Having owned all of the cameras in question I'd go: 7D, 5D and 1Ds (by a big margin). The 1Ds requires a lot of light to look good. Once you get to ISO 640 or 800 you get way too much noise. That plus the huge batteries make it a no go for me. The 5D classic is a solid camera but a bit outdated by today's standards. The 7D gives you the most bang for your buck at the price you can get it for. If you can stretch your budget to $1150-1250 you can probably get a used 5D2. You have to be diligent in searching on this forum as well as many others to find one for that cheap. The Canon loyalty program is a GREAT way to buy as well. I've bought several cameras through the program and all the refurbs I've purchased have been as new. The 5D2 performs so much better than your other options at higher ISOs and also gives the full frame look. All in all, for $650. you're in a good place if you can get the 7D for that.
So summarising - the 1Ds really is too old and is more of a nostalgia camera. The 5D will give you FF and marginally the best image quality. And the 7D will give you damn good IQ and modern features and interface. So you should buy a 5D mk2
I have a 5D, and bought it rather than a 7D. I haven't regretted that decision. I have great depth of field control, a big bright VF that i can use reliably for manual focus, and i get beautiful 13MP images from it. I view my images primarily on a PC screen, and occasionally print up to 12 inches long, at which the images look great. I don't miss live view at all, though i would like sensor cleaning. On occasion I also miss the extra reach and better AF of the 7D, and i do prefer the EF-S 10-22mm on crop over the EF 17-40mm on FF. Given that i never enter the menu system to do anything other than format a memory card, i don't see a "modern menu system" as any sort of attraction.
Bottom line: Buying either a 5D or 7D you get an excellent camera. Which one you go for should be determined by your photographic needs.
^^ That's exactly what I'm saying. I've had all the cameras mentioned and the 5D2 is way better than all of them with the possible exception of the 7D for sports or situations where a crop sensor might be beneficial. The 5D classic is a good camera but the 5D2 is worlds better IMHO. All the other mentioned cameras have tradeoffs. The 1Ds is too noisy in low light, has an inconvenient, heavy battery system, etc. The 5D is a nice camera but doesn't perform nearly as well in low light and doesn't have the IQ and the feature set that newer cameras possess like video and also isn't close in high ISO performance. The 7D is the best compromise of the listed cameras because it has the modern feature set, however, it's a crop sensor. Which is why the 5D2 is the camera the OP should get IF he can afford it. It's not a compromise, it just works right. Ideally, he'd be picking up a 5D3 but that camera is clearly not in the ballpark budget-wise like the others. The 5D2 is close enough to warrant consideration.
akivisuals wrote:
^^ That's exactly what I'm saying. I've had all the cameras mentioned and the 5D2 is way better than all of them with the possible exception of the 7D for sports or situations where a crop sensor might be beneficial. The 5D classic is a good camera but the 5D2 is worlds better IMHO. All the other mentioned cameras have tradeoffs. The 1Ds is too noisy in low light, has an inconvenient, heavy battery system, etc. The 5D is a nice camera but doesn't perform nearly as well in low light and doesn't have the IQ and the feature set that newer cameras possess like video and also isn't close in high ISO performance. The 7D is the best compromise of the listed cameras because it has the modern feature set, however, it's a crop sensor. Which is why the 5D2 is the camera the OP should get IF he can afford it. It's not a compromise, it just works right. Ideally, he'd be picking up a 5D3 but that camera is clearly not in the ballpark budget-wise like the others. The 5D2 is close enough to warrant consideration....Show more →
Exactly my opinion.
There's not a bad camera there, but for any degree of future-proofing and (still) the equal best IQ available (up to about 1600 ISO anyway) the 5D2 is superb value. It's not a coincidence many of the world's top photojournalists use or used them
C'mon guys, the OP has a budget thats $500 off being able to buy a 5D2. And if he's anything like me he's probably stretching to get to where he is now. I also wanted a 5D2, but no amount of up-selling was going to convince me to forego food in favour of a better camera....
