I want to step up from my little Nikon point and shoot. Have narrowed my search down to these two. Which one would you pick?

I shoot a 10D and a 5D I'd go with the T1i more bang for the buck and the Rebel is a proven platform.

+1 for the Rebel. Great camera. You will not be sorry.

50D is a better - more user friendly camera. If you use the great white lenses the tli will not balance well. The 50D sensor will have better image quality for several real reasons. Dr.C

I just picked up a Canon T1i. I just got back from an antelope hunt in the grasslands. I'll see if I can upload some pictures.

For what it's worth, the T1i also takes video. You need to compose the shots carefully with video though because manual focus works better than the auto. It's really not hard once you practice with it. The video is outstanding, since you have the option of various lenses.

If I had the money, I would get the new 7D. It's a bit less (w/the kit lens included) as the 5D Mark II body, which is $2,500 just for the body.

Either way, my money went into the T1i. I picked up extra SD cards, an extra telephoto lens, filters, and editing software for the same $ ast the D90. The nikon's lenses may be a bit better, but lens upgrades are always an option.

If I wanted, I can get about 1hr. 20 minutes of video on one card, though I rarely use take that much at one time...

It depends on what you are looking for in a camera. Either one will be a big upgrade compared to your point and shoot. If you simply want to get better quality pictures and don't want to play around with exposure settings etc then I would go for the T1i. The video mode is a nice extra, but as 300H&H said its manual focus so not quite the same as a camcorder.

Keep in mind that the 50D has a significantly larger and heavier body. It also has better weatherproofing/build quality. I've got both a rebel and 50D. You won't go wrong with either camera, try them out in person and see which one best fits your needs.

If you want a really good deal check out the refurbished 40Ds. They're selling for the same price as the T1i. I think they're the best bang for buck out there right now for SLR cameras.

Or check out the Pentax K7 weather and dust resistant and has all the features of above and then som.

Got the 50D and will get a chance to use it in the Maasai Mara in March

I have a 40D and if I would have waited another 6 months the 50D would have been available. Due to the fact I have many of the Canon L lens's I am pretty well stuck in tha Canon family with no regrets. Orignally they had the fastest auto focus high end lenses. That is the reason you see so many white lenes at sporting events. I think most companies have caught up today. For long term support and complementary products I would suggest to anyone stepping up to a advanced ammeture or Pro to stay with Canon or Nikon

quote:

Originally posted by Big Mo:
I want to step up from my little Nikon point and shoot. Have narrowed my search down to these two. Which one would you pick?

I have a 50d and my buddy just bought a T1i a little while back, I've shot with both.

To me the T1i is pretty much a 50d in a Rebel body. The menu's are very similar, they have the same internal processor. The T1i has the advantage of being able to shoot video and is a somewhat smaller lighter body.

The 50d is a larger more robust camera and should hold up under abuse a little better. The same freind that has the T1i had two older Rebel 350's that survived a half dozen african safari's so though the 50d may be tougher the Rebels can last a while if you take a little care with them.
The 50d can use UDMA compact flash cards which should have faster throughput than the SD cards that the T1i. The UDMA cards ain't cheap though.

They both take good pics. My buddies has a 70-200 f/4 IS on it which balances well with the smaller body and is an incredible lens.

If I had it to do over again I'd still probably get the 50D just because it feels better in my hands. If you have smaller hands like my friend you might like the feel of the Rebel better.

Either's a good choice. Get one and some good lenses and we'll be seeing some good pics from you soon.....................DJ

This is a somewhat dated thread, but you could also check out the 7D. The 7D is set up to be more resistant to weather than the T1i.

That said, I've had my T1i for awhile now. I've had it out in 15 degree weather and sometimes with temps 10 below zero. Heat pack it and it's good to go...

The videos, by the way, are awesome. I've got it set up for stability while shooting vids. I'll be upgrading to the 7D soon because I can hook up an external mic.

The videos on these are like nothing else found in a camcorder, which keeps everything in focus. I've always liked depth of field like in film which is why I went with the Canon DLSR vid option over even $4000 camcorders.

I can swap lenses out for wide angle or use 1.4 85mm lenses for low light. It's a bit of a trick to get used to but the quality is awesome!