Well if nothing else, the 5DII will help make you be a<span style="text-decoration: line-through;"]bettermore aware photographer. Like I mentioned, over exposing shots. Metering perfectly is too risky. If you have to bring exposure up you will get banding in the shadow areas (I keep hoping firmware will fix this). For example I use to just shoot and judge my shot by LCD (I know, I know) and if it wasn't perfect I'd fix in post. Now I live by the histogram, thusly making me a<span style="text-decoration: line-through;"]bettermore aware photographer.


Fighting with autofocus in low light situations, I have become more attune with manual focusing. The ST-E2 is very helpful with autofocus even when not shooting with off camera flashes. The shutter lag has helped me get better at my timing of shots. I haven't figured out the reflections of the mirror on my images during long exposures thing yet.


I look at it like this, I am paying a penalty for being poor and wanting full frame.


I don't know if the 1Ds mkIII has the same banding issues as the 5D mkII.I haven't heard of this being the case. Maybe the dual digics keep this from happening since the sensors are similar (I don't know).I think when 1Ds4 is announced I will try to pick up a mk3 cheap(er).


If they can fix the banding with firmware I would be pretty content with the 5D mkII. I just don't think they can or they would have.