is a 30d body a good partner to a 40d as a 2nd body?

[plba1126]

<p>Thanks to everyone's great opinions here, I've decided to rent lenses for now and put money towards a 2nd body for when I shoot weddings.</p>

<p>The thing is, a 30d is a couple of hundred $ cheaper than a 40d, but is there such a big difference between the two. Only thing I see is the megapixels and better ISO on the 40. Should I just get a 30d or save a little longer and get a 40d?</p>

[buffdr_rasouliyan]

<p>I for one hated my 40D. I guess I expected a step up from my 30D. Ok, so it did have a better AF and bigger screen (although it was a lousy screen) for some weird reason I liked the 30 better than the 40D? But after I transferred the files I was OK with owning the 40D. At the end I sold both of them and moved to full frame and a 7D. All is good now. My final answer is save a little longer and get a used 5D mark I. v/r Buffdr</p>

[geoffs1]

<p>I use my old 20D as a backup to my 40D. No problems.</p>

[wgpinc]

<p>To me the controls between the 30D and 40D are just enough different to make me want to have 2 40D. But you could certainly get by with the 30D. It just won't be as seamless to move from one to the other.</p>

[francie_baltazar]

<p>I use a 40d and and 30d and I am looking to trade with a photograph friend my 30 for her 40... she started on the 30 and loves it - I started on the 40 and love it... they are very close in use... but enough different to make it a pain... 30d is a good solid camera for starting out - spend your extra money on high quality L lenses...</p>

[ekuseni]

<p>I've had no problems using a 30D as backup for the 40D</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Given your previous posts and assuming you still have the tamron 17 to 50 and the EF28-135 and have not bought the EF85F/1.8 and you are still on a tight budget, I think the 30D would suffice. <br>

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A 5D or similar would be silly choice, whilst you have the tamron 17 to 50 as your main working lens. <br>

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If you are serious about the 30D as a BACK UP CAMERA, I think you should look into buying a 20D, from a reputable dealer, and compare prices, as budget seems a prime concern to you, at this time.<br>

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I think the EF50F/1.8 MkII would be a sold investment for a portrait lens if you still want a Prime for that purpose and have not yet bought the 85. The 50mm lens will be one you will use in the future, IMO.<br>

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But I hasten to add, with the tamrom as your main working lens and an APS-C body as your main camera, the 50mm is TOO LONG for <strong ><em >a back up fast Prime on a budget</em></strong>: the EF35F/2 or EF28F/1.8 are better choices. As well as requiring a back up body for Wedding work, you also need a fall back lens plan, should your main lens be rendered useless (the same apples to Flash gear). <br>

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*** <br>

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These "what will I buy next" threads are frequent. <br>

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My serious advice to you is to sit down and map out exactly what the gear is you want as your final Wedding Kit. Do that choosing from the gear which is available at this time, do not guess what is in the development pipeline.<br>

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You need to get to fundamental questions like: What format will I use? Will I use Primes or Zooms or both, What will I actually carry most of the time (one camera, two cameras three cameras . . .)<br>

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And then you need to prioritize the next purchase and make a time line to purchase it. . .<br>

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As a practical example: if you decide that you want a 135 format (“Full Frame”) or a Dual Format kit, then buying a 30D or a 40D (or 20D) as “back up” now could be wasted money . . . have you canvassed the idea of borrowing or renting for the next four weeks? . . .dedicatedly putting away enough money each week (which might mean making sandwiches for lunch and taking a water bottle rather than buying lunch at a cafe each day) to get EXACTLY the camera you want in 4 weeks time.<br>

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The same logic (and determination) applies, if you want to have a kit with two 40D’s.<br>

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I mention this as it seems to me that you are chopping and changing the “what to buy” without an end goal mind and also without any definitive plan to get to it. <br>

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WW </p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>Consider a T1i or better yet a T2i. They produce great files and can be used about as well as a 30D.</p>

<p>Otherwise, a 30d would work great. I used them for second bodies for a couple of years with great results. Better AF than the 5D1's I had.</p>

[jim_krupnik]

<p>I needed to dive into the DSLR reality for work about the time the 30D was introduced. Since I had been shooting Canon 35 mm since 1972 or so, and had been using EOS gear since the 630 hit the street, brand wasn't an issue. I already had plenty of field time with a 20D that belonged to a co-worker, and aside from a few minor gripes, like the tiny rear screen, I liked it. <br>

I bought one of the "new" 30D bodies to try out, and it fit into my work routine perfectly. I just needed to juggle some lens selections to suit the crop sensor capture area, and put a battery grip on it so I can use a handstrap to carry it (I hate neck straps). I bought the grip, a couple of EF-S lenses to smooth out the crop sensor gaps, and within a year, I bought a second 30D to complete my switch to digital at work. Those 30D cameras took several years of hard commercial use and abuse, and always delivered the goods for me.</p>

<p>Some folks on the net complained that the rear screen wasn't very color-accurate, but I never had a problem. Besides, I always shoot RAW, so I really couldn't care less about having a color perfect rear display. As a rule, I'd start a run with a shot of a white or grey target for general work related shooting, and in industrial settings with funky lighting systems, I also set custom WB to make the previews look right.</p>

<p>When the 40D came out, I sold my latest 30D body to make room. I added the 50D as a third body, rather than sell off the remaining 30D. The shot below is of the 30, 40, 50 trio in late 2008. Last year, my boss was given the word by his wife that she wanted to step up to a DSLR. Perfect timing! She now owns my first 30D, and I replaced it with a 7D. All in all, I never hesitated to rely on the 30D. If it was wearing the lens I needed for the job at hand, it went to work. It's a great camera, and even though time marches on, it still fits the hand like a comfortable xxD glove, and it's sensor is plenty large for monster prints, and just large enough to allow a bit of cropping without paying an IQ tax.</p>

<p>You will need to clean the sensor from time to time, as the 30D was born just before sensor shakers, and special coatings started to appear in the Canon lineup. It's no big deal, and only takes 4 minutes every few weeks of heavy use, and a palm sized kit with a year supply of cleaning pads only costs about 15 bucks. I still have to clean my 40D sensor from time to time. It wasn't until the 50D that Canon really put the cleaning issue to bed.</p>

<p>Good luck!<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2941033064_d7ac80e1f4_b.jpg" alt="" /> </p>