Advice on new DSLR

adamgreen240

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Hello everyone, looks like a crackin forum ive come across here!

Anyways, im pretty much an amature photographer, i have just sold my Canon EOS 450D, along with the 18-55mm lens and 70-300mm lens, so that i can upgrade.

But i am really confused! I want to stick to a canon camera, the 3 i am looking at are:

Canon EOS 50D
Canon EOS 550D
Canon EOS 500D

Now, i know the canon EOS 50D comes with a much better stock lens i think? (17-85 or something)

But i am looking for tips to which one to choose!

I mainly shoot family occasions, wildlife, and lanscapes if thats any help?

No studio work or shooting birds though!

Thanks in advance!!

Adam
 
Im not sure the 500 or 550 will be much of an upgrade, would go for the 50 if it were me...
 
Thats what i was looking at...

Although i do like the video feature on the others (i know, i know), but its nice to have!

How much bigger is it to the 450D?

Dont suppose anyone has a side by side photograph do they?

Cheers, Adam
 
Hmmmm personally I wouldnt let the video sway you, the 50D is definitely a good camera.

The 50 has a metal body I believe and is also bigger than the others (havent handled one but specs are on the Canon site)
Also has 6.3fps so good for Motorsport and fast moving objects
 
okey, i think i will go 50D then!

What lens would be best to have as a kind of 'kit lens'

Ideally, (i know i will get slated for saying this!) but i just want really one lens...

So, its probably either the 17-85mm or the 18-200mm lens.

What would you pick?
 
The 50D is awesome, it's a big step up from the 450D (I know, I upgraded a few months ago). I personally don't rate the 17-85 kit lens very highly, it's a very useful focal range but personally I'd prefer to sacrifice the extra length and replace it with speed in the form of a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. The 50D has a LOT of megapixels, and needs fairly decent lenses to get the most out of it...

If you genuinely only want one lens though, how about a bridge camera? They're very capable tools, and you could save a fair bit of money?
 
Whats your budget?

Also are you buying new?

If you really only want one lens then it also depends what you shoot.....landscapes will be fine on either of the lenses you mentioned but one only zooms to 85mm so not much good for something like motorsport
 
I love the 50D, it's very fast to use, great shutter sound ;) 6.3 FPS, excellent screen and great image quality. I keep a 70-200 f2.8 L IS on mine for taking pics of my dogs.

You should be able to get the 50D body only if you want to choose your own lens.

Edit: I'm thinking about getting a 24-105 L as a walk-about lens for the 50D, as Chris says, you do need good glass to get the best out of it (i.e. the camera has excellent resolution, you need a lens to match!)
 
I'd pick up a 500d and spend the rest on lenses. A wide angle will give you some fun family shots and help landscapes and the nifty fifty is always a good choice.

However, if you feel you're taking alot of indoor shots, then the extra low light performance of the 550d can be useful for indoor shots

I feel that the 50d is for those whole require a more robust and faster body. Most amateurs dont need this.

Sam
 
From that list, if you are looking for a noticeable upgrade to the body, the 50D will be the one. However, you should consider getting a used 40D which there are many about at the moment for a decent price, and is pretty much like a 40D but with a few minor features missing, but some even say it is better than the 50D for image quality. I just upgraded to the 40D and can't fault it.

With money saved, you can contribute to a better lens which will be a much better investment and make a bigger difference than the body. If you definitely only want one lens, you are pretty limited in focal range, and it depends on your budget too. If you have £600+ to spend on a lens, then a high end lens such as the 24-105 f4 L IS or 24-70 f/2.8 L or 17-55 f/2.8 IS are available and offer the best image quality, and you could choose one which catered your needs the most. I went for the 17-55 because of the focal range on a crop body but others have a lot of joy with the other 2 lenses also. However, it could be a bit short on the long end without a longer lens to accompany it.

If you don't have this kind of budget, then something like the Canon EF 28-135mm IS USM is a decent lens for the price and although does not have the quality of the more expensive lenses, it is a good all round lens. I just sold mine recently for £160 which is a lot cheaper than the ones above.

As others have said, the Tamrom 17-50 f/2.8 probably sits in the middle of these 2 price backets and is a very decent lens from what I hear.
 
Going to have to go with what everyone else is saying too, the 50D is the next logical step up. Whilst the 500D and 550D are part of the same range, you won't notice too big of an upgrade, just more megapixels, slightly better ISO performance and of course Movie mode, whereas of course the benefits of the 50D over the XXXD range are a lot more obvious.
 
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