Upgrade 450D to 40D or 50D??

Just wondering if it would be worthwhile upgrading my 450D to a 40D or 50D. Shoot mainly motorsport, have found that I have been limited by 4fps and the focusing could be better. I am definately starting to reach the limits of my 450D

I can get a 40D for $400NZD (320 USD) and a 50D for $600 (~500USD)

Would love any feedback, especially if people have had both these bodies. Thanks!

I haven't used either of these bodies, but, if I was in the market for one of them then it would be the 50d. The sole reason for that would be the MA so you can fine tune each lens you have. That aside, the 40d was THE camera for birding a few years ago. The 50d never had much love from the general public until Canon discontinued it, then for a while it seemed to have cult like status.

I have used both and prefer the 40d. I found the 50d image quality onky ok in comparison to any other dslr I have used. Its noise is poor and images just a bit bland. The 40d I found better both with noise and image quality. Obviously the 40 d is older so the screen isnt as good and you are five mp worse off but I would still go with the 40d. Just one opinion. ...

There is not a huge difference between 4 FPS and 6.5 FPS in practice. If a faster burst rate is really an important feature you want you should really consider the 7D. Otherwise I'd go for the 40D. The 50D is a great camera, I still love mine. But it's not worth what it's going for on the used market right now IMO.

As a former 40D and current 50D owner, my advice would be to get the 50D. Despite much of the stuff you read, it is a much nicer camera than its predecessor. The 50D improvements were a 50% resolution boost, microfocus adjustment, more refined LV, high res LCD screen, etc. Forget all the web chatter concerning noise. The 40D/50D are virtually identical in that respect.

I still shoot a 50D because Canon hasn't produced a replacement that would be worth the money for the type photography I do (I really don't give a rip about video in a dSLR).

District_History_Fan wrote in post #16198112
As a former 40D and current 50D owner, my advice would be to get the 50D. Despite much of the stuff you read, it is a much nicer camera than its predecessor. The 50D improvements were a 50% resolution boost, microfocus adjustment, more refined LV, high res LCD screen, etc. Forget all the web chatter concerning noise. The 40D/50D are virtually identical in that respect.

I still shoot a 50D because Canon hasn't produced a replacement that would be worth the money for the type photography I do (I really don't give a rip about video in a dSLR).

I often wonder about the quality control of the 50d. You and a few owners I know think it is great, yet I didn't really rate it and many references here and elsewhere mirror that. I think my one may not have been the best. I still own a 20d and rate the image quality from that above the 50d I had

I went from 450D to 7D...used for a year and sold for what i paid for and picked up a 50D for $500 used. Its a great camera, feels better than the 450D and is fast enough for action and the IQ I get suites my tastes just fine.

I made the jump from the 450D to a 50D a while back and am very pleased. Don't expect any significant changes in IQ, however the handling and focus system are big improvements over the 450D. The MFA ability on the 50D may or may not be important to you. It's not something I've ever needed, even with primes when I had them. I will contend if the OP is shooting motorsports, the improvement in FPS will be a big win. I was at Rockingham Speedway this spring for a race weekend, and was shooting with just a friends T2i from the infield/pit road, and the decrease in frame rate ability was something I immediately noticed.

Much is made of the noise of the 50D vs others, but as with most bodies when pushing into the upper ISO ranges, it's capable of good results with proper lighting. I found it's best to stick with the native ISO's vs incremental 1/3 step ISO changes.

I made the leap from the 450D to the 50D a little over a year ago and am very pleased I did, ergonomically it feels much more comfortable and I also find the Auto Focus much better than the 450D, the boost in frame rate also makes a noticeable difference to me! MFA also works for me personally, I have not had to make any major changes but it is wringing that last bit of quality from the lenses that I own.

Image quality is pretty much toe to toe but I am much more comfortable using the 50D at higher ISO's than the 450D, I'm sure part of that is down to better exposure technique and post processing but there is certainly an element that is down to the camera

Okay, thanks for all the feedback. I am now also looking at a 60D, more money, but is it really worth it? Again, looking at fps, focusing,general image quality. I am sure there are other improvements as well. One thing I don't like the sound of is the swivel screen though. That could be a pain...

You can just leave the swivel screen flat and not pull it out. I have a swivel and never pull it out. It's a non issue.

jaomul wrote in post #16198291
I often wonder about the quality control of the 50d. You and a few owners I know think it is great, yet I didn't really rate it and many references here and elsewhere mirror that. I think my one may not have been the best. I still own a 20d and rate the image quality from that above the 50d I had

Interesting theory. My two (down to one currently) 50Ds performed the same, but obviously that is statistically insignificant.

I do know one thing. My perception of 50D RAW files are just that, they are raw. The files seem to take more post work to have them looking their best. As someone who enjoys Photoshop as much as the actual photography, that has always suited me just fine. Jpegs (which I rarely shoot) look ok out of the camera compared to other Canon cameras I've used.

Heycoop Photography wrote in post #16198928
Okay, thanks for all the feedback. I am now also looking at a 60D, more money, but is it really worth it? Again, looking at fps, focusing,general image quality. I am sure there are other improvements as well. One thing I don't like the sound of is the swivel screen though. That could be a pain...

Again the 60d has no MA. The swivel screen though is great ( I have one on my G11). There isn't any Canon crop available at the moment, which will give you significant IQ improvement over 40/50d.

h14nha wrote in post #16199096
There isn't any Canon crop available at the moment, which will give you significant IQ improvement over 40/50d.

That, and the fact that Canon dumbed down the feature set when the 60D came out is why I haven't replaced my 50D. I did recently sell one of the 50Ds to fund an EOS-M, but the bottom line is that the 50D does most of what I want a dSLR to do. The current trend toward better low light AF performance is of interest. If the -3EV AF performance of the 6D ever made it to the XXd line, that would be awesome. Unfortunately the 70D specs don't reflect that.

And finally, I am thinking of a 7D as well. They seem to be a similar price of a 60D here in NZ (within $100), so is it much better, I am guessing some 60D features are better due to it being newer?