A call for advice please

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alexckelly

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Previously my small Fujifilm Finepix Z had been good for point and shoot snaps, but soon i realised it was definitely not enough so at college i was loaned a Canon 550D for my art course. My course has come to an end now so i'm back to having my old Finpix. I'm looking to get a new camera, defintely a dslr but after deep research i'm a little confused. I was set on the 600D but apparently for it's price it's more advisable to get a 60D.

All advise would be much appreciated, I'm not biasd to any brand as I have no lenses of my own.

Thanks Alex
 
Personally I would rather have a 60D. It has a certain solidity and robustness to it. It also has twin dial controls, which are a great asset. Constantly having to flick through menus to make in-shot adjustments is a pain when compared to the convenience of twin dials. I suspect also that the 60D has a richer feature set, though not having had them on the bench side by side I can't be absolutely sure about. Don't get me wrong, the 600D is a fine camera but the x0D series is noticeable just a step up from xy0D series.
 
Or save some money and get another 550D, leave yourself more money to spend on lenses.
 
ChrisGilbert said:
Personally I would rather have a 60D. It has a certain solidity and robustness to it. It also has twin dial controls, which are a great asset. Constantly having to flick through menus to make in-shot adjustments is a pain when compared to the convenience of twin dials. I suspect also that the 60D has a richer feature set, though not having had them on the bench side by side I can't be absolutely sure about. Don't get me wrong, the 600D is a fine camera but the x0D series is noticeable just a step up from xy0D series.
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+1

The ergonomics of twin dial bodies are vastly better than single dial. I didn't appreciate this until a friend asked me to show them how to do something pretty straightforward on their D5000. Having to press this while turning that, or wading through menus is no fun at all when you're used to two independent dials.

There's still a lot of mileage in a secondhand 40D if you don't need video, and there does seem to be a few on the market at the moment.
 
I started with a 550D and absolutely loved it. When I eventually upgraded to a 7D I found the 2 dial bodies so much easier to use, the ergonomics and build quality are brilliant. I then got a 5D2 about a month after the 7D, and gave the 550D to the wife as it was too good to sell on.

I sold the 5D2 and 7D to get a 5D3 with the idea of using the 550D again as backup if necessary, but by then I was so used to using the 2 dial bodies I couldn't get on with it as well as I'd hoped, so I got a 60D as backup to the 5D3 instead. The 60D is great and is a big step up in build quality from the 550D but the IQ is very similar due to having the same sensor.

The wife still uses the 550D regularly and loves it for its simplicity to use and light weight (even with a grip on), and I still take it for the odd shoot, but if I was buying a first dslr now and could afford the 60D that's the one I'd pick. There's a few good one's coming up second hand, which would leave more for lenses etc and would be worth looking into.
 
Alastair said:
+1

The ergonomics of twin dial bodies are vastly better than single dial. I didn't appreciate this until a friend asked me to show them how to do something pretty straightforward on their D5000. Having to press this while turning that, or wading through menus is no fun at all when you're used to two independent dials.

There's still a lot of mileage in a secondhand 40D if you don't need video, and there does seem to be a few on the market at the moment.
Click to expand...

How much should one expect to pay for a nice 2nd hand 40D?
 
I'm fairly sure the 550D is identical to the 600D except for the flipout screen.
 
You can actually pick up a 550 pretty cheap these days if you look around, it shares the same sensor as the 60D and 7D and you get similar IQ for a lot less money. I would see if I could get a body only and then buy a decent lens. I use the 550D and I think it is a very easy camera to use, don't think you would regret it.

Good luck with your choice.

Mani
 
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