Canon 50D 28-135 IS Kit Best Price, Review, Compare
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Canon 50D 28-135 IS Kit Best Price, Review, Compare.
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SECTION 1: WHO IS THIS REVIEW FOR
This review is end to 10 pages long because it was written for people who are not proficient with the terms and concepts feeble in the DSLR world. If you are a proficient DSLR user then I would recommend that you check one of the great shorter reviews here or dpreview. For example, you already know what vignetting is and therefore understand the importance of the novel lens peripheral illumination correction feature. However, a recent DSLR buyer does not know what this means and this is why I therefore interpret what each feature really is so these people can then determine if the feature is really valuable to them.
If you have not done so as yet, be distinct to also check out my reviews of the Canon 7D and Canon 40D as well.
SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION
It has been honest over a year now since I purchased my Canon 40D. At the time, I was impartial beginning to buy my photography really serious. Since then, a lot has changed. I have now become a semi-pro. I calm have my full-time job as an IT Manager here in Miami. However, I do a lot of photography work, especially events, on the weekends.
I really worship my 40D but as I started doing more and more professional work I realized three things:
1. I needed a second camera body
2. I needed a camera with a more professional focusing system.
3. I needed a camera with even higher ISO performance
It was rumored aid then that the replacement for the Canon 5D would be out in the first quarter of 2008. I decided to wait for it. However, when the time came there was no news from Canon about the 5D replacement. This was aid in March 2008. The Nikon D300 had now been out for a while by then. I belief about buying it but I decided to wait until it was fully reviewed by dpreview as I wanted to look if Nikon had really finally addressed the high ISO performance issues. I ordered it one day after it was reviewed by Phil Askey on dpreview.
Since then, I have been using both the Canon 40D and the Nikon D300. I know it is a bit of a unfamiliar combo. People are always surprised when they look that I am using a Canon and a Nikon together.
I took all three cameras - Canon 40D, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 - over the weekend to the Miami Seaquarium to stare how the novel Canon 50D compared with both of them.
SECTION 3: NEW/CHANGED FEATURES
A. High-resolution LCD Screen
The LCD hide is level-headed 3 inches. However, Canon has now increased the resolution from 230,000 dots to 920,000 dots which is the same as that found on the Nikon D300. Of course, this makes it a lot easier to check images on playback to discover if they are involving and in focus. More distinguished, however, is the fact that Canon added a two layer anti-reflective coating which makes it method easier now to review images in shimmering sunlight. It is a lot easier to review images on the Nikon D300 than the Canon 40D. However, the Canon 50D definitely surpasses the Nikon D300 when reviewing images in knowing sunlight.
B. 15.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor
I contemplate the MP increase is the biggest surprise to me since Canon has always been conservative when it comes to this. However, this increase now seems to be the trend as the original Canon EOS 5D Brand II has gone from 12 MP to a whopping 21 MP. I was always puzzled by the fact that the baby Canon Rebel had more MP than its large brother.
I can clearly notice the disagreement in the resolution of the images produced by the 15.1 MP Canon 50D and those from the 10 MP Canon 40D. For a casual shooter this is not a gigantic deal. However, for professionals shooting events this is really useful. Whenever I shoot an event I try not to turn it into a photo shoot. People are there to have fun. That is the first priority. I need to be able to accept my shots mercurial. Many times this means getting the shot and then doing some cropping to construct it perfect. Having 15 MP to play with can be a life savior here. Of course, if I only did portraits where I have time to pose my subjects this would be less notable to me.
There is a miniature contrast in the resolution of the images from the 15.1 MP Canon 50D and the 12.1MP Nikon D300.
C. High ISO Performance
The ISO setting control how sensitive the image sensor is to light. As the light gets lower you can increase the ISO to avoid using the flash. This is really notable when you want to shoot in available natural light such as at dusk or at dawn when the light is really handsome. Another example is when you want to photograph a bride and groom during the first dance without using the flash so you remove all the romance. The downside to increasing the ISO is that the resulting photos will tend to derive grainier as the ISO increase.
The Canon 40D allowed me to go to ISO 1600 and then expand it to ISO 3200. When I unbiased started out doing casual shots this was okay. However, I pick up that I often needed to go higher than 1600 and of course I was forced to exhaust ISO 3200. On the Nikon D300 I could go all the plan up to ISO 3200 standard so if I needed to utilize anything higher than ISO 1600 I would exercise the Nikon D300. That draw if I only needed ISO 2000 I could utilize that setting rather than expend ISO 3200. I must let you know that Nikon did fix the high ISO performance issues that plagued its DSLRs prior to the Nikon D300.
