Years ago my brother bought me a Canon EOS10d. It's been a great camera. I had to send it in for repair due to bent CF card pins (my fault) but otherwise it's been a trusty companion. Lately it fails to shoot and sometimes is getting an error 99. I sent it to the camera repair shop we deal with and they are reluctant to repair it due to it being so old and the repairs probably costing $150. They said the could sell me a used 10d body for $50 or a used 40d body for $220. I got to looking at the specs on the 40d and it seems like it has fast continuous shooting, but I think the 10d also had that feature. And then I began wondering, if I was going to replace my 10d with a later model, if I should consider something else that may be a better upgrade (i.e. - 50d, 60d, 70d, etc.). I think Canon is soon announcing the 90d. Since I haven't been in the market for a camera for a LONG time and since I found this forum I thought I'd reach out for opinions. Let me know your thoughts. I was hoping to find one with a newer memory slot so I don't bend the pins again and hopefully they're still made well. It's also hard to read from my 10d to a laptop -- maybe newer ones are better? And some of the newer ones take pretty good video too, I guess. Look forward to your replies! Mike
I would definitely consider something newer than a 10d or 40d (both well over a decade old) ....getting one a just a few generations old is pretty inexpensive. The big question is how much do you want to spend? And for reference you can probably pick up a 50d on eBay or Craigslist for around 100 bucks. Second question is what do you want out of an upgrade? As you would imagine newer ones will have faster fps, more megapixels, etc.. but I do think the 10d-80d line is a good prosumer/advanced amateur choice unless your interested in full frame.
Thank you for your quick response! I guess I was ready to spend around $150 to $225 based on where I was with the repair store. I could probably go a little more. Do you think the 10d is minimum I should be going after? I think the big advantages I could see in getting a newer one would be for getting good photo's of my son -- he runs cross country. I actually never used the continuous shot feature on the 10d and now feel stupid for not doing so. I suppose it'd be good to have some video capability too. And I'd really like a better memory card setup than the CF card -- I bent the pins by mistake on my 10d and had to pay bunches to get it fixed. Be nice to use with Windows 10 too. Let me know on the above and, again, thank you for your response!
Hi Mike, welcome to the forum. Time for an upgrade I think. The questions to ask yourself, is what is the budget. Do you want the equivalent in today's model. What lens, or lenses do you currently own. Is used an option, or new only. Plus what do you want to take pictures of. I really can't help you with the video side of things. The 90d is out now if you are interested. If you have been out of the loop for a while, there is now the mirrorless R series, and the full frame dslr's as well. Gary
If I had to replace my cameras I would choose the 60D. I have the 10D, 50D and the 60D, I have also used the 80D. All your 10D lenses fit the 60D I would make my decision on cost, the later models after the 60D are a bit out of my reach. The 60D has a lift out rotating rear screen (very handy) it takes a sd card, something your desired ( the 50D has a CF card ). with the rear screen you have a 10+ zoom which is useful if you use a adapter and fit old film lens on the camera for fine focus.( they can be used in AV or M ) While the later models have better video, the 60D has usable video. It then would come down to cost for me personally, hope this help a bit regards Craig.
Well the 50d is about $120 on ebay so that is the oldest one I would consider. The 60d is more like $280 but it uses SD cards as has been noted by others. So maybe do a comparison of the specs on those two. If you can afford the 60d I say go for it. When you say use with windows 10 with the camera can I assume connecting via the EOS utility? That supports cameras from the 40 and newer. However a car reader will be significantly faster and there is no issue using the CF card from even that 10d in a card reader. I know your concerned about bent pins, but I dont think its very common especially if your careful. I have been using CF cards for 15 years and a card reader for the last 10 with now issues swapping them around.
Thanks for getting back to me. I will look at the 50d and up, with focus on the 60d. My issue with the 10d and Windows is that it isn't recognized with a cable nor supported with the latest EOS utility. Guess that's another divider (I've been out of the shopping mode a long time).
Thank you very much for getting back to me! I assume, with the lift out / rotating screen, that I can still use a viewfinder, right? And you mentioned it has some video too, with seems cool. Is there an easy way to find the shot count on a camera like this? Should I ask a seller if they can tell me that and what is considered the near-death count? Again, thanks!
Thanks for the response! It seems folks suggest a 60d if I am buying used and, if I get a new one, I think I would get the 90d. I have a few lenses for the 10d (not a lot) and mostly want a good camera for getting pictures of our son in Cross Country and other family stuff. I hate to ask a stupid question, but what is the advantage to mirrorless and what is a full-frame dslr? Again, thanks! Mike
Shutter Count - There are programs that can be purchased that will read the camera via usb or wifi connections, I would research before using something like that, you could also replace the firmware with magic lanterns firmware I believe that also gives shutter count (not my suggestion, just an option to use 3rd part software on the camera) . You can surely ask if they have the ability to provide the count or an least an estimate, the shutter is rated to be good for 100k actuations. If it was me buying a used 60D I would focus on how well it looks like it has been taken care of, any camera with really heavy use will show signs of its age. So if it looks really clean and taken care of I would go for that. Someone posting a scuffed up camera with no lens cap I would stay away from, its been used heavily and they aren't even trying to keep dust off the sensor. Full frame - Higher end cameras have a sensor that is the same size as 35mm film, it uses all of the viewable glass of the lens. APC sensor (crop) - Cosumer and mid grade bodies use a smaller sensor 2/3 the size, the image will have same magnification with a lens regardless of body, but it will be cropped in compared to the full frame counterpart as the sensor is smaller, some people will describe for example a 100mm as though it is 150mm on crop sensor I think that confuses people and is misleading. 100mm is still 100mm no matter which body it is on, one but different bodies will produce different crops of the image based on sensor size using the same lens. There are crop only lenses for different camera bodies with canon dslr they use -S to indicate this, so that adds some confusion. But you can use the all the EF lenses on full frame or crop sensors. This in general applies to other brands but the names and crop factor is different. Mirrorless, this is a growing field. Some brands are more established here than others, and over the next decade the mirrorless market will take bigger bites out of the DSLR market. To keep it simple the design removes the mirror so the image viewed is digital only not the standard DSLR design. The advantage, its smaller and lighter setup compared to the DSLR. Why now? Its become a very competitive landscape with the sensor and other technology. The disadvantage or possible advantage long term? They have a different lens mount so technology will be able to advance and make use of different lens designs. I think mirror-less is nice and for the ones that want the latest tech and are planning to jump in and invest in them long term that is a fine move. On the flip side, as people change systems and flood the market with gear that drives down used prices. So you can invest on some higher end bodies at great prices.
