5 comments about Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only).

1. After using a Digital Rebel XTI since it's release, I decided to upgrade to the 40D. First impressions are 100% positive - extremely well made, balanced feel, excellent viewfinder, fast & reliable. Picture quality is excellent - lower noise levels at all ISO setting over the XTI. Is it worth the difference in price over the new XSI? In my opinion, that depends upon whether or not a rugged, better sealed body is important. (also note that the XSI is a 12mp sensor). My only complaint is the bundled 28-135mm IS lens - the effects of the IS are barely noticeable. If I had to do it over again, I would have just purchased the body. This lens does take great pictures and the bundled price was exceptional though...
   Overall, a great camera for the money!



2. I was a bit worried about buying an expensive electronic item on-line, but I had done my research and I knew I wanted THIS camera. I received it promptly. The local camera store had tried to scare me saying that cameras bought on-line had no warranty or if they did, it would be an overseas warranty. Well, mine came with a warranty from the US of A! I was using this camera within hours of receiving it after charging the battery. It takes beautiful photos and it is easy to learn. Be sure to buy a memory card. I hadn't realized it didn't come with one. I saved money buying this camera at Amazon and it is a great SLR for an amateur with aspirations of becoming a professional.



3. a camera with lots of possibilities, robust and excellent picture quality- for a reasonable price.



4. There is not much that I can say about this camera that hasn't already been said by others here on Amazon. What I will add is some personal perspective.
   
   I have been using point and shoot digital cameras for years. I bought an S2 IS three years ago because I wanted a nice digital without spending dSLR money. That camera served me well, but after three years it has started to limit my creativity. After much research, including the reviews by others here on Amazon, I decided to go with the EOS 40D.
   
   For me there was a toss-up between the XSi and the 40D, but what pushed me in the 40D direction was ultimately the size of the camera. I'm a big guy. When I held an XSi in my hands it just felt too small. The 40D felt just right in my hands. Another motivating factor was the kit lens. The EF 18-135 is far better than that which comes with the XSI.
   
   After spending a week with the camera, I can say that I am fully satisfied. It takes great pictures and allows me a large degree of creativity. With the camera I ordered a guidebook that is helping a lot. As for the pictures, they have very little noise. As I take more and more pictures in the different modes, I am able to take better and better shots.
   
   One important thing to mention for those upgrading from P&S is that RAW is amazing. I typically have better unfinished results with RAW than I ever do with jpg. After some finishing, they are unparalleled. I can't wait until I get some more experience. I already have people telling me they're willing to pay me for my shots.



5. I read many reviews on amazon before purchasing this camera and its one of the best purchases I've ever made. I know very little about cameras but have learned a fair amount just reading about the functionality this camera offers. My wife and I went on a safari and peopled raved about our pictures. You will not be disappointed with this camera.

4 comments about Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens.

1. I have had my hands on a 50D for exactly two days, and have taken only a few more than 100 photos; however, it is clear to me that this is no "40D Mark II." It is a giant step-up from the 40D and, in my opinion, akin to a jump between the 20D and 40D (the 30D skipped intentionally). I can speak and write confidently of this because I own or have owned all four cameras. I have the 50D with EF 18-200mm IS Telephoto Lens, which came as an offered kit. Additionally, I own and have used the 50D with an EF 24-105mm f4L and EF 85mm f1.8. Here is my two day take:
   
   a. Controls are familiar yet more intuitive than the 40D;
   
   b. Photos are top shelf. "Incredible!," "Beautiful!," and "Wow!" are superlatives which came quickly to me and to my close friends. I tried a few photos at higher ISOs. Those photos showed a bit of `noise,' however, was much less than expected. Noise at low and mid-range ISOs was not visible to me. I took many pictures in shaded areas to see if this camera handles colors, tones, and lighting better than the disappointing manner of the 40D. Seems to be truth to the claim of improvement in that area. Not a Nikon D2, but still quite excellent. I did not do any flash photography.
   
   c. The LCD is bright, sharp, and much more viewable in sunlight than its predecessor. I think it matches well with those on the Nikons, which seems to have been one major objective with this camera.
   
   d. The camera body is solid; feeling to me even more so than the 40D.
   
   e. The 18-200mm IS lens was quite nice, and provides a great "one-lens" option. I have not compared photos taken with it to those taken with the EF 24-105mm L-series; however, I believe in L-series lenses and would guess the 18-200mm will not hold a candle to the L's. That said, it is a very excellent lens!! My only criticism is the significant differences in focusing `speed' between it and the 24-105mm L lens. It is Slooooooow...
   
   The bottom-line is that 50D is a very excellent and, potentially, a very outstanding camera. Not perfect by any means, but a great step forward. I have not to date exercised enough of it's' features and options to be more specific now, but I will follow-up with more information once I have the opportunity to use the camera more. I rated it a conservative "4 stars," which for me is a high rating.
   
   FYI, I am an advanced amateur photographer. I have much experience with Canon SLRs dating back to the A-1, and with some Nikons, including the D300. I have remained a Canon enthusiast because of the investment I have in EF lenses, and because Canon, sooner or later, always seems to come to the dance with superb equipment.



2. SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
   It has been just over a year now since I purchased my Canon 40D. At the time, I was just beginning to take my photography really serious. Since then, a lot has changed. I have now become a semi-pro. I still have my full-time job as an IT Manager here in Miami. However, I do a lot of photography work, especially events, on the weekends.
   
   I really love my 40D but as I started doing more and more professional work I realized three things:
   
   1. I needed a second camera body
   2. I needed a camera with a more professional focusing system.
   3. I needed a camera with even higher ISO performance
   
   It was rumored back then that the replacement for the Canon 5D would be out in the first quarter of 2008. I decided to wait for it. However, when the time came there was no news from Canon about the 5D replacement. This was back in March 2008. The Nikon D300 had now been out for a while by then. I thought about buying it but I decided to wait until it was fully reviewed by dpreview as I wanted to see if Nikon had really finally addressed the high ISO performance issues. I ordered it one day after it was reviewed by Phil Askey on dpreview.
   
   Since then, I have been using both the Canon 40D and the Nikon D300. I know it is a bit of a strange combo. People are always surprised when they see that I am using a Canon and a Nikon together.
   
   I took all three cameras - Canon 40D, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 - over the weekend to the Miami Seaquarium to see how the new Canon 50D compared with both of them.
   
   
   
   SECTION 2: NEW/CHANGED FEATURES
   A. High-resolution LCD Screen
   The LCD screen is still 3 inches. However, Canon has now increased the resolution from 230,000 dots to 920,000 dots which is the same as that found on the Nikon D300. Of course, this makes it a lot easier to check images on playback to see if they are sharp and in focus. More important, however, is the fact that Canon added a two layer anti-reflective coating which makes it way easier now to review images in bright sunlight. It is a lot easier to review images on the Nikon D300 than the Canon 40D. However, the Canon 50D definitely surpasses the Nikon D300 when reviewing images in bright sunlight.
   
   B. 15.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor
   I think the MP increase is the biggest surprise to me since Canon has always been conservative when it comes to this. However, this increase now seems to be the trend as the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II has gone from 12 MP to a whopping 21 MP. I was always puzzled by the fact that the baby Canon Rebel had more MP than its big brother.
   
   I can clearly see the difference in the quality of the images produced by the 15.1 MP Canon 50D and those from the 10 MP Canon 40D. For a casual shooter this is not a big deal. However, for professionals shooting events this is really useful. Whenever I shoot an event I try not to turn it into a photo shoot. People are there to have fun. That is the first priority. I need to be able to get my shots fast. Many times this means getting the shot and then doing some cropping to make it perfect. Having 15 MP to play with can be a life savior here. Of course, if I only did portraits where I have time to pose my subjects this would be less important to me.
   
   There is a small difference in the quality of the images from the 15.1 MP Canon 50D and the 12.1MP Nikon D300.
   
   
   C. High ISO Performance
   The ISO setting control how sensitive the image sensor is to light. As the light gets lower you can increase the ISO to avoid using the flash. This is really important when you want to shoot in available natural light such as at dusk or at dawn when the light is really beautiful. Another example is when you want to photograph a bride and groom during the first dance without using the flash so you capture all the romance. The downside to increasing the ISO is that the resulting photos will tend to get grainier as the ISO increase.
   
   The Canon 40D allowed me to go to ISO 1600 and then expand it to ISO 3200. When I just started out doing casual shots this was okay. However, I find that I often needed to go higher than 1600 and of course I was forced to use ISO 3200. On the Nikon D300 I could go all the way up to ISO 3200 standard so if I needed to use anything higher than ISO 1600 I would use the Nikon D300. That way if I only needed ISO 2000 I could use that setting rather than use ISO 3200. I must let you know that Nikon did fix the high ISO performance issues that plagued its DSLRs prior to the Nikon D300.
   
