Entering the 21st century - upgrade EOS300D

Masquerade12000 · Sep 1, 2013

Hi - I entered the Canon family with an A1 (about $1,500) which looked after me for many years. I then bought the 300D when Canon entered the amateur DSLR market (about $1,500). However, while it still works well, it is being out-classed by cameras a fraction of the price and I'm looking to come into today's market. But the choice would seem wide. This time I'm looking at a maximum of about $1,000 for a body and was looking at the 600D or 700D - but what do I get by choosing the 700D?

My usage is recording holidays (mainly landscapes) and week-end trips (sport, pets, etc). I am a keen amateur rather than aiming for pro-am. The quality of images on my A1 are better than 300D (mainly due to resolution) and I'd very much like to go back to the levels I'm used to (e.g. the ability to blow up a 35mm image to "flipchart" size). My 300D is very slow at storing the images onto the memory card - I'd look to significantly improve that, as well as better handling of multiple-shots. I'm less concerned with HD movies.

Any information would be welcomed and I am NOT constrained to the 600D/700D - any ideas would be welcomed. Though I am looking at new buy to keep warranty.

goodguy · Sep 1, 2013

My advise is get the new 70D, it is Canon's new croped sensor camera, its a bit over your budget but worth the investment.
The 700D while new is using an old sensor on it and while its still a resonably good sensor it has been outclassed by most new croped sensor cameras in the market today.
The 70D has a lot of new technology and improved low light performance so I think its the camera you should be getting.

Sookiecookie · Sep 2, 2013

Hiya I have the 700D and I love it for what I do as I'm not aiming to be a pro but has great settings on it like HDR backlight and other great settings

my dad has the 600D and produces excellent pictures, I was gonna got for the 60D but my dad said if your not going for pro why spend out on a big camera when the settings are a lot more complicated, get a camera that your used to but get either one of those you will still be happy with the out come

jaomul · Sep 2, 2013

Most models today will have improved on your model. The 60d is going cheap now due release of the newer 70d. It is a nice camera with 18mp a flip out screen and video which is well reviewed. It shoots a respectable 5 fps and has 9 cross type sensors plus spot metering. All this add up to a nice upgrade for not huge money

TCampbell · Sep 2, 2013

Canon discontinued the 650D (in North America this camera is marked as the Rebel T4i) when they introduced the 700D (Rebel T5i) because there's nearly no difference between the two. There's a huge difference between the 600D (Rebel T3i) so they still make that camera as a slightly less expensive model.) This means you'll only be able to find a 650D if you find some merchant that has a body they were never able to sell after all this time.

The 650D & 700D as well as the 60D and 70D have 9 auto-focus points and _all_ nine points are "cross type" (which is more accurate than the lower models which have only a center "cross-type" point and the rest of the AF points are single-axis points.)

There's virtually no difference in the sensor on the 650D, 700D, and 60D. The 70D has an all new sensor with improved performance and also supports a new hybrid AF mode which allows the sensor to do phase-detect AF on the sensor itself (rather than using the reflex mirror to bounce light into a separate focus system.) That benefits MOSTLY the video mode but also works if using "live view" mode to focus rather than looking through the viewfinder.

The sensors size on your current EOS as well all the bodies mentioned up to this point are all "APS-C" size sensor. So named because the sensor is physically about the same size as a single frame of the old APS-C (Advanced Photo System - Classic size) film. A frame of 35mm film is about 60% larger (and thus supports enlarging to much larger sizes without looking soft). Canon does make a few "full frame" models (the sensor is the same size as 35mm film) but these are in a higher price bracket. The least expensive of them is the 6D but that's about $2k for the "body only". Full frame cameras typically have drastically better ISO performance... meaning you can set higher ISO's and have noticeably less digital "noise" in the image.

brunerww · Sep 2, 2013

Hi Masquerade - if you want to blow your images up, you'll want the highest resolution you can afford - that will be the 70D. It is a little above your budget limit, but its superior resolution will give you sharper enlargements.

The lowest in-stock UK price I could find was £1080 from Camera Centre UK in Cardiff via eBay UK.

Good luck with your decision!

Bill

Masquerade12000 · Sep 2, 2013

goodguy said:
My advise is get the new 70D, it is Canon's new croped sensor camera, its a bit over your budget but worth the investment.
The 700D while new is using an old sensor on it and while its still a resonably good sensor it has been outclassed by most new croped sensor cameras in the market today.
The 70D has a lot of new technology and improved low light performance so I think its the camera you should be getting.

Thank you. The mention of the new sensor has persuaded me to go for the 70D. This is because I am unlikely to go for a new body for quite a while - my next big purchase being "glass" - and I've seen the differences between sensor upgrades and do not want to be left behind. So - now I need to save a few more cents.

The low light benefits are also worth going for here in the UK where bright sunlight is rare and so I do tend to find low-light shooting is far too common.

Thank you.

Chris

Masquerade12000 · Sep 2, 2013

brunerww said:
Hi Masquerade - if you want to blow your images up, you'll want the highest resolution you can afford - that will be the 70D. It is a little above your budget limit, but its superior resolution will give you sharper enlargements.

The lowest in-stock UK price I could find was £1080 from Camera Centre UK in Cardiff via eBay UK.

Good luck with your decision!

Bill

Yes - it must be the 70D for me. All I need to find is a few hundred pounds - time to start saving hard. But what a Christmas present!

goodguy · Sep 2, 2013

Canon has been pumping same sensor on upgraded cameras for few years now and I am really happy to see they upped the game with their new sensor, the Canon market deserves to get a new modern sensor and not be left behind everyone else.
The 70D and D7100 looks like roughly same level cameras, I cant wait for a full comparison review.