Which Digital Camera Is A Better Upgrade?

I have been looking at 1D, 5D, & 20D (mostly used price ranges).

I got started this August with a Rebel XT.

I now know what a fish feels like - I'm Hooked!

Mainly shooting (telephoto & macro) outdoor shots of birds, bugs, fish, and any other critter that slips into my line of sight.

I got real frustrated a couple weeks ago when I missed the impact of an Osprey that plowed into the lake right in front of me.

Also; I am real apprehensive about morning dew with my camera & lenses - which makes me pass up some awesome shots.

• What I am wanting is something that shoots a bit faster than my XT with 133x Wa media cards.
  
• Something that humidity, and dirt from the hiking trails will no hurt much.
  
• Also; is there a semi-pro or low end pro digital camera that can survive a light drizzle with no repercussions?

Did you consider another type of lens than what you have already. Your XT is quite capable. A good fast lens maybe more of what you are looking for. If you have a good camera store around you, try a USM lens, like the 50 1.4 or 85 1.8. The two lenses in your signature may not be what you need.

I agree with the previous speaker

I think you should build your lens collection first, the XT isn't a bad camera. With the possible exception of birds in flight it should be good for most of what you want to do. A macro lens and a better tele lens would do more for you than a new camera body.

With the current rebates out there, get the 70-200 f4. Oh, that is a nice lens. I have one and it is very nice. It should be wonderful on your XT.

agreed with the others, you definitly need to get some new glass before you look at upgrading bodies.

The 1d I believe is the only one of the group which is weather resistant and I know that some L glass is, but I am not sure if all of it is. There are other options though, You can use one of the camera weather bags and its a whole lot less expensive than replacing a camera with a 1D and a bunch of L glass. And what do you mean "shoot faster"? Faster lens? More frames a second? The XT at 3 frames is the slowest frame wise, but not by much. The 30d, 5D will shoot at 5.
If you interest is in macro/telephoto, then the crop factor of the 1.6 cameras are an advantage over the full frame as you get a bump in the tele range.

The 1D is the weather sealed of the 3, but as an amature surely a rain cover would be good enough?

The 5D will give you the most pixels to crop with (Though some could argue that if you frame your subject right, you really can do without the extra MP)

The 5D shoots at the same speed as the XT, but it does have a much larger buffer (I don't recal exactly but its somthing like 48jpg and 14 raw), I don't know for sure, but I would assume the 1D and 20D are the same in this respect.

As the 5D is a full fram sensor, your telephotos will come up shorter compared to your XT.

get some better glass before you upgrade your body. i wanted to do the same thing, but upgrading my arsenal of glass has improved my photos more than a different body could ever do.

Another in agreement with better glass first.
The 70-200 f/4 is a great lens, but if you want speed, look at the 2.8 version.
Also, the 100-400 will give you great reach, especially on your current body.

Although I do agree with you that the 350D’s AIServo can be a bit slow. I’ve tried using it a few times, and my success rate isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, especially for birds in flight. It can take a while to hunt around.
e.g.: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=211375

With regards to weather sealing etc, your 350D is more robust than you think. It can survive a very light shower, and so long as you wipe it clean as soon as you can, you will be fine.
Humidity? Are you going to be taking pics in a Sauna? You’ll be fine otherwise. The only thing to keep an eye out for is dust (when changing lenses especially), and moving the camera from a cold place into a warm place too quickly (which causes condensation).

Glass, yes.
But I just wanted to point out that if a used 5D is in your price range, then I would think a used 1D MkII is as well,. (not the "N")

@ 8MP 1.3X crop, and super fast AF, FPS etc.. it is still the best option for nature photographers generally speaking.
No camera will be a better tool to help you get an Osprey in a dive than the 1D MkII. (I have a bit of experience with that particular subject )

So when the time comes, the MkII will be hard to beat for your intended use.

Stick with the 350d and invest in lenses. Avoid, made for croped frame lenses and you will be able to take these with you when you upgrade.

The controls on the 350d are a bit fidely but once you get used to them they won't slow you down unles you want to be in full manual all the time.

One big advantage of the 350d for walking is it's small size and light weight, especialy when combined with the much maligned lit lens. My film SLR did not get as much outings as it could have mainly due to the weight of lugging it around.

Snow, mist, light rain - I don't worry about this when using my 350d. I live in Scotland, and if I let a bit of weather stop me I would only have half the landscape photographs I have.

