To upgrade or not to upgrade, that is the question...

Hi all, I know there will be a lot of differing opinions but I would like to see what the general consensus is.

With the 400D being released (and at a pretty reasonable price) I have questioned whether or not I should upgrade my 350D. Sure, the 400D isn't 'that' much better than the 350D but I do like the new display. I have checked out ebay and the 350D with kit lens seems to be fetching £350, meaning It'll cost me £150 to upgrade to the 400D kit (going for around £499). That doesn't seem like too bad of a deal to me and you can be sure that it won't take long for used 350D values to drop through the floor.

This does however bring up the question of whether or not it may be worth considering replacing my 350D with a 30D rather than a 400D. What are the general opinions on this? The particular feature I like on the 30D is that it offers spot metering (which neither the 350D nor the 400D have). I did actually start to consider moving to Nikon with the D80 release but I'm too deep in to Canon what with glass and flash equipment.

I know some of this is just wanting to have a newer 'toy', but also down to the inevitable used price crash of the 350D post xmas when the new 400D owners all throw their 350D on ebay.

I don't know if this website is genuine but the prices seem great (http://bananaboatcamer​a.com/canon30d.html), what would I be looking at for a used 30D kit and what are peoples opinions on 350D vs 400D vs 30D?

Hi,

Don't go to Bananaboatcamera!! All that glistens is NOT gold! Have a look at this thread, for example post no.20:-

https://photography-on-the.net …hread.php?t=241​748&page=2

As far as your original question is concerned - this has been asked very many times and the answer, as far as I am concerned is, if you're satisfied with your exising camera and you have spare cash to spend, get better glass. This way you will certainly improve the quality of your pictures and give you more satisfaction.

go with the 30D. Ask anyone who has upgraded from the 300D or 350D, its the best choice you can make.

Definitely go with a 30D. Once you experience the difference of the command dial and improved autofocus, you'll wonder why you didn't do this in the first place.

definitly 30D. no doubt

I asked almost the same question, you may want to look at my post and the answers it contains.
Made me think a lot harder. Key point re the body was the handling and the 400D is too small for my mitts.

Hope this thread helps:-

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=224339

I'm in a similar situation as JF1980...but was looking at the 5D instead of 30D, figure make the jump while I have the money (no kids, no wife, blah blah blah)

What do you want to do that your 350D does not do or does poorly? If you can't identify some specific things that you will do better with a new camera, why bother?

ScottE wrote in post #2309751
What do you want to do that your 350D does not do or does poorly? If you can't identify some specific things that you will do better with a new camera, why bother?

Well a pro camera for starts.... not an entry level one.

You also get ISO 3200 and 5 FPS.
Better AF, Better metering!

That alone is reason.

<P>Wow! If I buy a 30D I'll be a professional photographer? Or will I have to buy an L lens too?</P>
<P>Sandy.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>

Photolistic wrote in post #2309770
Well a pro camera for starts.... not an entry level one.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>You also get ISO 3200 and 5 FPS.</P>
<P>Better AF, Better metering!</P>
<P> </P>
<P>That alone is reason.

</P>
<P> </P>

Yes, you must have one L lens.

30D or higher.
L lens or higher (what is higher?)

Better glass will help you make better photographs. A newer body with more razzle-dazzle might do something for your photos and it might not.

The 20D/30D cameras have better viewfinders than all of the Rebel series because they use pentaprisms vs mirrors.

The 20D/30D cameras are built to be a bit stronger and last a bit longer - better shutter life, etc.

The 20D/30D cameras fit larger hands a bit better than the Rebel series.

Other than that, the differences - that can have a significant effect your photographs - are really quite minor unless you are comparing any of the newer cameras to the original Digital Rebel (the 300D). The 300D had things like Flash Exposure Compensation trimmed out of the firmware.

I upgraded to the 30D from the XT a few months ago and have not looked back. I wanted the spot metering plus the addition of the 2nd wheel and the larger view screen. The 2nd wheel really comes in handy when shooting in manual. I will admit there also was some degree of wanting a new toy.

jsfpa wrote in post #2314583
I upgraded to the 30D from the XT a few months ago and have not looked back. I wanted the spot metering plus the addition of the 2nd wheel and the larger view screen. The 2nd wheel really comes in handy when shooting in manual. I will admit there also was some degree of wanting a new toy.

Same here.