The Canon 50D now comes with a standard range of ISO 100 to 3200 objective like the Nikon D300. However, the difficulty that I had was that with the mammoth increase in MP count there would be great more noise (grain) at the higher ISOs. The more MP you have the more noise you tend to fetch at higher ISOs. I would have noteworthy preferred a smaller MP count and better high ISO performance. However, the engineers at Canon have really outdone themselves this time. The high ISO performance of the Canon 50D is honest as valid as the Nikon D300 even though it has 3MP more. Powerful of this is due to the fact that Canon is now using gapless micro lenses on the image sensor. This seemed to have really increased the light gathering capabilities of the pixels.
The Canon 50D ISO can be expanded to 6400 (H1) and 12800 (H2) . The Nikon D300 can only be expanded up to 6400. However, on the Nikon D300 you can go from 3200 to H0.3 and then to H0.7 before you bag to H1.0 which is 6400. This is more flexible than having to go straight to 6400 since you should generally try to utilize lower ISO speeds.
You might be thinking that it is absurd that anyone should want to exercise ISO 6400 and worse ISO 12800. However, there are times when getting the shot is more vital than the quality of the shot itself. A worthy example here is when shooting sports. If the light becomes very dreadful for whatever reason you will need to increase your ISO as considerable as possible to gain high enough shutter speeds to freeze the action.
D. Auto ISO Range (100 to 1600)
I have been to Butterfly World on several occasions to gain photos of butterflies, birds and the tropical plants there. It is normally very sunny so to achieve time I shoot in Aperture priority mode. This allows me to simply dwelling the aperture and then let the camera automatically station the shutter hasten based on the recent ISO and aperture settings. One thing about South Florida is that one puny it can be very sunny and then in impartial a few minutes it can become valid cloudy. The plight this pose is that when it becomes genuine cloudy the shutter bustle selected by the camera can be so coarse that it would result in camera shake which in turn results in blurry images. When I unbiased started out my photography this actually happened to me as I would simply forget to check the shutter bustle that was selected by the camera.
The auto ISO feature lets the camera automatically change the ISO to suit the shooting mode. For example, when in aperture priority mode if the camera detects that the shutter rush selected would result in camera shake it automatically increases the ISO. This feature is available on the Canon 40D. However, the maximum ISO it would automatically space is 800. The Canon 50D will now place ISO up to 1600 which is a lot more flexible.
The Nikon D300 actually takes the auto ISO view further by allowing you to site the maximum ISO you want the camera to dwelling and the minimum shutter run you are willing to work with before the camera inaugurate to automatically space the ISO. This gives ultimate control to the photographer.
E. Burst Buffer
Another pain I had with the great increase in MP count was the impact it would have on the burst rate. With the MP count going from 10 to 15 this would normally result in a grand slower burst rate. However, the fresh DIGIC IV image processor is a lot faster than the previous DIGIC III processor so the burst rate is shapely remarkable the same at 6.3 frames per second from 6.5 frames per second. If you utilize a UDMA card with the Canon 50D you can buffer up to conclude to 90 large/fine JPEGs versus the 75 on the Canon 40D. The Nikon D300 can store up to 100 large/normal JPEGs at a burst rate of 6 frames per second. With the optional MB-D10 batter pack you can accept 8 frames per second.
F. Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction
It is honest a fact of life that the light entering a lens tends to drop off around the edges. This tends to be more pronounced when the lens is wide originate. The resulting photo will appear dusky around the edges. You will survey it sometimes referred to as Vignetting. It is more current on cheaper lenses. However, even the most ancient and expensive lenses are not immune to this spot. I have sometimes seen it on my professional grade lenses such as the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS lens and even the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 G lens.
If you have Photoshop CS3 you can snappy suitable this predicament. However, that is tranquil one more thing that you have to grief about which increases your workflow. The Canon 50D has a database of 26 lenses that it will automatically true Vignetting for. In addition you can enter another 14 models. This feature can be a really gargantuan time saver when you have many photos that were shot with the lens wide commence. An example of this would be a photo shoot in natural gross light where you have to shoot with the lens wide begin most of the times. I remember one such shoot that I did with both the Canon 40D and Nikon D300. When I returned home I had to sit there and review each photo in Photoshop CS3 for Vignetting and fix the ones that I found. This is despite the fact that I had old two professional grade lenses for the photo shoot.
