XT Upgrade question

Hi everyone,

I currently shoot with a Rebel XT that I've had for over 5 years and am feeling that it's time to upgarde. I'm thinking of going with the 50D or T2i.

I have a few questions though..

1) Will the difference in megapixels between the XT and the 50D or T2i make a difference in terms of IQ? I've been a bit disappointed in the lack of detail when I make enlargements.

2) I currently shoot mainly with a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and a Canon 100mm macro. I'm thinking of renting a Canon 70-200 f/4L and 10-22mm for a week to see how they feel and shoot. I know that those 2 lenses get great reviews, but does the camera body impact how good the lenses are? I want to make sure that if I end up keeping the XT, that those lenses will result in good quality pics. I mainly shoot macro flower shots, landscapes, and my kids.

I appreciate any advice you can give!

Thanks,
Seth

Those lenses will work great on any body. And since you are going from a crop sensor to another crop sensor, you won't notice any difference. The lens upgrade would probably be most beneficial, but if you have used the XT for 5 years, you have probably learned all you can from it, so the body upgrade would also be quite justified.

The 50D is a great step up. I went from the XT to the 40D and I couldn't be happier. I don't think I would have liked the T2i upgrade as much, though. Megapixels don't necessarily affect IQ, but if you are doing enlargements you will notice an improvement. The biggest improvement will be, however, be seen with lens upgrades.

You will see an improvement in IQ with either option. The extra megapixels will help for printing large although the megapixel race is overrated. The lenses you mentioned are great, but I dont know that either of them are sharper than 100mm macro so if thats not doing for you I'm not sure what will

1. Yes. More megapixels = more crop-ability. I find 15+ Mp is very useful in cropping.

2. Many lenses will be great no matter what body they go on. So not really =)

Sethch wrote in post #9690969
1) Will the difference in megapixels between the XT and the 50D or T2i make a difference in terms of IQ? I've been a bit disappointed in the lack of detail when I make enlargements.

I believe it will. I moved from an XT to a 20D, and shots were similar. Moving on to the 50D really surprised me at how much more detail was present.

I cannot speak to the 100 or the 10-22, but the 17-50 and the 70-200 are excellent with the 50D. Both very sharp, good colors, and nice handling. I believe the 17-50 will focus better on the 50D than it does on your XT. The 70-200 is just a joy to use. Excellent build, super fast and accurate AF, and colors and sharpness that make images pop.

As to which body to go with, that will be a personal decision. I went to the XXD body because of the ergonomics. I have large hands and the larger body simply fits me better. The control dial, top LCD, and fps are also major plusses. I know the T2i's feature set is pretty dazzling, but I encourage you to put hands on both bodies and see what fits you best. I know I would not drop back to the Rebel line after shooting the XXDs.

I had an XT. Really liked it. But the 50D is a world different. You will get better IQ from it. One thing you will notice is the file size when shooting in RAW. 50D files are enormous compared to the XT. You will need a much larger CF card.

I also notice considerably less post processing with the 50D.