OK, so ready to upgrade my XSI

watson76 wrote in post #15147075
Honestly Id rather not fall in love. Rather save my $1800 and be happy with what I got or get something cheaper. The IQ is great , but the truth is IQ is pretty impressive on any body these days if you ask me. I just needed to satisfy my curiously about the mark ii and FF...

yes, to really appreciate the differences you would need to upgrade your glass and then you're spending even more $$.

bigVinnie wrote in post #15147097
You WILL see a difference.

I went from the XSi to the 5Dc then to the 7D. I can tell you that for me the XSi is NOT better than a 7d for IQ. The original 5D beats them both. In fact I plan on picking up another 5d just for doing non-action shots.

If you think the 5DII is similar in IQ to the XSi then you are doing something wrong.

I shot a few hundred frames yesterday and honestly the IQ is not "blowing me away". I love the body (the feel fit and finish). Maybe it's user error, who knows, or maybe the 50 1.4 is just not the best lens to evaluate the mark ii with, but either way I'm not seeing anything dramatic and thus it's going back to Amazon tomorrow. I can't justify spending $1800 when the IQ isn't convincing and feature wise the camera isn't exactly impressive (AF etc). I might either hold onto the XSI and get more glass or get a cheaper body with a nicer build like the 60D - thoughts ?

What did you think of the ergonomics and dual control dials? For me, that was a bigger game changer than going to FF. If you liked the increased controls and ergonomics, maybe go for a used 60D (or 7D) via CLP.

While the IQ of the 5DII may or may not be noticeably superior to your XSi, the fact of the matter is that the $1800 price tag isn't justified by the IQ alone. You're getting significantly better build quality, better controls, and most importantly a full frame sensor. The full frame sensor allows you to get shallower DOF (very useful for portraiture), has larger pixels which capture more light and less noise, and in my opinion really makes Canon's L zoom lenses shine. I recently upgraded from a 40D to a 5DII. My lenses included a 24-105L, a 70-200 f/4L IS, and a 50mm f/1.4. The zooms are both great glass, but 24mm isn't really that wide on a crop body, and the 70-200 was usually too long for portraits, my primary type of shooting. On my 5DII, I now have a great wide angle to mid tele for a walk-around lens as well as the perfect portrait lens in the 70-200 (it has lived on my 5DII).

Do I notice an improvement in IQ from my 40D? Yes, though in many cases nothing huge. However, the combination of the controls, shallower DOF, and the way it works with my lenses makes it worth every penny to me.

Honestly, if you're a self-professed cheapo whose only concern is IQ, your best bet might be a classic 5D, as that has to be about the best bang for the buck out there in terms of IQ.

You should consider picking up a 5dc. The IQ is very hard to match and they are at bargain prices right now. The controls are much better to work with than the XSi. Only drawback is if you chimp a lot you won't like it. The LCD is not much good for that.

Get moar lenses. Get moar QUALITY lenses. Ain't nothing wrong with the XSi. My Brother in law shoots with a XS and he gets great shots with that and the Sigma 10-22. He thought about getting a better camera when his only lens was the 18-55 and when he got his wide he fell back in love with his camera realizing that it truly is the lenses and not the body where you will notice the difference.

Look at a 70-200 flavor. If you are shooting shots of your kids you can grab pics from afar

bigVinnie wrote in post #15149723
You should consider picking up a 5dc. The IQ is very hard to match and they are at bargain prices right now. The controls are much better to work with than the XSi. Only drawback is if you chimp a lot you won't like it. The LCD is not much good for that.

I think the 5dc took better pics than mark ii. I used one a while back and really liked the results.

Bleufire wrote in post #15150201
Get moar lenses. Get moar QUALITY lenses. Ain't nothing wrong with the XSi. My Brother in law shoots with a XS and he gets great shots with that and the Sigma 10-22. He thought about getting a better camera when his only lens was the 18-55 and when he got his wide he fell back in love with his camera realizing that it truly is the lenses and not the body where you will notice the difference.

Look at a 70-200 flavor. If you are shooting shots of your kids you can grab pics from afar

I agree with this post. With only a 50/1.4 you shouldn't be looking into a new camera... rather, you should be looking into other quality lenses (and a flash), especially for portraiture.

watson76 wrote in post #15149506
get more glass

If you didn't like the 5d then this is your best option imo...