I have an opportunity

[KHarmon]

I have an opportunity to buy a Canon 50d. I have been looking to upgrade from my Rebel XS 10.1 megapixel. Other than the other obvious advantages of the 50d, what can I expect in image quality going from a 10.1 to a 15.1 megapixel camera?

Don't know if that question makes sense or not.

KHarmon

[mondmagu]

Hi Kris,it's always nice to get the opportunity to upgrade.The 50d has a good reputation but is now getting old as it was introduced in 2008 I believe.There has been a lot of models introduced since then and technology has moved on.
In relation to image quality,it is not the camera that is important,it is the lens quality.The better the lens the better the chance of getting good shots.
At the end of the day it's down to you and your budget and if it suites your needs.
Personally,I would try it out first and get a feel for it.Also look at different reviews and see what the opinions are.This site is quite good for reviews: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos50d
Good luck if you purchase.

Des

[Geoff F]

I have an opportunity to buy a Canon 50d. I have been looking to upgrade from my Rebel XS 10.1 megapixel. Other than the other obvious advantages of the 50d, what can I expect in image quality going from a 10.1 to a 15.1 megapixel camera? KHarmon

With regard to image quality improvement between 10 and 15 MP, the answer is simple, Kris. It's zero!

OK, if you want to print bigger than A3 or do a lot of serious cropping of bird/insect shots there is some advantage. Otherwise, you are simply shooting with an excess of pixels which you have to throw away when you make an average sized print or upload to the internet.

In fact, after getting a 7D I am going to have to look at upgrading my computer to cope will all these extra pixels (shooting Raw).

However, let's get back to the 50D which is a very competent camera. There was some questions when it was first produced, about whether it was actually any better than the trusty 40D. But it had few serious detractors.

When my 40D eventually had shutter fault last year, I seriously considered a secondhand unused 50D as a replacement. Eventually, I found a very good deal on a 7D so as there wasn't much difference in price I purchased that instead.

I would certainly rate the 50D above the 60D in terms of easy use etc.

The only potential downside of the 40D/50D/7D etc is that they are a bit heavier and chunkier to hold. Some people, like me, much prefer this sort of camera but others find it a bit difficult to hold and carry around all day.

So, to sum up; yes I would recommend the 50D (or the 40D for that matter).

However, if you are looking for improvements in image quality - I'm afraid that you need to invest in some serious lenses; as Des mentioned.

[KHarmon]

With regard to image quality improvement between 10 and 15 MP, the answer is simple, Kris. It's zero!

OK, if you want to print bigger than A3 or do a lot of serious cropping of bird/insect shots there is some advantage. Otherwise, you are simply shooting with an excess of pixels which you have to throw away when you make an average sized print or upload to the internet.

In fact, after getting a 7D I am going to have to look at upgrading my computer to cope will all these extra pixels (shooting Raw).

However, let's get back to the 50D which is a very competent camera. There was some questions when it was first produced, about whether it was actually any better than the trusty 40D. But it had few serious detractors.

When my 40D eventually had shutter fault last year, I seriously considered a secondhand unused 50D as a replacement. Eventually, I found a very good deal on a 7D so as there wasn't much difference in price I purchased that instead.

I would certainly rate the 50D above the 60D in terms of easy use etc.

The only potential downside of the 40D/50D/7D etc is that they are a bit heavier and chunkier to hold. Some people, like me, much prefer this sort of camera but others find it a bit difficult to hold and carry around all day.

So, to sum up; yes I would recommend the 50D (or the 40D for that matter).

However, if you are looking for improvements in image quality - I'm afraid that you need to invest in some serious lenses; as Des mentioned.

That actually clarified it for me. I don't print much, but what I do print I print in larger than standard sizes. So the 15.1 will give me better image quality when it comes to large prints. That was kinda what I was getting after and when I made the original post couldn't figure out how to put into words what I was trying to do.

KHarmon

[rpcrowe]

I skipped the 50D and still shoot with a 40D; pairing it with the 7D.

I think that rather than any outstanding gain in image quality, you will find a upgrade in versatility, a definite upgrade in controls and, for me an upgrade in ergonomics.

