G10 and what's next? 50D, 500D or wait for 60D

[sbrinkmann]

Hi!

Maybe you can help me: I use a Canon G10 today and really love this camera. It's small and take good pictures. As I often take pictures during traveling I like this small body. But I also see the negative sites of this camera: It's often to slow to fix a good moment and the zoom isn't really enough for my pictures.

So, I think about to buy a DSLR, but I'm not sure which to chose. I hold the 50D and the 500D in my hands and really appreciate the difference. My local dealer offers the 50D with a double lens kit:EF-S 17-85 IS + EF 70-300IS for 1361 Euro. This is not much more expensive then the 500D with the same kit. The 500D has - on my side - two advantages: It's lighter (good for traveling a whole day with the camera) and it uses SD-cards, so that I can connect them directly to my macbook pro. But, the 50D is faster, has a better body and is the more advanced camera. Last thing: 60D. The third way is to wait for it, but as I read it will only have more pixel and video and I don't need booth.

Can you help me to make a good choice?

Thanks
Sebastian

[SilverBullet07]

I purchased the XSI (450) last year and now I wished I had purchased the 50D. If you are only going to use the light weight ef-s lens and a small flash like 430ex ii or smaller then the 500d may be fine. But once you move up to EF L glass or get to the bigger 580 ex ii flash you need a camera frame to support those. My plastic xsi just cracked and creeked under the heavy load of a ef 70-200 f/2.8L IS and the hot shoe could not take the 580 ex ii flash load for weeks at a time on a tour to your country.

Needless to say, but I upgraded this month to a bigger body. If you can afford it and you plan to really use it, go for the 50D.

[inkista]

Until a 60D is announced, you really don't know what it will offer. I think that the predictions it will have more pixels and video are good, but more importantly, if it inherits the 7D's sensor and processor, its high iso noise performance is likely to be much better than the 50Ds, without exhibiting any of the problematic banding that is harder to eliminate with post-processing.

Given how close we are, time-wise to new product announcements, we're only talking about waiting a few weeks or a month at most to see what's coming up, both Canon and Nikon-wise.

However, there's no possible way that the 60D will cost as little as a 50D. The 50D has decreased in price since it was first announced. The 60D (body-only) is likely to start at around the same price the 50D initially had: €1300. So, if the price is what is attracting you to the 50D, and you far prefer the 50D to the 500D, then I'd say get the 50D.

The main thing to remember is that the 500D and 50D have very similar sensors and they share the same processor, so image-quality wise, there's not much to choose between the two. The advantages the 50D have are solely in features and better build quality. If you need the 50D's extra features, then it's a good buy. If you don't need those extra features, you may get more for your money with a 500D.

[RichardTaylor]

+ 1 for 50D mainly because of the better controls and handling.

Re the 60D ... I cant help you with that one as I don't know the specs etc.

[eleuthardt]

While I do not have any of the bodies you are looking at, from a size and feature standpoint, and someone who has used both the Rebel series and the larger xxD series bodies they do have their advantages.

I carried a RebelXT for 8 days with 2 small lenses and was able to take beautiful pictures and do everything I wanted, but I found the major problem for me was the size of the camera. Like most men I have fairly large hands and the Rebel bodies are fairly compact. If you are wearing gloves, it is almost impossible to use.

I also have traveled with a 40D with a grip and several lenses on 6 day trips and also mountain climbing. While the camera is heavier, it just feels better balanced, especially with the grip attached. I was able to use it on a trip to New York for Christmas with my gloves on and no issues.

Also, I have used my L lenses on both bodies, and they both have grips, and yes the Rebel feels off with the larger glass attached, I even found it unbalanced with my Tamron 18-250.

[A@EPOCH]

Just throwing in my two cents: Try using both the 50D and the 500D with accompanying grips. I use the 50D for everything including weddings and I find the grip invaluable because it provides balance for heavy lenses like the 24-70mm 2.8L and the 70-200mm IS 2.8L. However, my wife uses a gripped Cannon XSI (450D) and absolutely loves the feeling in her hands. It provides a little extra weight, a vertical grip, and doesnt intrude so much on the over design of the body.

My vote is for the 50D because of the sturdier design and the extra weather proofing, plus the overall feel and superior button layout.

However I cannot stress enough that it depends on how it feels to you. You are going to be the one carrying it around for hours at a time and if your not comfortable with it you will not be happy no matter what what camera.

[bearly]

i'd say wait and see what the 60D is like, and if it turns out that it has some feature you really want get that, but if not, you can still get the 50D

[gturner]

50D owner here after a few years with the small XXXD frames.
The difference is significant in almost every way... I can assure you!

Add a 50mm 1.8 lens and you have a kit that will do almost anything.

Once you are into it and finding the limitations on the lenses, you can upgrade as mentioned above

[Raoul Isidro]

If impatient: Get the 50D
If endowed with patience, wait for the 60D, or save up for the 7D

[sbrinkmann]

Now the 550D is out and some blogs wrote that there is not much space between the 550D and the 7D. What do you believe?