50D and 500D

[ashooor]

hello all,
at first I was going and about to have an XTi .. but I changed my mind as I've been searching and reading about cameras and lenses for about 4 continuous days! I'm tired!

now I decided to get 50mm 1.4 and 70-200 2.8 L IS (actually I'm buying both cuz I wont be able to get this equipment later as I wont get them from my country, so it's now or not!

and I'm REALLY confused between the 500D and 50D!

I'm afraid to feel that the 500D is a toy in my hands! and I read that the auto focus of the 50D is better that the 500D (I don't know how much is it better and if it would affect the pictures of not) so I'm also afraid to have a bad auto focus on the 500D. also some said that the view finder of the 500D is small, unfortunately I'm not able to hold them .
On the other side I would really appreciate the video of the 500D, it'll be much fun in travels and so on! and it's also less expensive.
if someone told me that the auto focus between them isn't a huge difference using the L lens, and the viewfinder of the 500D is okay. I'd love to hear that cuz it'd be clear for me to take the decision, otherwise please clear the difference for me. and I'm really sorry for bothering you with me with my questions ..

[Amberglass]

The 50D is a semi-pro mid range body that you can easily grow with from beginner to advanced/avid photographer. While all of Canon's Rebel bodies are more targeted to the entry level beginner. The biggest difference besides features sets and control placement between entry and mid-range is "build quality".

Many beginners complains about the midrange cameras to be heavy compared to the lighter entry level cameras. Guess what? You will need the heavier body to counter the weight of higher quality lenses that you will later acquire (if you choose to do so). Image quality comes mostly from the quality lenses you buy over the years, not the camera body that you buy. You don't need a whole arsenal of lenses, just 2-4 that fits your shooting needs.

Note: if you're going to buy the entry level cameras along with the 70-200 2.8L IS. Please remember to pick the camera by the lens tripod collar foot, or the lens closer to the camera mount. Do not pickup the setup by the camera body! The weight of the lens can and will break the camera's lens mount!

Keep in mind that dslrs are "cameras first". They will never give you the image quality that a true video camcorder does. Shutter roll (shadowy lines that scrolls across the video) and jelly roll (wobbly distorts) is common on dslr videos. If you want seamless video get a camcorder.

Since you're just starting, I would recommend the lens combination of a 50 1.4 and the 24-105 f4L IS. The 24-105 is a great all around walking zoom and not as heavy as the 24-70 2.8, while the fast nifty fifty prime is great for low lighting situations. As amazing and worthwhile the investment is for the 70-200 2.8L IS, it's "heavy". Not something that I would recommend that one would carry in very "hot" environments unless you're "very willing" to carry.

[ashooor]

your reply did help me a lot! I read about the 24-105 and I liked it more than the 70-200 .. but I'm still confused about the camera body!

[ashooor]

but why would I need the 50mm 1.4 if I got the 28-105 f4L IS?

[Amberglass]

but why would I need the 50mm 1.4 if I got the 28-105 f4L IS?

Apertures of f4 and smaller is only good for outdoors or where there is "plenty of available light". Cranking up the ISOs is not necessarily a good idea because increase noise in the images. You will need an aperture of f2.8 and lower to shoot indoors in low lighting without the use of flash. Zooms with faster apertures (f2-2.8) will significantly increase the price of the lens.

To master the basics of exposure and depth of field, you want to practice with a faster prime. 50 mm is the equivalent of what your eyes naturally view the world as is; this applies to the larger frame sensors. With APS or crop sensors, you're not looking at 50 mm but actually 80 mm (50 x 1.6= 80);. If you want closer to 50, then choose a fast prime of 24, 28, 30, or 35 mm respectively.

Explanation of sensor sizes and how it effects your image:
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tu...ensor-size.htm

[Amberglass]

your reply did help me a lot! I read about the 24-105 and I liked it more than the 70-200 .. but I'm still confused about the camera body!

The difference between the 500D and 50D is:

1. Build quality. The 500D's body is made of plastic while the 50D has a aluminum alloy infrastructure plus better weather sealing against moisture and dust.
2. The 50D has double the frames per second (6 fps) so it's a faster camera for action shots. The 500D has 3 fps.
3. The main control dials most commonly used is easier accessed on the 50D. You will need to fiddle with the menus and buttons on the 500D. The main importance is that the 50D will grow with you as your skill level grows; it's setup is not designed to confuse, but to meet your demanding needs over time.
4. The 50D takes the larger compact flash memory cards while the 500D takes the smaller SD cards. If you later upgrade from above the entry levels, they will only take CF cards as primary not SD.
5. The 500D has video while the 50D does not.

You will need to figure out what features are more important to you, ease of comfort/use, and how far you want to take your photography, also what's in your budget. This is nothing new, every newbie and experienced photographers goes thru this process.

The whole point of going with a dslr is for creative exposure control. If you're not willing to go on the darkside of the mode dial (Av, Tv, or M), that's one very expensive P&S.

FYI, you will need a protective clear lens filter to complete the weather sealing on the 24-105.

[ashooor]

thxx, I appreciate your cooperation .. but I want to know much about the enhancement in auto focus and view in the 50D, is it a big difference over the 500D ?

[Amberglass]

thxx, I appreciate your cooperation .. but I want to know much about the enhancement in auto focus and view in the 50D, is it a big difference over the 500D ?

They're the same. If you want to compare the two some more, other than what I provided; go to www.canonusa.com for a comparison.

Buying a camera is literally like buying a car. You have to decide on the additional features, or minus, that's most important to you. The only other suggestion that I can make is to rent the cameras so that you can physically compare them.