   The Canon 50D now comes with a standard range of ISO 100 to 3200 just like the Nikon D300. However, the concern that I had was that with the big increase in MP count there would be much more noise (grain) at the higher ISOs. The more MP you have the more noise you tend to get at higher ISOs. I would have much preferred a smaller MP count and better high ISO performance. However, the engineers at Canon have really outdone themselves this time. The high ISO performance of the Canon 50D is just as good as the Nikon D300 even though it has 3MP more. Much of this is due to the fact that Canon is now using gapless micro lenses on the image sensor. This seemed to have really increased the light gathering capabilities of the pixels.
   
   The Canon 50D ISO can be expanded to 6400 (H1) and 12800 (H2). The Nikon D300 can only be expanded up to 6400. However, on the Nikon D300 you can go from 3200 to H0.3 and then to H0.7 before you get to H1.0 which is 6400. This is more flexible than having to go straight to 6400 since you should generally try to use lower ISO speeds.
   
   You might be thinking that it is absurd that anyone should want to use ISO 6400 and worse ISO 12800. However, there are times when getting the shot is more important than the quality of the shot itself. A good example here is when shooting sports. If the light becomes very bad for whatever reason you will need to increase your ISO as much as possible to get high enough shutter speeds to freeze the action.
   
   D. Auto ISO Range (100 to 1600)
   I have been to Butterfly World on several occasions to get photos of butterflies, birds and the tropical plants there. It is normally very sunny so to save time I shoot in Aperture priority mode. This allows me to simply set the aperture and then let the camera automatically set the shutter speed based on the current ISO and aperture settings. One thing about South Florida is that one minute it can be very sunny and then in just a few minutes it can become real cloudy. The problem this pose is that when it becomes real cloudy the shutter speed selected by the camera can be so low that it would result in camera shake which in turn results in blurry images. When I just started out my photography this actually happened to me as I would simply forget to check the shutter speed that was selected by the camera.
   
   The auto ISO feature lets the camera automatically change the ISO to suit the shooting mode. For example, when in aperture priority mode if the camera detects that the shutter speed selected would result in camera shake it automatically increases the ISO. This feature is available on the Canon 40D. However, the maximum ISO it would automatically set is 800. The Canon 50D will now set ISO up to 1600 which is a lot more flexible.
   
   The Nikon D300 actually takes the auto ISO concept further by allowing you to set the maximum ISO you want the camera to set and the minimum shutter speed you are willing to work with before the camera start to automatically set the ISO. This gives ultimate control to the photographer.
   
   
   E. Burst Buffer
   Another concern I had with the big increase in MP count was the impact it would have on the burst rate. With the MP count going from 10 to 15 this would normally result in a much slower burst rate. However, the new DIGIC IV image processor is a lot faster than the previous DIGIC III processor so the burst rate is pretty much the same at 6.3 frames per second from 6.5 frames per second. If you use a UDMA card with the Canon 50D you can buffer up to close to 90 large/fine JPEGs versus the 75 on the Canon 40D. The Nikon D300 can store up to 100 large/normal JPEGs at a burst rate of 6 frames per second. With the optional MB-D10 batter pack you can get 8 frames per second.
   
   
   F. Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction
   It is just a fact of life that the light entering a lens tends to fall off around the edges. This tends to be more pronounced when the lens is wide open. The resulting photo will appear dark around the edges. You will see it sometimes referred to as Vignetting. It is more common on cheaper lenses. However, even the most venerable and expensive lenses are not immune to this problem. I have sometimes seen it on my professional grade lenses such as the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS lens and even the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 G lens.
   
   If you have Photoshop CS3 you can quickly correct this problem. However, that is still one more thing that you have to worry about which increases your workflow. The Canon 50D has a database of 26 lenses that it will automatically correct Vignetting for. In addition you can enter another 14 models. This feature can be a really big time saver when you have many photos that were shot with the lens wide open. An example of this would be a photo shoot in natural low light where you have to shoot with the lens wide open most of the times. I remember one such shoot that I did with both the Canon 40D and Nikon D300. When I returned home I had to sit there and review each photo in Photoshop CS3 for Vignetting and fix the ones that I found. This is despite the fact that I had used two professional grade lenses for the photo shoot.
   
   This correction works with JPEG as well as RAW images.
   
   Note that this feature is turned off by default. The reason is that Canon has no idea whether the lens that you are using will work with this feature. Even when you activate it you have to check to make certain that you see "Correction Data Available" which confirms that it does work with your lens. If not you can add your lens to one of the available 14.
   
   The Nikon D300 does not offer Vignetting correction but it does offer chromatic aberration (CA) correction which is not on the Canon 50D. CA is the colored fringes that you sometimes see in photos. The colored fringe normally happens along some edge in the photo where there is strong contrast. A good example is a photo of a white house with green trees in the background. The edge where the green trees meet the white house in the image is a good candidate for some kind of color fringing. Once again, this is something that can be corrected in Photoshop CS3 but anything that can be done by the camera will save a lot of time in post processing.
   
   
   G. Live View Functionality
   If there was one feature that I really missed from back when I had my Canon S5 IS point-and-shoot camera it was face detection. It's a feature that people always asked me about since the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 both had live view but no face detection. When I use live view on the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 I normally focus manually so I can zoom in on the face and then tweak the focus to make sure that it is as sharp as possible. With the 50D I can now save some time by using the new Face Detect live view mode. I also tried it with groups of people and it is pretty good at detecting the faces there as well.
   
   The refresh rate for live view on the Canon 40D/50D is 30 frames per second which is twice that on the Nikon D300 and even the Nikon D3. This makes the Canons better if you want to pan in live view.
   
   One of the biggest advantages of shooting digital is the ability to review a shot immediately to make certain it is good. Because the LCD monitor is just 3 inches, most photographers doing professional work also zoom in to check the focus and sharpness of the photo. You cannot simply look at the brightness of the image on the LCD monitor and assume that the exposure was good. For example, if you are in a dark room and take a photo, when you view it on the LCD monitor it will look very bright but that is because you are in a dark room. The exposure might not be really good and it is possible that the photo is actually underexposed.
   
   When you are doing critical work the best way to review a photo is to view the associated histogram. This is nothing more than a grayscale graph of the tonal values in the photo. An ideal histogram is shaped like a dumb-bell or like a wave that goes up and then down. It goes from black (shadows) on the left and gradually to white (highlights) on the right. A quick check is to see if any of these are clipped (cutoff). If the highlights are clipped it means that something in the photo was overexposed. If the shadows are clipped it means that something was underexposed. If most of the values are to the left (shadows) it generally means that the photo is underexposed. If most of the values are to the right (highlights) it generally means that the photo is overexposed. The Canon 50D has a live view histogram. This is something that is somehow missing from the Nikon D300.
   
   
   H. Quick Control Screen
   One feature that I really have enjoyed using on the Canon 40D is to use the LCD screen to set my shooting parameters such as ISO and drive mode. However, I had to push the info button twice for the screen to appear and I still had to use the buttons on the top of the camera. The Canon 50D has improved on this concept. Now all I have to do is push the multi-controller straight down to get into what is now called the Quick Control Screen where the shooting parameters are displayed on the LCD screen. Also, I can now use the multi-controller to simply select any shooting function and the use the quick-control dial to change its settings. Of course, this is a lot easier than having to make selections by pushing different buttons on the top of the camera.
   
   The Nikon D300 has the same kind of functionality here as the Canon 40D. However, the user interface is a lot friendlier on the Canon as the names of all the icons are also displayed as well. Remember that the Nikon D300 is targeted at more advanced shooters so it does not bother with showing the names of icons. It does not even come with any automatic modes like the Canons.
   
   I. Creative Auto Mode
   When you use the Full Auto mode the camera controls just about everything. You cannot even decide whether you want to use the flash or use continuous shooting. The Canon 50D no longer has a C3 mode dial. It has a new Creative Auto (CA) mode dial. When you use this mode dial the Creative Auto screen comes up on the LCD monitor. The settings start out just as if you were shooting in full auto mode. However, you can use the multi-controller to select and make changes to any of the following: flash firing, picture brightness, picture style, image-recording quality. You can also decide whether you want to use single, continuous or self-timer shooting.
   
   There is one special change that you can make here that needs special mention. You have probably seen some beautiful portraits where the background is beautifully blurred. This not only makes the subject stands out but also gives the portrait an overall artistic look. The only problem is that you have to be able to set your own aperture to achieve this effect. The Canon 50D has now changed all that. When you are in CA mode, you now have a graphic slider on the Creative Auto screen that you can drag one way to blur the background more and drag it the other way to make the background sharper. There is absolutely no need for you to have any idea about aperture and depth-of-field. You can now produce portraits with beautiful backgrounds (bokeh) simply by dragging a slider!
   
