5d Mark I VS. 50d

LisaMarie · Apr 29, 2009

Ok quick question, which camera's quality is better? I know that the 5d mark 1 has less mega pixels than the 50d but it also has the full frame sensor which makes up for that.... And i also know that the 50d has the croped sensor but higher mega pixels with a Digic 4 processor as opposed to the mark 1's digic 3 or something.... Also please correct me if i am missing out on any other comparisons, and yesssss i still haven't decided on an official DSLR to move up from my Rebel XT but i swear this is the last of my "which is better" camera questions, please help!!!

Samanax · Apr 29, 2009

What kind of photography are you mostly interested in?

Ptyler22 · Apr 29, 2009

I don't know if you know about this website but it is great, this is a side by side comparison of the two cameras so you can see which is better in which areas. Digital Cameras Side-by-Side, 2 cameras: Digital Photography Review

ANDS! · Apr 29, 2009

Image quality is irrelevant with either one of those cameras. They are going to do anything image wise that you could possibly want. Look for the "features" (such as cropped versus full frame, HD-video recording, etc.) on each camera.

inTempus · Apr 29, 2009

On paper the 5D will take technically superior images. It will do better in low light (less noise) and it will have cleaner looking images at the pixel level due to the larger photosites/pixels.

In practice? You wouldn't be able to tell the two apart if I showed you a shot with the 5D and the same shot with the 50D (all things being equal) at normal print sizes.

Personally, I would go with the 50D unless you were going to get big into portrait photography or landscapes where the full frame might offer you a little more.

I'm not real keen on the 5D's older menus, LCD screen, etc. Cameras have come a long way in the last 3-4 years since the 5D was introduced. The 50D is a killer camera and it has all the modern amenities.