Camera Upgrade - Opinions Needed

[wrestleSBA]

All,

I have a trip to Europe coming up in a couple of weeks with my wife and my old trusty Canon 40D is currently out of commission and in need of some repairs... so finally got the wife to agree it is time for an upgrade.

Being on the frugal side I am considering a few used or refurbished options to replace the 40D (which I will have repaired and hand down to my sister who is starting to get into photography).

What are your thoughts / opinions on the options below? I need to pull the trigger most likely by Black Friday or Cyber Monday at the worst given that we leave December 6th.

Canon 7D - ~$850-900
Canon 5D - ~$650
Canon 60D - ~$580
Canon 50D - ~$450

The 60D, 50D, and the 7D all seem tempting to me.

The 60D would cause me to update from CF cards to SD cards so some additional expense there and I am not sure about the reduced size / body materials. I have pretty large hands and like the way the 40D felt.

The 50D seems like it would be extremely comparable to what I have now which is a positive but wonder if I am missing out on a good opportunity for better performance. Another camera change isn't likely any time soon.

The 7D is right at the top end of what I want to spend but seems like it might be a good option. Have heard hit or miss things on the autofocus though...

What say you all?

[Itsed65]

Tough choice. The 7d is a tricky beast to get to know, and can give pretty poor results if you are not familiar with it. The files can get pretty noisy.

The 50d is a fine camera, but not much different than the 40D, although I believe it has micro adjust for lenses.

The 60d has a tilt screen LCD, which might sound like a gimmick at first, but after using one on my Sony Nex, they come in very handy in tight shooting situations, especially ones you might encounter in Europe. The price of sd cards is ridiculously low these days, even for good ones,so I wouldn't let that count against it.

I guess it's out of your range, bur the brand new 70d,really would be the thing to get to be future proof. It's about $1,050 for body only at the moment.

So, if it was me, and I didn't want to spend more than 600, I would go with the 60, but all the cameras you listed will take great photos.

[Nate4641]

I liked the 50D and 7D when I used them. The only thing I didnt like about the 7D was the sensor and viewfinder size when compared to the full frame bodies. The 60D seemed like an oversized rebel to me though so I never looked at or played with it much.

[wrestleSBA]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I have to agree with Nate 4641 on the 60D and how it has been somewhat scaled down.

I did use a 50D at one point and was relatively happy with it.

I would imagine anything is going to feel inferior to the full frame bodies in terms of sensor and viewfinder... that is why they have such a premium.

Just found a 10% discount on a 7D that will bring it down under 800 with BlackFriday items. I am heavily leaning that direction.

Still interested in any other opinions before I pull the trigger tonight.

[P1]

I have the 50D and must say that I am very pleased with it. I have the Tokina 11-16mm, Canon 50mm, Canon 28-105mm L and Canon 70-200mm L and the results are quite wonderful. The new 60D/70D reminded me of Rebel cameras. Couldn't get used to it.

[panicos81]

What lenses do you use the most? What do you use the camera for?

If its for the trip only and every day stuff i'd say get a Fuji X100

[druu]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Tough choice. The 7d is a tricky beast to get to know, and can give pretty poor results if you are not familiar with it. The files can get pretty noisy.

The 50d is a fine camera, but not much different than the 40D, although I believe it has micro adjust for lenses.

The 60d has a tilt screen LCD, which might sound like a gimmick at first, but after using one on my Sony Nex, they come in very handy in tight shooting situations, especially ones you might encounter in Europe. The price of sd cards is ridiculously low these days, even for good ones,so I wouldn't let that count against it.

I guess it's out of your range, bur the brand new 70d,really would be the thing to get to be future proof. It's about $1,050 for body only at the moment.

So, if it was me, and I didn't want to spend more than 600, I would go with the 60, but all the cameras you listed will take great photos.

The 7D is an amazing value for the money right now. The focus on it is probably the best of the bunch, all of the cameras the OP mentioned only have 1 cross type af point (in the center). OP, if you like shooting with larger apertures, you'll have a great time with the 7D. I have and still use it as a 2nd/3rd body when shooting events. That said, the 60D, do 90% of what the 7D does.

Originally Posted by panicos81

What lenses do you use the most? What do you use the camera for?

If its for the trip only and every day stuff i'd say get a Fuji X100

+1, they are so cheap now used. Probably can find one for <$600. After getting one i almost never bring an slr on vacation or to personal gatherings. It's low light performance, usability and IQ is great.

[yakuza70]

Originally Posted by panicos81

What lenses do you use the most? What do you use the camera for?

If its for the trip only and every day stuff i'd say get a Fuji X100

+2 Smaller cameras these days are so capable. While I don't own a Fuji X100, I do have a Sony RX100 and now barely use my D7000 DSLR. I spent two weeks in Hawaii this past summer and only used my RX100. Great results, MUCH easier to carry around, and didn't have to worry nearly as much about it getting stolen as it was on my belt case when not in use. I pretty much only use my DSLR when I need to shoot sports/action or need a specialty lens.

[dcstep]

Given that list and assuming you don't own several lenses suited to full-frame, the 7D is the way I'd go. (I own one and a 5D MkIII). It's not hard to operate and it's a very flexible camera.

Dave

[positiveions]

I have the 50D, and I like it. I haven't used it to it's full potential, but getting there.