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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Where to go from a Canon 50D?
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 04/07/2010 11:48:26 PM · #1
Hi,

I own a canon 50D and a couple of high-value lenses (for me at least), and often take low-light shots, never used studio lightning etc.

Here are the lenses I own:

Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

I use the 35mm 1.4m, the 17-55 and the 70-200 most of the time.

So I though initially that a Canon 5D might be a good step up, specially when the next model comes out (whenever that will be). I read some reviews which mentioned that the low-light capabilities of the 5D is amazing compared to the 50D. Of course the 5D would render my EF-S lenses useless, so I planned to keep the 50D for the time being.

Alternatively I was thinking about the 7D. The charm is that I can keep all lenses and sell the 50D. I also read that the new autofocus is very good for sports. I do not do a lot of sports but occasionally found that the 50D is quite slow when it comes to focus on moving objects such as birds or other fast-moving objects.

I am not in a hurry to buy something new. I can wait for the next 5D model to come out if its the best choice, but if the best step up for me is the 7D, I might as well get the current model.

So my questions are:

How good really is the 7D low-light capability? Much better than the 50D?
Is the 5D considerably slower for faster action?
Do I have to assume that the 5D will still be slower even if it gets the focus system of the 7D with the next edition?
Is the 7D's larger sensor a visible jump up from the 50D in quality?

Thanks so much for your input on this!
 04/08/2010 12:02:51 AM · #2
Here is a nice clean comparison of the three cameras that will be of interest to you. (change one to the 5D Mk II if you choose..)
 04/08/2010 12:03:37 AM · #3
How good really is the 7D low-light capability? Excellent
Much better than the 50D? IS01600 on the 7D is cleaner than ISO 800 on the 50D
Is the 5D considerably slower for faster action? Yes.
Do I have to assume that the 5D will still be slower even if it gets the focus system of the 7D with the next edition? Probably. It just doesn't have the frame rate to keep up with fast action.
Is the 7D's larger sensor a visible jump up from the 50D in quality? Definitely

That said, the 5D Mark II would be the better choice for available light shooting and portraiture. You could always eBay the two EF-S lenses to recover most of the cost and put it towards a good wide angle.
 04/08/2010 12:10:12 AM · #4
coryboehne that's a great link! Thx!
 04/08/2010 12:45:53 AM · #5
Yeah I guess the question is really if I want to go "pro" with the 5D and all its consequences for the lenses, slowness etc. Probably it's better to stay on a more general turf with the 7D instead of jumping into the one corner with the 5D?

I do take LOTS of images with the 1.4 that would probably gain a lot from the 5D, but on the other hand I would loose out on the lenses and the speed.... hmmmm. Going to see F1 in Shanghai this month. Might be worth upgrading fast :-)
 04/08/2010 01:10:41 AM · #6
Regarding the noise levels for low-light pictures just found this here:

//www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos7d/page15.asp


Message edited by author 2010-04-08 01:12:02.
 04/08/2010 03:05:45 PM · #7
the 5d, or 5d2 will provide you with an awesoem and very capable camera. You could sell your EF-S lenses for a good price to either go against the price of a 5d, or buy a lens to cover the focal range you're giving up (maybe a 17-40 L for around $500 used?).

I don't get why you said "go pro with the 5d", it's just a camera, and an awesome one at that. Don't think of it as jumping into a corner, think of it as liberating yourself from the corner you're in! 5d noise control is nothing short of awesome. The focus thing is much written about but I use mine for sports, concerts, portraits, weddings, and everything else. It's never let me down as focuses as well as my 40d.

IMHO the 5d2 is the best camera canon have made in terms of one camera doing everything for a fair price.
 04/08/2010 03:42:07 PM · #8
I don't own a 7D, but I have tried one and it is a great camera. I almost had some buyers remorse because my 5D2 wasn't that old when the 7D came out, but that faded with a little more thought.

I think the difference between these two cameras is 100% based on your needs.

The 5D2 is better in low light because of the lower pixel density (2.4 MP/cm² vs5.4 MP/cm²).
The 5D2 can deliver a shallower depth of field.
The 5D2 produces a larger RAW file with more data for bigger enlargements.

The 7D is faster.
The 7D focuses better.
The 7D won't fill your hard drive quiet as fast.
The 7D is about $1000 (US) less expensive.

The 7D is a fantastic camera unless any of the 5D2 attributes are critical to your photographic needs.
 04/09/2010 02:18:07 PM · #9
Re: filling up hard drives.

You can get a 1tb external hard drive (1000GB) for $92 with free shipping from Amazon.

The point of HD space becomes less relevant as the cost of external storage keeps decreasing.
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