So, I'm switching it up already... sold my camera

[inTempus]

I decided this week to sell my new 40D. The reason was mostly centered around my discovery that my wife (and even myself) want to do more 8x10 prints and perhaps bigger.

I had a pic I took of the Chicago L that I cropped and wanted to print as an 8x10. While it turned out ok, it's obvious that it's pixelated. It's not as sharp as I would like...

So I decided I needed more megapixels. That leaves me either buying a 5D (really pricey) or a 50D. I planned on buying a 50D this weekend but now I'm reading reviews of all sorts of things including Nikons.

So, here's where I'm at. I'm not heavily committed to Canon as I only have a 580EXII speedlite and no additional lenses. I can easily switch platforms now that my camera is sold.

I've read the D90 has better color reproduction, better focusing in low light, better AF in general with (more AF points), the ability to increase saturation +4 without PP, etc. There seem to be a lot of little features on the D90, including HD video, that the 50D lacks. I've also considered the D300...

But I'm still drawn towards the 50D for it's higher resolution (15.1mp vs. 12mp), familiar controls, supposedly better/more lenses, and a better construction (metal vs. plastic). I hear that the 50D's focus (the same as my 40D) while it only has 9AF points it's just as good as the D90's. The 50D shoots faster (6.3fps) which I do like.

What are some of your opinions? Is the D90 noticeably superior to the 50D? If so, in what areas that you see? Should I jump ship and go Nikon or stick with Canon? Is the IQ really superior on the D90 vs. the 50D?

Any input would be appreciated!

 

[usayit]

If the 5D is stretching your budget, you probably just be happy with the 50D. that's just my opinion.

But

Please realize that increasing the megapixel of the sensor does not necessarily produce a sharper 8x10 print. The 40D is more than capable of producing a sharp 8x10 or even larger. I guess what I'm trying to say is that your should determine the cause of the unsharp prints before making a decision. I hate for you to move forward only to be disappointed.

 

[Overread]

which ever camera you go with make sure that you budget for some really good glass to go with it! Good glass can really make a massive difference in the quality of image that you get from a lens. Canon L - Nikon Nikkor (I think) - Sigma EX -- top quality glass helps a lot.

 

[ShutterSpeed]

is this another way of starting a Nikon v. Canon debate? lol

 

[gsgary]

40D should make good 8x10 prints it could be down to your lenses, i get fantastic A3 prints from a 4mp 1Dmk1, it's not all about mega pixels lens quality has a lot to do with it, if you get a 50D you will still have the same mediocre kit lens

 

[inTempus]

40D should make good 8x10 prints it could be down to your lenses, i get fantastic A3 prints from a 4mp 1Dmk1, it's not all about mega pixels lens quality has a lot to do with it, if you get a 50D you will still have the same mediocre kit lens

I don't think I was clear, the 8x10's I've printed thus far have been crops from full shots. I often crop my shots, the one in question was about a 40% crop. With a higher resolution I can crop and still get decent larger prints... or so that's my understanding based upon everything I've read.

But the cats out of the bag, I sold my 40D last night. A sad moment, it's a GREAT camera... but now is the time to move on. I have to decide do I go 50D, D90 or even perhaps D300.

I'm still leaning towards the 50D.

 

[Ls3D]

Having jumped from the 40D to 5Dm2 I can relate to the keyword in your post, CROP. The 40D does not leave much overhead for crops, so you either work towards getting the shot full frame, or dish big bucks for the huge pixel space.

LENS: Have you shot any primes? Even the $80 nifty fifty will change your mind about image quality and sharpness.

I say go with the 50D for now, and try some prime lenses. I let a select few (3 people) grab a couple exposures with either my 50 or 100mm primes and they have all made the jump.

-Shea

 

[Overread]

Ahh cropping space!
were I going for cropping space I would say that the 5D or a nikon might have an advantage over the 50D - there is a lot of speculation that the increase in MP on the crop sensor that canon have opted for means that only top end glass will be able to perform well with the camera.
I can't say from experience, just from the views of others. However if cropping is a big thing on a crop sensor camera already then there are 2 things to consider

1) a 5DM2 would mean a full frame sensor so you would be cropping even more than you are now

2) a longer lens might be what you need

 

[nmerrick]

Please realize that increasing the megapixel of the sensor does not necessarily produce a sharper 8x10 print. The 40D is more than capable of producing a sharp 8x10 or even larger. I guess what I'm trying to say is that your should determine the cause of the unsharp prints before making a decision. I hate for you to move forward only to be disappointed.

Absolutely, what he said... the pixellation could be from a number of reasons, including JPG compression in the camera being set too high, post-processing compression before printing, inappropriate resolution, printing issues...

Nigel

 

[gsgary]

I don't think I was clear, the 8x10's I've printed thus far have been crops from full shots. I often crop my shots, the one in question was about a 40% crop. With a higher resolution I can crop and still get decent larger prints... or so that's my understanding based upon everything I've read.

But the cats out of the bag, I sold my 40D last night. A sad moment, it's a GREAT camera... but now is the time to move on. I have to decide do I go 50D, D90 or even perhaps D300.

I'm still leaning towards the 50D.

So what your saying is, you want to take a wide shot and find a small bit that is interesting and crop most of the photo out, instead of using the corect lens :mrgreen:

 

[Village Idiot]

The most practical thing to do would be to find a better printer or use a program like genuine fractals. I've printed 30x45 images from 8mp files using Genuine Fractals to upsize and by sending an 1.5mb JPG edited from an 8MP RAW to WHCC and both turned out perfect.

 

[tetricflow]

I've been making excellent 11X14 prints with my 20D for years....recently upgraded to 50D....but the 40D should produce nice prints.

 

[Mgw189]

I would have to agree with those that say you dont need more MP. You would have benefited from a new lens possibly however. If you need to crop that much to get the image you want you need more reach. Its not going to matter what body you have if you dont have the right glass your not going to get the shots you want. Also moving to a larger sensor instead of a crop sensor (correct me if I am wrong guys) is going to make it look like you are even futher away so you will have to crop more if you were using the same glass.

 

[dxqcanada]

I often crop my shots, the one in question was about a 40% crop.

Why are you cropping shots so often ?
Is it possible that the lenses you have are limiting your ability to frame your shots the way you want them ?
If you are cropping images so frequently ... then I would say that you need a longer focal length lens than what you had on your sold system.

You do not want to crop ... as you loose image quality. You do not want a 15Mpixel image cropped down to 8Mpixels ... then enlarged to 8x10.

You should crop in camera by using a different focal length on the lens ... if you are not sure ... shot many different views.

 

[ANDS!]

Not to be a dick, but a new camera isn't what is needed here. Know how on how to crop and sample up an image is. The 5D is 12MP and the 50D 15. This is a MARGINAL increase in pixels from the 10MP of the 40D to 12 or 15 megapixels.

I really am just stunned here that you would go out and purchase something like that without actually realizing what it is you are and are not getting.