350d upgrade to what on a budget?

gonzogolf wrote in post #14834707
budget? 40D is a lot of bang for the buck.

A LOT of bang.

First of all keep in mind that camera's from kogan are grey market.
I went from the 350D to the 40D and even though it is only 2 megapixals more it is still a much better camera and i have had no problems cropping the crap out off pics taken with it. If you are not in a hurry you could pick one up for about $300 on Ebay (i kept an eye on the 7D for 2 months and got it for $850) With the money you save put it towards better glass to replace your old kit lens.
Just my thoughts.

I think in your case you need to consider how you use you camera, not necessarily what you photograph or which camera is better. I’m not dissing the 350D (I used to have one) but virtually anything you buy will have a measure of improvement both in sensor size and image quality.

So how to decide?

When you are out with your camera do you take your whole kit (bag) with you or do you pick a lens and hang it round your neck? Keep in mind that the xxD bodies are heavier, it doesn’t feel like much to start with but if you have it hanging round your neck all day you will know about it! In which case head for a xxxD.

The biggest difference between the xxxD and xxD bodies is the ergonomics, this isn’t a chat up line, but how big are your hands? Are you a manual mode user that’s irritated with the aperture change on the xxxD? Do you change your AF points often? etc. If you do then the larger xxD will be a breath of fresh air to you, if not you’ll probably never notice the ergonomic improvement.

Are you a fair weather or out every weekend or just when the urge grabs you photographer? (There is not criticism intended for any of these, a photographer is a photographer after all) If you’re already thinking of what to take photos of at the weekend then you will probably appreciate a brand new camera like the 60D/600D/650D, it will last you longer (starting from zero actuations) and you will probably use/experiment with the new features. If more of an occasional user the find a good 50D/500D/550D as the occasional use probably can’t justify the extra expense.

Hope this helps give a different perspective to you decision.

gonzogolf wrote in post #14834707
budget? 40D is a lot of bang for the buck.

pman67 wrote in post #14834842
You could go with the 40D or 50D and still use your CF cards. If you go with the 60D or any of the Rebels, you will also have to buy SD cards.

Yep...
I'll go with the 40D as well.

Take the whole bag man unless its a specific task in mind.

Hands - quite large.

Almost always use centre AF.

Only use manual on an DSLR as I will use a P&S for auto....

Weather has stopped me doing much but I love grabbing the camera on a whim.

And I do need better resolution as I am finding my crops suck. And my son is asking when he gets my 350D so its time lol...

Gutterscum wrote in post #15034388
So no one is keen on the 60D then?? Ahhh you mean the 650D. Other than price whats the difference between these two?

The 550d, 600d, 650d, 7d, 60d all have a very similar if not quite the exact same sensor, so the images are going to be very close in quality. Then it gets down to the features in each camera, such as fps, build quality, auto-focus capabilities, etc. You need to sift through the differences in each to see which one would suit you. I think I read that the 650d picked up the auto-focus system from the 60d, and it does have an in camera HDR mode, plus some noise reduction stuff for jpegs. Also smaller (the build quality thing).

Gutterscum wrote in post #15034905
Take the whole bag man unless its a specific task in mind.

Hands - quite large.

Almost always use centre AF.

Only use manual on an DSLR as I will use a P&S for auto....

Weather has stopped me doing much but I love grabbing the camera on a whim.

And I do need better resolution as I am finding my crops suck. And my son is asking when he gets my 350D so its time lol...

In that case head for the 60D/50D route. Like many are saying splitting the 60D/650D/600D on image quality is like trying to thread a needle sitting backwards on a rollercoaster, difficult, frustrating and probably quite painful. But the feel in the hand & changing settings is far better on the larger bodies.

Take a trip to a shop and give them a try.

My main issue is the fact that I cant walk into a shop - I live remote rural as such....ergo asking on a forum.

I know I need to make the final decision, its more of if I pour my thoughts onto this page, I may have someone get my train of thought.....if you know what I mean.

Duecut wrote in post #15034724
When you are out with your camera do you take your whole kit (bag) with you or do you pick a lens and hang it round your neck? Keep in mind that the xxD bodies are heavier, it doesn’t feel like much to start with but if you have it hanging round your neck all day you will know about it! In which case head for a xxxD.

FWIW, not everyone will be unhappy with a heavy camera over their shoulder for a day. This weekend, I spent a total of 10 hours with my 1D and 70-200 f/2.8 hanging off my shoulder, and it didn't bother me it at all. It obviously will bother many, but not everyone. The camera is a LOT heavier than my T2i. That doesn't discourage me from using it for extended periods of time if it is packing additional capabilities that will help me out that day.

Weight is certainly something to consider, but not often for me.

Gutterscum wrote in post #15039202
My main issue is the fact that I cant walk into a shop - I live remote rural as such....ergo asking on a forum.

I know I need to make the final decision, its more of if I pour my thoughts onto this page, I may have someone get my train of thought.....if you know what I mean.

That's OK - we're happy to help you spend your money!

stsva wrote in post #15041106
That's OK - we're happy to help you spend your money!

Lol so true and with my birthday in about 8 weeks I need to make a decision!

I know this is the camera forum and not the lens forum, but I say upgrade glass before body. One of the reasons your crops aren't holding up is due to the glass they were shot with. I have been there, with the same camera and kit lens. I upgraded glass and saw a big improvement in my photos. My skills then became the weakest link. Your 11-16 2.8 is a great lens. The newer 18-55 IS lens will give you much improved optics over your old kit lens. The 50-250 IS will also be a big improvement over the 75-300.
My vote is to pick up the cheapest 18 mp camera you can get on the used market (T2i?), then use the money you saved to upgrade your lenses. Good luck and have fun.

Fred

at some point it's not always the glass and you'll have to upgrade the body. 350d is good but rather old tech (it was my first dslr and loved it!).

My 2 cents here is to upgrade to the latest and the greatest you can afford, like the T4i. The t4i is currently leading the rebel series and looks promising with all the latest knicks and knacks it can offer. You probably don't need the video for now, but at some point you'll find it handy specially when traveling. Buying the latest gen right now will last you again for years before needing to upgrade.

good luck!

I recently upgraded from a 350d to 7d and the difference is staggering...

On the other hand if I put my old 18-55 kit lens on the 7d and my sigma 120-300 on the 350d, the difference in the crop quality isn't so pronounced. It really is important to get better lenses on an 18mp aps-c camera.

If you can't envisage freeing up more funds in the very near future I would also support the idea of a used 50d and some glass. Once your daughter finishes uni you can always take the next jump up

Good luck with deciding...

40D or 50D all the way if you don't want video.

These camera's are workhorses, 40D was the standard for professional portrait photogs for a lot of years. I went from the Xsi to the 50D and having all 9 focus points being a cross type helps a ton. 50D screen has better resolution on the back, and it also micro adjusts vs the 40D. Use the other $500 towards better glass, and be much happier! (except for the fact that once you get better glass, your old kit lenses will gather dust)