What to do with spare 50D

Well while my 50D was away at Canon for servicing I decided to bite the bullet and pick up a 7D and a new lens. Now that I received my 50D back I am wondering what to do with it. I don't really need 2 crop bodies, I am just a hobbyist and don't see a need for a backup cam. If one were crop, and the other FF I would keep them both, but that is not the case. What would you guys do? Sell it? Trade it? Keep it anyway?

Sell it and buy better glass with the money. You'll get more use out of a nice lens than a backup camera!

whoodie wrote in post #9117385
Well while my 50D was away at Canon for servicing I decided to bite the bullet and pick up a 7D and a new lens. Now that I received my 50D back I am wondering what to do with it. I don't really need 2 crop bodies, I am just a hobbyist and don't see a need for a backup cam. If one were crop, and the other FF I would keep them both, but that is not the case. What would you guys do? Sell it? Trade it? Keep it anyway?

Sell it unless you plan on doing paid work. No reason for a backup otherwise. Bodies lose value too quickly to have it going on in stereo.....

Give it to me...

grant247 wrote in post #9117459
...Bodies loose value too quickly to have it going on in stereo.....

That was in the plus column for selling it. The whole reason I sent it in was because I dropped it. Canon gave it a clean bill of health. I have taken a few pictures since I received it back and to be honest with you, it is a tad sharper than the 7D I just bought. But because I dropped it I fear that I will not get the $ out of it.

Is the body damaged from the drop?

grant247 wrote in post #9117488
Is the body damaged from the drop?

There are 3 small (~2mm in diameter) dings above the CF card door, and another one near the hot shoe, that is it. The lens and grip absorbed almost all of the impact force, the grip is trashed and the lens is a little looser. It was a kit lens (thank god), 28-135, in reality they are all a little loose. Yeah if I were to sell it, full disclosure would be in order.

After I got 5D1 I cleaned my 350D and put it away, thinking now I have a second body. I haven't used it since! I wish someone had told me to sell it when the used price was still high!

whoodie wrote in post #9117531
full disclosure would be in order.

I wasn't about to suggest otherwise, just checking on the severity of the damage. I agree with you that you'd lose money in the sell. Maybe rethink the 7D purchase. Possible to return the 7D for a refund? If so, I'm sure I'd go that route, buy another grip and keep the 50D. Unless you can't live without video, the 7D isn't going to blow your 50D away. Hey..my 5DII doesn't blow away the 50D.

grant247 wrote in post #9117590
I wasn't about to suggest otherwise, just checking on the severity of the damage. I agree with you that you'd lose money in the sell. Maybe rethink the 7D purchase. Possible to return the 7D for a refund? If so, I'm sure I'd go that route, buy another grip and keep the 50D. Unless you can't live without video, the 7D isn't going to blow your 50D away. Hey..my 5DII doesn't blow away the 50D.

I think that the answer to "am I going to sell it" comes down to the hit (no pun intended) I would take because it was dropped. Anyone have any experience with a % due to droppage?

Even as a hobbyist, having no backup at all if you're on a trip/vacation can be fairly devastating. If you can't justify keeping the 50D financially, then I would either sell it and put the money into lenses (if you want to risk being caught empty handed), or sell it and buy something more suitable as a backup (if you're just a hobbyist, you don't need the 6.5 fps, larger body, higher ISO, etc.) like a G10/G11/Rebel.

whoodie wrote in post #9117624
I think that the answer to "am I going to sell it" comes down to the hit (no pun intended) I would take because it was dropped. Anyone have any experience with a % due to droppage?

got photos of "hit" damages? From the description I'm thinking these scrapes and minor scratches as can happen during usage (i.e., ..it happens) doesn't take much off the price unless obvious abuse, whereas big gouges and chips would. In any case recent Canon paperwork showing "works fine" would definitely help prop up the price.

grant247 wrote in post #9117590
Hey..my 5DII doesn't blow away the 50D.

Sorry to barge into this discussion ... but could you please clarify the above.

I have a 50D and am thinking of getting a 5DII. The photos from my 50D are great ... very sharp, nice colors, low noise (I tend to overexpose a bit at high ISOs). But they look kind of digital, clinical to me. I am hoping the 5D would give a more film-like feel to the images.

Tammy T wrote in post #9117966
Sorry to barge into this discussion ... but could you please clarify the above.

I have a 50D and am thinking of getting a 5DII. The photos from my 50D are great ... very sharp, nice colors, low noise (I tend to overexpose a bit at high ISOs). But they look kind of digital, clinical to me. I am hoping the 5D would give a more film-like feel to the images.

With L primes at large apertures, there is definitely a look you can't reproduce on a 50D. With standard zooms, smaller apertures, and inexpensive primes, the image quality difference is noticeable... but only if you're looking for it. The 5DII is a great camera, but my argument would be it does a better job at bringing out the best in great quality lenses than the 50D, but unless you have a large investment in quality glass, you may be better off looking at your lens collection first.

siriusdogstar wrote in post #9117927
got photos of "hit" damages? From the description I'm thinking these scrapes and minor scratches as can happen during usage (i.e., ..it happens) doesn't take much off the price unless obvious abuse, whereas big gouges and chips would. In any case recent Canon paperwork showing "works fine" would definitely help prop up the price.

Yeah, here is the worst of it.