looking for upgrade help/advice please.

[robhullfury]

hi,

I bought myself an EOS1000 a couple of years back and have outgrown it I feel. I cant justify a 5dmk3 in terms of price. I would consider second hand but I want to move up the canon model range. I am alittle dawnted by the prefix's in terms of is a 40d better then a 450d etc. would some kind person explain the model orders. I am hoping to get something to play with a fisheye etc which is limited on my 1000d without some vignetting.

what should I be aiming for I know price is a factor but depending on camera I can stretch the pounds abit. I am hoping for something with a higher iso a midrange I have no asperations of starting up in business. I have a young son and the wife and I are constantly taking shots of him so shots indoors would make things alittle easier.

Thank you for reading any replies would be great.

Rob

 

[Craft]

xxxD range entry level
xxD range is enthusiast
xD range is professional

^ possible exception to that is the 7D which I think most view as a semi pro camera.

Your 1000D is somewhere close to a 350D/400D.
Upgrading to an xxxD will give you an increase in megapixels and noise (especially with something like a 550D or 600D)
A xxD will give you the above as well as better controls (wheel on the back, second LCD on top). the 40D and 50D are metal bodies, 60D is plastic. FPS rate will be better too. Later models would give you increased ISO range.
A 7D would give you more of everything again plus a very nifty focus system which makes it a good camera for motorsport/birds and so on, again ISO range goes up (12800 in extended mode).

To be honest I would set your budget and then look in to what you can get for it.

Just one other thought, what lenses are you using ?

 

[woof woof]

xxxD range entry level
xxD range is enthusiast
xD range is professional

^ possible exception to that is the 7D which I think most view as a semi pro camera.

Personally, and no offence, but classifications like that seem completely meaningless and to be honest a little irritating to me although that is probably how Canon marketing view things.

Rather than viewing kit as something to be upgraded depending upon how you see yourself why not just look at the features and handling of each and pick whatever is right for you. For example, I like wide aperture shots and the XXXD range is therefore rather limiting as the shutter speed is 1/4000 and in good light that might limit me to something like f2.8 unless I start messing about with filters. Others like action shots and like the focusing system of the 7D. Things like that matter more to me than what some marketing type in Canon thinks is "entry level" or "enthusiast." I think that the best thing to do is look up each model on DPReview, check the features and then if possible handle them in a shop, then decide.

Back on point. Your 1000D should be suitable to use either a wide angle or a fisheye and the only way of getting a wider view is to try a full frame model like a 5D. If you want higher/better ISO's you could check performance on DPReview... Pick a camera and choose "Compared to RAW" or "Caompared to JPEG" and then choose the cameras you want to compare.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos60D/page19.asp

You might find that altering or improving tecnique or your post capture processing or possibly using some different software might make more difference to ISO performance than buying a new camera.

Good luck choosing.

 

[StewartR]

Why exactly do you feel you've outgrown your camera, Rob?

You only raised two specific issues:

I am hoping to get something to play with a fisheye etc which is limited on my 1000d without some vignetting.

You don't need a different camera for that. There are several different fisheye lenses on the market and some of them are designed for crop-sensor cameras such as yours:

• Sigma 4.5mm f/2.8 fisheye = circular image on cropped sensor
• Sigma 10mm f/2.8 fisheye = rectangular image on cropped sensor
• Sigma 8mm f/3.5 fisheye = circular image on full-frame sensor
• Canon 15mm f/2.8 fisheye = rectangular image on full-frame sensor

I am hoping for something with a higher iso ... I have a young son and the wife and I are constantly taking shots of him so shots indoors would make things alittle easier.

Any newer camera will give better high-ISO performance. Alternatively you could use a faster lens. For example you could replace your kit lens with an f/2.8 zoom (many people say nice things about the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, though I don't have any personal experience of it) and that will give you faster shutter speeds without requiring higher ISOs.

 

[robhullfury]

thanks for your replies ill have to have a proper read tomorrow and review options abit shattered at the moment.

thanks for taking the time

rob

 

[pooley]

Before you splash out you need to determine exactly why you've outgrown your 1000d.

If its something like the AF not being responsive enough or better weather sealing, then an upgrade may be needed. However, if its image quality, you might be better spending your pennies on high end glass. Its better to have good glass on a 1000d than a kit lens on a 7d

 

[Deadlock]

I agree with what others have said.

Also worth noting about the glass and sensor size issue.
- If you buy glass that is specifically for a crop sensor then it will not fit on a full frame camera like the 5d, 5d2, etc.
However, full frame glass will fit on a crop sensor canon body.
Canon uses 'EF' for full frame and 'EF-s' for crop sensor.
So take care in deciding which glass to invest in

In general, full frame cameras have better image quality and noise handling at higher isos.

With regards to ...
xxxD range entry level
xxD range is enthusiast
xD range is professional

Although it is a marketing term, be aware that
1 - any pro will be able to get amazing results from any camera in the range
2 - the difference between the ranges typically will give
a) a few additional features which may or may not be of use to you depending on what you specifically want to use the camera for. e.g. Higher shutter sync speed, more fps, etc
b) better handling to be able to change settings you would regularly use in full manual mode quicker. If you were shooting something sedentary like landscapes then such features would likely not be a priority.
c) fit better in the hand.
d) bigger/better/clearer viewfinder.

So to echo what the others have said, try to define
a) what it is you predominantly shoot
b) which features on the camera you feel you have outgrown.

Once you have identified that you will be able to look at the spec sheet of any camera and rule out any that have limiting features.

From there, draw up your short-list to go and see how they feel in your hand.