Imminent camera upgrade

[Trevoreast]

I have a 40D and a 30D - will sell the 30D and get a new main camera and demote the 40D to a backup camera.

What camera will genuinely give me better all round performance than the 40D. I'm not really into keeping up with the Jones's
I need to justify the upgrade, and would obviously need to see better IQ and less noisy very high ISO shots.
I mainly use L lenses zooms and non L primes.

I don't often shoot high speed items like planes of birds, considering 60D or 7D or as a wildcard choice a lightly used 50D that would allow me could use my existing batteries . I know all about the features of all the cameras, I can't make my mind up.

Any thoughts ?

Trev

[colin C]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

I have two thoughts Trev:

1. If you seriously can't make your mind up, lose the 30D and get another low mileage 40D.

2. If you want a quality improvement, get a 5D MKII.

Colin

[MX5]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

Trev - I have a 40D and 7D. My 40D is still used a lot, it's such a good camera. So I'd have to agree will ColinC. Whilst the 7D is a great camera ... IMHO it's not a quantum leap above the 40D. If I had a time machine I should have purchased the 5D2 and not the 7D. That said I'm happy with the 7D ... was in use yesterday at Martin Mere with it's new firmware upgrade!

When I borrowed a 1D4 for 8 days that nearly had me smitten and I had to fight the buy pains ;-) I just couldn't justify £3500 for what is a hobby.

[DaveH]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

Hi Trev

A proper dilemma by the sounds of it.
If in a few years time my hobby develops then I would also look at the 5d mkII
so I would also agree with Colin & MX5.
Warehouse Express are pretty good with prices +/- the 24-105mm L lens.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.

DaveH

[DrJon]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

If you want IQ and low noise it's the 5D2. The 1Ds3 is the only other one that says Canon on it.
DXOMark are quite good at rating sensors for dynamic range and high-ISO, and seem to relate to reality quite well...

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Compare/Compare-sensors/(appareil1)/483|0/(appareil2)/619|0/(appareil3)/180|0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Canon/(brand2)/Canon/(brand3)/Canon

[@imagesBV]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

Why not sell the 30D and 40D and buy a 5D MKII; why do you need a back-up?

[collywobbles]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

I find it useful to have both formats as the crop sensor gives extra reach whilst the F/F is better for wide-angle and low light work. You also have a broader range of lens length with the two different formats. - I use both 50D & 5D mk II

[DrJon]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

I find it useful to have both formats as the crop sensor gives extra reach whilst the F/F is better for wide-angle and low light work. You also have a broader range of lens length with the two different formats. - I use both 50D & 5D mk II

But, in this case, the 40D only has a tiny bit of extra reach over a 5D2, about 12% ( = (3888/22.2)/(5616/36) ) so doesn't get much (a 7D/550D/60D would be 50%).

Of course if he's likely to shoot a wedding or some-such non-repeating, failure not an option event, a spare body can be very useful, just in case.

Also somewhere for an extra lens (e.g. if you have a camera on a tripod and want one for surprises).

John

[sandyn111]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

I recently upgraded from a 40D to a 7D. My experience of the 7D is constant disappointment with the excessive noise at low ISO. My 40D has much lower noise. I get round the problem by using Topaz Denoise on important shots. If only I could cross breed the 7D and 40D to produce a camera with all the technology advantages of the 7D and the noise performance of the 40D!!

[Edd1e]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

This is great.................... I am getting loads of good lines to use to the wife of why I should get a second body!

[collywobbles]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

But, in this case, the 40D only has a tiny bit of extra reach over a 5D2, about 12% ( = (3888/22.2)/(5616/36) ) so doesn't get much (a 7D/550D/60D would be 50%).

Of course if he's likely to shoot a wedding or some-such non-repeating, failure not an option event, a spare body can be very useful, just in case.

Also somewhere for an extra lens (e.g. if you have a camera on a tripod and want one for surprises).

John

What are you talking about? The 40D has the same size sensor as the other cameras you mention. They're all 1.6 crop factor. - ( 50mm effectively becomes 80mm ) i.e.3/5 more, 60% not 12%

[@imagesBV]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

Full frame is about getting a bigger sensor with larger photo sites and consequently less noise.
The secondary consequence of reach is very real and the extra 120mm reach you have from your 200mm on a crop sensor is lost.
imho - its better to get the sensor right as that affects all pictures rather than worry about extra reach which is rarely use anyway and can be regained with a longer lens.

[kevspiers]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

Oh thats a tough one! I moved from the 30D to a 7D and am very impressed (save for a few teething problems) I thought the 50D picture had to be processed quite hard to get the best from the camera as apposed the 30 and 40D? If you are after that leap and not bothered about better focus or FPS the 5DII has to be the way to go? Couple that with (reported) 5DIII being field tested you could hold out for a bargain?

[DrJon]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

What are you talking about? The 40D has the same size sensor as the other cameras you mention. They're all 1.6 crop factor. - ( 50mm effectively becomes 80mm ) i.e.3/5 more, 60% not 12%

The 5D2, which I compared to the 40D is full-frame. Also 50mm doesn't quite become 80mm, the field of view becomes equivalent. You only get any "magnification" (i.e. potential to resolve finer detail) if the pixels are smaller, which they usually are for the crop cameras (the 5D2 has 8MP in the area of a crop sensor, so every crop body since the 30D has smaller pixels than it). Hence a 30D picture will be almost identical to the centre 8MP of a 5D2 picture if they were taken from the same place with the same lens. A 7D picture will have 50% more resolution (if the lens etc. was capable of delivering it to the sensor) as it has 1.5x as many pixels across its frame than the 5D2 has is that distance across its sensor.

Longer explanation: http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/sh...ll=1#post40953
Even more: http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/sh...Sensor-!/page3

John

[briansquibb]

Re: Imminent camera upgrade

Another way to look at this is that with a full frame body you either:

- get closer to the object being photographed ie 10m instead of 16m ( which gives a different perspective)

or

- use a longer lens to compensate and give the same field of view

- you have to be aware that full frame cameras have a smaller DOF when taking a picture with same settings

This means that you get the benefit of the 21mb of the 5DII/1Ds III ie more pixels, larger and better quality (particularly for high ISO) pixels which is why the IQ from the 5DII and 1Ds III is so much better than the crop cameras.

My 5D (13mp) is noticably better than the 50D (15mp) and the 5D II (21mp) is noticably better than the 5D and 50D (particularly in worse light)