Thanks for the details!!! Can you believe when I was young I actually worked as a sports & wedding photographer? In those times we used film (unheard of now) and I even had my own darkroom -- also a blast from the past. I guess I need to get with the modern stuff and you're helping me tremendously. Outside of Hasselblad I have always been devoted to Canon. I made my first successes on a TLb which almost broke me to buy. I'm just an old camera Canon camera lover now, and want a new toy. Your help is very appreciated.
Michael, the 60D has a viewfinder , 18 mega pixel sensor, etc. My camera came with a battery pack which screws onto the bottom of the camera makes the camera heavier but I don't have to worry about flat batteries very often. Go onto Youtube and look up the 60D this will give you a visual look at the camera and see it in use.
Well for sports and wedding those definitely saw a huge immediate benefit from going digital as they rely on quick turn around. Still film has a small but strong following, plenty of us out there the own and shoot. (At least occasionally) I used a darkroom up through the mid-2000s when i graduated college. I actually came to canon when I went digital, I was a pentax guy starting with my k1000 in 7th grade, i moved up to an LX, and then in college started investing in their medium format lines as the prices were becoming affordable. I have decent sized 67 and 645 kits. I have some gear for a home lab but the effort doesn't seem worth it. When I do shoot film I typically shoot 120 slide film which i ship off to "The Darkroom" which is in California, they will process and provide higher resolution jpg scans for $20. Which I think is a great deal. Right now there is also a large interest in some circles of people in instant film as well as lomo-photography like the holga.
Another idea would be the 5M or 6M cameras. They maybe worth having a look at to see if they suit your needs. Gary
Thanks for the information. I was able to find a 60D on ebay and paid $190 for it ($220 with shipping and tax). Seems to be a good deal. I am pretty excited about it. It has a battery but no charger with it. A guy on eBay is offering up a charger for $12.99. You can see it at https://www.ebay.com/itm/LC-E6C-LC-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055359.m2763.l2649. You think it's good? He says it's from Canon is Asia. I figure I should also get a spare battery at some point, but I'm waiting to see what the one with it is like. Battery pack seems pretty cool. I'll look for that too. Really appreciate all the assistance!!! Mike
I guess it's just taken me a while to accept digital stuff but I do now. I somehow enjoyed to work with film and always enjoyed darkroom stuff. The Pentax equipment is great. When I was young it was considered amongst the best and my buddies had a lot of Pentax equipment. I love their large format stuff too. Only brand I never was fond of was Nikon, and I really can't tell you why. I gravitated towards Canon becuase my Dad like their point and shoot film camera's (which I still have) and they preserved a lot of memories for our family. I've also had great luck with them. I won a bid on a Canon 60d! It was about $220 all in (tax, etc.). I'm waiting for it to arrive now. I need to get a battery charger for it and maybe a new battery too (it comes with the battery but no charger). I'm pretty excited about it. Really appreciate all of your help and I'll try "The Darkroom" place you mentioned for my film stuff. Mike
It is worth noting that the m5/m6 are the crop size sensor mirrorless models and use the M mount, I question the future of this system. If I was going mirrorless I would definitely be looking at the R system/RF mount as that looks to be the flagship there. Either way Canon/Nikon have been playing catch-up to Sony which has been the leader in mirrorless technology for some time now. The EF lenses and DSLR bodies aren't going to be obsolete any time soon so there is no rush to jump ship. I say enjoy your new 60d, and maybe get a 6dII or 5dIV ... something full frame as the prices come down.
The battery pack is pretty neat, my unit come with a slide in frame which takes two camera batteries or if those are flat for some reason , it come with a second slide in frame which takes 4 AA batteries which will not last as long as the rechargeable camera batteries but will get you out of a pinch, If you do a lot of portrait photos then the battery pack can be held comfortably in the portrait position with a second jog wheel and shutter button mounted on the battery pack.
The were careful to not say that it is canon, but used for canon in the descriptions. Looks like there are a number of these on ebay, maybe a few boxes fell off a truck in china. One plus side is this one says it is shipping from texas so it is already state side apparently. If these are legit, it is definitely a china model, the cord must have been sourced to fit the connection, these have flip out plugs and no cord in the US. For the price I guess its worth a try, they go for $50 new otherwise.
