Canon 50D vs Nikon D300 - which one to get?

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Henna

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Henna
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Hi everyone. Here is the deal.. i'm on the hunt to buy a new slr and have limited my choices to these two. I have heard lots of good stuff about both of them and i'm kinda confused on which one to get it. I would mainly use the camera for CONCERT photography so my question now is; which of these slr's is better for the job do you think? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
I've used both and the d300 would be better, better focus and high iso are the main benefits. If you want a comparable camera on canons side you would have to stump up for the 7d instead.
 
While the D300 may be better than the 50D, don't forget that you will need to buy some fast lenses too. Maybe a 2nd hand 5D would be best with a nice fast 85 f1.2L.
 
Hi - I had a D300 for a year then swapped to a 50D and personally i preferred the D300, better high ISO, better flash system, better focusing and everything just felt better in my hands.
 
Hi Henna, personally I don't think there's much between the two for the type of photography you're doing - I have a D300 and a colleague of mine uses the 50D. I think you're better off with a used 5D and some fast lens. Forget 7D as there still seems to be some issues with them - in any case the cost is much higher than your proposed budget.
 
Perhaps it should be noted that a D300 body is, at it's cheapest, 50% more expensive than the 50D, and a year older, so looks likely to be replaced soon? Either way, I would expect a camera that costs that much more to provide a step up in performance...
 
The best one for you is the one that feels most comfortable in your hands, has the most intuitive control/menu layout for you and fits into your budget.

Go handle them and then decide.

Welcome to TP:)
 
PsiFox said:
The best one for you is the one that feels most comfortable in your hands, has the most intuitive control/menu layout for you and fits into your budget.

Go handle them and then decide.

Welcome to TP:)
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Sage advice. If you haven't already invested in the glass/peripherals of either of these manufacturers, then definitely go and play with a few of each at your local friendly camera shop.
 
D300 is a step up from the 50D. 7D vs D300 is a more accurate and harder to call comparisson.
 
Orville said:
D300 is a step up from the 50D. 7D vs D300 is a more accurate and harder to call comparisson.
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And, therefore, the 50D should be compared to the D90.
 
While I agree to some extend with Nifkin & Orville's assessments, I don't believe that it would make that much difference to OP's/your requirement. Without splitting hairs, one cannot compare like for like as 50D has features that D90 does not posses, like faster FPS and weather sealing etc.
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
When the 50D was released it was pitched at the D300 market as a pro-sumer camera with a simlar price , features, and build quality.
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Not all about marketing though.

In the real world, and down the camera shop:

D90 -> 50D

D300 -> 7D

That's what I'd be comparing.
 
Guys/gals, I don't think this is going to the help the OP much...

What I do think about when the word concert was mentioned, is low light. I take the 50D & D300 is more to do about budget. I still think in this environment, a (used) full frame is the wiser option. Henna will then have a few quids left over (hopefully) for some fast glass.
 
Nifkin said:
Not all about marketing though.

In the real world, and down the camera shop:

D90 -> 50D

D300 -> 7D

That's what I'd be comparing.
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With a D90 you get a plastic body and no sealing - with a 50D you get a magnisum alloy and weather sealing (as d300), d90 1/4000 max shutter 50D 1/8000 (as D300), flash sync D90 1/200 - 50D 1/250 (Same as D300) etc etc

Spec & feature wise the 50D & D300 are similar the D90 is just a similar price.
 
I get your point Dogfish, but at the same time, Canon and Nikon aren't always completely head-to-head, in terms of absolute parity, with their competing models, either by spec or by price point. Yep, the 50D is more trick than the D90, but it's still a lot cheaper than the D300.

The 50D is between D90 and the D300;
The D300 is between the 50D and 7D..

given this, it's very easy in this type of situation to say one is definitely better than the other, but it doesn't take into account the element of value, or bang-for-buck. And which market Nikon or Canon decide to pitch a product to is still just marketing hoopla; as a 50D owner I'm completely happy to take your word for it that the D300 is superior; I should hope so too at nearly £400 more expensive!

:)
 
Nifkin said:
I get your point Dogfish, but at the same time, Canon and Nikon aren't always completely head-to-head, in terms of absolute parity, with their competing models, either by spec or by price point. Yep, the 50D is more trick than the D90, but it's still a lot cheaper than the D300.

