The Canons of Navarone
Oh will you look at that. How very Web 2.0!
Something interesting has happened in the world of photography: Canon currently have two cameras on the market, at basically exactly the same price point. The Canon 550D (EOS Rebel T2i) costs £705 in the UK and $799 in the US, whilst the Canon EOS 50D costs £726 / $850.
Shop around further afield than Amazon, and the prices are so similar that they are practically identically priced. Which is a curious and interesting situation. The question, then, is as follows: You will buy one of them, but which one would you choose?
Comparing the specs
When you compare the specifications side by side (made a lot easier by using dpreview’s fantastic side-by-side comparison tool of the two cameras), there ain’t much between them. The 50D is slightly faster, the 550D has a slightly better screen and higher resolution.
Some would argue that the 550D makes more sense because I have the memory cards already (HD/SD), but the 550D generates massive files, and I probably have to buy new, bigger memory cards anyway, so that point is moot.
In favour of the 550D
A very tasty camera indeed.
The 550D has a full-HD movie mode, which isn’t something I generally look for in a stills camera, but I have seen some beautiful results, and I’m tempted to give it a go.
The 50D doesn’t have particularly good high-ISO results in some tests, which is a downer, while the 550D appears to have inherited the absolutely epic low-light skills from the 7D camera.
Resolution means nothing, and the difference between 15 or 18 megapixels is practically non-existent. Having said that, having a little bit higher resolution can’t harm, but the key thing is that imaging chips in general are slowly getting better – seeing what the 7D has been able to do with a ‘very similar’ imaging chip, I’m leaning towards the 550D based on its innards
In favour of the 50D
A very tasty camera indeed.
I’ve owned many cameras in the xxD series in the past – the 60D, 10D, 20D, 30D, and 40D have all been in my possession at some point, and I trust Canon to do a good job on it. They’re a lot more solidly built than the xxxD series, so that’s a huge advantage if you mistreat your camera (which I generally don’t).
The 50D is also faster in general: It starts faster, it takes photos in continuous mode faster, etc.
What would you do?
n
It’s an interesting (and fiercely difficult) choice to have to make; choosing between these two, very similar-yet-different cameras. I know which one I am leaning towards, but I’m very curious to hear what you would choose – and why. Vote above, comment below, make it good!
My day job, if it can be called that, is being a writer. I've got one book out there so far and it's awesome, so go ahead and buy a copy! It's available from 
In front of you, five hyperactive men with guitars, drums, and microphones. Behind you, five thousand fans. In your hands, a camera... You're going to need more than just a little bit of good luck to pull this one off. That's where this book comes in.
Take a Canon EOS 450D. Attach a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens. Hit the streets of London. See what happens.
Insights, suggestions and comments
I wonder what the build quality is like on these two cameras. Is the 50D built sturdier, that might make a difference to people to hike, bicycle or camp with their equipment as opposed to the general take pics of kids photog.
Brian: The decision gets even more difficult if you approach it from that angle, because if you hike, bicycle or camp, the lighter weight of the 550D will likely be an advantage.
I choose the 550D because I own the 500D and I love it’s movie mode. The 550D offers full HD which the 500D only kinda does), and that is the deal sealer for me. I love to be able to have a video camera and a still camera all in one package (something that P&S cameras spoiled me with). Also – since I own a 500D, I think the build quality is fairly good anyway – so I figure to 550D wont be worse – and it’s good enough for me.
Sounds like you’ve made your decision :-p
Once I read. “If you do not know which one to choose. Choos nicer.” If you need smaller, good camera, select 550D. if you need confortable to use cammera, select 50D
I prefere 50D. I have big hands :-)
Tough, tough call.
You’ve already said that the Rebel/xxxD line is good enough for your purposes except for continuous speed, and the 50D is the clear winner there.
But you also do concert photography where any low-light advantage would be welcome. And as a photography writer, I imagine you’re eager to actually test the waters of HD-DSLR video.
Finally, to Brian’s point, the 50D is a bigger, heavier, sturdier camera with a different feel and control layout, though you’ve switched between lines without issue. Unless you really want the speed of the 50D, I say get the 550D, even if that is by a thin margin.
I haven’t yet made my decision, no, but I’m leaning towards the 550D. Movie mode is exciting, and despite the fact that I have enormous hands, I get along well with the diminutive size and low weight of the entry-level cameras.
My absolutely perfect camera would be a 550D with slightly faster continuous shooting and a built-in speedlite controller – or a 7D at half the weight and half the cost, basically.
