Replacing Canon EOS20D and HDR software

[motheye]

My Canon EOS 20D has died and I'm not interested in spending money to fix it.  Any recmmendations on a replacement body?  I'm getting back into photography but am not a professional.  I have interest in taking and editing HDR images.  I also want to still use my lenses from the EOS 20D.  I would prefer to buy a used camera to get more for my money.  If I am able to rekindle my interest, I'll be looking to upgrade all my equipment but for now just want to shoot and edit good pictures.

Also, I need to get imaging software that is Mac compatible.  I am proficient with Pixelmator but I don't think it is very good for editing HDR images.   I am looking at Adobe Photoshop Elements.  Any other ideas?

Thanks for any help!

[TTMartin]

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@motheye wrote:

OK, thanks all.  I will get the 7D and it sounds like I will be very happy with it.  Can someone confirm that my 20D flash will work with it?  I'm not sure where I would find this information.  Thanks in advance!

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What model flash?

Edit: All the EX flashes will work 550EX, 580EX, 430EX, 420EX, etc.  The EZ flashes not so much.   

[motheye]

Ah got me there.  Not sure, as I haven't used it in a while. I recently moved and it is packed away somewhere.  So I will just take my chances I guess!  Thanks.

[ebiggs1]

I hope you did not leave the batteries in it.

[lly3988]

Several members in our community photography club have recently acquired Canon 40D camera bodies. Instructors also recommended EF50 1.8 STM and EFS 24 2.8 STM lenses. They are not beginners but enthusiasts who don't want to pay too much for the modern models.

  This camera is more than capable for daily shooting. Go to flickr etc and you will find tens of thousands of amazing images created by this awesome body.

It is better than older Rebels in terms of specs and construction. 10.1 mp is sufficient for rather large prints. 6.5 fps isn't slow compare to a lot of higher level cameras nowadays. 9 points AF and liveview featues are not bad at all. Magnesium alloy body is similar to 7D. If your interest is in landscape and HDR, 40D is more than enough. For you need more speed for birds and sport, you may consider 7D.

There are a lot of very nice condition 40D out there for around (CAD) $130 to $150. Depending whether it is boxed with full accessories or just the body with battery and charger only. The members all bought 40D with less than 25K shutter count and in excellent condtion.

If budget is limited, I will consider this camera and the two awesome prime lens. They are light in weight and excellent in performance. You may have some money left for a light tripod or spare batteries etc.

Just my 2 cents.

[RobertTheFat]

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lly3988 wrote:

Several members in our community photography club have recently acquired Canon 40D camera bodies. Instructors also recommended EF50 1.8 STM and EFS 24 2.8 STM lenses. They are not beginners but enthusiasts who don't want to pay too much for the modern models.

  This camera is more than capable for daily shooting. Go to flickr etc and you will find tens of thousands of amazing images created by this awesome body.

It is better than older Rebels in terms of specs and construction. 10.1 mp is sufficient for rather large prints. 6.5 fps isn't slow compare to a lot of higher level cameras nowadays. 9 points AF and liveview featues are not bad at all. Magnesium alloy body is similar to 7D. If your interest is in landscape and HDR, 40D is more than enough. For you need more speed for birds and sport, you may consider 7D.

There are a lot of very nice condition 40D out there for around (CAD) $130 to $150. Depending whether it is boxed with full accessories or just the body with battery and charger only. The members all bought 40D with less than 25K shutter count and in excellent condtion.

If budget is limited, I will consider this camera and the two awesome prime lens. They are light in weight and excellent in performance. You may have some money left for a light tripod or spare batteries etc.

Just my 2 cents.

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I can't quarrel with the reasoning, but I think I'd look for a 50D. At 15Mp (instead of 10), it was a significant jump over the 40D. I never owned a 40D, but got a lot of good pictures with my 50D back in the day. My only real beef with it was that it had no IR receiver, which limited its utility for remote shooting.

