get the 40D, which is a much better value right now.

--naww get the 50, because thats what I have ))) 300 more???? does not seem right.

Buy the 40D and use any extra ca$h towards an EFS 60mm 2.8 macro, an awesome combo, this lens is a nice macro & portrait lens, than buy an EFS 10-20mm zoom. That would cover 95% of what I photograph though your needs might be quite different - I also shoot Nikon but still use/love my 40D w/ 200mm f2.8 II L.

Shooting RAW only ? - Get the 40D as you won't need the 50D's excellent JPG engine

Got lenses which are in calibration ? - Get the 40D as you won't need the 50D's lens tuning

Not printing massive or Cropping heavily? - Get the 40D as you won't need the 50D's very noticable increase in Resolution at ISO100-400 ..

the rest of the updates are neither here nor there in reality - even the LCD improvement isn't as vast as many make out (the 40D's LCD panel is more than adequate) , its the software driving it which makes the difference (the 40D like the 1 series are poor for image zooming), even the 50D's review & Live View isn't as good as a humble Pan TZ5 !.

As far as Noise goes, even in RAW, the 50D will always Print bigger or as big as the 40D even though its noisier at pixel level - at ISO100-400 the 50D's 15Mp is a very noticable advantage, at 800 a slight advantage and over that about the same as the 40D for print size ..

In JPG (IF that's important to you) the 50D stomps the 40D's lame smeary chroma riddled JPG engine, I only ever used the 40D JPGs for Press work even at Base ISO (where they are still loaded with Greasy NR) whereas the 50D is usable up to ISO6400 for this - if you're a RAW shooter then the 40D is a dream bargain..

Another thing is the Pixel level sharpness - in RAW the 50D is every bit as sharp as the 40D and NOT softer as DPR have reported (ACR / LR and the 50D don't play well apparently) so you're not losing out there with the 50D (Both are very sharp cameras in RAW) ..

I had both for a while and sold the 40D yet I'm really recommending it here, Why? - because I need the 50D's improved JPG engine for press work - the increased pixel count so I don't have to lug the millstone 1DS2 about for work in fair weather (unless more DR or even more rez is needed) and the Lens tuning to get everything Smack on focus (camera calibration from service agents in the UK is lame at best) ..

for most of the RAW shooting populous, the 40D is more than enough and a massive bargain - and that's coming from someone who owned the 40D, then both and then sold it !!

--
--------> Adam-T

Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

My recommendation is 40D and use the extra cash on glass.
A 40D with good glass is worth more than a 50D with kitglass.
--

' A picture is worth more than a thousand words, but 1000 pictures is only worth one word : why ? '
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86761628@N00/

Check previous threads on this topic, you will find that very few people who own the 40D will have upgraded to the 50D because the improvements weren't worthwhile enough, not for the extra money, but for the money they would lose if they had to sell the 40D to buy the 50D. For those that did make the upgrade, even fewer regretted their decision.

I came from a 400D and considered the 40D as an upgrade because it is an awesome camera but decided against it because IQ was only very marginally better. When the 50D was released I had no hesitation upgrading because of the improvement in image quality and especially (important to me) resolution.

I still have to say that the 40D is probably better value for money but that is obviously a matter of opinion - if money is not a consideration, just buy the 50D, you won't reget it!

I've used the 40D for travel and other miscellaneous stuff except studio and it's a very good camera. On the other hand, the 50D is something else, esp. if you match it with the 100 - 400 as you suggest you will. The additional resolution is wonderful for cropping wildlife and lunar pics.

Hope this helps. Dave.

I own 2 40Ds both had focus problems and had to be sent for repair. One developed a 2nd problem and is with the canon service facility for the 3rd time.

I invested in a Canon system due to the excellent performance of my now old 10D which is still working fine. I am not sure that I would do so again.

Carl

Thanks to everyone for your help.

I have decided on the 50D for the following reasons:

1. Lens tuning
2. 15 megapixles (so I can better crop wildlife shots)
3. gut feeling (this seems to always wins out in the end)

Thanks, Again

Dan

Lenses are quite always more important than camera

djkoz said:

Thanks to everyone for your help.

I have decided on the 50D for the following reasons:

1. Lens tuning
2. 15 megapixles (so I can better crop wildlife shots)
3. gut feeling (this seems to always wins out in the end)

Thanks, Again

Dan

Click to expand...

40D or 50D. Either way it's a good choice so fire away.
Hope you will share some result with it later on.

--

' A picture is worth more than a thousand words, but 1000 pictures is only worth one word : why ? '
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86761628@N00/

I got rid of my 40 and a 1DIIN for glass and a 50. I never looked back, I think the 50 focuses better than the 40 and I don't miss 1dIIn.
--
50D
50 1.4
85 1.8
300L 4.0 IS
400L 5.6
24-70L 2.8
70-200L 2.8 IS
100-400L IS

The extra pixels are more than worth the $300.00. You'll never find yourself at the pixel limit of the 40D and it's at that point that you'll thank yourself for spending the extra money
--
Taking pictures is easy, making them art is hard. (al nunley)
Do, or Do Not, No Try. (yoda)

Alvin Nunley said:

The extra pixels are more than worth the $300.00.

Click to expand...

Canon loves customers like you! Again, you get 50% more pixels, but NOT 50% more detail and resolution. $300 will buy a flash or go far towards good glass which will have much more impact on the output than a minor body upgrade.

Do you mean if I do a big crop, with the 50D, I will not get the detail of the 40D? I'm not a big beliver of the "more pixels" is better, in every case anyway, but I always thought more is better for croping. Of course I only have my 10D to go by. A 100% crop with it does not go well for "BIG" prints. Wouldn't the 50D be better.
--
Taking pictures is easy, making them art is hard. (al nunley)
Do, or Do Not, No Try. (yoda)

jrscls said:

Alvin Nunley said:

The extra pixels are more than worth the $300.00.

Click to expand...

Canon loves customers like you!

Click to expand...

And we love Canon too

jrscls said:

Again, you get 50% more pixels, but
NOT 50% more detail and resolution. $300 will buy a flash or go far
towards good glass which will have much more impact on the output
than a minor body upgrade.

Click to expand...

Don't most of us that buy the 50D somehow still find enough cash to get decent lenses and a flash???

Resolution is very very important in photography. Anyone that thinks it's not is usually someone that owns a camera with lesser resolution.

--
'The truth is rarely pure and never simple' Oscar Wilde

That is of course absolutely true. Have you ever hear people say "this lens is too sharp"? It's really strange why those people are thinking otherwise.

springbock said:

jrscls wrote:

Resolution is very very important in photography. Anyone that thinks
it's not is usually someone that owns a camera with lesser resolution.

Click to expand...

I always buy the latest and greatest or not to buy it at all. You won't even feel the $300 6 months from now but you will always be reminded of the 5 extra MP, the high rez LCD, the MF adjustment... that you could have.

Alvin Nunley said:

The extra pixels are more than worth the $300.00. You'll never find
yourself at the pixel limit of the 40D and it's at that point that
you'll thank yourself for spending the extra money
--
Taking pictures is easy, making them art is hard. (al nunley)
Do, or Do Not, No Try. (yoda)

Click to expand...