15Bit wrote:
C'mon guys, the OP has a budget thats $500 off being able to buy a 5D2. And if he's anything like me he's probably stretching to get to where he is now. I also wanted a 5D2, but no amount of up-selling was going to convince me to forego food in favour of a better camera....
dhphoto wrote:
Then personally I'd wait and save up.
A good option if you can do it on a reasonable timescale. If i had done that though, i would still be saving up and would have been using a 350D for the last 2 years instead of a 5D.
15Bit wrote:
A good option if you can do it on a reasonable timescale. If i had done that though, i would still be saving up and would have been using a 350D for the last 2 years instead of a 5D.
Good used (and new) 5D2 prices are dropping through the floor. It won't take long.
Hey - the man has spoken already. He's going to get the 7D because from where he is, it will do the best job and fit in his budget.
Get the 7D already and start shooting! The best camera is the one you can enjoy without torpedoing the rest of your financial strategy! I've owned several copies of the 5D, 7D, and 5DII. The differences between any of them don't outweigh the peace of mind that comes with being financially responsible. And that's coming from a guy who is an admitted gear junkie. Read Ken Rockwell's article "It's Not About Your Camera!".
BTW - I learned a great deal using limited equipment. Without a high ISO, I had to get the max out of slower shutter speeds, and got good and fast using a tripod. When possible, I get better results with a tripod than fiddling with ISO and IS. Better gear (i.e. more expensive!) usually means more convenience and speed in getting the shot, and through your work flow. It does not guarantee you will be a better photographer, or that your images will be better. In some ways I think more expensive gear can hinder acquiring understanding and skill.
Suggestion - earmark a few $$ for one of the specialized videos from someone like Blue Crane, or a David Busch "manual". Almost no one really understands how to get the most out of their camera's potential. Big help to get more from the gear you can afford. Best bucks you will spend on camera gear - and you can resell them.
Well, it's done and DONE. I have the 7D, and am quite impressed. As I mentioned, my previous camera was an XTi. This blows it out of the water. I only had a little time to play with it, but I can already get a feel for how much more advanced the AF system is. There are so many improvements to list over the XTi, and I'd sound like a fool if I described how nice every single feature is considering the improvements from time and from being in a higher lineup.
I can say that I'm not disappointed in the IQ. I can see be noise that everyone is going on about. But it is still SOOO much better than the XTi was. So, I'm happy. I could be wrong, but it may be also as noisy as that sensor was, but the increase in MP, smaller pixel sizes (maybe), and higher dynamic range combine to make the image much more pleasant. Not only was the XTi noisy, but the noisy pixels were so large and obtrusive. It may not be 5DII quality, but it's a significant improvement. For the price, I think I did well. I may upgrade before too long, but I'll be sure to choose my glass around that eventuality so the pain from that upgrade should be minimal.
Anyone have a 28-70 f2.8 they want to let to for a bargain?
I agree with CastleKeeper. Having limitations was the only way I could improve. The limited ISO and bad noise on my last body is what drove me to learn more, specifically about lighting. Not that I became an expert, but there was no way to get quality images without a concerted effort.
Another vote for the 5D or 7D. I personally went the 5D route as well and love that FF goodness. I didn't need video or MA since I do manual focus lenses. I like the thought of live view, but I made do without.
I'm trying to stay away from the 17-55mm so I can be ready for a FF body in the future. However, I have previously owned one and know that it's a fantastic lens. I may end up with one because there's nothing else like it for the same price. IMO.
I'm trying to stay away from the 17-55mm so I can be ready for a FF body in the future. However, I have previously owned one and know that it's a fantastic lens. I may end up with one because there's nothing else like it for the same price. IMO.
So.... Thank you to everyone who provided some advice. I am really enjoying the 7D. Yes, the noise is noticeable. But, it's still better than the XTi. I'm LOVING everything else about it, though! The speed... oh, my, the speed...
I'm trying to decide on a good lens to pair it with. I want to avoid the 17-55mm f2.8, but its a great lens and I may end up with it just because its so reasonably priced. My other choice is a 28-70mm f2.8. My only concern with that is the age of any lens I'd end up with and the lack of ability to repair from Canon if it does give me problems.