   Since the Nikon D300 is targeted at advanced shooters you won't find something like this on it. It is assumed that if you are buying a camera like that, that you already know how to set your own aperture and shutter speed etc.
   
   
   J. High ISO Noise Reduction
   Earlier on I told you that as you start using really high ISOs you will start noticing more and more grains (noise) in the photos. Cameras like the Canon 40D, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 all offer a custom setting which allows you to specify whether you want the camera to reduce high ISO noise. You might be wondering why the camera does not simply always try to reduce high ISO noise. Well, there is a trade-off involved here. As you try to reduce the noise you will lose some of the details. If you are taking a photograph and you need to preserve details even at the expense of some noise you can simply chose to turn off high ISO noise reduction. If it is more important to get a clean photograph even though you might lose some of the details then you should turn high ISO noise reduction on. One major drawback of using high ISO noise reduction is that it greatly reduces the burst rate. This is another reason why it is turned off by default.
   
   The Canon 40D offers just 2 settings here - on and off. The Canon 50D allows 4 settings - standard, low, strong and disable. This gives you much more flexibility as you can chose to use a low setting rather than just an on setting which is the equivalent of strong.
   
   The Nikon D300 also has 4 settings which are pretty much the same as those on the Canon 50D even though they are named slightly different.
   
   
   K. Micro AF Adjustment of Lenses
   Starting with the Canon 40D, Canon started trickling down some of features from the professional 1D Mark III DSLR. One feature that did not make it down to the Canon 40D is the ability to fine-tune the AF on your lenses. This advance feature is now on the Canon 50D. You can chose to adjust all lenses by the same amount or you can actually adjust up to 20 lenses individually.
   
   This feature is also on the Nikon D300.
   
   L. HDMI Output
   One of the biggest advantages of shooting digital is that you can review your shots right away as well as show them to your clients or friends right there if you have a display unit that you can hook your camera up to. Of course the craze these days is HD. Everything just seems to look better in HD. There was no HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output on the Canon 40D so you could not do a slideshow on a HDTV. With the 50D you can now do that. You can now take some really cool photos of your kids and view them right there on your HD television which makes a huge difference from viewing them on a non-HD display.
   
   The Nikon D300 has this feature.
   
   
   M. Auto Lighting Optimizer
   When you photograph a scene that is evenly lit your camera does a very good job of setting a proper exposure to ensure that your main subject comes out bright enough. However, if the scene contains high contrast areas of brightness and darkness it can trick the camera and cause your main subject to come looking really dark. For example, if you try to photograph your friend with the sun behind him you will most likely find that your friend comes out looking really dark. This is because the bright light from the sun in the background tricks the camera into believing that there is more light on your main subject than there really is.
   
   The auto lighting optimizer feature enables the camera to better handle these kinds of scenarios by lightening the dark areas in a scene such as your friend while still keeping the details in the bright areas such as the sun in the background. This feature was not on the Canon 40D but it was added to the Canon Rebel XSi which came after it. With the Canon 50D you now get this feature but with 4 settings rather than just the enable and disable settings found on the Canon Rebel XSi. You can choose from standard, low, strong or disable.
   
   This feature is on the Nikon D300 with similar 4 settings.
   
   
   N. New sRAW
   There is a new extra small raw file format. With the 50D you now have the option of shooting RAW files at 3.8MP, 7.1MP and of course the whopping 15.1MP.
   
   
   O. That Darn Print Button
   I don't know what is it about that darn print button that Canon just refuses to get rid of it. Yes, it is still there on the Canon 50D. However, this time you can use it as a shortcut to live view. This is a welcome change over the Canon 40D. On that camera I had to store a short cut to live view in the My Menu tab. Now with the Canon 50D I can turn live view on and off by simply pressing the print button.
   
   
   P. New Function Button
   The jump button is still there but its functionality has changed. It is now a function button that you can decide which of the following menu items you want it to activate: LCD Brightness, Image Quality, Exposure Compensation/AEB Setting, Image Jump and Live View Settings. Based on your current shooting scenario you can decide which one of these you want to appear when you press the Function button. For example, at Miami Seaquarium I assigned the LCD Brightness menu to it. This is because the lighting varies greatly from one place to another so I had to keep adjusting the LCD Brightness constantly to review the photos. Instead of having to go through the menu each time it was really convenient to simply press the function button and have the LCD Brightness menu appear - great time saver.
   
   
   SECTION 3: Is this the right camera for you?
   Your buying decision should be based on your requirements, budget and personal preferences.
   
   It is very tempting when comparing the 50D to the 40D to get carried away with the 5MP difference. However, you really need to consider the type of work that you will be doing and the maximum print size that you expect to do. Here is a summary of the maximum print sizes for different megapixels (resolution):
   6 megapixels 8" * 10"
   8 megapixels 11" * 14"
   10 megapixels 13" * 19"
   
   As you can see if your maximum print size is 8" * 10" then you are covered with even a 6 megapixels camera. You should really have a very good reason for needing more than the 10MP found on the Canon 40D.
   
   Here is what you should do. Check off the new/changed features that you think you will need based on where you would like your photography to start and be in a couple of years. If these new/changed features are not really important to you then go with the Canon 40D. You will save yourself some money that you can then use towards buying a good lens. For example, assume that you have $2,000 to spend on both the camera and lens and you are just interested in getting great shots of your children playing soccer and of their dance performances. In that case I would recommend that you get the Canon 40D body ($955) plus the Canon EF 24-105mm L IS lens ($1,040). It is really important to get a good lens. It is better to have a good L lens on a Canon 40D rather than a mediocre lens on the Canon 50D. On the other hand, if you know you want to do strong professional work and you definitely want a Canon then I can highly recommend the Canon 50D with its new/changed more advanced features. You will not be disappointed with this camera. So far I have found it to live up to everything that it promises. I am really blown away by the fact that Canon could really pack so many MP into that sensor and still give great high ISO performance on par with that of the Canon 40D and Nikon D300.
   
   The decision between the Canon 50D and the Nikon D300 is a little bit trickier. Last year when I purchased the Canon 40D, the body was going for $1,299. This means that Canon has only added $100 to make the price $1,399 for the Canon 50D. When the Nikon D300 launched last year, the body was going for $1,799. This difference in price plus the fact that there are still many features on the Nikon D300 that are not on the Canon 50D, tell me that Canon is still not trying to compete directly with the Nikon D300. This is reinforced by the fact that Canon has now even added a Creative Auto mode which is for beginners. In my opinion Canon is trying to provide a DSLR that can be used by both beginners and even professionals depending on the type of work that they do. This is all done at a very reasonable price. The problem that I see right now is that the price of the Nikon D300 is now at $1,550 which means that for just $150 more you can get a much more advanced camera. Two of those key features are the whopping 51-AF focus points versus the 9 on the Canon 50D as well as 100% coverage in the viewfinder versus 95%. You have to decide if the higher resolution, higher ISO performance and a better live view on the Canon 50D are more important to you. If so, then you should go with it. If not, you should go with the Nikon D300. However, be prepared to spend a lot of time learning because there are no automatic modes on that camera. Another important point to consider is the availability and prices of the lenses you will need. Canon lenses are readily available and are also cheaper than their Nikon equivalent. Shortly after I purchased my Canon 40D I simply went on Amazon and bought a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens. After I purchased my Nikon D300 I had to wait several months before I could get my hands on the Nikon equivalent of that lens. It is constantly back-ordered. When I finally got it I had to pay $300 more than the regular price. I own 5 Canon L lenses and I had no problem getting them - they were all ordered right here on Amazon.
   
   When I did my review of the Canon 40D, someone asked me about the 1D Mark III. I told him that it was way out of the league of the 40D. However, I also warned him about the potential focusing problems that had been reported. I want to mention the only problem I have had with the Nikon D300. It sees purple as blue so if you shoot a lot of purple you will have a problem with it. Since I have been shooting I have only shot one scene with purple. It was a purple flower. I have shot many events and so far this purple problem has not been an issue for me. In any case, if it happened I would have simply used the Canon 40D for those shots. You can check the reviews of the Nikon D300 right here on Amazon for other people who have encountered this purple problem.
   
   
   SECTION 4: Conclusion
   Your camera should make you feel invincible when out in the field. The Canon 50D is a robust and capable camera that produces stunning images even at very high ISOs. However, it is really up to you to decide whether this is the camera that is best for you based on your personal requirements, budget and preferences. Whether you decide to go with this camera or the Canon 40D or the Nikon D300 I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.
   
