To me it's a toss up between a used 5D and a brand new 50D.
With 5D you can great IQ down to pixel level. The downside is the normal risk associated with buying used gears and lenses can potentially cost more.
With 50D you don't get as fantastic IQ, but not at all far behind. It comes all the latest bells and whistles like AF micro adjust, live view, great LCD, flash menu access from camera body for the latest flash, and etc. But most importantly (to me at least) the peripheral AF points are more sensitive and better positioned. And of course you also get that factory fresh virgin smell.
I own the 5D and recently bought a 1DII on the B&S forum here.
For wide angle photography you want the 5D, hands down. You should be able to buy it from a reputable seller (check their feedback) on the B&S forum here for $1,200 or less.
As other people have mentioned, with low light/high ISO pictures, the 5D's images are better. Also, I find it frustrating navigating through the 1DII's menu system. In my opinion, it's laughable that Canon never improved it in a firmware update.
I love using the 1DII for sports photography and really like the added control with the 45 AF points. I find myself using the 1DII with my 85L when shooting my son at apetures wider than 2.0; the additional AF points really help with the keeper rate.
If you don't prioritize the higher frames per second and the need for the additional AF points, then the 1DII isn't for you. Hope this helps.
1D2 is better for:
-sports
-fast moving targets
-low-light AF
-event photography where you are lugging stuff around... the solid body build helps with that
I have 0 difficulty obtaining a sharp image with my 5D. The only place where it may lack is sports, and though I've toyed with a 1dii, I think I need the ISO advantage of my 5D.
I find it difficult to simply trust someone on the internet. That's all.
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I used to think like you do, however I would have missed out on some great purchases. If you do your due dilgence on the seller and ask enough questions, you'll be able to get a good idea of
I just bought a gripped 5D here a few weeks ago. Very happy with the transaction and the 5D.
If you pick and chose the sellers, there is little danger, imo, of getting less than you expected. I've bought over 100 items on Ebay and do not recall 1 transaction that I was unhappy with. For the record I am not easily satisfied
I've bought most of my equipment through the Buy&Sell board here.
Generally very happy with the gear, too.
If you can't trust internet transactions, I suspect you had better go with a new
body from a trusted seller such as Canoga Camera, B&H, or one of the many other
sellers. I very much recommend the 5D, used, however. It is a wonderful camera.
I bought mine through the Buy&Sell board from a guy in my local area. Stopped by his
house and picked it up. It works great.
It's your money. Buy for my money, buying on this board is the way to go.
portraits/landscape... 5D
everything else... 1DmkII (a level above anything at $1200)
1Ds is forgettable at this point
50D is another incrimental upgrade but has niceties like microAF adust & more cross sensors & better handling than your XT. yes it is a body to consider, especially if the price drops.
IMHO buying from this forum (or any other) is pay and pray... you have no recourse... it's not 1998 'ya know. ebay does have some 5D bodies at that price w/ paypal protection.
kakomu wrote:
Hello All, this is my first post on the forum. So please bear with me
Currently I'm using a Rebel XT with a battery grip and in the near future, I'd like to move on to a higher end body. Considering I'm not a pro and I like to shoot more for pleasure than to sell the images, I cannot go all out on the purchase of a body. As such, I'm setting a ceiling of about $1200 (give or take). If I could, I would just pick up a used 5D. However the 5D seems to still be in demand and the price for a used body is still pushed up beyond what I'm comfortable spending.
That being said, I typically enjoy shooting wide angles, so a larger sensor than the APS-C is appealing. Right off the bat, I looked at the used camera stores and found that a 1DS or a 1DII can each be had at or around $1200. Now, I understand that each camera has its own uses. I like the idea of low noise on the 1D2, but the larger sensor for wider shots is also appealing in the 1DS. Though, the raw tif images seem less desirable than the CR2 images.
However, on the other end, I can purchase a brand new 50D with a battery grip for about the same price. Moreover, I would not have to worry about camera repairs on used gear and I'd have the benefit of the newest tech. So, if it were between a used 1D2 (not N), 1DS and 50D, what would you go for?...Show more →
