40D v 50D v 7D

MarkLP

MarkLP

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Hi there,

I am currently on the lookout for a new camera, I have a 350D at the moment, which I feel i'm quite limited with.

Now I've been looking at new and second hand camera, between the 40D, 50D, 7D.

Now I'm swaying to either the 40D or 50D because I don't really need video.

I take photos of a vareity of things, landscapes, people, animals, nature, and motorsport, so there isn't really a niche subject to commit too.

Along with one of those camera I'm thinking of buying

430ex Flash or 580ex Flash
70-200 IS F/4 or 70-200 IS F2.8
24-105L

If anyone has any opinions or ideas please feel free to post.

My current setup is

350D
18-125 Sigma Lens
70-300 Sigma Lens
50mm 1.8



Many Thanks,
Mark
 
A better camera overall to be honest, a slightly higher ISO then the 350D's 1600.

A larger Screen would be nice.

The ability to have off camera flashes, but I think I can do this with all of them with wireless transmitter and receivers?
 
MarkLP said:
A better camera overall to be honest, a slightly higher ISO then the 350D's 1600.

A larger Screen would be nice.

The ability to have off camera flashes, but I think I can do this with all of them with wireless transmitter and receivers?
Click to expand...

Given that you already know where in the food chain these cameras sit I would say that a 40D would be a big improvement. Its upto you how much you want to spend and are commited to photography. I've just moved from a 400D to a 50D and am well pleased. You may want to spend your pennies on lenses and remote flash imo.
 
MarkLP said:
A better camera overall to be honest, a slightly higher ISO then the 350D's 1600.

A larger Screen would be nice.

The ability to have off camera flashes, but I think I can do this with all of them with wireless transmitter and receivers?
Click to expand...

The great thing about the 7d is that you can use it's built in flash as a trigger for the 430 ex and 580s so no need to buy/attach triggers etc
 
well the 40d is suppose to be very good and have very good iso, the 50d has more pixels, but is not as good iso as the 40d, and the 7d has the best af the highest pixels and is suppose to be better controlling the iso than the 50d, the 50d is suppose to be better sealed agains dust and moisture than the 40d and the 7 d is better again.
 
7D is also double the price of the 50D when looking online.

I have a friend moving from the 450d and after a lot of though the 50d is the one he's going with as the 7d is just more than he needs from a camera.
 
I just made the switch a few weeks ago from the 400d to 40d and WOW , it absolutly smashes the socks off the 400d by a million miles in my opinion, better build, ergonomics,better fps,metering, af, its just amazing, i now wonder why i didnt do it sooner, oh yeah i forgot (Funds) , ive actually got it sitting next to me as im typing this and carnt stop looking at it , I managed to get a good deal, i got a mint 40d body with 2100 clicks and an mint 17-85mm IS usm all boxed as new for £550 , you can pick up a good 40d body for around £400 now. Have a look on here ( www.eos-magazine.com ) there's a few availible, i was going to buy one from here but found one 4 miles down the road....... good luck
 
I am with Andy77, as I upgraded to a 40D from a 350D and there is a big gap and I should have done it a long time ago. I am unsure whether it would be worth going for a 50D as there doesn't seem to be that much of a difference.
 
Liam said:
I am with Andy77, as I upgraded to a 40D from a 350D and there is a big gap and I should have done it a long time ago. I am unsure whether it would be worth going for a 50D as there doesn't seem to be that much of a difference.
Click to expand...

Did the same, I love my 40d.

The shutter on it has a nice sastisfying clunk as well :D
 
Liam said:
I am with Andy77, as I upgraded to a 40D from a 350D and there is a big gap and I should have done it a long time ago. I am unsure whether it would be worth going for a 50D as there doesn't seem to be that much of a difference.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with liam regarding the 50d as there's not alot extra that the 40d does'nt have, yes the screens better and has more pixels, but its suffers with noise at iso's higher than 400 apparently (from reviews) and its also slower in the continuous shooting mode.......

Andy...
 
The only problem with the 40D is iso 3200 is very ugly, if you plan on using it a lot at very high iso I would maybe go for the 7D..
 
The 7D is very nice but your paying a lot extra, worth it maybe only if your in a business or have loads of extra money. Now the 50D, to be honest, a part from the extra 5mp the 50D has, its pretty much the same over the 40D. You could get a 40D for £400 nowadays easy. That gives you about £1100 to spend on 1p sweets, or maybe a new lens, the choice is yours.
 
