JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Ae you sure that your friend's photos are sharper than yours because he has a better camera, or could he just have better technique?

SteveR Loc: Michigan

No.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Dog, welcome to the Hog!
I agree with John Swanda.
You have no idea if what he uses is even better than what you use.
First, you need to find out what he does that you're not doing.
Let your friend take some shots with his camera then you set up your camera just like his and let him take some pics with your camera. See then if there is still a difference.
You might just be chasing your tail and no amount of new cameras will help.
Eliminate all the non-camera variables first, then worry about the camera/lens.
Again, welcome and good luck!
SS

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

Would "cheap" have sounded better? Lotsa cheap DSLRs out there.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

James Robert, we don't call people names in this forum. If you get a friendly reminder from Admin you'll know it was because of me.

ampariso

I'd suggest the canon 24-105 F/4 L. I own a number of Canon L series lenses but this has been my go to Travel lens and I have literally used it all over the world. It is relatively inexpensive for an L series lens and now that the mark II version is out you should be able to pick up one at a bargin price. It was often sold as a kit lens with high end canon cameras and as a result there are a lot available on the used market at good prices. It will produce good quality images and it is compact enough to carry all day when traveling.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Does it really make sense to buy new lenses when he's trying to match the sharpness of a 24MP D7100 using a 15MP 50D??? I recognize that Canon makes some excellent lenses, but I don't see how they could possibly make up for that kind of handicap.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

The Canon EF 24-105 f/4 L IS is a very sharp lens. It will outlive your 50D.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Can you post an image that you've taken that you think could be "sharper"? From my experience, most kit lenses are quite sharp, especially this lens. You can't really get much sharper. What you will get with a more costly lens might be the ability to use a larger aperture, but there is nothing at all wrong with this lens - unless you have a bad copy which is always a possibility.

http://www.photozone.de/reviews/181-canon-ef-s-18-55mm-f35-56-is-test-report--review

From the concluding verdict:

"There were a few moments when I considered not to publish the results due to "political correctness" because to date it was a quite absurd thought that such a cheap, or better "affordable", lens can perform this good and I'm sure that some will not believe the findings even though they're supported by the published field images. Anyway, the resolution capabilities of the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is nothing short of amazing. This is also surprising regarding the rather small changes in the optical design compared to the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II. Still - the center resolution is excellent throughout the range even at wide-open aperture. Unlike most dedicated APS-C standard zoom lenses it is capable to keep a very good level even at the extreme corners of the image field. Its resolution characteristic is similar to the (much higher priced) EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS at comparable aperture settings, quite a bit better than the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 USM IS and naturally vastly improved over its non-IS predecessor!"

Nikon is not necessarily "better" if you are comparing your camera and lens to a comparable model at a similar price point and sensor resolution. At each price point both mfgrs are quite competitive and produce decent gear capable of excellent image quality, even with stock lenses.

At the entry level, you give up camera features, build quality, weather sealing, handling, etc compared to the pro cameras, but at F8 you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between an image taken with your camera and lens and one taken with a higher-end cropped sensor Nikon. In absolute terms, a 24 mp camera will offer a small resolution advantage over one with 18 mp, but in practical use, especially after you downsample for social media posting, there is less of a difference between them than you would think.

Posting an image will help determine if there are issues with your gear.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

A lot of times it's the sensor that can make a big difference too don't forget. Maybe that Nikon just has a better sensor. I bet if you got a Canon with a better sensor the photo's could be sharper?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Sigma is one brand that comes to mind. The Sigma Art 18-35, and the 24-105 are pretty impressive - and they are really good on Canon bodies.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Your 50D is a design going back almost nine years. A lot of photographic technology has improved in that time. As for a better Canon lens, look for an L lens, Canon's best. Of course, a lens costing $1,000+ won't guarantee good pictures, so look at Canon's other lenses and read reviews.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/guide-canon-l-series-lenses
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/397662-USA/Canon_0344B002AA_24_105mm_f_4L_IS_USM.html

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

And he still wouldn't be able to use handicap parking.

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

The sharpest lenses Canon makes are the "L" series lenses. I would recommend starting with a 24-105mm IS L Lens first.

katawny

canon 24-70l 2.8