This correction works with JPEG as well as RAW images.
Note that this feature is turned off by default. The reason is that Canon has no view whether the lens that you are using will work with this feature. Even when you activate it you have to check to earn distinct that you seek "Correction Data Available" which confirms that it does work with your lens. If not you can add your lens to one of the available 14.
The Nikon D300 does not offer Vignetting correction but it does offer chromatic aberration (CA) correction which is not on the Canon 50D. CA is the colored fringes that you sometimes study in photos. The colored fringe normally happens along some edge in the photo where there is strong incompatibility. A gracious example is a photo of a white house with green trees in the background. The edge where the green trees meet the white house in the image is a sterling candidate for some kind of color fringing. Once again, this is something that can be corrected in Photoshop CS3 but anything that can be done by the camera will achieve a lot of time in post processing.
G. Live Thought Functionality
If there was one feature that I really missed from succor when I had my Canon S5 IS point-and-shoot camera it was face detection. It's a feature that people always asked me about since the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 both had live understanding but no face detection. When I expend live plan on the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 I normally focus manually so I can zoom in on the face and then tweak the focus to gain determined that it is as gripping as possible. With the 50D I can now do some time by using the original Face Detect live conception mode. I also tried it with groups of people and it is handsome top-notch at detecting the faces there as well.
The refresh rate for live plan on the Canon 40D/50D is 30 frames per second which is twice that on the Nikon D300 and even the Nikon D3. This makes the Canons better if you want to pan in live opinion.
One of the biggest advantages of shooting digital is the ability to review a shot immediately to invent sure it is kindly. Because the LCD monitor is honest 3 inches, most photographers doing professional work also zoom in to check the focus and sharpness of the photo. You cannot simply glance at the brightness of the image on the LCD monitor and buy that the exposure was excellent. For example, if you are in a murky room and pick a photo, when you notion it on the LCD monitor it will witness very vivid but that is because you are in a shaded room. The exposure might not be really apt and it is possible that the photo is actually underexposed.
When you are doing necessary work the best method to review a photo is to conception the associated histogram. This is nothing more than a grayscale graph of the tonal values in the photo. An ideal histogram is shaped like a dumb-bell or like a wave that goes up and then down. It goes from shadowy (shadows) on the left and gradually to white (highlights) on the fair. A speedily check is to scrutinize if any of these are clipped (cutoff) . If the highlights are clipped it means that something in the photo was overexposed. If the shadows are clipped it means that something was underexposed. If most of the values are to the left (shadows) it generally means that the photo is underexposed. If most of the values are to the accurate (highlights) it generally means that the photo is overexposed. The Canon 50D has a live understanding histogram. This is something that is somehow missing from the Nikon D300.
WARNING: If you are coming from a point-and-shoot (P & S) background it is essential to understand that live conception on a DSLR is different from what you are accustomed to.
(1) The first thing you need to be aware of is that live belief is really wonderful for serene subjects that do not depart. A honorable example of this is if you want to a portrait of your kids where you can salvage them to halt peaceful. On the other hand, it is not proper for taking action shots such as your kids playing or of their dance performances. For these action shots you should begin out using the sports automatic mode which is for action photography when you don't know how to state your enjoy shooting parameters.
(2) Live Conception is only available in the creative modes. If you want to consume it and you are a beginner you will have to place the camera in Program (P) mode. This is one of the creative modes but the camera spot everything for you so you don't have to disaster about setting anything. The only thing you will have to remember is to hold up the flash when it is needed.
(3) To expend auto focus you will have to press the AF-ON button. You can focus manually the usual arrangement.
H. Hastily Control Screen
One feature that I really have enjoyed using on the Canon 40D is to consume the LCD mask to region my shooting parameters such as ISO and drive mode. However, I had to push the info button twice for the hide to appear and I smooth had to consume the buttons on the top of the camera. The Canon 50D has improved on this plan. Now all I have to do is push the multi-controller straight down to procure into what is now called the Hasty Control Hide where the shooting parameters are displayed on the LCD hide. Also, I can now expend the multi-controller to simply choose any shooting function and the utilize the quick-control dial to change its settings. Of course, this is a lot easier than having to create selections by pushing different buttons on the top of the camera.