   You can check out photos from the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 on my website at tajdigistudios. As I do shoots with the Canon 50D you will see photos from it as well. Be sure to check under the Portfolio menu item. If you are new to DSLRs you might want to check out my free course at tajdslrcourse. If you are considering the Canon 40D you should also check out my review of it right here on Amazon.



3. I have been using this camera for about a week, with a couple of hundred pictures. My 40D is a year old, and agree with those who say that the 50D is the camera Canon should have introduced in its place. In spite of the 40D being an excellent piece, it was not a Nikon D300 contender. Now, Canon's latest is the one with which they can strongly fight back in this highly competitive semi-pro camera market. I know that sooner or later it will be surpassed but, for the moment, this is the best you can buy for its price, and in fact, more. My key awareness for a camera of this caliber is to produce no less than technically outstanding images, and this device excels in every aspect to get them, so I'm absolutely pleased with its results; its resolution is better than most of the competitive cameras. Don't take my word for granted: I invite you to visit http://www.imaging-resource.com/ and compare sample images of this camera with, say, Nikon D3 (yes, Nikon D3) at ISO 100. It's not perfect, I know, but neither is the EOS 1Ds Mk III, nor the Nikon D3.
   I wish I have the latest in camera technology every year, but not always can I indulge myself, and with the actual crisis, I know that a lot of you can neither. But, be assured that this camera can withstand a good long time in your hands, without getting obsolete. Its high quality level and electronic advances that let you produce absolutely amazing pictures won't let you down in a long time to come.



4. I was excited to get the 50D today, but am disappointed with the "supercharged" Live View feature. It only works in Creative Zone modes, not basic modes.
   
   Update: A fellow commenter suggested trying Program Mode (P), as that gives some automatic adjustments, but no auto focus. Still disappointed.

5 comments about Canon Digital Rebel XSI 12MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Silver).

1. What can I say, the camera is wonderful. This is my first D-SLR and their are so may capabilities with this camera. I continue to learn so much. Very quick and responsive. Only side thought, is that you must purchase a extreme III sd card to handle the speed of the camera. Must have consumer camera.



2. I am an absolute amateur photographer and not necessarily a good one but I wanted a new and better camera to help me take better photos. After much research and consult with friends I chose the XSI. Within 30 minutes I was shooting like a pro and my photos came out GREAT. I can't wait to learn more and continue to get great shots of my family.



3. I've had this camera a couple of weeks now and it is super nice. I also own one of the digital elf cameras and it is a great camera as well. The Rebel XSi lets you have as much control or as little as you desire. It has been easy to learn how to use and takes awesome photos. The 18-55mm USM IS kit lense by Canon is lightweight, and takes a second to focus. I also bought the Canon 28-105mm USM II lense and am very satisfied.
   
   If you're trying to decide between a Sony Alpha or a Canon Rebel, I suggest going to a store where you can hold both cameras and then buy it from Amazon. The Canon feels and looks like a more durable and higher quality camera.



4. Easy to use but to really do good pictures it will take a lot of time!!!!



5. This camera is fantastic! I had the Canon Digital Rebel XT before and really enjoyed the functionality and ease of use. However, this new Rebel takes the line to whole new levels! It is very easy to access the controls and shoot manually, the auto-focus is better than before, the picture can be blown up to (roughly) poster size without losing quality, the new battery lasts longer, and the new memory card format allows for faster usage. Oh yeah, and if you take photos outside alot like I do, the auto dust cleaning sensor is a godsend. No dots on the photos!

4 comments about Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only).

1. I have had my hands on a 50D for exactly two days, and have taken only a few more than 100 photos; however, it is clear to me that this is no "40D Mark II." It is a giant step-up from the 40D and, in my opinion, akin to a jump between the 20D and 40D (the 30D skipped intentionally). I can speak and write confidently of this because I own or have owned all four cameras. I have the 50D with EF 18-200mm IS Telephoto Lens, which came as an offered kit. Additionally, I own and have used the 50D with an EF 24-105mm f4L and EF 85mm f1.8. Here is my two day take:
   
   a. Controls are familiar yet more intuitive than the 40D;
   
   b. Photos are top shelf. "Incredible!," "Beautiful!," and "Wow!" are superlatives which came quickly to me and to my close friends. I tried a few photos at higher ISOs. Those photos showed a bit of `noise,' however, was much less than expected. Noise at low and mid-range ISOs was not visible to me. I took many pictures in shaded areas to see if this camera handles colors, tones, and lighting better than the disappointing manner of the 40D. Seems to be truth to the claim of improvement in that area. Not a Nikon D2, but still quite excellent. I did not do any flash photography.
   
   c. The LCD is bright, sharp, and much more viewable in sunlight than its predecessor. I think it matches well with those on the Nikons, which seems to have been one major objective with this camera.
   
   d. The camera body is solid; feeling to me even more so than the 40D.
   
   e. The 18-200mm IS lens was quite nice, and provides a great "one-lens" option. I have not compared photos taken with it to those taken with the EF 24-105mm L-series; however, I believe in L-series lenses and would guess the 18-200mm will not hold a candle to the L's. That said, it is a very excellent lens!! My only criticism is the significant differences in focusing `speed' between it and the 24-105mm L lens. It is Slooooooow...
   
   The bottom-line is that 50D is a very excellent and, potentially, a very outstanding camera. Not perfect by any means, but a great step forward. I have not to date exercised enough of it's' features and options to be more specific now, but I will follow-up with more information once I have the opportunity to use the camera more. I rated it a conservative "4 stars," which for me is a high rating.
   
   FYI, I am an advanced amateur photographer. I have much experience with Canon SLRs dating back to the A-1, and with some Nikons, including the D300. I have remained a Canon enthusiast because of the investment I have in EF lenses, and because Canon, sooner or later, always seems to come to the dance with superb equipment.



2. SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
   It has been just over a year now since I purchased my Canon 40D. At the time, I was just beginning to take my photography really serious. Since then, a lot has changed. I have now become a semi-pro. I still have my full-time job as an IT Manager here in Miami. However, I do a lot of photography work, especially events, on the weekends.
   
   I really love my 40D but as I started doing more and more professional work I realized three things:
   
   1. I needed a second camera body
   2. I needed a camera with a more professional focusing system.
   3. I needed a camera with even higher ISO performance
   
   It was rumored back then that the replacement for the Canon 5D would be out in the first quarter of 2008. I decided to wait for it. However, when the time came there was no news from Canon about the 5D replacement. This was back in March 2008. The Nikon D300 had now been out for a while by then. I thought about buying it but I decided to wait until it was fully reviewed by dpreview as I wanted to see if Nikon had really finally addressed the high ISO performance issues. I ordered it one day after it was reviewed by Phil Askey on dpreview.
   
   Since then, I have been using both the Canon 40D and the Nikon D300. I know it is a bit of a strange combo. People are always surprised when they see that I am using a Canon and a Nikon together.
   
   I took all three cameras - Canon 40D, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 - over the weekend to the Miami Seaquarium to see how the new Canon 50D compared with both of them.
   
   
   
   SECTION 2: NEW/CHANGED FEATURES
   A. High-resolution LCD Screen
   The LCD screen is still 3 inches. However, Canon has now increased the resolution from 230,000 dots to 920,000 dots which is the same as that found on the Nikon D300. Of course, this makes it a lot easier to check images on playback to see if they are sharp and in focus. More important, however, is the fact that Canon added a two layer anti-reflective coating which makes it way easier now to review images in bright sunlight. It is a lot easier to review images on the Nikon D300 than the Canon 40D. However, the Canon 50D definitely surpasses the Nikon D300 when reviewing images in bright sunlight.
   
   B. 15.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor
   I think the MP increase is the biggest surprise to me since Canon has always been conservative when it comes to this. However, this increase now seems to be the trend as the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II has gone from 12 MP to a whopping 21 MP. I was always puzzled by the fact that the baby Canon Rebel had more MP than its big brother.
   
   I can clearly see the difference in the quality of the images produced by the 15.1 MP Canon 50D and those from the 10 MP Canon 40D. For a casual shooter this is not a big deal. However, for professionals shooting events this is really useful. Whenever I shoot an event I try not to turn it into a photo shoot. People are there to have fun. That is the first priority. I need to be able to get my shots fast. Many times this means getting the shot and then doing some cropping to make it perfect. Having 15 MP to play with can be a life savior here. Of course, if I only did portraits where I have time to pose my subjects this would be less important to me.
   
   There is a small difference in the quality of the images from the 15.1 MP Canon 50D and the 12.1MP Nikon D300.
   