Assuming you could get 40D for £400 (2nd hand) or a 7D new for £1,200 that's (a very rough) £800 difference.

So the question for you I think is what more would you get (for the photography you do) from a 7d compared to a 40D.

Then compare that to what you could get with a 40D and the £800 spent on other gear, for example for £800:

100mm Macro & Tamron 17-50 F2.8
You might just get a 100-400mm or 400mm for wildlife or birds
135l f2 reputed to be one of the best canon lenses
17-40L for landscapes and some filters....
Sigma 30mm f1.4...
not sure what lenses you have at present but those sprang to mind.

re the 70-200 all of the canon versions seem to be excellent. I have the 70-200 f4 non IS, I would like the IS at some point, but would not go for the 2.8 at the moment due to the size and weight compared to the f4 version, and whilst it would be nice, I don't need 2.8. Either way I'm sure you would be happy with either lens.

In your position I'd go 40d + lenses. Lenses tend to hold their value more, in a couple of years the 7d will be a bargain so you could upgrade then with lenses that take advantage of it's extra features.

I think you'll find the difference 350d>40D quite substantial as it is.

Good luck!

Al
 
akr said:
Assuming you could get 40D for £400 (2nd hand) or a 7D new for £1,200 that's (a very rough) £800 difference.

So the question for you I think is what more would you get (for the photography you do) from a 7d compared to a 40D.

Then compare that to what you could get with a 40D and the £800 spent on other gear, for example for £800:

100mm Macro & Tamron 17-50 F2.8
You might just get a 100-400mm or 400mm for wildlife or birds
135l f2 reputed to be one of the best canon lenses
17-40L for landscapes and some filters....
Sigma 30mm f1.4...
not sure what lenses you have at present but those sprang to mind.

re the 70-200 all of the canon versions seem to be excellent. I have the 70-200 f4 non IS, I would like the IS at some point, but would not go for the 2.8 at the moment due to the size and weight compared to the f4 version, and whilst it would be nice, I don't need 2.8. Either way I'm sure you would be happy with either lens.

In your position I'd go 40d + lenses. Lenses tend to hold their value more, in a couple of years the 7d will be a bargain so you could upgrade then with lenses that take advantage of it's extra features.

I think you'll find the difference 350d>40D quite substantial as it is.

Good luck!

Al
Click to expand...

Couldnt agree more.........:thumbs:
 
As a 7D owner who upgraded from a 40D, I will say the 40D offers the best bang for your money if funds are tight. It is a great camera.
 
I forgot to mention I think there have also been some 1DmII on here for £800-£900 to add something else into the mix.....never owned one but the AF on the 1d series is meant to be amazing.....
 
Thanks for all the input guys! Looks like a second hand 40D for me then..

now to find one :D

Quick Q with the Flash scenario -

Camera - Wireless Transmitter
430EX - Wireless Receiver? or does it not need one?

Camera - Wireless Transmitter
580EX - Wireless Receiver?
430EX - Fires off the 580 as a slave?

Am I right with these?

Cheers :D
 
Orville said:
As a 7D owner who upgraded from a 40D, I will say the 40D offers the best bang for your money if funds are tight. It is a great camera.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, just swapped my 40d for a 7d - the 40d is still a stonking camera, infact I am struggling to see whether the extra money for the 7d was worth it atm

Maybe when the weather gets better I'll appreciate it more :thinking:
 
I upgraded from the 350D to the 40D shortly after it came out. It is a massively better camera in all departments and well worth the upgrade.
The OP failed to mention budget - maybe thats not an issue?

If I were still using a 350D and looking to upgrade, the 7D (or even 5DII) would be very tempting, but I think I'd still go for the 40D and invest the money left over in some decent glass. Not convinced with the 50D - as per an earlier response, the 40D has better ISO and to me that is much more important than megapixels.
 
chilliz said:
Personally I think buying a 7D is more than just about video, It`s superior to the other 2 in just about every other way IMHO.
Click to expand...

only in AF system and fps - IQ of 40D is better. both 50D and 7D suffer from noise even at iso 100
 
POAH said:
only in AF system and fps - IQ of 40D is better. both 50D and 7D suffer from noise even at iso 100
Click to expand...

Where did you get that idea from? I have gone from a 450D to 40D and finaly onto a 7D. and with every step I have noticed a great improvment in image quality. The only possible thing I can think of the 7d has shown up the kit lens.

Note to the OP if funds are limited go for the 40d and invest in good Glass.
 
