Canon camera

[Katana]

Hi Brian, 

I own a canon 650d, and the noise at 100iso is ridiculous (slider is nearly at 100 for noise and 25+ for colour removal), Im looking to upgrade but am unsure which camera is a good one to look at ($for value) 

Completely a hobby photographer so not wanting a 5dmk5 or anything silly. 

Is there a canon you would recommend or should I be considering another brand of body? 

Thanks in advance 

[Brian]

Well, lets talk budget and what lenses you currently have. 

 

[Katana]

Budget I'm trying to be flexible with but the closer to the $1500 mark the better.

I have the 2 kit lenses 

55-250 1:4-5.6

18-55mm 1:3-5.6

As well as a 

50mm 1.8 

24-105mm 1:4L 

I dont think the 24-105 focuses correctly on my 650d either 

 

[Brian]

OK, so you have two kit lenses for a crop body and two full frame lenses (the 50 and 24-105). Which direction were you planning to go? Stay on a Crop Body or upgrade to Full Frame?

[Katana]

That would really depend. I cant decide based on zero knowledge, the cameras I have seen in my price range are the 6d, 7d and 80d. But I'm not sure if the 6d is worth the extra few hundred or if the 7d or 80d would be better "bang for buck" 

[Brian]

Since you are coming from a Rebel T4i / 650D, to keep your budget low, I'd look at a Canon 6D Mark II if looking to jump to full frame. You could use your 24-105 f/4 lens on it and your 50mm f/1.8. The good news is that you'll get your "wide" back with your 24-105, so it's similar to your 18-55, well, more like 15-66mm...meaning you will have more reach and have a wider angle of view with your 24-105 on a Full Frame Body vs. a crop. The 24-105 is really meant for full frame cameras.

It seems the 7D Mark II is discontinued at B&H and I can only seem to find them in "kits" with battery-grips and a bunch of other stuff. That tells me either a Mark III version is coming or Canon is not paying attention to this class of camera.

Unfortunately, all the current buzz is about the recently released mirrorless camera bodies, on both Canon and Nikon. So for us DSLR folks, our choices are a bit long in the tooth. If you do decide to jump ship and head over to Nikon or another brand, I could point you in the direction to the same class camera that you currently have, or recommend something like a Nikon D7500 and 16-80 lens...but that puts your budget over $1500. You could also get a model that is one step up from yours, is equivalent to a 80D, and that is the Nikon D5600 with a 18-55 and 70-300 lens. Or if going full frame with Nikon, there is a heck of a deal on a D750 w/ battery-grip and 24-120 lens.

Edit: The Nikon 750 is a fine camera and I love the sensor in that thing. In fact, if they could put that sensor in a D810 body, it would be a dream camera. The downside to the D750 is it' not very rugged, so if you are hard on your gear, this could pose a problem. It has also suffered from multiple recalls, but Nikon has seemed to have gotten past that, so while now would be the time to purchase this camera, it's a bit old in the line-up and is overdue for a replacement. Still, if looking to switch to Nikon, personally, I'd start with this camera. Especially since it's such a good price with the current instant-rebates.

The toughest part about switching brands is the up-front cost. It's not only the camera body, but lenses. Long term, if I were to invest in camera gear, it would be upgrading to full-frame, regardless of brand. Not only for the lens choices, but if you were to switch to Mirrorless at some point, you have a greater chance of full frame lenses working with the Mirrorless Adapter mount. Plus, it seems that there has been a push more towards full frame and there just doesn't seem to be any real development with Crop Bodies. It's just refreshes on the current stuff and crop lenses seem to be not a priority either.

[Brian]

I just had another thought:

What about buying a used body and a new lens? You could start with a Nikon D700 and purchase something like a new Nikon 24-120 f/4 VR  or How about buying a used Canon 5D Mark III and using your 24-105? I know you don't want to go crazy, but getting a camera that you could grow into, might be the best option for you. It would help with your Noise problem.

[Katana]

I had thought about a second hand body, but not knowing how its been treated/history does put me off slightly, at least with new I can go and throw it back at the sales person and tell them to fix it ? 

Ive seen alot of the canon 6d m1 (like the one in the link) new in my budget but with reviews on the 7d I wasnt sure if I should go the full frame. 

I was worried about the cost of switching over to Nikon, so its definitely some thing to think about! I may wait it out a bit longer to see the 5d3 go onto clearence when they release upgrades

Keeping in mind I dont intend on ever doing paid shoots etc, I'm just a hobbiest that likes to take photos of animals and my partners neice and nephew

[Brian]

5D3 has already been replaced with the 5DM4. 

What I would do is see if you can find a Best Buy Flagship Store that’s near you. They have all sorts of bodies on display. Even the big bodies like a Nikon D850 or Canon 5DM4. 

Hold the cameras, go into the menus and fiddle with them. Right now everything is on the table. Budget-wise, sticking with Canon will be the cheapest route. 

I still would upgrade to Full Frame, but that’s just me. 

[Katana]

Thanks Brian, definitely alot of great info to digest, I appreciate the time ?