   
   C. High ISO Performance
   The ISO setting control how sensitive the image sensor is to light. As the light gets lower you can increase the ISO to avoid using the flash. This is really important when you want to shoot in available natural light such as at dusk or at dawn when the light is really beautiful. Another example is when you want to photograph a bride and groom during the first dance without using the flash so you capture all the romance. The downside to increasing the ISO is that the resulting photos will tend to get grainier as the ISO increase.
   
   The Canon 40D allowed me to go to ISO 1600 and then expand it to ISO 3200. When I just started out doing casual shots this was okay. However, I find that I often needed to go higher than 1600 and of course I was forced to use ISO 3200. On the Nikon D300 I could go all the way up to ISO 3200 standard so if I needed to use anything higher than ISO 1600 I would use the Nikon D300. That way if I only needed ISO 2000 I could use that setting rather than use ISO 3200. I must let you know that Nikon did fix the high ISO performance issues that plagued its DSLRs prior to the Nikon D300.
   
   The Canon 50D now comes with a standard range of ISO 100 to 3200 just like the Nikon D300. However, the concern that I had was that with the big increase in MP count there would be much more noise (grain) at the higher ISOs. The more MP you have the more noise you tend to get at higher ISOs. I would have much preferred a smaller MP count and better high ISO performance. However, the engineers at Canon have really outdone themselves this time. The high ISO performance of the Canon 50D is just as good as the Nikon D300 even though it has 3MP more. Much of this is due to the fact that Canon is now using gapless micro lenses on the image sensor. This seemed to have really increased the light gathering capabilities of the pixels.
   
   The Canon 50D ISO can be expanded to 6400 (H1) and 12800 (H2). The Nikon D300 can only be expanded up to 6400. However, on the Nikon D300 you can go from 3200 to H0.3 and then to H0.7 before you get to H1.0 which is 6400. This is more flexible than having to go straight to 6400 since you should generally try to use lower ISO speeds.
   
   You might be thinking that it is absurd that anyone should want to use ISO 6400 and worse ISO 12800. However, there are times when getting the shot is more important than the quality of the shot itself. A good example here is when shooting sports. If the light becomes very bad for whatever reason you will need to increase your ISO as much as possible to get high enough shutter speeds to freeze the action.
   
   D. Auto ISO Range (100 to 1600)
   I have been to Butterfly World on several occasions to get photos of butterflies, birds and the tropical plants there. It is normally very sunny so to save time I shoot in Aperture priority mode. This allows me to simply set the aperture and then let the camera automatically set the shutter speed based on the current ISO and aperture settings. One thing about South Florida is that one minute it can be very sunny and then in just a few minutes it can become real cloudy. The problem this pose is that when it becomes real cloudy the shutter speed selected by the camera can be so low that it would result in camera shake which in turn results in blurry images. When I just started out my photography this actually happened to me as I would simply forget to check the shutter speed that was selected by the camera.
   
   The auto ISO feature lets the camera automatically change the ISO to suit the shooting mode. For example, when in aperture priority mode if the camera detects that the shutter speed selected would result in camera shake it automatically increases the ISO. This feature is available on the Canon 40D. However, the maximum ISO it would automatically set is 800. The Canon 50D will now set ISO up to 1600 which is a lot more flexible.
   
   The Nikon D300 actually takes the auto ISO concept further by allowing you to set the maximum ISO you want the camera to set and the minimum shutter speed you are willing to work with before the camera start to automatically set the ISO. This gives ultimate control to the photographer.
   
   
   E. Burst Buffer
   Another concern I had with the big increase in MP count was the impact it would have on the burst rate. With the MP count going from 10 to 15 this would normally result in a much slower burst rate. However, the new DIGIC IV image processor is a lot faster than the previous DIGIC III processor so the burst rate is pretty much the same at 6.3 frames per second from 6.5 frames per second. If you use a UDMA card with the Canon 50D you can buffer up to close to 90 large/fine JPEGs versus the 75 on the Canon 40D. The Nikon D300 can store up to 100 large/normal JPEGs at a burst rate of 6 frames per second. With the optional MB-D10 batter pack you can get 8 frames per second.
   
   
   F. Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction
   It is just a fact of life that the light entering a lens tends to fall off around the edges. This tends to be more pronounced when the lens is wide open. The resulting photo will appear dark around the edges. You will see it sometimes referred to as Vignetting. It is more common on cheaper lenses. However, even the most venerable and expensive lenses are not immune to this problem. I have sometimes seen it on my professional grade lenses such as the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS lens and even the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 G lens.
   
   If you have Photoshop CS3 you can quickly correct this problem. However, that is still one more thing that you have to worry about which increases your workflow. The Canon 50D has a database of 26 lenses that it will automatically correct Vignetting for. In addition you can enter another 14 models. This feature can be a really big time saver when you have many photos that were shot with the lens wide open. An example of this would be a photo shoot in natural low light where you have to shoot with the lens wide open most of the times. I remember one such shoot that I did with both the Canon 40D and Nikon D300. When I returned home I had to sit there and review each photo in Photoshop CS3 for Vignetting and fix the ones that I found. This is despite the fact that I had used two professional grade lenses for the photo shoot.
   
   This correction works with JPEG as well as RAW images.
   
   Note that this feature is turned off by default. The reason is that Canon has no idea whether the lens that you are using will work with this feature. Even when you activate it you have to check to make certain that you see "Correction Data Available" which confirms that it does work with your lens. If not you can add your lens to one of the available 14.
   
   The Nikon D300 does not offer Vignetting correction but it does offer chromatic aberration (CA) correction which is not on the Canon 50D. CA is the colored fringes that you sometimes see in photos. The colored fringe normally happens along some edge in the photo where there is strong contrast. A good example is a photo of a white house with green trees in the background. The edge where the green trees meet the white house in the image is a good candidate for some kind of color fringing. Once again, this is something that can be corrected in Photoshop CS3 but anything that can be done by the camera will save a lot of time in post processing.
   
   
   G. Live View Functionality
   If there was one feature that I really missed from back when I had my Canon S5 IS point-and-shoot camera it was face detection. It's a feature that people always asked me about since the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 both had live view but no face detection. When I use live view on the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 I normally focus manually so I can zoom in on the face and then tweak the focus to make sure that it is as sharp as possible. With the 50D I can now save some time by using the new Face Detect live view mode. I also tried it with groups of people and it is pretty good at detecting the faces there as well.
   
   The refresh rate for live view on the Canon 40D/50D is 30 frames per second which is twice that on the Nikon D300 and even the Nikon D3. This makes the Canons better if you want to pan in live view.
   
   One of the biggest advantages of shooting digital is the ability to review a shot immediately to make certain it is good. Because the LCD monitor is just 3 inches, most photographers doing professional work also zoom in to check the focus and sharpness of the photo. You cannot simply look at the brightness of the image on the LCD monitor and assume that the exposure was good. For example, if you are in a dark room and take a photo, when you view it on the LCD monitor it will look very bright but that is because you are in a dark room. The exposure might not be really good and it is possible that the photo is actually underexposed.
   
   When you are doing critical work the best way to review a photo is to view the associated histogram. This is nothing more than a grayscale graph of the tonal values in the photo. An ideal histogram is shaped like a dumb-bell or like a wave that goes up and then down. It goes from black (shadows) on the left and gradually to white (highlights) on the right. A quick check is to see if any of these are clipped (cutoff). If the highlights are clipped it means that something in the photo was overexposed. If the shadows are clipped it means that something was underexposed. If most of the values are to the left (shadows) it generally means that the photo is underexposed. If most of the values are to the right (highlights) it generally means that the photo is overexposed. The Canon 50D has a live view histogram. This is something that is somehow missing from the Nikon D300.
   
   
   H. Quick Control Screen
   One feature that I really have enjoyed using on the Canon 40D is to use the LCD screen to set my shooting parameters such as ISO and drive mode. However, I had to push the info button twice for the screen to appear and I still had to use the buttons on the top of the camera. The Canon 50D has improved on this concept. Now all I have to do is push the multi-controller straight down to get into what is now called the Quick Control Screen where the shooting parameters are displayed on the LCD screen. Also, I can now use the multi-controller to simply select any shooting function and the use the quick-control dial to change its settings. Of course, this is a lot easier than having to make selections by pushing different buttons on the top of the camera.
   
   The Nikon D300 has the same kind of functionality here as the Canon 40D. However, the user interface is a lot friendlier on the Canon as the names of all the icons are also displayed as well. Remember that the Nikon D300 is targeted at more advanced shooters so it does not bother with showing the names of icons. It does not even come with any automatic modes like the Canons.
   
