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Archive 2013 · 5D classic, please help me decide.

  
 
dhphoto
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


15Bit wrote:
But can you suggest a camera for 450 quid that takes better pictures?


550D/T2i, the best 'bag for buck' dslr ever made, great camera.



May 15, 2013 at 01:51 PM
15Bit
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


dhphoto wrote:
550D/T2i, the best 'bag for buck' dslr ever made, great camera.


I should have included "FF" in that sentence, shouldn't I?

You're probably right about the 550D - excellent sensor at a very reasonable price.



May 15, 2013 at 01:56 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


I'm not so sure. I owned (and still own) a 5D and used it as my primary camera for 3 1/2 years of so before getting a 5D2.

Given the significant differences between the 5D and 5D2 I would only recommend the 5D to a very narrow slice of potential buyers: need full frame right now, needs features of FF besides higher photosite count, extremely cost-constrained, and willing to give up a bunch of really useful features in the 5D2 and 5D3 including live view, video, automatic sensor cleaning, and more.

The prices on used 5D2 bodies have come down so much that the cost differential is not what it was a year ago.

By the way, I loved the 5D and produced many excellent photographs with mine. That said, by every possible measure the 5D2 is equal or better - and in some important cases it provides useful features not found on the 5D.

Dan



May 15, 2013 at 01:58 PM
dhphoto
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


gdanmitchell wrote:
By the way, I loved the 5D and produced many excellent photographs with mine. That said, by every possible measure the 5D2 is equal or better - and in some important cases it provides useful features not found on the 5D.



That's what I said, or at least what I meant, I have owned four 5D's (still have one) and earned many thousands with them, but they are really looking dated now and with the 6D available the 5DII is wonderful value now - and it *IS* a significantly better camera than the 5D and has IQ the equal of the current best (and IQ is what the OP wanted)



May 15, 2013 at 02:01 PM
15Bit
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


gdanmitchell wrote:
The prices on used 5D2 bodies have come down so much that the cost differential is not what it was a year ago.


It maybe different in the US, but here a 5DII is still more than 2x the cost of a 5D.



May 15, 2013 at 02:08 PM
WilliamFinley
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Images out of this thing (5D Classic) are absolutely beautiful. Still my favorite after all these years. No plan on retiring this thing yet. For the money, it's not really a gamble to try one out at least. Careful though...you might get addicted

Bill



May 15, 2013 at 02:19 PM
Matt Ward
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Wow, I did not expect this level of very good responses. I do tend to count on autofocus, I do love the response time in focusing the 7D and FF is not something that is required by anything I do. A dirt cheap beater 5D would get me started, but sounds like I really should save a few summers and look at the Mark III on the used market or maybe a Mark II in the next 12-18 months. I want to be able to use my 17-35 L or a 16-35 in the future and have a true wide angle. I would love to use a 15mm or a 14L again as a true wide angle. The 7D is very frustrating to me since I do not have a true rectilinear wide angle quality zoom to work with, even though I own a 17-35. In my film days I loved my wide FD's and really miss that perspective.

I figure I will own a good APS-C unit for many years, like the 1.6 multiplication factor with my old 80-200/2.8L and 300/4 IS and would not want to live without that.

I have never shot with a FF, only a 1.6x and 1.3x... I am seeing 5DII's in the 1350-1400 range, that is out of reach for awhile and I just do not like the feel of the 6D body. I may settle for a 6D at some point.

Thanks again.
Matt



May 15, 2013 at 02:21 PM
15Bit
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Matt Ward wrote:
The 7D is very frustrating to me since I do not have a true rectilinear wide angle quality zoom to work with, even though I own a 17-35. In my film days I loved my wide FD's and really miss that perspective.


For not a lot more than a used 5D you could get an EF-S 10-22mm....



May 15, 2013 at 02:25 PM
StillFingerz
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


15Bit wrote:
It maybe different in the US, but here a 5DII is still more than 2x the cost of a 5D.


Here on FM; these last 5 months...5Dc bodies have been going from $550-$750, while 5D2 bodies are from $1250-$1700.

2x the cost has been fairly consistent since late last year, on very rare occasion I've seen a 5D2 at $1100 body only but it was a beater, 1st line body that had a high actuation count.

I've been looking near everyday, thinking of an alternative to a 6D kit, there is little fluctuation in pricing, even new body pricing is back up to near original pricing levels

If you can find either 5D body at the lower end that is in good condition...grab it if budget permits.



