OK, so ready to upgrade my XSI

Been shooting for over a decade, owning various Pro Nikon bodies and switching to Canon two years ago (I think that's right). Anyways I love the XSI, but I am ready to invest in a new body, though to be honest I am having trouble deciding. Been reading reviews and thinking about the decision for over 3 months now. I only own the XSI and the 50 1.4. Here is what I have so far:

Canon 5D Mark II - I mostly shoot portraiture and the price is right, that being said I question whether this body is in all honesty worth $1800 over my XSI, so from a value stand point I really am having trouble justifying this one.

Canon 650D. The new Rebel has a lot to offer over my XSI. I do wonder whether the image quality is a step forward or back at lower ISO ?

OM-D EM-5. I have used Olympus PENs in the past and really love them. It's expensive but It's definitely on the table. As I shoot portraiture (mostly my kids) I am worried about the DOF of the smaller sensor being an issue.

Why not consider a 60D or a 7D? Only considering the 5D2 and Rebel line ignores some great camera in the middle.

Warbird55 wrote in post #15139216
Why not consider a 60D or a 7D? Only considering the 5D2 and Rebel line ignores some great camera in the middle.

I have. The 60D doesn't seem to offer much over the 650D other than build and view finder (you can correct me if i am wrong) whereas the 650D has a touch screen which I believe will be quite useful (touch focus).

The 7D is geared towards sports shooters in my mind.

I shoot weddings and small events. I upgraded from a 50D to a 5Dii and found that the 5Dii is worth every penny of $1,800. It's a solid performer with a fantastic reputation to back it up. IQ and ISO performance are noticeably better than the XXd and Rebel line.

The three cameras you noted above are drastically different, so I'm not sure what aspects of photography are most important to you. If you shoot portraits and want great OOF, a FF body is probably where you want to be. Budget might prohibit that though, unless you consider something used. It sounds like you might want to stay at or below $1000 for your next system.

Or.. dare I say it, consider going back to Nikon

JohnThomas wrote in post #15139277
I shoot weddings and small events. I upgraded from a 50D to a 5Dii and found that the 5Dii is worth every penny of $1,800. It's a solid performer with a fantastic reputation to back it up. IQ and ISO performance are noticeably better than the XXd and Rebel line.

The three cameras you noted above are drastically different, so I'm not sure what aspects of photography are most important to you. If you shoot portraits and want great OOF, a FF body is probably where you want to be. Budget might prohibit that though, unless you consider something used. It sounds like you might want to stay at or below $1000 for your next system.

Or.. dare I say it, consider going back to Nikon

I don't see myself ever going back to Nikon. The white balance, color and detail IMHO don't approach the Canon formula which I believe is better (and I was a long time Nikon fanboy).

Its a tough decision. I don't shoot pro, but love high end gear. Yes I lust for DOF and I do shoot portraiture, but I am also satisfied with the results from a crop sensor. The XSI leaves very little to be desired in terms of IQ. I also love compact gear, so I can't leave Rebels and the OMD out of the equation.

Sounds like you're completely happy with the XSi, so why not stick with it, and invest in a nice lens(es)?

JohnThomas wrote in post #15139277
I upgraded from a 50D to a 5Dii and found that the 5Dii is worth every penny of $1,800. It's a solid performer with a fantastic reputation to back it up. IQ and ISO performance are noticeably better than the XXd and Rebel line.

This. I recently upgraded from a 40D to a 5DII and couldn't agree more.

1Tanker wrote in post #15139371
Sounds like you're completely happy with the XSi, so why not stick with it, and invest in a nice lens(es)?

Well this is true to a degree. The LCD on the back is kinda poor to judge color / focus. Overall performance of the camera does leave something to be desired. Focusing is not a strong point either. Metering is bad outdoors.

I am also in the same situation. I am waiting for 6D reviews and hands on. Why don't you consider 6D? I guess it will be out in couple of months

monu2323 wrote in post #15139539
I am also in the same situation. I am waiting for 6D reviews and hands on. Why don't you consider 6D? I guess it will be out in couple of months

I have the opportunity to make a purchase, but the window will be wasted if I don't make a decision now. The 6D looks attractive, but I don't expect too much improvement in terms of sensor technology.

watson76 wrote in post #15139478
Well this is true to a degree. The LCD on the back is kinda poor to judge color / focus. Overall performance of the camera does leave something to be desired. Focusing is not a strong point either. Metering is bad outdoors.

Never judge color or focus with the LCD. Sounds to me a 60D would be a good upgrade for you...

I just got a 60d from the xsi. I am also planning on a 6d in a year or so, so I have a poor mans ff and sports camera and should suit me well. I too have hung on to the xsi forever and got glass instead of bodies and totally loved it.

However

Had I known the 60d was going to be sooo much better than the xsi, I would have upgraded years ago. Things about the 60d you should not overlook compared to the 650d.

Top LCD, huge neccessary at this point
Pentaprism viewfinder. It is much better.

I am surprised at how thrilled I am with the 60d over the xsi. Really. At this point, not top LCD is not an option, and I have only had the camera a few weeks.

watson76 wrote in post #15139584
I have the opportunity to make a purchase, but the window will be wasted if I don't make a decision now. The 6D looks attractive, but I don't expect too much improvement in terms of sensor technology.

For what it's worth, there are also some areas where the 5DII is superior to the 6D. Most are probably insignificant to you (max x-sync speed, max shutter speed) but for me the controls of the 5DII are superior to that of the 6D (which is very much like the 60D). While the 6D may have better IQ than the 5DII, I opted to jump on a 5DII now while I could still get a new one at a good price. That said, I was coming from a 40D which has controls much like the 5DII. If you're coming from a XSi, you may not have any issues with the 60D/6D controls at all.

I'm sure the 6D will do better in low light than the 5DII but that wasn't really a concern for me. About the only way I will regret my decision is if the 6D is a significant improvement in dymanic range - i.e. an outdoor portrait would capture the blue sky while still properly exposing the subject. However, since the 5DIII and 1DX didn't do a whole lot in the area of dynamic range, I'm not too concerned that the 6D will be revolutionary in that regard.

It is all relative on what upgrade it worth it. A full frame is a great camera, do you need it to take family photos? Some do, some don't. I shoot mostly my sons basketball games, and my xsi took great outdoor photos, indoor it was maxed out at iso 1600. The best choice was probably a 7d, which I could have bought, but my camera sits a lot also, and for half the price I bought a 50d, and still love it after almost 2 yrs. I think a 60d would be a great upgrade for you, nice LCD, great iso performance compared the the xsi, better sensor, and great metering system. You can even get hardly used ones at a great price since the full frame frenzy........buy a 60d and get some glass!

One thing I have noticed after extensive research is that the 7D sensor seems to be much better than the other 18mp sensors even though they are noted to be the same. in fact dcwatch has a good comparison of the 7D and 5D Mark II and there is very little between the two.