The Nikon D300 has the same kind of functionality here as the Canon 40D. However, the user interface is a lot friendlier on the Canon as the names of all the icons are also displayed as well. Remember that the Nikon D300 is targeted at more advanced shooters so it does not bother with showing the names of icons. It does not even arrive with any automatic modes like the Canons.
I. Creative Auto Mode
When you utilize the Chunky Auto mode the camera controls fair about everything. You cannot even choose whether you want to exhaust the flash or exercise continuous shooting. The Canon 50D no longer has a C3 mode dial. It has a current Creative Auto (CA) mode dial. When you employ this mode dial the Creative Auto camouflage comes up on the LCD monitor. The settings inaugurate out honest as if you were shooting in pudgy auto mode. However, you can exhaust the multi-controller to assume and manufacture changes to any of the following: flash firing, represent brightness, report style, image-recording quality. You can also resolve whether you want to expend single, continuous or self-timer shooting.
There is one special change that you can manufacture here that needs special mention. You have probably seen some delicate portraits where the background is beautifully blurred. This not only makes the subject stands out but also gives the portrait an overall artistic peruse. The only quandary is that you have to be able to space your hold aperture to attain this accomplish. The Canon 50D has now changed all that. When you are in CA mode, you now have a graphic slider on the Creative Auto cover that you can poke one map to blur the background more and glide it the other plan to beget the background sharper. There is absolutely no need for you to have any notion about aperture and depth-of-field. You can now originate portraits with glowing backgrounds (bokeh) simply by dragging a slider!
Since the Nikon D300 is targeted at advanced shooters you won't net something like this on it. It is assumed that if you are buying a camera like that, that you already know how to space your hold aperture and shutter bustle etc.
J. High ISO Noise Reduction
Earlier on I told you that as you commence using really high ISOs you will commence noticing more and more grains (noise) in the photos. Cameras like the Canon 40D, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 all offer a custom setting which allows you to specify whether you want the camera to prick high ISO noise. You might be wondering why the camera does not simply always try to nick high ISO noise. Well, there is a trade-off interested here. As you try to crop the noise you will lose some of the details. If you are taking a photograph and you need to sustain details even at the expense of some noise you can simply chose to turn off high ISO noise reduction. If it is more primary to find a well-kept photograph even though you might lose some of the details then you should turn high ISO noise reduction on. One major drawback of using high ISO noise reduction is that it greatly reduces the burst rate. This is another reason why it is turned off by default.
The Canon 40D offers unbiased 2 settings here - on and off. The Canon 50D allows 4 settings - standard, extreme, strong and disable. This gives you distinguished more flexibility as you can chose to expend a crude setting rather than honest an on setting which is the equivalent of strong.
The Nikon D300 also has 4 settings which are glorious remarkable the same as those on the Canon 50D even though they are named slightly different.
K. Micro AF Adjustment of Lenses
Starting with the Canon 40D, Canon started trickling down some of features from the professional 1D Stamp III DSLR. One feature that did not compose it down to the Canon 40D is the ability to fine-tune the AF on your lenses. This near feature is now on the Canon 50D. You can chose to adjust all lenses by the same amount or you can actually adjust up to 20 lenses individually.
This feature is also on the Nikon D300.
L. HDMI Output
One of the biggest advantages of shooting digital is that you can review your shots good away as well as note them to your clients or friends factual there if you have a reveal unit that you can hook your camera up to. Of course the craze these days is HD. Everything honest seems to gaze better in HD. There was no HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output on the Canon 40D so you could not do a slideshow on a HDTV. With the 50D you can now do that. You can now retract some really frosty photos of your kids and thought them good there on your HD television which makes a great disagreement from viewing them on a non-HD present.
The Nikon D300 has this feature.
M. Auto Lighting Optimizer
When you photograph a scene that is evenly lit your camera does a very helpful job of setting a great exposure to ensure that your main subject comes out sparkling enough. However, if the scene contains high incompatibility areas of brightness and darkness it can trick the camera and cause your main subject to reach looking really gloomy. For example, if you try to photograph your friend with the sun slow him you will most likely acquire that your friend comes out looking really murky. This is because the knowing light from the sun in the background tricks the camera into believing that there is more light on your main subject than there really is.