May 15, 2013 at 02:29 PM
DocsPics
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Help Matt buy this 5D II https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1212721/0#11552344

I'll start with a $10 contribution. (I know, very generous of me )



May 15, 2013 at 02:32 PM
Gunzorro
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Matt -- Then get a 5D now! Don't buy a beater though. Buy a nice low-mileage model around 20k clicks for around $600. If you get one that stays in good shape, you'll be able to sell it later to help move up to a newer model. But don't wait to enjoy your 17-35L! If you have LR4 you know how easy it is to clean up the CA color fringing on that lens -- you'll see more with FF. But after LR4 you'd hardly know CA existed.


May 15, 2013 at 02:33 PM
jamato8
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


I didn't read if anyone has stated it but be sure and get one with the mirror fix so it doesn't come loose on you. I had mine done. I use the 5DIII now but the 5D is special, more film like, IMO.



May 15, 2013 at 03:02 PM
Grantland
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Matt Ward wrote:
I have never shot with a FF, only a 1.6x and 1.3x
Matt


this says it all. once you shoot a FF with your wide lenses . . . you will wonder why you waited so long.

i say buy a 5dc and use it. if you love it keep it. if not, just sell it. no worries.



Edited on May 15, 2013 at 03:10 PM · View previous versions



May 15, 2013 at 03:09 PM
vaflower
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


I would advise against getting a 5D as your main camera as it lacks some basic and necessary features such as micro adjust and live view. Micro adjust is a must for any camera- lens system nowadays if you want to take a full advantages of your equipments. For example, there is litter point of shooting with 135L if it needs -10 AF adjust but you don't or can't MA adjust to that value.




May 15, 2013 at 03:09 PM
Matt Ward
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · 5D classic, please help me decide.



PhotoMaximum - I do follow Strobist.com, I have 2 580's and a 430 with umbrellas and usually travel with 1 set to help even out light and make things less harsh. I love the site btw. That site has taught me much about proper flash use.

DocsPics - Your camera and the stuff with it at a great price is what made me ask this question. BTW, looks like a great deal.

15bit - I have tried the 10-22 EF-s and just did not care for it, plus it would be a lens that would not be interchangeable on my film body and future FF. I have avoided EF-s lenses thus far. The images from the 17-35 are just so crisp and sharp, and when I get the chance to borrow a 16-35 II, I really hate to give it back... But, there again bucks and not using the gear for real paid work.

I plan to retire in about 7 years and really hope to open a small home based studio, to continue to a second career. Right now, I fill a niche that helps lower income families have the photos of kids that they would not be able to afford otherwise. Does not pay well, but is rewarding!

Matt



May 15, 2013 at 03:16 PM
Matt Ward
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


BTW, micro adjust had not even crossed my mind. The 7D does it and I have set mine and forgotten that going forward. Very valid point, my 24-70 never really blew me out of the water on the 20D but after MA on the 7D it is awesome.


May 15, 2013 at 03:27 PM
BrianJ
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


I've owned two 5D (originals) for several years, second purchased in 2009 I think, and just got a 7D to replace my 20D about a month ago. Looking at my own images, I feel that in general the 5D produces higher quality, less noisy, images. I have never had an issue with the 5D AF, but then I only use center point focusing. As others have said, the features of the 5D are dated, but I find them adequate.

In terms of pixels per duck, however, the 7D wins when focal length limited (I only have a 100-400). I use it, as I did the 20D, almost strictly for wildlife (and use the 5D, feature limited as it is, for everything else).



May 15, 2013 at 03:28 PM
rabbitmountain
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Hi Matt,
I have used a 5D practically from its birth, that is a good seven years now. And still today it is competitive. I read every single contribution to your question and I noticed that many consider the 5D to be limited when compared to a 5DmkII. Well yes of course a 5DmkII is better. It's a mkII and it should be. But in my own experience, for my purposes, the 5D is much closer to the 5DmkII. I picked up a 5DmkII about 8 months ago alongside my 5D and shot them both ever since.
* ISO: I use my 5D at ISO3200 with confidence for paid assignments. Yes there will be visible noise at pixel level but I don't shoot for bill boards. My clients will never be bothered by the noise. I will use the 5DmkII up to ISO6400 so just one stop difference.
* AF: So far, I have done several assignments in dark venues. My 5D has performed as good as the 5DmkII or better. Teamed up with a 70-200mkII or a 35/1.4 my 5D simply keeps delivering quality, in-focus images.
* Micro-Adjust: Yes it's neat. Yes it's powerful. Well I don't need to tell you, because you own a 7D. But I find MA most beneficial with rental, borrowed or newly acquired lenses. Because you can quickly make a lens you're unfamiliar with perform well. I have done very well for years and years without MA (on my 5D) but I did stop at Canon with each new lens (this amounts to 3 visits in 7 years) to have it calibrated. Once your lenses are calibrated well, having to live without MA is a non issue.
* Larger and better LCD: Yes it helps if you chimp a lot. Or if you use Live View. For normal shooting, at least for my assignments, the difference is not as huge as some write about.
* Live View: no contest, the 5D doesn't feature it. Do you need it? Get a mkII. But if you keep your 7D, you will have LiveView anyway.
* 5D vs 7D: no contest, as long as you're not reach limited. If you do get yourself a 5D and start using it, you will see for yourself. It's in a different league. The 5D will soon become your go to camera, not the 7D.

