Which of the 2?

samems said:
Well, i said 50D is what i wanted but been offered a 40D for under £300 with approx 19k actuations. Looks to be in minty condition.

Would it be a good choice? Knowing that i take quite a few pics indoors of the kids and holiday stuff would i miss a 50D or would the 40D suffice?
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That's not a bad price and at 19k actuations not a bad figure either. You'll certainly have to pay well over £100 to get a 50D in that sort of condition.
 
thats a pretty good price - i'd grab it , even if you wind up getting a 50 or 60D later you'd get most of your money back selling it on, or you could keep it as a second body.
 
£265.00 for a 40d with 19k activations is a reasonable price bearing in mind the quality of what you're getting.

Gives you more to play with lens wise, which is the real important bit!
 
And still better than paying the same price for a 500D body? Got to ask before i press my special button to buy!!

Isnt the 500D better technology wise?
 
samems said:
Isnt the 500D better technology wise?
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it depends what you mean by 'technology' , the 500D has slightly more mega pixels, and one itteration newer firmware and is smaller and lighter, however the 40D has a higher fps rate, and is better built and less plasticky

TBH you'll get good pics with either of them, so it depends what features you want more. Personally i'd pick the 40D but at the end of the day it has to be your call
 
You are right, just trying to decide and get all the info before i buy.

I suppose the most important bit for me is low light capability. I have a 50mm 1.8 to use with either body and i guess the 40D is a good body for that? The faster FPS is a bonus with young active kids running around!
 
full tech specs

40D

500D

50D

in answer to your question about lowlight the 500D has greater iso sensitivity (the 40D goes to 3200, the 500D to 12800 )- so if you are doing lots of low light shooting and arent bothered about low fps or more plastic (or the size - small size can be a blessing or a curse - I have big hands and dont get on with any of the xxxDs unless i put a grip on) then the 500D maybe the way to go

The 50D gives the iso capabililty and megapixels of the 500D in a 40D type body with faster fps - however it costs more.

and just to complicate matters for the same sort of price as the 50D you can also pick up a 550D which has the next itteration of sensor and firmware

550D tech spec

at the end of the day you pays your money and takes your choice - any of them will take decent pics so i'd say stop procrastinating, pick one, buy it and get on with the real business of taking photos
 
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Ok, thanks. Almost decided on the 40D.

What has been thrown into the mix is that i have the chance of buying a mates Nikon D90 body for approx £360. It has low Actuations i think under 15k and is in great condition.

Would i be a fool to not buy it? Or should i stick with the 40D i have in my sights? I like either. Not bothered about video just great IQ etc.

Please help me decide people. Thanks. Both are private sales which is another problem for me as i am not sure if i should pay more and go somewhere that offers a warranty.
 
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Just stop procrastinating and buy a damn camera :lol:
 
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samems said:
Anyone before i commit myself? Thanks
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It's pretty simple (IMO, of course), if you want the better image quality, high ISO, higher quality screen, buy a 500D.

If you want slightly better quality plastic, and some magnesium in the chassis, buy a 40D. (oh yes, and the camera snobs will tell you the "handling" makes up for the loss of image quality, lack of high ISO etc ;) ).
 
big soft moose said:
Just buy a damn camera :lol:
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Yea, i know but isnt it right that i would be buying into a 'system' and if so i should make sure i get the right one first? I would hate to buy Canon when i should have gone Nikon and vice versa.

Problem i guess is that both feel great!!
 
Only you can decide!

I know nothing about Canon but absolutely love my D90.

.....not helping am I?

Heather
 
Dave1 said:
It's pretty simple (IMO, of course), if you want the better image quality, high ISO, higher quality screen, buy a 500D.