The auto lighting optimizer feature enables the camera to better handle these kinds of scenarios by lightening the murky areas in a scene such as your friend while quiet keeping the details in the gleaming areas such as the sun in the background. This feature was not on the Canon 40D but it was added to the Canon Rebel XSi which came after it. With the Canon 50D you now secure this feature but with 4 settings rather than objective the enable and disable settings found on the Canon Rebel XSi. You can settle from standard, uncouth, strong or disable.
This feature is on the Nikon D300 with similar 4 settings.
N. Fresh sRAW
There is a original extra little raw file format. With the 50D you now have the option of shooting RAW files at 3.8MP, 7.1MP and of course the whopping 15.1MP.
O. That Darn Print Button
I don't know what is it about that darn print button that Canon objective refuses to gain rid of it. Yes, it is unruffled there on the Canon 50D. However, this time you can consume it as a shortcut to live concept. This is a welcome change over the Canon 40D. On that camera I had to store a short nick to live opinion in the My Menu tab. Now with the Canon 50D I can turn live belief on and off by simply pressing the print button.
P. Novel Function Button
The jump button is serene there but its functionality has changed. It is now a function button that you can resolve which of the following menu items you want it to activate: LCD Brightness, Image Quality, Exposure Compensation/AEB Setting, Image Jump and Live Conception Settings. Based on your unusual shooting scenario you can choose which one of these you want to appear when you press the Function button. For example, at Miami Seaquarium I assigned the LCD Brightness menu to it. This is because the lighting varies greatly from one site to another so I had to sustain adjusting the LCD Brightness constantly to review the photos. Instead of having to go through the menu each time it was really convenient to simply press the function button and have the LCD Brightness menu appear - vast time saver.
SECTION 4: Is this the true camera for you?
Your buying decision should be based on your requirements, budget and personal preferences.
It is very tempting when comparing the 50D to the 40D to fetch carried away with the 5MP incompatibility. However, you really need to deem the type of work that you will be doing and the maximum print size that you put a question to to do. Here is a summary of the maximum print sizes for different megapixels (resolution) :
6 megapixels 8" * 10"
8 megapixels 11" * 14"
10 megapixels 13" * 19"
As you can glance if your maximum print size is 8" * 10" then you are covered with even a 6 megapixels camera. You should really have a very advantageous reason for needing more than the 10MP found on the Canon 40D.
Here is what you should do. Check off the new/changed features that you reflect you will need based on where you would like your photography to originate and be in a couple of years. If these new/changed features are not really critical to you then go with the Canon 40D. You will assign yourself some money that you can then utilize towards buying a splendid lens. For example, prefer that you have $2,000 to consume on both the camera and lens and you are impartial enthusiastic in getting spacious shots of your children playing soccer and of their dance performances. In that case I would recommend that you gather the Canon 40D body ($955) plus the Canon EF 24-105mm L IS lens ($1,040) . It is really necessary to bag a pleasant lens. It is better to have a helpful L lens on a Canon 40D rather than a mediocre lens on the Canon 50D. On the other hand, if you know you want to do strong professional work and you definitely want a Canon then I can highly recommend the Canon 50D with its new/changed more advanced features. You will not be disappointed with this camera. So far I have found it to live up to everything that it promises. I am really blown away by the fact that Canon could really pack so many MP into that sensor and smooth give astronomical high ISO performance on par with that of the Canon 40D and Nikon D300.
The decision between the Canon 50D and the Nikon D300 is a petite bit trickier. Last year when I purchased the Canon 40D, the body was going for $1,299. This means that Canon has only added $100 to manufacture the notice $1,399 for the Canon 50D. When the Nikon D300 launched last year, the body was going for $1,799. This disagreement in label plus the fact that there are quiet many features on the Nikon D300 that are not on the Canon 50D, sigh me that Canon is detached not trying to compete directly with the Nikon D300. This is reinforced by the fact that Canon has now even added a Creative Auto mode which is for beginners. In my belief Canon is trying to provide a DSLR that can be extinct by both beginners and even professionals depending on the type of work that they do. This is all done at a very reasonable heed. The jam that I contemplate accurate now is that the brand of the Nikon D300 is now at $1,550 which means that for fair $150 more you can bag a powerful more advanced camera. Two of those key features are the whopping 51-AF focus points versus the 9 on the Canon 50D as well as 100% coverage in the viewfinder versus 95%. You have to settle if the higher resolution, higher ISO performance and a better live conception on the Canon 50D are more critical to you. If so, then you should go with it. If not, you should go with the Nikon D300. However, be prepared to consume a lot of time learning because there are no automatic modes on that camera. Another considerable point to contemplate is the availability and prices of the lenses you will need. Canon lenses are readily available and are also cheaper than their Nikon equivalent. Shortly after I purchased my Canon 40D I simply went on Amazon and bought a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens. After I purchased my Nikon D300 I had to wait several months before I could catch my hands on the Nikon equivalent of that lens. It is constantly back-ordered. When I finally got it I had to pay $300 more than the regular impress. I hold 5 Canon L lenses and I had no spot getting them - they were all ordered suitable here on Amazon.
