Advice please on upgrade from 400D

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Well my second post and it's a long list of "what should i do" i'm afraid. The below is what i asked on another forum (not specifically camera related) mixed in with some of the responses i've received. I thought i would also ask on here to see what the opinions are:

I currently have a Canon 400D with a couple of reasonable expensive lenses, a Canon 17-85 ES-S with IS, a Canon 70-300 EF-S with IS and a Sigma 105 Macro lens as well as a Canon Speedlight 430 EX flash.
I've been happily shooting reasonable photos with this lot for a while now but my wife decided on holiday she now needs a DSLR after "borrowing" it but is happy to take mine and I get a new one!! Result :clap: . Only problem is I am bewildered by the choice and prices out there!! I know a lot of people recommend Nikons but having invested so much in the Canon gear I don't really think this would be a good option as my wife and I could share lenses if I stuck with Canon.

Current models I’ve been looking at are the Canon 50D and the 7D as well as reading rumours of the 60D or coming out early next year and I’m in no real hurry to buy.....Bearing in mind I’m in no way a professional photographer is there an obvious choice in that lot and would my current crop of lenses be good to use with them or should I be looking to spend less on a camera and more on upgrading lenses?
Are there any other models that would be better value on the second hand market? I've heard good things about the 40D and that the 50D is not really that much of a step up from it so might be tempted with a second hand 40D and spend some extra money on some better lenses. Am I really looking at getting "L" series lenses to get the best out of a 7D and conversely would it be a waste buying "L" series lenses and sticking them on the 400D? I thought what I had glass wise was pretty reasonable or would they be considered low end lenses when used with the “better” models of camera?

I take a lot of indoor shots as well as macro and some nature photography if that helps narrow this down. I wouldn't say "money is no object" but I would rather upgrade to something that's going to last me a good few years than buy something cheaper now and wish I had spent the extra cash 6 months later.

Any advice greatly appreciated
 
i am in the same position, my next planned upgrade it to the 50d (the 7d is a little out of my price range)

your current lenses should be fine with the 7d or 50d, but the upgrade to an "L" will show the difference in quality.

WRT the difference between the 40 and 50D, your getting 50% more pixels for an extra 200-300 quid . which i think is worth the updrade.
 
^^^ tbh, megapixels doesnt really matter with a DSLR. Once you get above 10mp, unless you do some serious cropping or A1 prints you wont notice any real difference. Its also worth noting that with more mp crammed onto a sensor, the more noise you'll get (see 40D vs 50d).

In answer to the OP's question "is it worth sticking an 'L' lens on the 400d?", yes of course it is! Why wouldnt you? An L series lens will give you as much IQ improvement on a 400d as you'd get on a 40/50d.
 
"L" lenses are the way to go. I also understand the urge to buy a better body. I went from 400D to 40D and never looked back. The extra wheel on the back and the top LCD screen make things SO much easier plus spot metering. I would say go for a secondhand 40D.
 
I'm going to be doing a similar thing soon. I've had my 400D for a good couple of years now and it has served me well, but it's time for an upgrade for sure. Between now and next May(ish) time I will be upgrading most, if not all, my glass to 'L' quality and then the final step will be upgrading the body itself.

I know it's very tempting to go straight for a new body because they are shiny and have screens and all kinds of gadgets on them. I know I've almost bought a new body on several occasions, but I'm glad I held out since I know it'd really be an expensive paperweight until the new glass got bought.

In regards to what body to eventually go to after the 400D. I've been looking at 40,50 and 7D's. When it comes to it, in a perfect world I would want to get a 7D. The 40D would be a good second since I'd have lots of money left for more lenses, but like I say by the time I'm buying a new body I hope to have the lenses I want already. The 50D doesn't quite seem worth it to me, for so long I was convinced it was the camera I was going to upgrade to, but after reading quite a lot of reviews, forums and other media I find it hard to justify the extra money over the 40D. And finally, as for a 60D I don't think I'd even entertain it now, "if" it does get made, Canon won't make it as good as it "could have been" since we now have the 7D so it basically limits its potential and features. The 60 will likely be a very slightly upgraded 50, worth it? Probably not.