If you want slightly better quality plastic, and some magnesium in the chassis, buy a 40D. (oh yes, and the camera snobs will tell you the "handling" makes up for the loss of image quality, lack of high ISO etc ;) ).
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IQ is really down to the lens and the photographer .. i'm yet to see anything that substantiates that a 500D gives better image quality than a 40D - more mega pixels yes, but that doesnt automatically equate to the same thing.

and the screen is pretty much the same on both. (that is on both models its a 3" TFT - on the 500D its higher resolution (920k dots vs 230k) but still not high enough to judge sharpness which is all that really matters - I usually have my LCD turned off anyway to save power, unless i am checking the exposure via histogram)

High ISo is a valid point

However - you also neglect the points that FPS is lower on the xxxD series than it is on the xxd , that the metering is better on the xxD, as is the AF , and that the 'handling' is nothing to do with being a camera snob - its to do with people with big hands finding the xxxD too small unless a battery grip is added.

At the end of the day you pays your money and takes your choice.. if you want a small light camera with decent iso performamce and arent concerned about the other issues then buy a 500D (you could also look at a 550D which arent much more)

If you want a larger camera with faster FPS, better metering and AF and you arent concerned about high iso then buy a 40D

and if you want all of the above save your pennies for a bit longer and buy a 50D (or 60D, or 7D depending on how much you want to spend)

I don't know much about the nikon so i can't advise how these compare

However any of these cameras are capable of getting good shots, and either nikon or canon is a system you can grow with (they are also several others including sony, olympus, and pentax ) but at the end of the day you are just going to have to make a choice, chances are good that you won't regret buying any modern mid level DSLR
 
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samems said:
Yea, i know but isnt it right that i would be buying into a 'system' and if so i should make sure i get the right one first? I would hate to buy Canon when i should have gone Nikon and vice versa.

Problem i guess is that both feel great!!
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theres no 'right' answer to that one - both systems do the job fine. you just have to make a choice.

I would advise that once you have chosen a system you stick with it unless you have a really good reason to change - for example andy rouse famously changed from canon to nikon because of the (then) glitches with the the 1D series and the low light performanmce on the D3, but for normal mortals its better to stay with one and build up your lens collection etc
 
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Yea, we have and i have decided to go with the xxD. Cheers all
 
Edit:

Handled a 40D and really dont like how it 'feels'. Plus it weighs the same as a brick! lol

So, got to decide now, between a 550D and a D90

Any pointers as i want to purchase by wed at the very latest.

What puts me off the D90 is the age of the thing!! D7000 looks awesome but quite a high price tag

Oh, also, is it better to buy from a shop with warranty?
 
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The D90 is far better built, with a much bigger viewfinder and better high ISO performance. Try them both though before committing if you can, as the Nikon control system is very different to the Canon system. Also bear in mind that the 550D is higher resolution so you will get more reach with the same length lens (as you can crop).

Seriously though, try both before you buy. As for the warranty thing, you'll pay more in a shop for one with a warranty, obviously, but it's peace of mind I guess. I've always bought mind second hand privately with no issues.
 
samems said:
Edit:

Handled a 40D and really dont like how it 'feels'. Plus it weighs the same as a brick! lol

So, got to decide now, between a 550D and a D90
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Have you checked the various weights? The D90 is pretty similar in weight to the 40D.

40D is 822 grams
D90 is 703 grams
550D is 530 grams

If weight is important, it might be worth tracking down a D90 to handle before making a decision.
 
this is getting a tad silly now - just pick one and buy it - either has the potential to give great pictures.

otherwise we'll still be here next year by which time you'll also have discovered the oly, sony, sigma, and pentax options
 
Having owned a range of cameras from E-P1 to 5D mkII, I would take the 500D. Size and weight is not given the priority it should be on in reccomendations on TP imo!
 
Bought a D90 and a 50mm from these forums. Well happy! Got a lot to learn now!
 
Weight is an issue at the moment with the D90 after using for even a little bit!! IQ is awesome though. Wife says she couldnt take pics with it as too heavy with larger lens on it!! She says i should have gotten a 500D or 550D as she liked the weight of those. I told her its mine!! lol
 
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