SECTION 4: Conclusion
Your camera should originate you feel invincible when out in the field. The Canon 50D is a robust and beneficial camera that produces splendid images even at very high ISOs. However, it is really up to you to settle whether this is the camera that is best for you based on your personal requirements, budget and preferences. Whether you resolve to go with this camera or the Canon 40D or the Nikon D300 I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.
You can check out photos from the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 on my website at tajdigistudios. As I do shoots with the Canon 50D you will gawk photos from it as well. Be definite to check under the Portfolio menu item. If you are modern to DSLRs you might want to check out my free course at tajdslrcourse. If you are considering the Canon 40D you should also check out my review of it apt here on Amazon.
10/25/2008: I have uploaded three (3) photos of butterflies to the Customer Image Gallery here. The image quality is simply fantastic. I really worship this camera!!!!!
11/2/2008: The dpreview of the Canon 50D came out a few days ago. I have added a comment to discuss my thoughts on this. If you have found this review wonderful, I recommend that you seize a ogle at my comment to deem some of the negatives from that review. I ran out of region here.
11/23/2008: Softness Issue
In my fresh review I mentioned that you need a grand lens with this camera. I want to stress it again because I have seen reports of softness which is as a result of the high resolution showing up the flaws of the lens being old-fashioned. Several reviews have made this determined but it seems that people have not paid considerable attention to it so I am adding the references to this indispensable requirement for getting the best results from the Canon 50D.
Dpreview actually pointed it out but not in a very definite draw when the reviewer said: "At a pixel density of 4.5 MP/cm2 ... the lens becomes the limiting factor".
Digital Camera Review makes it grand clearer what the negate is: "If anything, the improper resolution of the recent image sensor makes the lenses a potential conventional link in terms of overall image quality." They continue: "Even stopped down, many budget lenses may accomplish soft images that lacks punch and crisp details, making it all the more valuable to pay attention to the glass you're using.". And finally: "Bottom line, there's not mighty to criticize about the image sensor in terms of image quality, so the fair glass will obtain the biggest disagreement."
Camera Labs puts it like this: "Perhaps the biggest insist facing the EOS 50D though is its high resolution. Canon's consume of gapless micro-lenses may have kept noise levels under control, but the high pixel density places greater demands on optics than ever before. We found the modern EF-S 18-200mm IS lens, while highly flexible in terms of composition, unbiased wasn't able to exploit the maximum resolution from the EOS 50D. If you want to obtain the most of the 50D's resolving power, you'll really need to couple it with decent lenses - in terms of a general purpose option, the EF 24-105mm f4.0L would be more appropriate."
Finally, from imaging-resource here is one of the cons: "Soft images with the 28-135mm kit lens; demands very beneficial optics"
FOR BEST RESULTS, DO NOT Take THIS CAMERA UNLESS YOU CAN AFFORD A Reliable LENS WITH IT!
I have seen some comments here by others that the Canon 50D is lacking IQ and could be Canon's Vista. They claim that this plan is supported by dpreview and imaging-resource. I am a bit surprised by this since both dpreview and imaging-resource both highly recommend this camera.
Here is what imaging-resource had to say: "So while the 40D is stout, and will remain in the market, the Canon 50D incorporates plenty of enhancements worth the couple-hundred extra bucks. The Canon 50D is an grand digital SLR." Here is the final verdict from imaging-resource: "Beneficial low-light performance, impressive printed output, very expeditiously shutter go times, solid effect, helpful customization, and capable image quality all add up to beget the Canon EOS 50D a stout choice for all types of photographers, and a obvious Dave's Prefer."
