50D or T1i?

[pugnacious33]

I thought they have the same sensor?

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[bigtwinky]

I thought they have the same sensor?

apples and oranges.

The poster above you said that the T1i has a better sensor, processor and such as compared to the XTI and thus considered an upgrade. Another poster had said going XTI -> 50D is an upgrade but XTI -> T1i is not.

He wasn't comparing the T1i to the 50D (I dont think...). These two cameras do have the same sensor and processor

[DennyCrane]

Correct.

[maddkid53]

I suggest getting the 50D. Having held and used both of the cameras in question, I came to find that the 50D has a way better feel than any camera from the Rebel series.

I suggest going to a photography store and getting to hold one before you buy it, because you may not like it, but everyone i know has loved it. it IS larger, but in a good way. it feels way sturdier and you have more command over the camera physically. its a great feeling.

there are also a few features on the 50D which i really liked, like the wheel on the back, next to the screen. also, the advanced on mode for more pro users, and the few extra buttons here and there just add more possibilities.

go for it!! ima buy one as soon as i have the money.

[DennyCrane]

"advanced on mode"?
Please elaborate.

[maddkid53]

"advanced on mode"?
Please elaborate.

well basically its this:

the ON/OFF switch is located right next to the LCD screen on the back. its got 3 positions: OFF, ON and a little white line above ON. the little white line points to the wheel on the back.

see for yourself:


that camera is set to the advanced On mode. basically, more buttons do more stuff when thats on. for example, when it is simply ON, i could not for the life of me figure out how to change the aperture (in manual). but when you have advanced On mode on, you use that big wheel you see the line pointing to to change the aperture. That is probably one of my favourite features on the 50D.

i didnt have enough time with it to figure out much else, but i'm going to try to get my hands on it again this coming week and learn more. they're really great, but theres just a bit of a learning curve from the Rebel series to these. but its worth it.

[lbridges]

...He wasn't comparing the T1i to the 50D (I dont think...). These two cameras do have the same sensor and processor

This is frequently repeated, but it's a bit misleading (IMO).

Cameralabs.com say, "But there are a number of key differences... while the 50D’s sensor employed gapless micro-lenses, the 500D / T1i does not, and the 50D's fluorine anti-dust sensor coating is also not present here..."

the-digital-picture says, "...While sharing the same photosites, the T1i implementation does not include gapless microlenses and has 2 readout channels instead of 4..."

DPReview said (can't find the reference though so I might be wrong) that the sensor was a new design sharing primarily only the horizontal/vertical pixel count.

[pharmakon]

I was in a similar situation myself a little while back and ended up going with the 50D. some of the reasons for MY decision (which may or may not apply to your situation)

1. I have big hands and none of the rebels felt comfy in them
2. What I call the "VGA screen of Chimpy goodness" - probably won't help you take better pictures, but man is it pretty.
3. The top LCD panel - Being a beginner I am always playing with the settings, it makes it so easy to check what you have things set to and you don't have to leave the main (battery hog) LCD screen on all the time. I use it all the time.
4.The "Gapless microlenses" apparently help improve low light ability over the T1i.
5. after researching the video advantage of the T1i, I was kinda turned off by the lack of autofocus, so I picked up a clearance hard drive camcorder that is 1/3 the size of my DSLR and fits nicely into my camera bag in case I really want a video. Haven't used it yet ouside of when I first brought it home.
6. I wanted something to grow into, that would last me a long time (I'm kinda rough on things), and didn't want to re-learn how to use my camera if I upgraded, the 50D seems to have a more similar layout/controls as the higher end Canons, and seems to be built a little more solidly than the rebel series.

and finally (might get attacked for this one) I went to disney for a weekend right before buying my camera, it seems like the entry level DSLR's (Canon rebels and Nikon d40/d3000) have become the next family P/S camera... everyone seems to have one nowadays. That dosen't make them lesser cameras, I probably just have an ego problem or somehing like that.

[Sw1tchFX]

IMO if you can, skip the 50D, and get the 7D instead, it's not just the MP that make it a better camera.

[Wolverinepwnes]

50D is far superior camera! I would go for the 50D all the way

[jessieshungry]

Thank you everyone! I seriously really appreciate all of this information! As for getting a 7D or even the 5dMII, (not sure how much the 7D is going for) I'm pretty sure it's out of my budget range.

[AverageJoe]

lbridges, I thanked you for your comparison as it was very complete but I think one component was missing, price;
I searched ebay for completed listings of 40D body only auctions the average selling price was about $675, a new 50D is $979 new from Adorama.

[Sw1tchFX]

So I used a 7D for the first time today, and i tell you what..

If I shot Canon, i'd shoot a 7D. And unless I need 21MP and awesome high ISO, i'd much rather shoot the 7D over the 5DII.

IMO the most intelligently designed Canon digital body ever.

[DennyCrane]

Best Buy's Black Friday ad has the T1i for $699 USD.

[lbridges]

... I think one component was missing, price;
I searched ebay for completed listings of 40D body only auctions the average selling price was about $675, a new 50D is $979 new from Adorama.

That's always the trick isn't it? Deciding how much one thing is worth more than another? I hate the whole process and what I put my head through each time I try to decide what to buy - did it for deciding between the Canon 9500 printer vice a refurb Epson 3800 (went w/Epson BTW).

I frequently complain to my wife that her main hobby seems to be shopping at Macy's or similar. The of course she comes in and finds me at the computer drooling over the stuff at sites like B&H, or the newest gear review.