New starter - new 550d or used 5dmkI

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chrisirwin

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Hello

I currently have a g9 and have about £900 to purchase my first dslr. I have narrowed it down to a 550d or a 5d mkI. 550d as I can buy new and it gets great reviews. The 5d is an option due to the full frame and general quality.

Either way I plan to buy a canon 50mm f1.4 and with the 550d will probably get the 18-55 kit lens as well.

I will be using it for low light indoor use and also for landscape/travel photography.

I do have the option of selling the g9 (about £150-200 on the auction site) to up my budget slightly but I quite like the flexibility and portability the g9 offers.

I would appreciate views and opinions on which of the above people would recommend or if you have any other ways of using £900 to get started.

Many thanks
 
If you can afford the 5dmk1 aswell as the 50 f1.4 then go for it. Your not loosing out on much buy not having the 18-55 Kit len's.
 
The 5Dmk1 and 50mm f1.4 are a great combination. That is usually all that I take with me when I'm travelling.

The 550D has newer technology, but the 5D is simple to use and picture quality is still great.
 
To echo what others have said, if its low light performance you need the 5D is a cracking piece of kit. I've just upgraded from a 500D to a 5D mkI and the difference at high ISO is astonishing, to be honest. In low light I dont think there is a great deal of difference (if any) between the 500 and 550.
 
The other thing you could look at doing is getting a second hand 40d (400 quid?) and spending the rest on glass, Should be able to get one of the standard short zoom L's for the rest i would of though.
 
They are very different choices, particularly with the lenses invloved. 5D and just a 50mm lens will be very limiting for general photography. Perhaps you could downgrade the lens to a 50 1.8 and also get a standard range zoom like 28-135.

Otherwise it would have to be the 550D if only because of the kit zoom's versatility, though you'll also find that 50mm on a crop format camera is particularly restricting.
 
I'd go for the 5D over the 550D for the ISO performance if your after low light shooting.

I agree with Richard though I would probable go for the 50 1.8 and try and get hold of something like the Tamron 17-50 2.8 instead of the kit lens.
 
I guess its the difference between cropped (550D) and full frame (5D). Personally, its full frame for me.
 
Thanks for the responses. It seems the consensus would be for the 5d. Just as I was starting to err towards the 550 as well.
I have a while before I need to decide so will continue to look into both options and see what kind of deals I can find for the 5d and recommended lenses.

One thing I have read alot about is dust issues with the 5d sensor. Is cleaning them a easy job to do yourself? Or a relatively cheap one to have done?

Thanks
 
I have had a quick play with the 550d in jessops but not the 5d yet.

I will keep an eye out for stock in my local camera shop (Leeds based) as they seem to have a decent second hand section.
 
Once you hold the 5d you'll find your answer !

No comparison in my mind. I've a 30d at the minute but would jump to FF with a 5d if I had the funds :(
 
5d even though it is old is great value for money. For the money you won't find a comparable camera. Not the best thing for sports but for everything else it is fantastic. Take good care of the sensor, it doesn't have dust clean technology like the newer bodies.
 
chrisirwin said:
One thing I have read alot about is dust issues with the 5d sensor. Is cleaning them a easy job to do yourself? Or a relatively cheap one to have done?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes it is quite easy with the right tools. Just dont do what I did earlier today, completely without thinking. (See my other thread in this same section!)
 
The 550D will likely be more intuitive for a new starter, and has decent high ISO (better than the 500D by about a stop IMO) and is capable of ISO 12800. However, the 5D will still produce the better image quality throughout the range and is a much beefier camera. But only goes up to ISO 3200 and has a crap screen in comparison. But has a much bigger viewfinder than the 550D.

You really will need to try both before you make a decision.
 
Definitely try both but I'm a big fan of the 550d. Both require decent glass tho to get the best out of them
 
Id agree strongly with the "have a play" with them both suggestion.. i was nearly put off by the lighter than average feel of the 550d in comparison to the eg50d or other brand models but in the end decided i actually preferred it.. The 550d has a lot of tech in it and ive heard it compared quite evenly to the 7d in terms of iq and of course metering. id have loved a full frame sensor to get that extra stretch on landscapes but if your going to be portraiting or zoom wildlife shots.. the crop can help

spare a thought for the glass though.. as im starting to realise i should have done!
 
I reckon you would be better with a second hand 40D (£350ish) or 50D (£500ish) both fantastic bodies then you have more money for glass the kit lenses hold back image quality a lot!
 
I bought a 550D almost a year ago. Used it with a Tamron 17-50 2.8, nifty 50 and 70-200 f4 L is. Can't fault it it all.

I would have liked to go full frame but the cost of lenses made it completely not viable for me. The tamron is a lovely lens and cost me £300. Getting a lens of similar quality for full frame was gonna cost me almost double that so I went crop.

5D mark II ordered now though and I can't wait :)
 
The problem is here that you have to fight past the full frame fixation! If you haven't had an SLR before (film or digital) then I would go for the 550d. It will give you a more gentle introduction, with a greater number of modes and more modern features than the 5D. Not saying that the 5D is bad but I don't think I would want to start up with one!
I would also buy the 550 with the kit lens only and then work out where you are being held back by the equipment. Then buy what you need. Everyone is different, we can all throw in our advice but it can end up with you having a load of kit that is of little use to you.
 
I went from a G11 to a 450D, and I would strongly recommend holding the camera first.

What type of photography are you thinking of doing? As a beginner you may find using a prime restrictive, especially on the 550D. A 50mm prime on the 550D would be the equivelent of 80mm, due to the 'crop factor'. This will limit your indoor use of the camera.

For your £900 I would recommend getting a new 550D or a used 50D and a F2.8 standard zoom lens from either Tamron, Sigma, or Tokina. This will see a significant image quality and creativity jump from the Powershot.
 
Thanks for the views all. I have a mate who is a photographer an he has a 5dmk1 he is happy to let me borrow for a few days.

I will take him up in the offer and then at least I have had a test with both.

Appreciate the lens advice as well.
 
A couple of things to note if you decide to go for a 5D; The rear LCD on the later production models (serial nos 2xx... and 3xx... IIRC) is superior (brighter and warmer) to that found on the early models. Also, ask if any 5D you plan to buy has had the mirror mount modification.
 
How can you tell if a 5D has had that modification?
 
There will be two narrow metal strips on either side of the mirror.
This site has the best illustrations showing the 5D mirror in both repaired and original condition.
 
Thanks. It appears that mine hasn't had the fix :(
 
Well I have the 5d for a week. Very generous friend.
As soon as I said I could probably get a 5d for more or less the same as the 550 he said go for it. It may have even convinced him to lend me the camera for a week.
Was going to try and upload an image but only have a few mins and it wasn't clear.
Must say I am very impressed so far. He lent me the 50mm f1.4 lens as well which takes fantastic photos in low light.
Decisions, decisions.....
 
That is a great combination! Nice friend.
 
Consider the cost of glass for the 5D, it will be substantially higher than the cropped bodies and good glass is already expensive.
 
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