Last week I did a paid shoot in very low light for a client that will not need large prints. I used both cameras (5D and 5DmkII) and there is no way anyone could tell which camera took which shot. I used ISO3200 on the 5D and ISO6400 on the 5DmkII. I left my flashes in the bag and I do know how to use them.

These are all of course my own findings and other people's needs may be different and call for better bodies. I merely wanted to show you that a 5D may still be tailored to one's needs if one's needs are like mine. And maybe your needs are like mine and a 5D is just the ticket for you, only you can tell. Make no mistake, I'm a paid pro and I make money with my equipment. None of my clients ever complained about OOF images, noise or other imperfections. Go ask yourself why. The 5D delivers high quality images.

I am a big fan of good gear (good glass mostly) and I recently asked myself what I would do if by chance I would have 50000 $$ to spend on gear. What would I get? Would I get a 5DmkIII? A 1Dx? Where would it end? When would I be satisfied? It was then that I realised I am actually quite happy with the equipment I have because I can make people happy with my images. And my 5D still plays a pivotal role in that. Remember for the price difference between 5D and 5DmkII you can get yourself some very nice (used) glass, like a 135L or a 70-200/4IS.

Good luck!

Stay good,

Ralph



May 15, 2013 at 07:32 PM
veroman
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


Hello Matt. Ralph's post (above) speaks from experience and wisdom. I hope you've listened to him and taken his thoughts to heart.

I, too, have owned the 5D Classic from the earliest days of its release. I've also owned the 10D, 1Ds, 1Ds Mark II, 1Dx, 5D Mark II, 30D, 40D, xsi and xti.

And yet, after all these years, it's the 5D Classic that I once again brought to a photo assignment yesterday and came home with over 300 gorgeous images of a large home/estate in the affluent community of Spring Lake, NJ. In other words, I no longer own and use the 10D, 1Ds, 1Ds Mark II, 1Dx, 5D II or xsi. Don't need 'em. Don't want 'em. The 5D Classic is all the camera I need for just about anything I want to shoot ... except perhaps for sports and fast moving animals or kids. I don't do sports or wildlife and all my kids are grown up.

The 5D Classic can be criticized for any number of things, i.e. its poor LCD, 9-point AF, clunky shutter sound, no MA, no video, underwhelming body, etc. But the one thing it can't be criticized for ... and never will be criticized for ... is image quality.

Gorgeous. Sharp. Rich. Detailed. Realistic. Pliable RAW. And more. It's way at the top of a list of cameras that deliver the goods, right up there with Nikon's D3, Olympus' E-5 and Leica's M9.

While so many photographers .. pros and enthusiasts alike ... struggle with what to buy next from the latest crop of bodies from all the different manufacturers, I can say without a doubt that I struggle with nothing. I have a 5D Classic (and still have the 40D as backup) and am in want of zero. In terms of IQ, it's truly a great camera. I know of no one who has ever said otherwise. Easy to use, big & bright finder, and utterly, completely reliable.

- Steve



May 15, 2013 at 08:22 PM
padmasana
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · 5D classic, please help me decide.


A 5D Classic sure is a nice companion to the 7D.
I bought a 5D Classic a couple years ago to complement a 7D. Sold the 5D when I got a 5D3. Bought another when my girlfriend was able to go to Cuba and then couldn't see parting with a 5D Classic yet again.
Just last week I chose to take it to Mt. Tam, Big Sur and San Francisco along with the 5D3. Sometimes, it's nothing short of a perfect second camera.



May 15, 2013 at 09:09 PM
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