Canon 50d vs 500d?

NoobPhotographer

Can someone tell me the differences of the canon 50d and the 500d?

I just bought a 50d a few weeks ago being told its a good camera (yeah im aware the prices is gonna go down probably hundreds when the 60d comes out :P)

My boyfriend just bought a 500d this weekend, most people say its like the 50d exactly but with video.. yet its cheaper?

I heard the 50d has some advantages?

Just0a0guy

I recently whent through this when i had to make the choice between the two cameras and needed to make sure i could still pay rent. Fortunately for me a near perfect used 50d showed up on craigslist last week and it is everything I hoped it would be. Anyway here is a link to my thread on the topic.

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=138831&referrerid=45207

ziggy53

You can get a fairly good synopsis here:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos50d,canon_eos500d&show=all

In short, the 50D is heavier and more durable, has a better battery, a faster shooting rate, a better shutter, a faster flash sync speed and uses CF cards.

Both are very competent in their own category and both may produce similar images for most circumstances.

chrisjohnson

Good question, I wondered about the real difference myself when I bought my 40D (versus 450D then). My daughter-in-law recently bought a 450D and we go out shooting together so I can make a good comparison.

The xxx D is the little brother of the xxD and it shows clearly when you put them next to each other and in lots of little ways, too many to list here.

The main difference, for me, is the feel and the useability.
- I use bigger lenses and they feel right on a 40D. The 17-55, 70-300, the 100 macro all seem made to fit the xxD frame.
- the control wheel is perfect for managing the creative side of the dial.
- the battery has longer legs
- the viewfinder is better
- the frame rate is faster
- the list gets longer.... The only possible advantage of the xxxD is weight and size if you intend to use the lower end lenses, and I don't.

The price difference is insignificant when you intend to keep the body for several years, and if not the xxD will hold its second hand price better.

I know you ask about 50D versus 500D, but I suspect the story is the same. If I had now to choose between a 40D and a 500D I would take the 40D - the spec may look worse but the 40D is a better tool.

divamum

agree with Goldenballs regarding differences between comparable xxxD and xxD cameras.

Last year I was pretty sure I would get a 40D, but once I went and played with models hands on went with the Xsi (450d) - at the time it felt so much better in my hands that it was no competition for me, especially since it was about $200 less. They're very similar models under the hood, just like the 500 and 50.

What I did was add the grip to the Xsi - the beauty here is that with the grip it feels nice and solid and balances my longer lenses nicely, BUT if I need to travel light, I can remove it and wind up with a really compact dSLR. YMMV, of course, but something to consider as you make your choice.

Most importantly, go and handle both cameras. When features are similar, "feel" and ergonomiccs (including button layouts etc) can often be the deciding factor. After all, you're more likely to use a camera when you like the way it feels in your hand

AlbertZeroK

Yeah, the big difference is video, but the 50D is a tool, the 500D is a toy. I have a 50D and a 30D, and I can tell you I would keep both instead of buying a 500D. Although, I might actually pick up one to do video in high resolution, but I have a D90, so maybe not.

Tee Why

Generally, the difference between xxxD and xxD series cameras by Canon aren't in outright image quality but more in features. I believe the 500D and the 50D uses the same sensor.

The xxD series (50D in your case) tends to have magnesium body with weather seals vs. plastic, have better faster AF system with a bigger viewfinder, ISO in 1/3 stops, higer fps with a bigger buffer, and more user controls/features.