Anyway, that's my big essay/rant over. Just do some reading up on your options and see what you think will suit you best for the price it is.
 
odd jim said:
In answer to the OP's question "is it worth sticking an 'L' lens on the 400d?", yes of course it is! Why wouldnt you? An L series lens will give you as much IQ improvement on a 400d as you'd get on a 40/50d.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated. A lot of people are recomending picking up a second hand D40 which i don't think come in overly expensive so i'll certainly look into that option.

My question about sticking "L" lenses onto the 400D was in relation to if the camera would benefit from having such good glass attached to it in relative to how much they cost or is the camera couldn't really "handle" the lens in the same way there would be no point sticking a top of the range PC graphics card into an old computer as the processor and RAM would hold it back. I already have "reasonable" lenses for it and wasn't sure if i would really see much benefit going to "L" series. Hope that makes sense?

Anyway, for my level of knowledge and for what i'm using it for i am struggling to justify the cost of a 7D so i'll keep an eye out for a good 40 or 50D second hand i think :D
 
...erm, you want an upgrade and you're being recommended a D40? Or do you mean 40D? The Nikon D40, specifications wise, is a step down from the 400D and of course cant use the Canon lenses you have!

The 40D is very good on the other hand!

The 400D is more than capable of handling the L lenses, I'd look into that first tbh as you'd see much more of an improvement than just upgrading the body. Good lenses will always cost more than most camera bodies!
 
You say that you would like to take nature pictures. I had a 400D for ~3 years. I had the 18-55, 50/1.8, 28-135 IS and the 70-300 IS (mine if EF not EF-S BTW).
The last two lenses are decent lenses. Using a non-decent lens on a good body, is a bit of a waste of time/money. A good lens will improve pictures on an OK body. A good body/more MP will just (if you are a pixel peeper) show the flaws in a larger format.
This year I have splurged a bit. I got a 10-22, and the 100-400L.
The 100-400L is a massive step up in my opinion on the 70-300 on the 400D.
There was an area where the 400d lacked for me (which you haven't mentioned, so I am not going to give you an excuse), so I did go for the 7d. I originally was looking at the replacement to the 50d, but as I wanted it for an event, I could no longer wait for the 60d.
Personally, I would recommend that the 100-400L would be a good way for you to go, this is going to show you a large difference. It isn't cheap, you will be looking at around £1k second hand.
Have a play with it on your current camera.
Then, (as you want ultimately to have two bodies), by February, there should be solid news on the 60d. At this time, look around at the 40/50d bodies. They will probably be cheaper. Consider the 60d (or 7d if you need the features, but make sure it is not just gadget lust), if there are good reviews.

I think that you are best off sticking with Canon. Two reasons.
1) They have more longer lenses
2) as already stated, you could share lenses between the two cameras.
 
odd jim said:
...erm, you want an upgrade and you're being recommended a D40? Or do you mean 40D? The Nikon D40, specifications wise, is a step down from the 400D and of course cant use the Canon lenses you have!

The 40D is very good on the other hand!

The 400D is more than capable of handling the L lenses, I'd look into that first tbh as you'd see much more of an improvement than just upgrading the body. Good lenses will always cost more than most camera bodies!
Click to expand...

My bad, i meant 40D!! Damn these camera numbers being so close and my dyslexia!! :(

Thanks for the advice as well coldpenguin, if i get a second hand D40 or cheap D50 I'll still have a wee bit left over to get some decent lenses as well (came into a little money, not a great deal but enough i can have a wee splurge). I'll be happy with the 17-85 IS for indoor shots for a while but i'm looking to spend a bit and get a nicer zoom if i have budget
 
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