50D, the last best APS-C DSLR ?

With the limitation of the APS Sensor Size VS Noise Ratio
And the limitation of camera lens in a small sensor(w/ high resolution).

What could anything come out in the next generation of 50D?
Active CMOS cooling? (cost too high)
Video recording? (just a gimmick)
Weather Sealing? (no EF-S lens are weather sealed, not practical)
Better AF? (Impossible since there's the 1D series out there for professional)

There is opinion, in some places, that the pixel count is too high for the size if the sensor at this stage of technology. Hence the noise at high ISOs is higher than on the 40D.

Maybe not in the next iteration of the xxD, but I'm sure sensor technology, with the rest of the camera, will continue to evolve. I have to imagine there will be many more outstanding crop sensor cameras in the future with higher resolution and lower noise.

But yea, I'm sure we'll see additional "features" like video recording, etc that do not actually improve the photographic performance of the camera.

Makes sense, but I wonder how the managed to pull things off with the new 5D MkII, nearly doubling the pixel density.

Roy Mathers wrote in post #7467462
There is opinion, in some places, that the pixel count is too high for the size if the sensor at this stage of technology. Hence the noise at high ISOs is higher than on the 40D.

The 40D was the last best APS-C DSLR

Seriously, though, new sensor technologies will improve noise - even if they decide to add a few extra megapixels.

But you are generally right. APS-C has pretty much reached its limits.
Going to 20mp on 1.6x crop is pointless (lens resolution limitation). Canon will do it anyway - for marketing reasons.
And when that happens, people will argue that you can hardly see any difference between the 50D and the 20mp 90D .

George.ML wrote in post #7467540
But you are generally right. APS-C has pretty much reached its limits.

Take a longer view...it's hard to say what the technology will be in 10-15 years. It would be surprising to have digital technology hit a wall at such a young age. There is strong competition for the consumer level D-SLR market, and you can bet that a lot of money will be going into improving sensor and overall camera performance by many different companies.

Just my 2¢

sapearl wrote in post #7467532
Makes sense, but I wonder how the managed to pull things off with the new 5D MkII, nearly doubling the pixel density.

...but it has a considerably bigger sensor.

charliec wrote in post #7467592
Take a longer view...

There are at least two recent developments in technology for imroving ISO/noise performance - 'back-illuminated sensors' and 'black-silicon'. So I know for sure that ISO/noise can be improved.

In terms of resolution, though, we are really at the limits.
It is certainly possible to cram 50+ megapixels even in the tiniest sensors.

But as I said, lenses are becoming the limiting factor.
If your lenses are limited to resolving no more than 15mp on 1.6x crop, what's the point of using a 50mp crop sensor behind such lens (for FF, the numbers would be a 38mp lens in front of a 128mp FF sensor)?

Search the web for ‘diffraction’ and you will see what I mean.

George.ML wrote in post #7467540
The 450D was the last best APS-C DSLR

Fixed4u.

George.ML wrote in post #7467540
The 40D was the last best APS-C DSLR

Seriously, though, new sensor technologies will improve noise - even if they decide to add a few extra megapixels.

But you are generally right. APS-C has pretty much reached its limits.
Going to 20mp on 1.6x crop is pointless (lens resolution limitation). Canon will do it anyway - for marketing reasons.
And when that happens, people will argue that you can hardly see any difference between the 50D and the 20mp 90D .

That's assuming they can find the room for the extra pixels. Right now, they are out of room. They already have gapless micro-lenses on the 50D sensor. Unless they overlap them, they're either going to have to stay with 15mp, make the micro-lenses smaller (serious light performance loss I would assume), or increase the size of the sensor.

I suspect Canon will be the first to move to the 1.3 crop sensor for the next release of their xxD bodies. That, or they're going to have to totally reinvent the micro-lens.

George.ML wrote in post #7467768
There are at least two recent developments in technology for imroving ISO/noise performance - 'back-illuminated sensors' and 'black-silicon'. So I know for sure that ISO/noise can be improved.

In terms of resolution, though, we are really at the limits.
It is certainly possible to cram 50+ megapixels even in the tiniest sensors.

But as I said, lenses are becoming the limiting factor.
If your lenses are limited to resolving no more than 15mp, what's the point of using a 50mp sensor behind such lens?

Search the web for ‘diffraction’ and you will see what I mean.

Yup, and we're well past 15mp with the 5DMk2... at 21mp we're well past what film could capture and well into glass limitations I believe.

I'm really hoping that HD Video isn't THE selling point for the 60d.

subnet_rx wrote in post #7467875
I'm really hoping that HD Video isn't THE selling point for the 60d.

that's not what will draw me to it, it will be weathersealing, & the 13 Point AF, & 8fps

January 29th At CR it's suggested that the '60D' may be branded as the '7D'

15.1mp
DIGIC V
New 13 Point AF
1080p Movie Mode
8fps
3in VGA LCD
98% VF
New Battery
Weathersealing
Ergonomic Upgrades
1x Compact Flash and 1x Secure Digital Slots

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/C​anon_60D.html

They won't do that until the 1D series have been updated.

Lore wrote in post #7467940
that's not what will draw me to it, it will be weathersealing, & the 13 Point AF, & 8fps

January 29th At CR it's suggested that the '60D' may be branded as the '7D'

15.1mp
DIGIC V
New 13 Point AF
1080p Movie Mode
8fps
3in VGA LCD
98% VF
New Battery
Weathersealing
Ergonomic Upgrades
1x Compact Flash and 1x Secure Digital Slots

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/cameras/C​anon_60D.html

Very cool, that would get me to sell my 50D... no doubt. That's going to be an amazing camera if that's the feature set.