   I. Creative Auto Mode
   When you use the Full Auto mode the camera controls just about everything. You cannot even decide whether you want to use the flash or use continuous shooting. The Canon 50D no longer has a C3 mode dial. It has a new Creative Auto (CA) mode dial. When you use this mode dial the Creative Auto screen comes up on the LCD monitor. The settings start out just as if you were shooting in full auto mode. However, you can use the multi-controller to select and make changes to any of the following: flash firing, picture brightness, picture style, image-recording quality. You can also decide whether you want to use single, continuous or self-timer shooting.
   
   There is one special change that you can make here that needs special mention. You have probably seen some beautiful portraits where the background is beautifully blurred. This not only makes the subject stands out but also gives the portrait an overall artistic look. The only problem is that you have to be able to set your own aperture to achieve this effect. The Canon 50D has now changed all that. When you are in CA mode, you now have a graphic slider on the Creative Auto screen that you can drag one way to blur the background more and drag it the other way to make the background sharper. There is absolutely no need for you to have any idea about aperture and depth-of-field. You can now produce portraits with beautiful backgrounds (bokeh) simply by dragging a slider!
   
   Since the Nikon D300 is targeted at advanced shooters you won't find something like this on it. It is assumed that if you are buying a camera like that, that you already know how to set your own aperture and shutter speed etc.
   
   
   J. High ISO Noise Reduction
   Earlier on I told you that as you start using really high ISOs you will start noticing more and more grains (noise) in the photos. Cameras like the Canon 40D, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 all offer a custom setting which allows you to specify whether you want the camera to reduce high ISO noise. You might be wondering why the camera does not simply always try to reduce high ISO noise. Well, there is a trade-off involved here. As you try to reduce the noise you will lose some of the details. If you are taking a photograph and you need to preserve details even at the expense of some noise you can simply chose to turn off high ISO noise reduction. If it is more important to get a clean photograph even though you might lose some of the details then you should turn high ISO noise reduction on. One major drawback of using high ISO noise reduction is that it greatly reduces the burst rate. This is another reason why it is turned off by default.
   
   The Canon 40D offers just 2 settings here - on and off. The Canon 50D allows 4 settings - standard, low, strong and disable. This gives you much more flexibility as you can chose to use a low setting rather than just an on setting which is the equivalent of strong.
   
   The Nikon D300 also has 4 settings which are pretty much the same as those on the Canon 50D even though they are named slightly different.
   
   
   K. Micro AF Adjustment of Lenses
   Starting with the Canon 40D, Canon started trickling down some of features from the professional 1D Mark III DSLR. One feature that did not make it down to the Canon 40D is the ability to fine-tune the AF on your lenses. This advance feature is now on the Canon 50D. You can chose to adjust all lenses by the same amount or you can actually adjust up to 20 lenses individually.
   
   This feature is also on the Nikon D300.
   
   L. HDMI Output
   One of the biggest advantages of shooting digital is that you can review your shots right away as well as show them to your clients or friends right there if you have a display unit that you can hook your camera up to. Of course the craze these days is HD. Everything just seems to look better in HD. There was no HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output on the Canon 40D so you could not do a slideshow on a HDTV. With the 50D you can now do that. You can now take some really cool photos of your kids and view them right there on your HD television which makes a huge difference from viewing them on a non-HD display.
   
   The Nikon D300 has this feature.
   
   
   M. Auto Lighting Optimizer
   When you photograph a scene that is evenly lit your camera does a very good job of setting a proper exposure to ensure that your main subject comes out bright enough. However, if the scene contains high contrast areas of brightness and darkness it can trick the camera and cause your main subject to come looking really dark. For example, if you try to photograph your friend with the sun behind him you will most likely find that your friend comes out looking really dark. This is because the bright light from the sun in the background tricks the camera into believing that there is more light on your main subject than there really is.
   
   The auto lighting optimizer feature enables the camera to better handle these kinds of scenarios by lightening the dark areas in a scene such as your friend while still keeping the details in the bright areas such as the sun in the background. This feature was not on the Canon 40D but it was added to the Canon Rebel XSi which came after it. With the Canon 50D you now get this feature but with 4 settings rather than just the enable and disable settings found on the Canon Rebel XSi. You can choose from standard, low, strong or disable.
   
   This feature is on the Nikon D300 with similar 4 settings.
   
   
   N. New sRAW
   There is a new extra small raw file format. With the 50D you now have the option of shooting RAW files at 3.8MP, 7.1MP and of course the whopping 15.1MP.
   
   
   O. That Darn Print Button
   I don't know what is it about that darn print button that Canon just refuses to get rid of it. Yes, it is still there on the Canon 50D. However, this time you can use it as a shortcut to live view. This is a welcome change over the Canon 40D. On that camera I had to store a short cut to live view in the My Menu tab. Now with the Canon 50D I can turn live view on and off by simply pressing the print button.
   
   
   P. New Function Button
   The jump button is still there but its functionality has changed. It is now a function button that you can decide which of the following menu items you want it to activate: LCD Brightness, Image Quality, Exposure Compensation/AEB Setting, Image Jump and Live View Settings. Based on your current shooting scenario you can decide which one of these you want to appear when you press the Function button. For example, at Miami Seaquarium I assigned the LCD Brightness menu to it. This is because the lighting varies greatly from one place to another so I had to keep adjusting the LCD Brightness constantly to review the photos. Instead of having to go through the menu each time it was really convenient to simply press the function button and have the LCD Brightness menu appear - great time saver.
   
   
   SECTION 3: Is this the right camera for you?
   Your buying decision should be based on your requirements, budget and personal preferences.
   
   It is very tempting when comparing the 50D to the 40D to get carried away with the 5MP difference. However, you really need to consider the type of work that you will be doing and the maximum print size that you expect to do. Here is a summary of the maximum print sizes for different megapixels (resolution):
   6 megapixels 8" * 10"
   8 megapixels 11" * 14"
   10 megapixels 13" * 19"
   
   As you can see if your maximum print size is 8" * 10" then you are covered with even a 6 megapixels camera. You should really have a very good reason for needing more than the 10MP found on the Canon 40D.
   
   Here is what you should do. Check off the new/changed features that you think you will need based on where you would like your photography to start and be in a couple of years. If these new/changed features are not really important to you then go with the Canon 40D. You will save yourself some money that you can then use towards buying a good lens. For example, assume that you have $2,000 to spend on both the camera and lens and you are just interested in getting great shots of your children playing soccer and of their dance performances. In that case I would recommend that you get the Canon 40D body ($955) plus the Canon EF 24-105mm L IS lens ($1,040). It is really important to get a good lens. It is better to have a good L lens on a Canon 40D rather than a mediocre lens on the Canon 50D. On the other hand, if you know you want to do strong professional work and you definitely want a Canon then I can highly recommend the Canon 50D with its new/changed more advanced features. You will not be disappointed with this camera. So far I have found it to live up to everything that it promises. I am really blown away by the fact that Canon could really pack so many MP into that sensor and still give great high ISO performance on par with that of the Canon 40D and Nikon D300.
   
   The decision between the Canon 50D and the Nikon D300 is a little bit trickier. Last year when I purchased the Canon 40D, the body was going for $1,299. This means that Canon has only added $100 to make the price $1,399 for the Canon 50D. When the Nikon D300 launched last year, the body was going for $1,799. This difference in price plus the fact that there are still many features on the Nikon D300 that are not on the Canon 50D, tell me that Canon is still not trying to compete directly with the Nikon D300. This is reinforced by the fact that Canon has now even added a Creative Auto mode which is for beginners. In my opinion Canon is trying to provide a DSLR that can be used by both beginners and even professionals depending on the type of work that they do. This is all done at a very reasonable price. The problem that I see right now is that the price of the Nikon D300 is now at $1,550 which means that for just $150 more you can get a much more advanced camera. Two of those key features are the whopping 51-AF focus points versus the 9 on the Canon 50D as well as 100% coverage in the viewfinder versus 95%. You have to decide if the higher resolution, higher ISO performance and a better live view on the Canon 50D are more important to you. If so, then you should go with it. If not, you should go with the Nikon D300. However, be prepared to spend a lot of time learning because there are no automatic modes on that camera. Another important point to consider is the availability and prices of the lenses you will need. Canon lenses are readily available and are also cheaper than their Nikon equivalent. Shortly after I purchased my Canon 40D I simply went on Amazon and bought a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens. After I purchased my Nikon D300 I had to wait several months before I could get my hands on the Nikon equivalent of that lens. It is constantly back-ordered. When I finally got it I had to pay $300 more than the regular price. I own 5 Canon L lenses and I had no problem getting them - they were all ordered right here on Amazon.
   
