MicrostockGroup

I currently shoot with a Rebel XT. Had to send it and my 28-135mm lens in last week for cleaning and re-calibration. I've been using it for 4 years, so not too upset about it.

While it was gone, I researched the 50D. The increased pixel output would allow me to sell XL sized photos on the micro sites. I bought the camera from B&H, and also bought a wide angle lens, the Sigma 10-20mm, to do some interior work. I love the feel of the 50D, love the big screen, love everything about it except...

I have tried 3 different lenses on the camera, and I cannot possibly live with the noise I am getting in the shots. I read many articles about this camera. Articles dated near the release time talked a lot about noise, and some people reported having to send the camera back because of this that and the other. They were sent new cameras, and the second time around they were pleased. Reviews and articles a few months after release, more people reported being happy with the camera.

I am sending the 50D back to B&H as soon as I get my XT back today. They are very helpful and had no problems with that, in fact they pay for postage back. They will send me a new one. I asked the technician if they had many returns on this camera, but of course he said he hadn't heard of this problem before.

Does anyone here shoot with the 50D for microstock? Are you happy with it? Do you have bad noise issues? Your input would be very helpful. If the second camera doesn't do a much better job, I may jump ship and switch to Nikon. By the way, the next model up is out of my budget right now. In fact, truth be told, the 50D is out of my budget, but not having a camera for a week or two is too big of money loss.

Hi, I got 50D when it got released and I actually returned it because of noise. The camera feels great but I had to run noise reduction on pretty much everything if I wanted to submit at full resolution.

I don't think the amount of noise that 50D produces at ISO 100-400 would bother me for making prints etc, but for stock it definitely is visible.

j2k, exactly. If I were making prints, not an issue. It's totally unacceptable for stock though.

gostwyck, thanks for the tip. I'll go research that. Full-frame sensor...can I use my existing EF-S lenses with that? I thought I remember reading you can't. I've read so much over the past week, I might be confused. 

Might wanna wait and see what people say about the 7D once it ships, if it hasn't already.  It's getting great reviews so far.  It's definitely sounding better in quality than the 50D.  20D/40D were classics, the reviews I've read on the 50D haven't been as good.  Way noisier than the 40D.  I'm sure it's a great camera, but it has it limitations when you're talking higher ISO shooting. 

5D Classic / 5D Mkii is what I really want next.  Most of my lenses are EF also, the 18-55 IS kit lens I have can stay on my crop body and I'll just use that one for wide, until I can pick up a 17-40 or something.  Next year biz expense ...

The 20D wasn't a 'classic' __ I though it was expensive rubbish and the worse DLSR I've ever owned. I only reluctantly upgraded to it from my 10D because of the extra pixels but the images were nothing like as good. I was so grateful when they brought out the 5D and I could finally bin it.

Been using it since I bought it for my wife... My 5D is great, but I like the 50D a lot, especially in the studio.  If you can control light then it is a great tool.  It requires very good lenses to really get great results since the pixel count shows every cheap lens' defects quite fast.  I too have noticed some noise, but it is not that bothersome to me, I have submited images taken in dim light to some trads and no problem there, but the micros are somewhat obsessed with noise and there could be a problem.  What I do when submitting to the micros is that I use Dfine (Nik's noise reduction) at 60-70% opacity and then downsize a bit.  Even iso 800-1000 images have been accepted with no problem.  I wouldn´t consider buying a higher megapixel camera to try to get "XL" sales, especially since the subs model is showing its ugly face everywhere, I hate so see my very large pics go for 35 cents, but maybe it doesn´t bother you, but think about it.  

In the end I'm split between my 5D and my wife´s 50D.  I will wait and see the 5D MKIII that should be somewhere around the corner, and the 7D is a great option too.

If you consider buying a used 5D do some research about the mirror issue (becoming loose) and ask the seller if the camera has been conditioned to prevent that.

that I use Dfine (Nik's noise reduction) at 60-70% opacity and then downsize a bit.

Herman, I didn't specifically buy the 50D for the 15mp and XL sizes...I wanted to buy another camera because I had to send my one and only to the shop and not having a camera for 1-2 weeks felt like my arm was going to be cut off.

I can downsize the pics and still get an XL size...I am just amazed at the noise at ISO100. If I were shooting 400-800, it wouldn't bother me, but at ISO100 I expected none.

Thanks for the tip on the 5D. I know plenty of people do it, but I have a "thing" about buying used equipment (or cars, or anything that cost more than $100). I just think, in the long run, it's better to buy new. I would buy used from someone I knew, but from strangers, I think its a crapshoot.

Perhaps I just got an earlier model or a lemon. My XT and 28-135mm lens are coming back from Canon today. I would like to shoot some pics with that lens with the 50D and see how that works, since this is the lens I use most.

Any more comments are welcomed.

Sorry, I'm not - but I figured I'd check ebay to see if brand new 5D's were still being sold - couldn't find any but I was amazed to see that second hand 5D's were selling for more than I paid for my new one!  I did buy it just before the mk11 came out so it was quite cheap.

You can't go wrong with either 5D - awesome camera!  Forget the 50D

I have had a 50D for about 4 months.  Compared to the XS... I love it.  I am still a beginner at microstock.  In fact I finally just got to the minimum payout on shutterstock and will get paid in two weeks... Yea!!!

Most of my stuff is shot at ISO100 and I really don't notice much noise much of my stuff is accepted.  Interestingly enough this last weekend I decided to take a bunch of hand held shots at the morning market.  I had to push the ISO to 400.  I have never done that before for microstock.  In post processing I did see what I considered to be an unacceptable level of noise in the shadows.  But I have Noise Ninja.  I cleaned them up  (a little of a pain).  And almost all got accepted at almost all of the big 6.

I would love to have a full frame camera but $$$.  I am interested in the 7D.  At first there were some good reports of low noise at high iso.  Now I am hearing some mixed reports of higher noise and some banding issues..... so it will be interesting to see what the professional reviews (I like dpreview) say.

In the meantime the 50D is doing good enough for my microstock

Six years? On which planet? If you'd bought a 5D when it was first available it would still be less than 3 years old.

With microstock (as with most photography applications) the requirement is 'good enough' to pass the quality and size thresholds. In that regard the 5D will probably never become obsolete in that it already exceeds the quality requirement for all current uses of the images.

If you had $2000 and change lying around you could get the new 24.6mp full frame Sony A850 and a couple of cheap but excellent quality used Minolta lenses. Its by far the best buy if you're considering full frame. I shoot with the 12.2mp A700 and can submit XL images.  Also a great camera for the money.

Okies sorry, 4 years, 5D was announced in August 05 and went on sale later that year. I'm about to get the 5D M2 for myself this Xmas, mainly so I can use full frame with my 17-40mm L lens and for overall better quality. I used to have the 30D and my mum has the 20D. The difference going to 40D was quite substantial in terms of handling noise at higher ISO, larger LCD and sensor cleaning. A four year old camera, even with a full frame, in my books just doesn't stack up... I would never go back to sensor cleaning with my swab's, god that sucked....

Minolta has lenses that are cheap (perhaps inexpensive is a better word) ex under 500.00 on Ebay that are excellent quality and of course will all be stabilized due to the in-body I.S. that only Sony has accomplished with FF sensors.