MarkLP said:
Thanks for all the input guys! Looks like a second hand 40D for me then..

now to find one :D

Quick Q with the Flash scenario -

Camera - Wireless Transmitter
430EX - Wireless Receiver? or does it not need one?

Camera - Wireless Transmitter
580EX - Wireless Receiver?
430EX - Fires off the 580 as a slave?

Am I right with these?

Cheers :D
Click to expand...

Err, no.

If you want a 430 off a 40d you can use an ST-E2 or one of the radio triggers. If you use an ST-E2 you don't need a receiver. If you use a radio trigger you do. ST-E2 is ok indoors but limited outside but it supports ETTL. Radio triggers will work anywhere (even around corners) but the ones that support ETTL are quite expensive.

If you want to fire a 430 and a 580 you have the same options as above plus you can use the 580 on the camera instead of the ST-E2 to fire the remote. You can disable the flash from firing on the camera and still use it to trigger the remote one.

Neither the 430 or the 580 have built in optical slaves.
 
Ah ok, thanks for the info re flashes :)

Have managed to get a deal on a 40D kit, which should be with me tomorrow :D
 
"1st I've heard of this, all I have heard is that the 7D is almost on a par with the 5D II. Where`s the evidence for this?"

I've read that the lower ISO's aren't as impressive as the higher ones too.

There's a list of reviews here...

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/Canon_7d.html

...so if you have the inclination and some time to kill you can wade through what reviewers say.

I've read conflicting reports and I've seen a range of images from appalling to very good so I think that if I decide to change my camera any time soon I'll try and evaluate myself before I buy, maybe that's what we should always do.
 
I can report on the 40D vs 50D noise.

When the image is viewed at the same size the 50D shows an improvement in the noise area - I'm finding about 1 stop at ISO 800 & 1600. When viewed at 1:1 the 40D is marginally better.

Below ISO 400 I found little difference and at ISO 100 the 40D definitly has the edge.
 
MarkLP said:
Ah ok, thanks for the info re flashes :)

Have managed to get a deal on a 40D kit, which should be with me tomorrow :D
Click to expand...

Excellent, don't think you'll be disappointed, we all go through the should I upgrade to this or that model at some stage, but I know when I swopped to my 40D I was blown away.

I've had a similar problem the other day, popped into Jacobs to discuss a lens and came out thinking about the 7D re the autofocus - I do a lot of motorsport. Having sat on my hands very firmly :lol: for the last couple of days, I can't (at this point) justify an upgrade and significant amount of money.

Enjoy your new Camera :thumbs:
 
Hi, ive just upgraded from a 300d and the difference is huge in every respect. my old 300 is like a toy in comparison

EDIT: i should have read all the posts then i would have seen you got a 40d, lol. glad u like it.
 
I am also about to make an upgrade. I have a 400D with Canon 17-40 L and 100-400 L lenses. The 7D is way outside my price range at the moment so it's between the 40D and 50D.
I think given that the 40D is still quite a bit cheaper than the 50D on the second hand market I will get a 40D for now and upgrade to a 7D or 5D in a year or so. By then the price of the 7D might have come down a bit.

I'm still undecided if I should keep my 400D as a second body or not.


Andy S
 
EMA747 said:
I am also about to make an upgrade. I have a 400D with Canon 17-40 L and 100-400 L lenses. The 7D is way outside my price range at the moment so it's between the 40D and 50D.
I think given that the 40D is still quite a bit cheaper than the 50D on the second hand market I will get a 40D for now and upgrade to a 7D or 5D in a year or so. By then the price of the 7D might have come down a bit.

I'm still undecided if I should keep my 400D as a second body or not.


Andy S
Click to expand...

Hi Andy

Do you need a second body, as a professional or would you take two bodies out with you with different lenses attached? If it's just going to sit at home, personally I'd sell it (once you've decided if you like the 40/50D once you've tested it out). You can then put that money towards towards something else, photographic or not...

My two pence anyway...

Al
 
Al it's along the same lines that I have been thinking. I've only wished I had a second body a couple of times.

On the other hand is a used 400D really worth much these days?
 
Did a quick search on completed ebay ones, seem to be around £250 minimum, more dependant on buyer insanity or additional lenses etc...so I guess it depends how much you think you might want the 400d on the odd occasion v what you could get for £250 and use all the time....

When I upgraded I gave my 400D to my sister, but I know I can borrow if I really need to (which I have no had to yet - I find one camera + lenses + tripod enough to carry around!).

I guess if in doubt keep it for a bit, see if you miss it and it not sell it on here or the bay...(here would be better!)

good luck

Al
 
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