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@lly3988 wrote:

Several members in our community photography club have recently acquired Canon 40D camera bodies. Instructors also recommended EF50 1.8 STM and EFS 24 2.8 STM lenses. They are not beginners but enthusiasts who don't want to pay too much for the modern models.

  This camera is more than capable for daily shooting. Go to flickr etc and you will find tens of thousands of amazing images created by this awesome body.

It is better than older Rebels in terms of specs and construction. 10.1 mp is sufficient for rather large prints. 6.5 fps isn't slow compare to a lot of higher level cameras nowadays. 9 points AF and liveview featues are not bad at all. Magnesium alloy body is similar to 7D. If your interest is in landscape and HDR, 40D is more than enough. For you need more speed for birds and sport, you may consider 7D.

There are a lot of very nice condition 40D out there for around (CAD) $130 to $150. Depending whether it is boxed with full accessories or just the body with battery and charger only. The members all bought 40D with less than 25K shutter count and in excellent condtion.

If budget is limited, I will consider this camera and the two awesome prime lens. They are light in weight and excellent in performance. You may have some money left for a light tripod or spare batteries etc.

Just my 2 cents.

---

I can't quarrel with the reasoning, but I think I'd look for a 50D. At 15Mp (instead of 10), it was a significant jump over the 40D. I never owned a 40D, but got a lot of good pictures with my 50D back in the day. My only real beef with it was that it had no IR receiver, which limited its utility for remote shooting.

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I cannot quarrel with the reasoning, either.  I'll will just repeat my caution about software support for many older camera bodies is slowly being phased out.  For example, the Canon software released for use with the 40D runs on Windows XP, which isn't a problem if you have an old XP machine to use.

[RobertTheFat]

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Waddizzle wrote:

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RobertTheFat wrote:

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lly3988 wrote:

Several members in our community photography club have recently acquired Canon 40D camera bodies. Instructors also recommended EF50 1.8 STM and EFS 24 2.8 STM lenses. They are not beginners but enthusiasts who don't want to pay too much for the modern models.

  This camera is more than capable for daily shooting. Go to flickr etc and you will find tens of thousands of amazing images created by this awesome body.

It is better than older Rebels in terms of specs and construction. 10.1 mp is sufficient for rather large prints. 6.5 fps isn't slow compare to a lot of higher level cameras nowadays. 9 points AF and liveview featues are not bad at all. Magnesium alloy body is similar to 7D. If your interest is in landscape and HDR, 40D is more than enough. For you need more speed for birds and sport, you may consider 7D.

There are a lot of very nice condition 40D out there for around (CAD) $130 to $150. Depending whether it is boxed with full accessories or just the body with battery and charger only. The members all bought 40D with less than 25K shutter count and in excellent condtion.

If budget is limited, I will consider this camera and the two awesome prime lens. They are light in weight and excellent in performance. You may have some money left for a light tripod or spare batteries etc.

Just my 2 cents.

---

I can't quarrel with the reasoning, but I think I'd look for a 50D. At 15Mp (instead of 10), it was a significant jump over the 40D. I never owned a 40D, but got a lot of good pictures with my 50D back in the day. My only real beef with it was that it had no IR receiver, which limited its utility for remote shooting.

---

I cannot quarrel with the reasoning, either.  I'll will just repeat my caution about software support for many older camera bodies is slowly being phased out.  For example, the Canon software released for use with the 40D runs on Windows XP, which isn't a problem if you have an old XP machine to use.

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I have no trouble editing RAW files from my 50D (and from my wife's T2i) with Digital Photo Professional Version 4 on a Windows 10 computer. (With Version 3 I can even edit files from our old XTi's.) I might be more concerned about finding batteries for a 40D than about incompatibility of the software.

[ebiggs1]

" I'll will just repeat my caution about software support for many older camera bodies is slowly being phased out"

This is the point!  Why trade an obsolete camera for another obsolete camera. Just to upgrade it later?