   When I did my review of the Canon 40D, someone asked me about the 1D Mark III. I told him that it was way out of the league of the 40D. However, I also warned him about the potential focusing problems that had been reported. I want to mention the only problem I have had with the Nikon D300. It sees purple as blue so if you shoot a lot of purple you will have a problem with it. Since I have been shooting I have only shot one scene with purple. It was a purple flower. I have shot many events and so far this purple problem has not been an issue for me. In any case, if it happened I would have simply used the Canon 40D for those shots. You can check the reviews of the Nikon D300 right here on Amazon for other people who have encountered this purple problem.
   
   
   SECTION 4: Conclusion
   Your camera should make you feel invincible when out in the field. The Canon 50D is a robust and capable camera that produces stunning images even at very high ISOs. However, it is really up to you to decide whether this is the camera that is best for you based on your personal requirements, budget and preferences. Whether you decide to go with this camera or the Canon 40D or the Nikon D300 I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.
   
   You can check out photos from the Canon 40D and Nikon D300 on my website at tajdigistudios. As I do shoots with the Canon 50D you will see photos from it as well. Be sure to check under the Portfolio menu item. If you are new to DSLRs you might want to check out my free course at tajdslrcourse. If you are considering the Canon 40D you should also check out my review of it right here on Amazon.



3. I have been using this camera for about a week, with a couple of hundred pictures. My 40D is a year old, and agree with those who say that the 50D is the camera Canon should have introduced in its place. In spite of the 40D being an excellent piece, it was not a Nikon D300 contender. Now, Canon's latest is the one with which they can strongly fight back in this highly competitive semi-pro camera market. I know that sooner or later it will be surpassed but, for the moment, this is the best you can buy for its price, and in fact, more. My key awareness for a camera of this caliber is to produce no less than technically outstanding images, and this device excels in every aspect to get them, so I'm absolutely pleased with its results; its resolution is better than most of the competitive cameras. Don't take my word for granted: I invite you to visit http://www.imaging-resource.com/ and compare sample images of this camera with, say, Nikon D3 (yes, Nikon D3) at ISO 100. It's not perfect, I know, but neither is the EOS 1Ds Mk III, nor the Nikon D3.
   I wish I have the latest in camera technology every year, but not always can I indulge myself, and with the actual crisis, I know that a lot of you can neither. But, be assured that this camera can withstand a good long time in your hands, without getting obsolete. Its high quality level and electronic advances that let you produce absolutely amazing pictures won't let you down in a long time to come.



4. I was excited to get the 50D today, but am disappointed with the "supercharged" Live View feature. It only works in Creative Zone modes, not basic modes.
   
   Update: A fellow commenter suggested trying Program Mode (P), as that gives some automatic adjustments, but no auto focus. Still disappointed.

5 comments about Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens.

1. After using a Digital Rebel XTI since it's release, I decided to upgrade to the 40D. First impressions are 100% positive - extremely well made, balanced feel, excellent viewfinder, fast & reliable. Picture quality is excellent - lower noise levels at all ISO setting over the XTI. Is it worth the difference in price over the new XSI? In my opinion, that depends upon whether or not a rugged, better sealed body is important. (also note that the XSI is a 12mp sensor). My only complaint is the bundled 28-135mm IS lens - the effects of the IS are barely noticeable. If I had to do it over again, I would have just purchased the body. This lens does take great pictures and the bundled price was exceptional though...
   Overall, a great camera for the money!



2. I was a bit worried about buying an expensive electronic item on-line, but I had done my research and I knew I wanted THIS camera. I received it promptly. The local camera store had tried to scare me saying that cameras bought on-line had no warranty or if they did, it would be an overseas warranty. Well, mine came with a warranty from the US of A! I was using this camera within hours of receiving it after charging the battery. It takes beautiful photos and it is easy to learn. Be sure to buy a memory card. I hadn't realized it didn't come with one. I saved money buying this camera at Amazon and it is a great SLR for an amateur with aspirations of becoming a professional.



3. a camera with lots of possibilities, robust and excellent picture quality- for a reasonable price.



4. There is not much that I can say about this camera that hasn't already been said by others here on Amazon. What I will add is some personal perspective.
   
   I have been using point and shoot digital cameras for years. I bought an S2 IS three years ago because I wanted a nice digital without spending dSLR money. That camera served me well, but after three years it has started to limit my creativity. After much research, including the reviews by others here on Amazon, I decided to go with the EOS 40D.
   
   For me there was a toss-up between the XSi and the 40D, but what pushed me in the 40D direction was ultimately the size of the camera. I'm a big guy. When I held an XSi in my hands it just felt too small. The 40D felt just right in my hands. Another motivating factor was the kit lens. The EF 18-135 is far better than that which comes with the XSI.
   
   After spending a week with the camera, I can say that I am fully satisfied. It takes great pictures and allows me a large degree of creativity. With the camera I ordered a guidebook that is helping a lot. As for the pictures, they have very little noise. As I take more and more pictures in the different modes, I am able to take better and better shots.
   
   One important thing to mention for those upgrading from P&S is that RAW is amazing. I typically have better unfinished results with RAW than I ever do with jpg. After some finishing, they are unparalleled. I can't wait until I get some more experience. I already have people telling me they're willing to pay me for my shots.



5. I read many reviews on amazon before purchasing this camera and its one of the best purchases I've ever made. I know very little about cameras but have learned a fair amount just reading about the functionality this camera offers. My wife and I went on a safari and peopled raved about our pictures. You will not be disappointed with this camera.

5 comments about Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only).

1. What can I say, the camera is wonderful. This is my first D-SLR and their are so may capabilities with this camera. I continue to learn so much. Very quick and responsive. Only side thought, is that you must purchase a extreme III sd card to handle the speed of the camera. Must have consumer camera.



2. I am an absolute amateur photographer and not necessarily a good one but I wanted a new and better camera to help me take better photos. After much research and consult with friends I chose the XSI. Within 30 minutes I was shooting like a pro and my photos came out GREAT. I can't wait to learn more and continue to get great shots of my family.



3. I've had this camera a couple of weeks now and it is super nice. I also own one of the digital elf cameras and it is a great camera as well. The Rebel XSi lets you have as much control or as little as you desire. It has been easy to learn how to use and takes awesome photos. The 18-55mm USM IS kit lense by Canon is lightweight, and takes a second to focus. I also bought the Canon 28-105mm USM II lense and am very satisfied.
   
   If you're trying to decide between a Sony Alpha or a Canon Rebel, I suggest going to a store where you can hold both cameras and then buy it from Amazon. The Canon feels and looks like a more durable and higher quality camera.



4. Easy to use but to really do good pictures it will take a lot of time!!!!



5. This camera is fantastic! I had the Canon Digital Rebel XT before and really enjoyed the functionality and ease of use. However, this new Rebel takes the line to whole new levels! It is very easy to access the controls and shoot manually, the auto-focus is better than before, the picture can be blown up to (roughly) poster size without losing quality, the new battery lasts longer, and the new memory card format allows for faster usage. Oh yeah, and if you take photos outside alot like I do, the auto dust cleaning sensor is a godsend. No dots on the photos!

5 comments about Canon Powershot SX110IS 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black).

1. This is a new purchase, but I've been putting it through it's paces. It takes nice, in focus pictures, and the image stabilization is useful in avoiding flash shots, which need some color adjustment. It snaps much quicker than my old Lumix TZ7, and the large display is very nice, although a little difficult to see in bright sunlight. I miss the articulated screen that I had on my old S1 IS, but wasn't ready to spring for the S5 IS. For macro pictures I learned that I cannot zoom in if I also want an in focus picture. The scene options are useful, and I expect I will be using the Kids/pets option often. I took a serviceable video practically in the dark, and was pleased with the result. The long(ish)zoom is useful in a very portable size camera.



