I have had three or 4 401's, and my 500 is my better machine. I prefer it to any 400 series machine I've owned. I think the second thread arm was a significant help to the issues that the 400 series has with free motion quilting. The 400 series are known to have severe problems with free motion stitching. I would travel the extra distance or wait for a 500 vs. one that needs all the cams. You can embroider whatever you want. It's mainly the talent that drives the machine. Newer machines allow less experienced people to get great results, but I've seen amazing embroidery work and thread painting done with vintage machines.