Hi guys, great show!

I upgraded from the 30D to the 50D and that's a ghuge preogression. But David made me want to upgrade to the 5D! Maybe in christmas.

There is one aspect on the 50d that really made a difference and I think Kerry didn't talked about it, that's the micro adjustments.
People usually say that pitures are not so sharp as 40D because the sensor has more pixels by inch than the 40D, within the same area but if you correct your lenses with the "micro adjustment funcion" (see instructions book) the pictures will came out with perfectly sharp. This is a FUNDAMENTAL thing to do when you buy a 50D, that function is not present in any other camera. As ususally I recommend to everybody to read the instructions book when you buy a new camera.

Here are 2 links to micro-adjustments:

How to: http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_page...

General discussion in DPReview: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?foru...

Cheers and keep sharing!
Tiago

Honestly, I skipped the podcast. While the subject of gear comes up and is a natural point of reference, we constantly hear from pros that the gear doesn't matter as much as does whether or not you know how to use the gear. Then you spend a podcast geeking about your new gear. That's a bit hypocritical. It's like when the fashion houses in Europe a few years ago said that models were too thin and then they went ahead and featured even thinner models. I listen faithfully to your podcasts and follow you on twitter, but I stopped listening after 10 minutes. That's a first.

That is not entirely true. What we discussed was what it was ABOUT the new gear that made us upgrade. Our main reasons where not about image quality or megapixels it was about features that will help us do our job better. You simply cannot get the same images from a Canon 30D as you can from a 50D in low-light, you don't have a feature like live view to help focus when doing tight macro shots, you dont have automatic vignette control, you dont have highlight tone priority. These features enhance what you can do and are compelling reasons to upgrade. If the gear made absolutely no difference then nobody would ever upgrade.

When gear doesn't matter is in composition, lighting, posing, color, detail, depth, etc, those things that make an image look good are far more about the photographer than the gear. We tried to really point out the changes in the gear that made a difference in how we use our gear, but buying a new camera does not make you a better photographer. So no, I do not think it was hypocritical at all. People ask us if they should upgrade and we want to tell people WHY they should and why we make the choices we make.

Thanks for your comment.

Hi Kerry, I agree with what you said above re: higher-end cameras allowing greater usability and more control over what you're doing. There's a reason why I upgraded from a D70s to a D300 and and have just painfully sprung for the nikon 17-55 2.8. I can use ISO 800 and higher without worry and can get nice images in low light.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating. I normally enjoy your podcasts and appreciate all the information you provide. I think it's great information and you and David should be commended at what you provide for FREE. But after 10 minutes of "new gear, new gear", I turned it off. Maybe if it were clearer in the earlier part of the podcast as to the reason for the upgrades, then I would have hung on but if you listen to the first 10 minutes or so, that's what it sounded like, at least to me.

Good podcast, esp. since I just bought a 50D to complement my 30D, and waffled between that and a 5DMkII. David: I think you're spot-on regarding the reasons to upgrade to the 5DII. One more reason is the brighter, more detailed viewfinder.

However, I think it's only fair to bring up reasons why NOT to move to the 5DII:
* If you only have EF-S lenses, your investment is going to jump significantly. For those of us relying on the 17-55/2.8 IS, you'll probably go with a 24-105/4 since full-frame will give a shallower DoF @ f/4 and be close to a crop @ f/2.8. But just keep this cost in mind when upgrading.
* It's not just the cost in glass. If you're used to specific focal ranges (even on EF lenses), you'll need to relearn your ranges. I would strongly advise doing this BEFORE showing up at your next shooting engagement. I needed a 2nd body for this weekend's wedding shoot and opted for the 50D for both the lens-investment avoidance and the focal length familiarity.
* Don't forget the accessory costs: BG-E2 is not compatible with 5D - you'll need a BG-E6. Same goes for the batteries - you'll need LP-E6 vs BP-511.

One more point: For those on the fence: one must consider the nearly $1200 differential between 50D and 5DII, which could be used for some killer glass (such as 70-200/4IS or for most of the 70-200/2.8IS), or open up opportunities for additional flashes, CP-E4 battery pack, etc. It really depends on what you're shooting and what will help drive income most efficiently.

Just my two cents.

PS - I used my $1200 savings to equip myself with a Think Tank pro belt + modular kit, add'l 430exII, carbon-fiber monopod+234RC head, R-strap, and CP-34 battery pack (with a few hundred $$$ still in the bank, probably going into 100/2.8 macro soon).

PPS - I'm very envious! I'd love a 5DII !!!

Hi Kerry,

Great podcast, but one thing that you didn't really cover was why you went for the 50D instead of the 5D MkII

Just curious, as I'm a 50D owner myself, and think its a great camera, but I would have thought you would have opted for the 5D MkII as a pro shooter ?

This season has been slower than normal with the economy being down and I really needed an update. So to save money I went with the 50D and plan on getting a 5DMII when I can and then having my 50D as my backup/second rig.

Sounds like the same plan I have in mind - thanks for the feedback