„All that glitters is gold…” and sure, any newcomer would instantly go to a new model. But if you stop and think a little, here’s the split decision:
1) Movies: 550D hands down, no question asked. Of course a 7D would be nicer for photo buffs (sweet AF) but it’s overkill for movies; the dedicated LiveView/MovieRec switch simply doesn’t cut it. Yes, you have an external mic option even on 550D.
—
Now let’s get serious and to the photo:
2) Overall features like AF, buffer size, speed, build: 50D has more cross points, doesn’t bog down after two mere seconds when shooting RAW, and you can actually use it all day long; try that with any Rebel (maybe except the old XT/350D) and your hand will beg for mercy.
3) Low-light: maybe 550D, but the AF is somewhat of a hit&miss affair. Still, good enough for a vacantion camera (nice in the evening and inside museums, easy on your shoulders).
Now the 2&3 beg for a question: are you really forgetting about 40D? Excellent low-light (same class as a Nikon D300), shoots JPEGs until you get bored and RAWs for more than enough, great build, same AF as in 50D (and works in situation where a 550D would faint and give up).
So… 550D is really just a sensor; albeit a great one, it’s still a camera that would serve you for a limited amount of time. Interestingly, the 450D seems to hang tough even if it’s been surpassed by two newer generations of Rebel.
—–
My advice? 550D only for movies. For photos, get either the absolute cheapest Canon you can find (40D, 450D/RebelXSi or even 1000D) as it will serve you exactly the same as any newer Rebel, while being significantly cheaper. If you demand more than that, pony up for a 7D; the 550D/500D/50D are just diversions until Canon gets its act together. Bells and whistles for the famous spec-counting guy, His Excellence Mr. Joe Average.
This sort of a dilemma comes up every few months due to the different product cycles for every camera line in the Canon pantheon. The thing is that the 50D replacement (the 60D ?) is due anytime now and when it i released the decision criteria are much easier to distinguish between the low end vs. medium end cameras.
The answer to this poll really depends on whether the user wants bottom end (go with the 550D), higher end (wait for the 60D), or good value for the money (550D or 50D would both be great).
Canon Rumors states that 60D appears on the Canon Taiwan website.
http://www.canonrumors.com/2010/03/eos-60d-appears-on-canon-taiwan/
Well, there’s always the mythical „next camera”. Even if it’d be to appear tomorrow, you’d lose a day waiting for something which might not meet your… great expectations ;)
And really, after 7D what could a 60D do? It’d be still a dumbed-down 7D; prolly the same 0.95x/95% viewfinder (not that big a deal) and, sadly, very slim chances to see the new AF motor. Oh, and yes: significantly slower.
I had a similar decision with the 40d/450d at the time I bought my 40…no real dilemma since I have big hands and would have had cramp very quickly with the smaller body. I appreciate that the 550 offers the HD mode but I’m still not convinced that in itself would be any good for me. I have likewise seen some of the HD footage, and it’s really impressive, but not what I’m after in a stills camera.
I’m of the view that Canonare making things deliberately difficult for the consumer and squeezing money out of them with the apparent offer of more ‘choice’. For the money, I actually would like to see rather more from Canon in terms of what a body can do. I don’t mean whistles and bells either, I mean durability…of course that won’t ahppen because they want you to throw your body away every couple of years.
At the end of the day the quality of the stills will depend largely on the quality of your glass anyway, so you may as well stick with the fat hand test.
As a neophyte in the DSLR world, (but not a complete rookie to photography in general)I looked around for a while before I made my choice about 8 months ago. I have shot film for a long time, as a complete tourist, but decided to step up my game and go digital and get past just shooting snaps.
I wanted a decent tool that would be easy to get my sea legs under me with and that could keep me challenged and sort of “just behind” the level of tech I had in my hands for a while as I learned and paid my dues before I sank any real money into the art form.
I chose the 500D then because I liked the idea of having HD (sort of) video capability if/when I decided I wanted it.
(and I admit that as of this date, I still have not used it at all, I am too busy working on stills skills and LOVING the whole DSLR world in general)
I got down to the Xsi and the T1i in my price range, more or less, and for me, the 500D was the right choice. Now the silly thing is cheaper and there are some advantages to the 550D from my POV. The external mic for video, for one example. I don’t think the extra couple of mega-pixels means that much…
I know I have a low end, but decent DSLR camera, and I am drooling over all that pretty glass and eventually a new pro body… but I simply ain’t ready for it.
For those who are in the same boat as me, I would recommend the 550D over my 500D for just those slight little improvements.. but I will not lament my own purchase/choice… and it will eventually be a decent non P&S that I can hand down to my kid(s) if/when THEY get past P&S.
For those with more experience and skill, or with more demanding needs based on subject and content, I’d have to say that the 50D is probably a better choice, but personally when I get to that point, I’m looking for a 7D.. then a 5D, then a 1D…then…then…then…. (It never ends, does it?)
