Remember My Issues With The 50d?

[rubiton]

Well after trying it out after it came back from reapirs again Im starting to think that it wasnt really made for sports action pics. It now does fine in bright sunny conditions but with the overcast conditions last weekend it struggled for the action shots and it was very hit and miss with any zoom. Swapped the lenses over with the 40D and used it for the posed pics and results a lot better. Also was OK the day before with the smaller lens and less moving more posed photos. One more test this weekend as the b camera taking more slow moving/posed pics but really think the 7D was the successor to the 40D for sports photographers - they came out pretty much the same time and after seeing the direction the 60D is taking even moreso.

But then in looking at Canons have also noticed that there is a new 70-300mm L lens that was announced in late Aug and is appearing everywhere on sites but no price or sale date as yet.

Edited October 5, 2010 by rubiton

[~*Shell*~]

The lenses that were announced in august are apparently being released at the end of this month but who knows. Give it a couple of weeks and see if anyone has them listed. They would probably want to get it out and on the market before christmas though. I'm pretty sure that's what they've done in the past.

Hmmmm - I haven't had a problem capturing action on the 50D, the problems I did have were to do with the lens and the autofocus motor being sticky from the lens not being used in a while. That being said I have only used it for flyball and it was borrowed so I could have just been lucky. Do you mean that the 40D and the 7D were released at the same time or the 50D and the 7D? The 40D was released in 2007, the 50D in 2008, the 7D in 2009 and the 60D in 2010, all announced at the conference/expo thing at the end of august so pretty much a year between them all. The 7D was supposed to bridge the gap between the 50D and the 5D, not really be a successor to the 40D.

[Ripley]

If I'm having trouble with AF for a fast moving object, I turn the IS to off on my telephoto lens as I found leaving the IS activated slows down the AF on my 30D (which I think shoots 6 fps?). However, the light needs to be good enough to do this as I only hand hold it so need the higher shutter speed. I had no probs tracking a wild sea eagle the other month using AF. Haven't tried the 50D out yet though, had it a month and haven't used it yet.

eta: Are you thinking of selling it? I tossed up between a second hand 1D Mark II N and a brand new 50D for bird and wildlife shots as the 1D has better AF according to all the reviews I read, but I chose the 50D as I need the crop factor, I didn't want to pay nearly a grand for an older camera and it's just a hobby. Got so many photos to process right now I'm overwhelmed. The second hand 1D Mark II N was going for about $950.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Ripley

[~*Shell*~]

I borrowed the 50D, it's not mine and I believe agentvee (who i borrowed it off) has already sold it as he has just bought the 7D. I've just sold my 450D (which didn't have problems with speed either) and upgraded to a 5D mark II.

[Guest Tess32]

I've never had a problem with it.

[kja]

shell - You chose the 5DII for action? Interesting choice It's a beautiful camera, but action and focus with anything but the centre point are its weaknesses

I only know four other people with the 50D and they all shoot a variety of ball sports and things like moto-cross with no problems. Two love to do the bird thing and haven't said anything about missing BIF shots.

Me thinks you got a lemon - even after the fix!

[Guest Tess32]

I agree, sounds like that particular 50D is a dud. I did lure coursing etc with mine and no issues at all.

[~*Shell*~]

shell - You chose the 5DII for action? Interesting choice It's a beautiful camera, but action and focus with anything but the centre point are its weaknesses :D

Definitely not! I probably would have gone for the 7D for action after reading all of the reviews. I work in TV so i need something that will shoot broadcast-quality 1080p video and we only have a workflow for the 5D here, not for the 7D yet, even though they are so similar in the way their video is output. For what we do, the 5D is the only option - if it was just for me, i would have probably gone for the 7D. That being said, when I need to shoot action, I'm sure I could borrow a 7D. I have a few friends who have that body now

[Tibbiemax71]

I haven't had any trouble shooting moving things with my 50D either, I have taken heaps of pics at dog shows of dogs moving, some of my lot just running about the yard and its seems to be pretty good.

[rubiton]

I should point out that I need focus to be spot on and the horses must be sharp - as in you zoom in on the image and you can clearly see the individual hairs. I've seen what people think is panning action shots with all the awful blur (apparently its a common thought you need blur to show something is moving) and with that the performance would not be so notable. But I need the subject frozen and I must admit even the mechanism is loud and clunky which doesnt help the camera itself last over time (the 7D is very quiet and Im told it has extra rubber inside so that it copes with taking a lot more photos than the earlier cameras which results in it being quieter).

So pretty good or a nice overall pic isnt going to cut it and the quality of the 50D compared to the 40D with similar images just doesnt cut it for what I need. If something is still and its taking a pic its been OK just the AI Servo focus isnt good enough and since I own about 4 lenses I have tried on it I dont think its any individual lens. It did do OK on a nice fine sunny day two weeks ago but the second the weather became overcast it struggled taking the multiple shots of the moving horses.

The 60D is NOT what 40D series need in a camera for those of us taking sporting shots (the back looks like my point and shoot albeit a big point and shoot) and if looking to upgrade the obvious choice is the 7D which seems to be for the sports photographer (as is this new lens from the info online).

Several retailers have the lens listed just no price etc. Probably be another couple of weeks before I can go near a photo place so hopefully it appears on the market by then.

Edited October 8, 2010 by rubiton

[kja]

It defo sounds like you have a bunk 50D. While there are differences, there really shouldn't be *that* much difference. It's still a very good camera that should not have these troubles with focusing on faster subjects at all. And you're the first "real life" person I know whose reporting problems, the others I know aren't having these issues (and they do know what a sharp photo is )

The 40D was such a strong camera that just worked, and nothing new has really come out to seriously upgrade its features until you make the jump to the 7D as they seem to have decided to discontinue the original xxD line in favour of the split to "lower" end xxD (kinda the 50 and definitely the 60) and higher end xD crop (7D so far). It will be interesting to see what comes out in April-ish this year!

[rubiton]

Think you are right kja - now just to wait til the new lens comes out and think might be easiest to get both camera and lens at the same time as I've got a couple of quiet weeks at the end of Oct/start Nov which would be a good time to practice before the last big horse event for the year.