One asset of the 50D are the two User Selected Modes of the 50D. You can select various parameters of your camera settings, register the selections and then choose the selections with a simple twist of the mode dial. This frees you from selecting multiple parameters (exposure, focus, burst, etv., etc.) individually in the field.

The User Selected Mode system is one of my favorite attributes of the 40D and later Canon 1.6x cameras. Unfortunately Canon (for some reason known only to the Canon Gods) reduced the number of User Selected Modes from three, on the 40D, to two on the 50D. Canon further reduced the number of User Selected Modes to a single one on the 60D and then did an about face and went back to the original three User Selected Modes on the 7D.

The 50D is a great camera but, I didn't see enough advancement from the 40D to convince me to buy the 50D. However, the 7D is a nght and day difference between that camera and my 40D. Yes, I would like to be shooting with two 7D DSLR cameras, but not enough to spend the extra money to get one.

[DanK]

Kris,

I made the same upgrade (except from an older Rebel, the XTi). I can't answer your question, because I never print larger than 11*14. I crop a lot, and with cropping, there is a clear advantage in having the 15 MP. Labs routinely upsize prints, and Smugmug prints up to 36 x 36 with pixel counts lower than those from the XS (see http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93359), but I have never tried it.

I'm replying anyway to suggest two things. First, try before you buy. The 50D is a very different camera. It is larger and heavier. It has (IMHO) better ergonomics and far better controls. I prefer it by a large margin to the Rebels and find I can work faster with it. I also prefer the larger size. Overall, I like the camera a great deal. However, some people don't like the larger size and greater weight.

Second, they have become quite cheap, so be wary of overpaying. I looked at completed sales on eBay recently because mine has developed an electrical problem, and I wanted to know how much of a repair would be worthwhile. From what I saw in a few minutes, it looked like the going price was around $525-550 (body only). You can check this out easily enough to get more information than I did.

Dan

[inkista]

I did the XT->50D upgrade. To me, the image quality didn't improve by leaps and bounds, and the character of the noise changed, but as Dan states up above, there were huge leaps in ergonomics, control, and fast-action features. The XS pretty much has the same AF system as the XT, and the 50D's AF system is nicer, but again, don't look for miracles and huge magnitudes of improvement. Tweaks and refinement. And yes, it's heavier and larger than a dRebel. i've recently developed carpal tunnel and have had to put away my 50D and 5Dii for a while because of the weight/size, and have gone to micro 4/3s.

Things to keep in mind with the 50D: there is no HD video capability (unless you load Magic Lantern), there is no LCD overlay in the viewfinder. There is no flash master in the built-in pop-up. The LCD is fixed and not flip-out. Unless you're constantly sending your lenses in for calibration, there may be reasons to consider looking at a used/refurbished 60D instead. If the prices are too high now, you could consider waiting until the 70D comes out and seeing what that does to 60D prices. My guess would be that a 7D successor will be announced in the Photokina timeframe (Sept), and a 70D in the spring.

Your XS basically was an XT with an upgraded 40D/450D sensor. Camera sensor technology goes in generations, and Canon tends to trickle that technology down from the top models down to the lower ones. The dRebels, being the largest sellers can sometimes get to jump the line (as with the 650D), but it likely goes 1 series -> 5 series -> 7 series -> XX series -> dRebel -> XXXXD series. Right now, we've just had the 5DMkIII, now we're waiting on the 7DMkII. The same sensor that goes into the 7DMkII (or whatever they end up calling it) is likely to be reused and further refined in the 70D and 700D designs. So, image quality is never a HUGE leap upwards as you go up the chain. The same sensor and processor camera "guts" go in across the line.

What improves is the camera build and controls. You get more features, and more control as you go up the line. The demarcation between the XXXXd and the dRebels is relatively small: IR remote capability, a few more menu commands, master in the pop-up flash, flip-out screen, etc. Between the dRebels and the XXDs, it's the dual-wheel control, more menus, and more quick access to functions without going through the LCD menus. Between the XXD and the 7D, it's even more controls, AF configurability, better AF/burst for fast action, AF microadjust. The 5 series, obviously, moves you up to full frame. And the 1 series gives you the integrated portrait grip, top of the line AF/burst, weathersealing, and a lot more menus.