Canon EOS 500D vs. 550D

theresnoknowing

Hi all,

I am just about to try and buy myself a decent entry-level digital SLR and I believe that for around the €700 mark I'm not gonna do much better than Canon's EOS 500D. Is this about right?

Also, given the fact that I know very little about photography, is there any point in me holding off and paying the extra €200 for the EOS 550D - or will its new features be lost a novice?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

5uspect

Does the 550D add video or was that in the move from 450 to 500.
Eitherway the 500D will do you fine. Perhaps you might upgrade to a 50D or higher in a few years if the bug bites. Ultimately good lenses are the most important cost factor.

frag420

HI

Im in the same boat as yourself. I looked into it and from talking to the folks in gunns, conns and camera exchange the only difference between the two is that there is some upgrade in the HD video function on the 550d so I was advised to wait a month or two and get the 500d as it will be dropping in price.

Also like 5uspect said it is the glass you need to invest in. Im getting the lend of a 50d tomorrow for a few weeks to get used to using a dslr before splashing the cash in a few months.

frAg

Diabhal_Glas

frag420 wrote: »

HI
Also like 5uspect said it is the glass you need to invest in.

Very True , a good used 17-85 wouldn't break the bank

5uspect

Don't forget the nifty fifty!

An essential lens for any beginner.

craiglucas

I am in the process of buying an new SLR too, same budget of around €700. I'm looking at the Canon Eos500D or Nikon D5000. Reviews say both are very good. The Nikon is a good 100-200 euro cheaper!! And has the flip out, rotatable LCD. Also a larger sensor. Canon has higher resolution and LCD has more pixels. At the moment I'm leaning toward Nikon.

By the way, Movie mode is something I will never use, so it has not factored into my research...

laurence997

The main difference, other than the video is that the 550D is 18MP and the 500D is around 15MP. There are a couple of other small changes like a higher ISO range, better quality LCD, a stereo Mic, nothing really major

Scroll down on this link and it will show you a comparison of the two specs.
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/CanonEOS550D/

Edit: Hold on a minute, Isn't this an old thread?

theresnoknowing

I bought the EOS 550 in the end - really enjoying it so far.

Now all I need is the Nifty Fifty!

Nforce

Amazon.co.uk have the 550D and 18-55 IS lens for £635 delivered at the moment.

theresnoknowing

I got the same kit directly from Hong Kong for €650 3 months ago. Huzzah for ebay!

Nforce

Is that price with or without Custom's charges?

theresnoknowing

Customs was only around €50 so still got a great price. Bought from a very reputable seller. And this was back in April when the 550 was just out and €950 on the high street.

Anyone thinking of getting one check ebay, you'll get it for less!

joepenguin

theresnoknowing wrote: »

I got the same kit directly from Hong Kong for €650 3 months ago. Huzzah for ebay!

Is there a way to calculate customs and how exactly does it work. I am looking at going from the xxd range for a 500d or 550d. Main reason is that my camcorder is a bit outdated and I love the video results from these slrs even with a kit lens and it would get quite a bit of use.
I shoot a lot in low light and indoors, action at that so i assume the 20fps vs 30fps difference in favour of the 550d is significant.
Id miss the build quality, rotating dial thing (soooo much easier to change aperatue) and fps for shooting stills. So dont wanna break the bank on an entry level.
Are they due to come down in price anytime soon this part of the world? when the 60d comes out maybe?

laurence997

theresnoknowing wrote: »

I got the same kit directly from Hong Kong for €650 3 months ago. Huzzah for ebay!

The 550D? It was a whale of a deal then!!

By the way, sorry for the triple post earlier. Neither me nor the computer were having a good morning

Jonesy101

In my opinion the 550D is waay to expensive. It shouldnt be called an entry level. The Canons are going up and up in price, years ago the 350D was the standard entry level and it was around the 400-500 price. Thats an entry level price! Who needs an 18MP camera! and full HD mode, thats a bit excessive too. Its just ramping up the price.

The Nikon 5000 id go for if you want a very decent entry level, but Id actually go for the cheaper Olympus or Pentax. TheOlympus has a much smaller bodt than most of the others in the range which is good for beginners and its around €350 too.

Canon - Far too expensive, specs are too high for entry level
Nikon - (i could be wrong) do not have vibration reduction built in the body which means very expensive lenses