At least both imaging-resource and cnet agrees that the Canon 50D delivers better results than the 40D at ISO 1600 and 3200. Their findings expose that the higher resolution delivers extra sharpness without showing significantly more noise.
[...]
When people create these negative claims effect clear you actually go and check the professional reviews that they are supposedly referencing.
I have had my hands on a 50D for exactly two days, and have taken only a few more than 100 photos; however, it is determined to me that this is no "40D Price II." It is a giant step-up from the 40D and, in my thought, akin to a jump between the 20D and 40D (the 30D skipped intentionally) . I can jabber and write confidently of this because I hold or have owned all four cameras. I have the 50D with EF 18-200mm IS Telephoto Lens, which came as an offered kit. Additionally, I have and have primitive the 50D with an EF 24-105mm f4L and EF 85mm f1.8. Here is my two day take:
a. Controls are familiar yet more intuitive than the 40D;
b. Photos are top shelf. "Extraordinary!," "Comely!," and "Wow!" are superlatives which came speedily to me and to my stop friends. I tried a few photos at higher ISOs. Those photos showed a bit of `noise,' however, was mighty less than expected. Noise at indecent and mid-range ISOs was not visible to me. I took many pictures in gloomy areas to observe if this camera handles colors, tones, and lighting better than the disappointing manner of the 40D. Seems to be truth to the claim of improvement in that dwelling. Not a Nikon D2, but composed quite splendid. I did not do any flash photography.
c. The LCD is brilliant, curious, and grand more viewable in sunlight than its predecessor. I consider it matches well with those on the Nikons, which seems to have been one major fair with this camera.
d. The camera body is solid; feeling to me even more so than the 40D.
e. The 18-200mm IS lens was quite nice, and provides a colossal "one-lens" option. I have not compared photos taken with it to those taken with the EF 24-105mm L-series; however, I have in L-series lenses and would guess the 18-200mm will not occupy a candle to the L's. That said, it is a very profitable lens!! My only criticism is the distinguished differences in focusing `speed' between it and the 24-105mm L lens. It is Slooooooow...
The bottom-line is that 50D is a very edifying and, potentially, a very outstanding camera. Not perfect by any means, but a enormous step forward. I have not to date exercised enough of it's' features and options to be more specific now, but I will follow-up with more information once I have the opportunity to utilize the camera more. I rated it a conservative "4 stars," which for me is a high rating.
FYI, I am an advanced amateur photographer. I have considerable experience with Canon SLRs dating succor to the A-1, and with some Nikons, including the D300. I have remained a Canon enthusiast because of the investment I have in EF lenses, and because Canon, sooner or later, always seems to arrive to the dance with advantageous equipment.
I broken-down the 40D for a year, purchased the 50D based on obvious user reviews here and at other online merchants, but as soon as I started taking photos with the 50D I noticed it had more noise and was softer than the 40D. Within a few days, people and review sites started posting comparisons and they all showed the same. Many people are raving about the 50D's greatness, but the photos divulge a different myth.
The 50D does have a great better LCD, does handle colors slightly better, but has more noise in photos than the 40D at ISO400 and up, as well as softer images. Taking softness and noise into consideration, you're not getting the clarity you should with 15mp, when compared to the 40D's 10mp. Even when downsizing photos to a smaller, web-sized image, more noise artifacts were visible in the 50D. Since I mostly shoot concert photography, I did not feel this was a worthwhile upgrade, so I returned the 50D and purchased another 40D.
If you shoot outside or in gleaming light you'll have better expend of the 50D, but I don't believe you're getting a enormous exhaust of those 15mp. The 5D is 12mp and produces sharper images than the 50D - yes, it has a larger, better sensor - but my point is to prove how you're not quite getting the most out of the 15mp on the 50D. You're paying for 15mp, but how useful are they? If the 50D were 12mp, then producing sharper images with less noise than the 40D, I would have found that to be a righteous upgrade. The battery also drains faster in the 50D because of the LCD upgrade, if you consume LCD remarkable.
While the 50D may be substantial for some, I'll wait to leer what's next. I highly recommend getting the 40D instead; keep money, accumulate better lenses, upgrade later (hopefully the next xxD) and shame on Canon. Their claims of the 50D having less noise must have been based on its blotchy in-camera noise reduction quality and the more aggressive default settings of DPP's (Canon's Digital Photo Professional software) noise reduction as well.
