Comparing the 50D and the 60D
The newly announced Canon 60D SLR is shockingly not necessarily an upgrade from the 50D, and even less so from the 7D. Here, briefly, is an outline of the key differences between the cameras:
Factors in favor of the 60D:
|
Feature |
50D |
60D |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Max ISO |
1600 |
3200 |
Neither camera has good enough high ISO performance to make these numbers useful. |
|
Megapixels |
15 |
18 |
Few, if any, lenses are good enough to resolve 18 MP on an APS-C sensor. |
|
Video recording |
No |
HD 1080p |
The one real advantage of the 60D, if you want it. |
|
LCD |
Non-articulating |
Articulating |
Potentially useful for folks who shoot on tripods. |
|
Weight |
822g |
705g |
Factors in favor of the 50D:
|
Feature |
50D |
60D |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Autofocus Microadjustment |
Yes |
No |
I haven’t used this yet, but I really should. |
|
Flash sync socket |
Yes |
No |
|
|
Multi-flash support |
Yes |
No |
|
|
Custom modes |
2 |
1 |
|
|
Continuous shooting |
6.5 fps |
5 fps |
Action, sports, airshow, and wildlife photographers should prefer the 50D. |
Bottom line: if you want to shoot video, the 60D is a no-brainer; and if you’re buying a new camera anyway, you might choose the 60D, especially if you don’t shoot fast action. However there’s very little reason for anyone happy with their 40D or 50D to upgrade. The 60D offers very little new to interest photographers.
The real upgrades from the 50D are the 7D, the 5D Mark II, or, for the truly obsessed, the 1D Mark IV. In the 1.6 crop factor body, the 7D is still the Canon to beat, combing the best of both the 50D and 60D with several additional improvements to boot. (19 point autofocus, three custom modes, video, 18 MP, 8 FPS). I bought my 50D before the 7D was released, and couldn’t quite justify the upgrade. I’d rather spend the money on lenses. I suspect that’s likely to remain true until we get a 70D or an 8D in a couple of years. Maybe by that point I’ll even have talked myself into a 1D. :-)