Everyone's shooting needs will change over time and with experience. My needs may or may not suit you but don't copy others. It's your decision and money in the end. But once you commit, you're ultimately committed. Just like a car, once you take if off the showroom floor, it will automatically depreciate in value.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Ashooor,

This is the exact link you need to compare, it took a bit of finding, hence providing it for you;
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...categoryid=139
You need to drag and drop the two camera models to the column headers, then scroll down to compare data between them.

I think you were interested in viewfinder comparability.

This isn't something I have any practical experience with, but the info is on the above link.
fairly similar, 500D is penta-mirror, 50D is penta-prism, so 50D should be better, but I've not used both so I cannot advise whether this will be noticeable. Same goes for magnification, 0.87 (500D) vs 0.95 (50D).

AF, both have 9 points, but on 500D, only the centre one is a cross type (whatever that means in practice).

Perhaps Amberglass can advise further on this?

Cheers,

[Amberglass]

AF, both have 9 points, but on 500D, only the centre one is a cross type (whatever that means in practice).

Perhaps Amberglass can advise further on this?

Cheers,

It basically means the 50D will AF track better than the 500D. But for action and panning action shots, it's best to use the center AF point on either one.

I had several really great photography mentors before I formally went to university for photojournalism. When I first starting looking into buying my very first slr, I was told to purchase a midrange body; skipping the entry level ones. Why? Because I only needed one camera body, and it has to grow with me as my knowledge and skill level grew. It would literally be the last camera that I would buy until the day it died, and I still believe in that today. Oh btw, that slr is still working and sitting in my curio cabinet 25 years later.

I've mentored and tutored several photography students over the years, and those who are "really passionate about photography" have often times outgrew their entry level bodies in a very short amount of time. Now with that said, the beauty of getting a midrange semi-pro body is that if you lose interest for awhile; you can always pick it up again at a later time and it will still be a great camera waiting for you to pickup where you left off.

Again Ashooor, it's all up to you, your needs, your budget, and how far (plus diversity) you want to take your photography. Do you need speed in terms of fps? Or your more into still work and video?

[ashooor]

thxx Dave and Amberglass, I did the comparison and I didn't find much difference to me now, at least that what I guess so.

Again Ashooor, it's all up to you, your needs, your budget, and how far (plus diversity) you want to take your photography. Do you need speed in terms of fps? Or your more into still work and video?

I don't think that now days I'll need speed fps. but maybe later with my skills growing up I'll need this feature, but I guess until then I'll be satisfied with the 500D. actually I do think that I could do more with video beside photography as my first priority. thxx again

[Amberglass]

I had a feeling you were leaning more towards the 500D model, and that's perfectly fine. But on the day of your purchase, please once again physically hold and try out your choices before purchasing. Ergonomics is very important in photography. If the camera is not well balanced, or comfortable to hold after 10 mins, it's really going to hamper you in the long run. Don't worry about the weight, you will get used to it.

Often times I tell people who are getting an entry level camera to also include the vertical battery grip. This will improve on the handhold ability by increasing hand placement space besides longer battery life.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Ashooor,

One of my first digital cameras was a 350D (great-grandfather of the 500D) - within a week or two of getting it I tried a 20D (grandfather of the 50D). One quick play with the 20D was enough for me to sell my 350D at a loss and get a 20D ... and I've never looked back.

Given a choice between a 500D and a 50D, I'd take the 50D in a heartbeat.

[ashooor]

here is my final decision (I hope so, I don't want to hesitate again!)

I'm going for the 50D for these reasons:

1- I'm not buying a camera everyday. So, I'm going for the better one.
2- I can't afford the 70D to get video. and also I don't want to spend money on an entry-level to get a fair video also I have my H20 with it's 720 30fps!
3- what I want is a 50D with video and with more accurate ISO sensitivity, maybe this will be the 60D and I wont wait!

and what Colin said was enough for me take this decision.

thank you very much Colin, and thanks again Amberglass

[Amberglass]

here is my final decision (I hope so, I don't want to hesitate again!)

I'm going for the 50D for these reasons:

1- I'm not buying a camera everyday. So, I'm going for the better one.
2- I can't afford the 70D to get video. and also I don't want to spend money on an entry-level to get a fair video also I have my H20 with it's 720 30fps!
3- what I want is a 50D with video and with more accurate ISO sensitivity, maybe this will be the 60D and I wont wait!

and what Colin said was enough for me take this decision.

thank you very much Colin, and thanks again Amberglass

I have several friends who are careered photographers and videographers. It's very very rare for a photographer to work with video, and vice versa because the editing software are completely different (not to mention expensive). It's one of the main reasons why you see wedding photographers or event photographers subcontract out video work (and vice versa).

It's very deceiving in Canon's marketing dept. to show those amazing videos with the 5DM2 and so on. Letting consumers think that all you have to do is "just do it". That's soooo far from the truth. Videographer and photography are two completely different fields and worlds, and often times the rules do not overlap.

[Colin Southern]

It's very deceiving in Canon's marketing dept. to show those amazing videos with the 5DM2 and so on. Letting consumers think that all you have to do is "just do it". That's soooo far from the truth. Videographer and photography are two completely different fields and worlds, and often times the rules do not overlap.

With regards to SLR's shooting video, I hesitate to use the words 'marketing gimmick", but the hesitation is only a slight one.

I probably wouldn't go so far as to say "deceiving" in that as I see it it's no more deceiving that showing great looking still shots, and implying that all you need to do is "press the button" ... unfortunately, that's "marketing"; personally I don't like it, but then again, 99% of all advertising is misleading (cue "lose 90 pounds in 7 days without exercise" ... and in the small print "results not typical - your results may vary"). To be honest, I've pretty much conditioned myself to ignore them.