Please help me with my body dilemma!!

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slats

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James
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I need help here!! I currently have a 400d with a 24-105, 50mm 1.8 and a 430ex flash (just sold everything else I have).

I am looking at upgrading the body and possibly the 50mm but body first. I mainly take pictures in the house of my little girl but in the summer we take the camera out a lot. I have a Panasonic TZ10 as a pocket cam and also for video so I don’t need it to shoot video. My wife has a great eye for photos and has second shot at a couple of weddings and we have also shot a whole wedding (borrowed a 20D as second cam) but they knew we were not pros! She wants to second shoot another wedding and also do portrait pictures of friends and family. Want a camera with good ISO handling and would like faster fps too. I know the 40d is a great camera but is the 50d worth the extra dosh and there are so many people saying the 50d is just not that much better? I would like to say 5d or 7d but to be honest I think they would be too big and heavy for the wife.

Please suggest what you think is best.
 
7d weighs the same as 50D i believe

i just upgraded and weight and size is no different .. camera is leaps ahead though.

40 --> 50 is not much of an upgrade mate you might aswell stick with a 40 and get another 40 if thats the case
 
400d to 7d or 5d is a jump in size, weight and performance.
sounds like you need to make a trip to a local photography shop and get your hands on them.
 
The 40D was and still is an excellent camera, but the 50D is a very significant upgrade IF you need what it has to offer. The pixel increase from the 40D to the 50D is enormous, and at the time was the biggest single pixel increase ever in a new model - a 50% increase in fact. It also offers micro lens calibration and quite a few changes in the menu system.

Cameras like the 50D and the later 7D with their high pixel density crop sensors are really quite specialist cameras aimed at sports and wildlife shooters who really benefit from the ability to crop and still retain image quality, and the effective increased reach offered when using long lenses.

The downside of that pixel density is that it is very unforgiving of any lens shortcomings, so you really need the best quality glass to make the most of these cameras. While the strength of these cameras really lies in the effective increased reach they give, there's no reason at all why you can't undertake other forms of photography with them too - I've shot weddings and taken portraits with the 50D and not found it wanting in the least, but as I said earlier, it's inadvisable with cheaper lenses.

I shot with a 50D and a 40D side by side for a while and there was no escaping the fact that for bird photography and long lens use, the 40D was well outclassed by the 50D, which resulted (at that time) in swapping the 40D for a second 50D body.

You're unlikely to see any of these benefits in real terms though if you intend to shoot just weddings and portraits, unless you intended to produce really huge prints.
 
Firstly whats your budget?

Secong hand prices:

40D - around £350
50D - around £450
5D - around £550
7D - around £900

So thats quite a scope of prices.

The IQ and ISO handling of the 40D and 50D is pretty much the same, the 50D has micro focus adjust and a much surperior LCD.

The 5D is old and pretty slow and is full frame but the IQ is top quality.

The 7D has a top class AF system and video and better ISO perfomance than any of the other 3 but the IQ will be pretty similar to the 40D and 50D unless you are using top glass and even then the difference wont be huge.
 
If it helps at all these are a couple of shots taken by my first time second shooter at a wedding using a 20D and 24-105L, which is the lens you have...

5433411398_128f7caeb5_o.jpg


5433411444_68747befe8_o.jpg
 
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I think I am going towards the 50D and then if it all pans out for the wife then I can upgrade later. I think that the extra for the 7D right now would just be a waste as we are just not that good!!
 
Donki said:
Firstly whats your budget?
Click to expand...

I have about 700 so would have to stretch to the 7d anyway. I am now thinking 50D and save a bit for some new glass. I love the 24-105 but would like a lower light lens so may look at the 17-55 2.8
 
just so you know .. i got a 7D with accessories used on ebay for £850 .. without asccessories you could push to £800 ;)
 
I also have problems with my body but I don't think there would be much point posting about them on this forum. :bonk:
 
slats said:
I have about 700 so would have to stretch to the 7d anyway. I am now thinking 50D and save a bit for some new glass. I love the 24-105 but would like a lower light lens so may look at the 17-55 2.8
Click to expand...

I think you need to think sensibly about it. For the difference in price nowadays you might as well go for the 50D if that's your fancy, but any of the three cameras will do the jobs you want to do with no problem at all. If it's a real stretch for the 7D, then it isn't worth it when there's lots more kit you'll need if the intention is to seriously pursue wedding work at some stage.

You'll see a bigger increase in image quality by spending money on good lenses than you ever will by upgrading your body, and those lenses will retain their value when the latest DSLR is worth about fourpence. ;)

You see the differencei n upgrading your body AFTER the glass is already in your bag.
 
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slats said:
I have about 700 so would have to stretch to the 7d anyway. I am now thinking 50D and save a bit for some new glass. I love the 24-105 but would like a lower light lens so may look at the 17-55 2.8
Click to expand...

Would be a nice combo the 17-55mm and the 50D if you have a grand to spend. Have a look at the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 or the 28-75 2.8 if you are looking for something faster on a budget both just over £200 second hand. If you like primes the 85mm 1.8 would be good also.
 
I had the same choice as you and went for the 50d, I think the extras over the 40d are worth the price diffrance.

The 7d is now quite a bit cheper than it was, so if I were to be buying now I would be looking at the 7D and streaching the budget. The wireless flash option would be nice so would improve af the 7d offers.

But on the whole i'm very happy with my 50d and tamron 17-50.
 
Slats,

I have used the 50D with both the Tamron 17-50 non vc and the Canon 17-55 IS and there is no way there should be a £400 price difference. The Tamron is a fine lens for the money and almost as good as the 17-55 IS. It is also much smaller and lighter if that matters to you.
 
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