Cameras

One thing that I like to do is take pictures. Photographs capture memories, show people what you saw, and can be amazing. Until recently I had always used a point-and-shoot camera. Two summers ago I was going to buy a Canon DSLR, but I got a speeding ticket and therefore didn't have enough money so I spent it on something else. In September I bought a Canon XSi. I had used a XSi a little bit during the summer and I kinda liked it. I was the photographer at Camp Lebanon for some family weeks and I used their Nikon D5000.

I got my XSi and started shooting with it and I didn't really like it. I don't really know what it was. It felt a little flimsy/weak and the picture quality wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I would rather shot with the Nikon. One weekend, my friend Guy Magno, who owns his own photography business in Minneapolis, let me use his Canon 5D MarkII and I loved it. He talked to me about my camera and said I should have got a Canon 30D. He had been using a 20D until recently and he said that was a good camera. The 30D was $150 cheaper then the XSi and was a better camera.

I tried selling my XSi on Craigslist and it wasn't going so well. I had a couple people that were interested, but none of them went through with the purchase. I finally got this lady down in the cities that was interested in my camera. On Monday I sold her my camera.

Now I need to figure out what I want. I have been looking at a 40D which is a step up from a 30D. It has some features that I would like and is more compatible with some cool accessories. I found a guy in Shakopee that is selling a 40D or a 50D. They are both very reasonable prices, but I don't know which one I want to get. The 50D is newer and has less use, but some reviews on Amazon say that the picture quality isn't as good as the 40D. Did that guy get a bad camera or is that with all 50D's? The 40D would be enough camera for me, but it has a fair amount of use, about a fifth of the average shutter life is gone and I plan on using it a lot. What should I do? I think I am leaning towards the 40D because it's less money and still a really good camera.

What are your thoughts?

-Matt Loberg