There is no doubt the 40D and/or the 50D are good cameras but most any DSLR is a good camera when you come down to it.  I know a Star reporter that still uses a 40D so it can be done.

Canon does not make any bad cameras nor any bad lenses.  There are just some that qualify as better choices for the situation.  Yours seems to lean towards a more relevant camera like the 7D.  It will stay relevant for longer, years longer, than a 40D.  But whatever your decision is, getting back into photography is the goal.  Right? 

[motheye]

Thanks guys, I'm taking all this in.  Much appreciated.

[TTMartin]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@lly3988 wrote:

Several members in our community photography club have recently acquired Canon 40D camera bodies. Instructors also recommended EF50 1.8 STM and EFS 24 2.8 STM lenses. They are not beginners but enthusiasts who don't want to pay too much for the modern models.

  This camera is more than capable for daily shooting. Go to flickr etc and you will find tens of thousands of amazing images created by this awesome body.

It is better than older Rebels in terms of specs and construction. 10.1 mp is sufficient for rather large prints. 6.5 fps isn't slow compare to a lot of higher level cameras nowadays. 9 points AF and liveview featues are not bad at all. Magnesium alloy body is similar to 7D. If your interest is in landscape and HDR, 40D is more than enough. For you need more speed for birds and sport, you may consider 7D.

There are a lot of very nice condition 40D out there for around (CAD) $130 to $150. Depending whether it is boxed with full accessories or just the body with battery and charger only. The members all bought 40D with less than 25K shutter count and in excellent condtion.

If budget is limited, I will consider this camera and the two awesome prime lens. They are light in weight and excellent in performance. You may have some money left for a light tripod or spare batteries etc.

Just my 2 cents.

---

I can't quarrel with the reasoning, but I think I'd look for a 50D. At 15Mp (instead of 10), it was a significant jump over the 40D. I never owned a 40D, but got a lot of good pictures with my 50D back in the day. My only real beef with it was that it had no IR receiver, which limited its utility for remote shooting.

---

I cannot quarrel with the reasoning, either.  I'll will just repeat my caution about software support for many older camera bodies is slowly being phased out.  For example, the Canon software released for use with the 40D runs on Windows XP, which isn't a problem if you have an old XP machine to use.

---

I have no trouble editing RAW files from my 50D (and from my wife's T2i) with Digital Photo Professional Version 4 on a Windows 10 computer. (With Version 3 I can even edit files from our old XTi's.) I might be more concerned about finding batteries for a 40D than about incompatibility of the software.

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The 40D and 50D use the same batteries. The BP511 battery was used in Canon camcorders as well as their dSLRs. There are dozens of 3rd party sources if Canon ever stopped making them.

Having extensively used the 40D, 50D, classic 7D and 7D Mk II, here's my opinion.

For a couple hundred dollars the 40D is simply an amazing deal. It has aged very well, and still outclasses new entry level Rebels T#.

The biggest advantage of the 50D over 40D isn't really the megapixels, but, ability to micro focus adjust lenses. That is the reason to choose it over the 40D if found at similar pricing.

The classsic 7D is a big step over both of those. Here is a comparison I did between the 50D, classic 7D, and the 7D Mk II.

Frames per second

• 50D - 6.3
• 7D - 8
• 7D Mk II - 10

RAW buffer

• 50D - 16
• 7D - 15 later increased to 22 with firmware.
• 7D Mk II - 31

Cross-type AF Points

• 50D - 9
• 7D - 19
• 7D Mk II - 65

Megapixels

• 50D - 15
• 7D - 18
• 7D Mk II - 20

ISO Range

• 50D - ISO 100-3200
• 7D - ISO 100-6400
• 7D Mk II - ISO 100-16000

Metering

• 50D - 35 zone
• 7D - 63 zone IFCL
• 7D Mk II - 150,000-pixel RGB+IR 252-zone metering system