2. Was searching for a camera with an extended zoom and the resolution in the range of 8-10 MP. Caught hold of Canon SX 100 IS, but it vanished from the market before I could purchase it. Wanted a medium size camera so could not settle for Nikon P80/Canon S5 IS, because of its large size. Ordered Canon SX110 on the launch date itself with apprehensions about its features..but believe me, I am not dissapointed AT ALL.
   Great manual controls for Aperture and Shutter speed make it a camera for Pros, while the Auto mode is wonderful for learning photographers. The zoom is great and the image stabilisation that the camera offers at the maximum zoom level (Even at 10x optical and 4x digital i.e 40x combined zoom) is awesome. The photos in low light during my recent trip to a hill station were good in the Night mode with lots of saturation of natural colours.
   Face detection is also a good feature with the camera able to detect faces very very easily (I don't know how does it work, but it really works :-))
   The Digital Zoom, unlike others cameras I have used, does not distort the image to a very large extent, thanks to the high resolution and the safety zoom features. I can upload photos to depict this.(I don't know how to do this in Amazon :-))
   The battery life seemed ok only , as I was able to shoot around 200 shots with my Sony NiMH(2500mAH) bateries with flash. But the batteries are brand new and should gain more strength with a couple of charge-discharge cycles. But a spare set of batteries is always helpful.
   I had a Nikon 5600 prior to this so wanted a middle size camera with extended zoom and manual controls, and glad to find SX 110 fit all my needs.
   A thing that is missing is a Sports mode, which is a feature to shoot fast moving objects. I had this in my Nikon 5600, but could not yet find it on my SX110. Possibly the Manual controls for Aperture and Shutters could make this up for me. Still in the learning phase :-)



3. This camera probably has the best zoom lens among point and shoots under 300 bucks. The F2.8-4.3 works well with ISO400 without flash for indoors, concerts etc. AA NiMH rechargeable battery will give you over 100 shots without Flash. Flash recycle times are over five seconds. The macro mode pictures are excellent.
   
   The biggest minus is the cheap feel of the camera. While SX100 was made in Japan SX110 comes from China. My Sony DSC-H10 feels like a tank when compared to SX110.
   
   SX110 has one stop ISO advantage over Sony thanks to Canon's fast lens. For scenes when SX110 picks ISO200, DSC-H10 has to pick ISO400. This causes noticeable quality difference for 1/2'5 sensor cameras.
   SX110 is slightly smaller than it's predecessor and DSCH10 making it easy to carry in front pocket of Jeans.



4. The feature that made me buy this camera was its image stabilization system. Friends who use digital cameras professionally all told me that Canons optical image stabilized zoom system was the best in its price range. Due to a slowly worsening tremor, this has evolved into an important issue.
   
   The digital zoom is amazingly effective. Recently, I caught a game at Fenway Park. My seat was adjacent to the infamous "Green Monster". From that distance, I was able to take photos of players at bat, that captured detailed facial features. I was even able to get some very respectable images of players in action.
   
   The camera settings are easy to use, and equally easy to access. The Auto setting is fairly idiot proof and does a good job under a wide variety of conditions. I found the SX110 to be solid, well built yet still small enough to fit into a laptop carrying bag.
   
   I never imagined that I would buy anything other than a Nikon, but now I think this was one of the best purchases that I have made in a long time. It delivers on its promises, producing pictures whose quality rivals those of much more expensive digital cameras.



5. I bought this camera as soon as it came out. It is my third Canon and I have always been happy with this brand. It takes beautiful pictures and has a huge view finder. It is very clear and the stabilized zoom is a huge help in eliminating blurry pictures. If I had any complaints about the camera it is that the time between taking pictures seems to be longer than on other cameras, but the pop up flash is a huge bonus and makes it worth the wait. I would highly recommend this camera.

5 comments about Canon PowerShot SD950IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 3.7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Titanium).

1. I have officially learned my lesson, I will never stray from Canon again no matter what Consumer Reports or anyone else says. Canon makes a very good camera and I have been happy with my Canon camera's time and time again. Every time I am tempted by a different brand I get burned. Most recently by Fuji. This Canon camera is a little powerhouse. There are enough features and options to get really technical about your photography, but the auto setting is good enough to take mindless snapshots and have high quality results. I love it! It is smaller and more feature rich than my last three camera's and it takes a much better picture than my most recent camera mistake.



2. When I don't want to tote around my bulky DSLR, the SD950IS does a great job. I can carry it in my shirt pocket and hardly know it's there. The shutter lag is shorter than other P&S cameras I've owned. Sharp pictures too.



3. I absolutely love the features of this camera. Despite the negative things others have listed in their reviews, I still like my camera--I'm only an amateur and don't use all the features very often. We bought this camera last November, and while we were on vacation last week, it quit. The lens will not open or close completely. Can't take a picture, download, etc. I was very disappointed and expected better quality for the price. Fortunately for me, it's under warranty, but it's still aggravating. This is my second repair experience with a Canon digital camera--may try a different brand next time.



4. I've had this camera for about a month and am very happy. I took it on a aclimbing trip and got some great pics of the rainier summit and the sunrise. It has also worked very well in macro mode. I do feel as if the stabilizer improves the picture quality.



5. This is one really great little camera. Takes very sharp pictures and video, and it is very user friendly.

5 comments about Canon PowerShot A470 7MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Gray).

1. Tis simple digital camera is a fine tool for my 13 year old granddaughter who is enjoying it very much.



2. I'm no professional photographer...just like having a simple camera that takes quality pictures. This one is simple, the pictures are high quality and it's really easy to use. I like the large view screen too. Very good value.



3. Simple controls/ decent picture quality. Batteries seam to last a while in it. I wish I would have gotten one w/ a better zoom, but for the money cannot complain. Good design, easy to hold in different angles while snapping photos/ The face recognition works pretty well & is fun to use.



4. I purchased this as a backup camera. Meaning a camera I can haul everywhere I go, mostly for cloud pictures, when I can't carry my Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS 6MP with 12x Image Stabilized Zoom around.
   
   I picked this camera because it has a few features I hadn't found in other cheaper point and shoot cameras. In manual mode it has an infinity focus mode, which I haven't seen anywhere. This is excellent for cloud photos, as my other camera could almost never focus on them, but this camera lacks a manual focus, so I wasn't completely sure it would work. The Infinity Focus completely solved that problem.
   
   It's other main selling point is an ability for "Super Macro", ie focusing on objects almost touching the lens. It is also found in Manual Mode. My S3 can do that, but I didn't think I would find a point and shoot with that capability. Especially since I've played with some of the more expensive Canon powershots and they DIDN'T have the capability. It makes up for the measly 3.4 optical zoom.
   
   One feature I haven't played with yet is long shutter, also in the manual settings, reached by pressing menu in the Exposure area of the Manual settings. It looks like it can go up to 5 seconds or so. Another feature I didn't expect on a camera without Manual Aperture or Shutter Speed adjustments.
   
   The lack of a viewfinder is a bit irritating, and noticeably a problem in direct sunlight, but the focus modes more than made up for it for me.
   
   It does have a big lag for flash pics, even with NiMH batteries. You will HAVE to buy another memory card as at high quality it can take barely 10 pics on the included one.



5. This camera is a great buy. It has tons of features and takes quality pictures. Specifically, my wife and I really like the microphone and speaker that are built into the camera - picks up sound well for videos and also makes it very easy to review AND HEAR videos on the camera. The menus are intuitive too and easy to navigate. Overall, this camera is an excellent purchase. By the way, it comes with a 32MB SD card, which is basically worthless when each 7MP shot is just under 2MB. So, remember to pick up larger SD card (2GB seems to be working pretty well for us currently - haven't tried an HDSC card yet).

5 comments about Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Gold).

1. Very happy with the purchase. Outstanding camera, for such a low price. Crisp images, nice LCD, load to computer with a click, great video. Pick up a 4GB card. The video takes up massive space. 4GB is 32 minutes of video.



2. My SD1100 actually froze up and died soon after I got it. That's the first time in 4 Canon purchases that I've ever had a problem. I quickly replaced it (Amazon did a refund - very risky to shop for cameras elsewhere on line). The large display is great. As compared to my last pocket camera (3.2 mp Canon sd300??) some of the features I used quite a bit (panoramic/stitch) on the old one are a bit more challenging to locate on the newer cameras. A new learning curve.
   
   I have a 30D that I use for "serious" photo work, the purpose of the sd1100 is that I'll always have a camera on me without a bag of camera equipment. If something should happen to it, I'm out $175, instead of $3k. I take this hiking, on the lake and climbing. For the dollar, the 8mp is MORE than enough. Paying more for 10mp just doesn't make any sense.



3. I went from a Canon 60 to the SD1100. I am a novice at photography but this little camera makes it easy to shoot great photo's both outdoors and indoors. I just came back from a vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota and took about 75 pictures. All of them turned out great! Even the digital zoom pictures I took of Mount Rushmore turned out great. I love the size (fits in a small case on my belt and feels when shooting and I have large hands.
   Great camera!



4. This is a great camera that as most everyone has stated is easy to use. It is very compact, provides great pictures, and feels very comfortable in your hands.
   
   I bought this to supplement my Canon 5D DSLR for the unexpected point & shoot photo ops which always come up!
   
   I also recommend that you get an extra battery and some extra SD cards if you don't have something with you to move the pics to.
   
   This will fit just about anywhere.
   
   The only down side is that you can't adjust the various settings for aperture & shutter speed. But that's why I have the 5D!



5. This camera is very small and light (a big priority for me) and easy to use. The pictures are good for a camera this size. I am totally satisfied.