So overall, I have no really valuable input to the article at all. lol..
Just felt like since I have been getting so much great information FROM this site, that I should try to respond in someway…
Happy shooting.
I owned a 50D camera for one year, and it
is a good camera. Well built, fast burst
speed,detailed easy controls.The problem
was the sensor… In my opinion (I know a
clear image when I see one)the image on
the 50D is too soft and mushy. I tried everything to improve it, but I couldn’t.
So now I own the new Rebel, and I’m very
happy with it. The pics are crisp the
noise problem (with the 50D) has gone away
using the 550D / T2i. Also I like the
increase in resolution (gives more reach,
and is definately noticable). I sold the
50D body 1 1/2 weeks ago, kept the lenses.
I did test the 7D, but I thought it was too expensive. Also I read somewhere that
the sensor on the 550D is not exactlty the
same one as on the 7D, but it may be a little sharper (not sure about that). The
50D will problably last longer, but in a
few years, it will be outdated anyway. I
really enjoy the movie mode too. For me
the controls on the new rebel are very
good and sufficient to quickly create
extremely good images. Let’s see what the
new 60D holds for us if it ever comes out.
PS. The above remarks are my opinion only.
I just bought a 550D and I am not someone who buys cameras as toys whenever a new model comes out. This camera replaces a 10D that I have had for 6 years. I was dead set on sticking within the xxD family and get a 50D or maybe even a 7D. I just couldn’t see going from the built like a tank magnesium body 10D to a lower class tiny plastic 550D.
Since I have had the 550D, I have no problem at all with build quality. I am quite certain that it will look a bit more beat up than my 10D after six years from now, but it will still be going strong. The build quality is very good and I think I can really get used to the lighter weight and smaller size.
There’s another alternative: not Canon. Yes, you have lens investment, but unless your current camera has stopped working, it’s not like you can’t put them to work. Now Haje already knows my preference, since I have an article on the site, but it’s still a valid point to consider.
Now, having said all that, I’d probably go with the 550D if I had to choose between the two. If you threw the 7D into the mix, then that is where I would go, so without it, I think the next best choice is the 550D. I have a friend with the 7D and I’ve been suitably impressed with the outcome (though not enough to leave Pentax, what can I say…) and we’re talking comparable sensors with the 550D.
For myself, I’m drooling over the Pentax 645D, but I haven’t won the lottery yet… So, I guess I’ll wait for the next semi-pro Pentax APS-C dSLR.
For most users, the main points to consider if choosing between the 50D and 550D are build quality and ergonomics. The 50D is heavier, more solid, and will stand up to some abuse. It’s larger, and especially important for me, the hand grip is far better. The Rebels are great for a lot of people but I can’t use them – I actually get a cramp in my right hand, and if you use larger or heavier lenses that issue gets more important. But my ex loved the Rebel because it fit her hands. It’s a very important aspect of usability.
I received my 550D yesterday. I have a 30D but the darn thing is so heavy I started carrying TWO point and shoot cameras around as it made photography more enjoyable for me. However, there is nothing like a DSLR when it comes to image quality, so I migrated back, but this time to something more manageable. I will miss the faster burst mode of the 30D but what good is it if it stays home in a drawer? I’ll put a 50mm lens on the 550D and start carrying it everywhere I go.
My choice is 50D, I actually own one, but if I had to choose again, it would be 50D.
It is better built, better controls, magnesium body. It is faster also, which is not a minor benefit.
If I some day want shoot video, I’ll trade my 50D to 7D, simple and easy.
I also had a similar decision to make when the 40D and 450D where on the market. I try to stagger my purchases and my wife is my “second shooter”. It went something like this.
1st Purchase: 350D
2nd Purchase: 40D
sold 350d
3rd Purchase: 450d
We plan to skip the current series completely and will be moving directly to the 5DmkII and a 7D this year.
Ultimately, this system has worked well for us and there is always a second/backup camera in the bag :)
- s
I’m just a year into dslr with rebel xsi with a grip and planning to upgrade. If image quality of 550 is far better than 50d plus a full HD videio, I would go with rebel again with a batt grip and feel the handle of 50d or xD in your hand.
I love the 50D, unfortunately I have to get rid of mine since I;n moving and need the extra boost.
It’s on ebay here
Kit includes the following:
Canon EOS 50D camera
EF 28 – 135mm USM IS Lens
- Lens Hood
- Polarizing Filter
EF 70 – 300mm USM IS Lens
- Lens Hood
- Polarizing Filter
SanDisk 8GB CF Memory Card
Canon Strap
Battery Charger
Batter Pack
Interface Cable
Video Cable
It’s on ebay here
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