Neil ...

nwa2 wrote in post #2243819
.... One big advantage of the 350d for walking is it's small size and light weight, especialy when combined with the much maligned lit lens. My film SLR did not get as much outings as it could have mainly due to the weight of lugging it around.....
Neil ...

This is the main reason I choose the XT. I had a Canon A1 SLR and I found that more often than not it stayed home. You wouldn't think a few hundred grams would make such a big difference, but after 10-15 miles in the woods it felt as if the shoulder strap was severing my shoulder blade from my body. I found that I would go out to shoot pictures, not, I shot pictures while I was out. When my wife bought me an Olympus ZOOM 70 35mm camera, it was so nice to carry in your pocket that it went everywhere with me. When I switched to digital years back, I had a HP850 then the Nikon 8700 and both served me well. However, P/S cameras just have too many limitations so when the XT came out not much bigger then the Nikon 8700 I switched and have been exceedingly happy with the XT. However, the old problems with SLRs are once again cropping up. That is that again my bag is getting heavy as the 28-135 and camera, the 70-300IS, and the 100 macro all come along.

For macro and telephoto shooting your XT or the 20D make the most sense because these cameras are like putting a 1.6x teleconverter on your lens that does not cost anything in lens speed.

The 5D does not add any frames per second to your capablilities, although that is seldom an advantage for the type of shooting you do. Im most cases for they tpype of shooting you do it is better to get one perfectly timed shot than a whole lot of shots at 5 or 8 frames per second that do not quite capture the right moment. The 5D is a wonderful camera, but it is not going to assist you with the type of shooting you do.

The 1D is weather sealed, has the most frames per second and has the best auto-focus system. Telephoto and macro lens performance is better than on the 5D, but not as good as the 20D. It is also much bigger and heavier than either the 5D or 20D if you have to carry it around in a pack to locate your nature photography subjects. It is a good choice if you are doing a lot of action sports photography.

The 20D gets the most out of your macro and telephoto lenses and has a respectable frames per second (if you still consider that a factor). It is not as well weather sealed as the 1D, but many of us have used this camera outdoors in inclement weather by taking the precaution of using a cover to reduce moisture. Incidentally, it can take quite a bit of moisture without damage, mine has had a quick dip in a river, been covered with wet snow and been soaked in rain and mist without any problems. Auto focus has very similar capabilities to the 5D, but is not quite as good as the 1D. You can improve autofocus capablility by pre choosing one sensor, especially if you choose the centre one.

You already have the XT. It does not cost you anything to upgrade, it has the same telephoto and macro advantages of the 20D. It is even better than the 20D for being compact and light weight. Auto focus is not quite as good as the 20D or 5D, but can be improved by just using the centre sensor. Frames per second are not quite as good as the 20D or 1D, but you can work around this by timing your shot perfectly. This just takes practice.

In any case, I believe it is your lens selection, not the camera that is holding you back. You want to do macro photography, but do not have a true macro lens. You will be shocked if you see the image quality your XT can deliver if you put an EF 100 mm macro lens on it or the 90 and 105 mm equivalents from Tamron or Sigma. You do have to learn to use a tripod, remote release and mirror lock-up if you want to maximize macro photo quality.

Your other limitation is your telephoto lens capablilty. Putting a 2x teleconverter on a 70-300 mm lens is not something many of us would recommend if you want quality telephoto images. Either the Sigma 50-500 or Tamron 200-500 lens would be reasonably priced choices to get you the most telephoto performance at a reasonable price. I prefer the Sigma because it has full time manual focus override, which is important if you are trying to focus on birds or animals that are behind brush. If you will not shoot from a tripod, the Canon 100-400 IS is the best choice, but it is much more expensive.

Also, get the best lenses available for the camera you have. Buying lenses for a camera you may never get in the future does not make any sense. Do not be afraid to get EF-S lenses if they are the best for your current needs. For example, the 60 mm f/2.8 EF-S macro lens may be the most economical lens to get you into quality macro photography. It will not fit on a 1D or 5D, but most of us are never going to need a larger format than EF-S. Be practical, not a dreamer.

Hey everyone - thanks for all the feedback!

Looks like I'll wait a while for a new camera ...

... I googled a bunch of info on the lenses you's suggested - WOW!

I see what you are saying!

I have one question left:

Are the lenses for an XT interchangeable with the other camera's(1D - 5D - 20D) without exceptions?

If I buy into the glass - I would hate to sell the glass with the box when I upgrade (which is inevitable since I am NEVER satisfied! ... nature of this beast )