I just bought a refurb 5D Mk II and upgraded from my 40D. I have loved the 40D but wanted to go FF. For what I figured I could sell the 40D for I just kept it as a backup. I figure if I ever need to shoot in a hostile environment with like sand or from a boat or something it is a good compromise, plus of course if my 5D Mk II were to break on a trip or something it would be there too. It is 'only' 10 MP, but does well up through about ISO 800 IMHO, and has live view and a very similar set of controls to the 5D Mk II. I was even surprised that the size and weight difference seems pretty minimal between the 2 cameras.
I would think you could get a 40D for pretty cheap and have a very solid APS-C backup body.
I have my old 400D as a backup if I ever need it. I've seen those selling on craigslist for very cheap lately. If I were shooting for money I'd probably want something a little better, though.
I got a 40D as backup to my 5Dclassic. I think it's a great combo. I'm used to focusing with the AE-L button, set aperture with the focus point select button and select focus points just by turning the dial. I can do all of that with the 40D too Same settings. Great! And cheap to get.
Michaelparris wrote:
There is a guy posting some pretty good stuff done with off camera flash and a 300D....Is a 300D pushing it a bit? They are very cheap....
300D is very noisy at high iso. I think a 350D would be better. And still very cheap.
Considering that you'll never use it I would search for a 20D on craigslist. It has very obvious controls and won't hurt your bank account too much.
High shutter counts and diminished features shouldn't be a big deal for you since it's only an insurance policy.
Realistically you'll only use it for a week before getting your 5D II back to you after repair (less if you belong to CPS).
Perhaps if you gave an actual dollar amount you had in mind, that would help. If $300-$400, I'd go for a 40D as others have mentioned. The other benefit of a 40D is the 6.5 fps which is something that might be useful from time to time instead of the 3.9fps of the 5d II.