The 50D is between D90 and the D300;
The D300 is between the 50D and 7D..

given this, it's very easy in this type of situation to say one is definitely better than the other, but it doesn't take into account the element of value, or bang-for-buck. And which market Nikon or Canon decide to pitch a product to is still just marketing hoopla; as a 50D owner I'm completely happy to take your word for it that the D300 is superior; I should hope so too at nearly £400 more expensive!

:)
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I have to disagree with this you basing a comparison on price not spec.....roll back the clock to January 2009 and have the same thread then

Warehouse express are selling the D300 for £918.99, the D90 for 597.99 and the 50D for £873, thats less than £50 difference for the D300/50D just because the price has dropped the spec hasn't changed, the 50D should be compared to a D300 not a D90 as they are a similar spec. A d90 will have a similar spec Canon in the XXXD range. The D300 has just held its value better than a 50D .
 
Well if price isn't a factor when upgrading I'll have a 7D then please! :)

Also, just had a look and warehouse express and am struggling to find the prices you've just quoted.. I've found

Nikon D90 Body: £634

Canon 50D Body: £708.99

Yeah, the 50D is a better camera than the D90, but then it's (a little bit) more expensive.

Same result when comparing the D300 to the 50D; a no brainer really.

Ooh, and people I know with D90s will have the hump at having it compared to the Canon xxxD series! Like I said, there isn't a direct parity between grades "competing" grades of Canon and Nikon bodies, so price does have to be taken into account, and a single "this one is better than that one" answer needs a bit more explanation.
 
Nifkin said:
Well if price isn't a factor when upgrading I'll have a 7D then please! :)

Also, just had a look and warehouse express and am struggling to find the prices you've just quoted.. I've found

Nikon D90 Body: £634

Canon 50D Body: £708.99

Yeah, the 50D is a better camera than the D90, but then it's (a little bit) more expensive.

Same result when comparing the D300 to the 50D; a no brainer really.

Ooh, and people I know with D90s will have the hump at having it compared to the Canon xxxD series! Like I said, there isn't a direct parity between grades "competing" grades of Canon and Nikon bodies, so price does have to be taken into account, and a single "this one is better than that one" answer needs a bit more explanation.
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The prices are from January 2009 digital photo Mag.... forget price and look at the specs / build of the bodies the 50D has more features matching spec with the D300 than a D90. Better will change with personal preferences, spec can be compared. the price of the 50D has fallen through the floor where as the D300 has keep its value so yes you can get a similar spec camera to a D300 for the price of a D90, but personally i still prefered my D300 over my 50D as i felt more comfortable with it, i had better results with it, i liked the picture quality more and hence i used it a lot more.
 
Ok, sorry, I thought you were talking about contemporary prices on warehouseexpress.

Although, as the OP is planning on making his purchase now instead of back in January 2009, and the 50D is far from being a piece of shiznit, regardless of how low it's price has fallen, the 50D may just offer better value, depending on what he wants to use it for.

Other than that, fair enough guv! :D:D:D
 
As a loyal Canon owner but trying to be neutral, if someone offered me the 50D in one hand or the D300 from the other - I would take the D300 every time. It does a better job in most areas.
 
Thank you for all your feedback guys. Much appreciated :) Leaning towards a D300 atm but will update you guys if i make any form of purchase.. was looking towards a D300/50D as i'm 18, and a very poor student lol.. so full frame is outta the question but would be lovely if i had the cash :D thanks again everyone.
 
Just a quick question, Henna, will this be you 1st venture into using an SLR. The D300 would require a longer learning curve to master its settings as its more a semi pro camera. Do you need the 1.5x or 1.6x crop factors of either the nikon or canon.

As you are primarily doing concert photography, then ISO performance would be very important, if that the case then what about a 2nd hand 5D. about £700, might be right up your street price wise, have money left over for a decent fast prime or zoom to handle the indoor photography.
 
pete.rush said:
Just a quick question, Henna, will this be you 1st venture into using an SLR. The D300 would require a longer learning curve to master its settings as its more a semi pro camera. Do you need the 1.5x or 1.6x crop factors of either the nikon or canon.

As you are primarily doing concert photography, then ISO performance would be very important, if that the case then what about a 2nd hand 5D. about £700, might be right up your street price wise, have money left over for a decent fast prime or zoom to handle the indoor photography.
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Agreed, :clap:

Steve
 
D90 will do everything you need and is apparently even better at high ISOs than D300. You can use the money instead towards the faster lenses which you will need.
 
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