My new to me Canon EOS 50D came out for a test run today. Insert new CR-2016 battery? Check. Flip language to English? Check. Set date and time properly? Check. Clean and test sensor? Check. Delete old dust data? Check. Set to RAW image quality? Fuck!
Winter tried to make a return today, although it wasn’t entirely successful. The temperature didn’t make it above seven degrees Celsius this afternoon and I heard tell it snowed in Calgary. It may have. My hysterical deafness kicks in at this time of year when I hear the s-word. In any case, it was cold, the lighting was flat, and I didn’t make it farther than my back yard. I photographed one living thing, two dead things, and called it quits for the evening.
Having captured the perfunctory test pics, I came back inside to see how the images looked coming off of a 50D. Well, they looked like some asshat shot them in JPEG instead of RAW format, which I hate. Thank heavens the lighting wasn’t contrasty, so they are usable.
Strathmore, AB, 2024-04-26
AB, 2024-04-26
I have only shot about ten frames on this camera so far, but I can already tell by looking at fully enlarged files that the 50D doesn’t have the same per pixel sharpness that its predecessor – the 40D – did and that is using the same lens. The new model gained fifty percent more megapixels, but the image quality may have actually gone backwards. I would have felt burned if I had bought this new as an upgrade from a 40D, I can tell you that. As a dirt cheap (barely) used camera in mint condition, it was a good deal, but I will be surprised if the 50D outperforms a 40D in a shootout despite the extra megapixels.
We’ll see what tomorrow brings, and in RAW format this time.
Today’s camera was obviously a Canon EOS 50D and with my Canon 70-300 EF IS USM f4-5.6 lens hanging off the front.
