5D purchase

[Dave Johnston]

So... thinking about buying a 5D mkII with my tax return..

What are yall thinking? Should I hold off or buy this beast. I know its a 3 year old camera now and is probably due for an update, but what should I do. I'll go ahead and answer, that I know I will be able to enjoy this one in the meantime.

Dave.

[Busted Knuckles]

The best time to be anything electronic is "next month" nothing electronic ever got more expensive over a 3 month period. W/ the Nikon D800 just anounced, i would think Canon is going to respond somehow - pictures if the next body have been seen and posted on several websites. The 5dii would have to be teetering on a significant price reduction when Canon anounces there next thing. So either get stepped up capabilities for the same $$ or less $$ for the same capabilities.

Putting more pressure on sales was Canon's dissapointing performance - though this class of camera isn't the margin maker to save their quarter, seems if you can wait just a moment longer.... next month....

[ChadS]

Depends on what you're shooting.

Let's assume they do release a new FF 5-series camera. It may have a bit more megapixels and/or a bit more ISO sensitivity for equal noise. It may shoot a bit faster. Do any of these impact how you shoot? If I'm a wedding photog I might like the low-light performance for flash-less shots but for portraits with strobes it's a non-issue.

[DavidEccleston]

Based on what I've seen of recent Canon camera and lens introductions is that the new ones are always priced higher, and the old one keep their old price. The prices of the old bodies do eventually trickle downwards, but if you're thinking a 5DmkIII will drop the mkII prices, I doubt it. If anything, your only hope is that Canon reduces prices due to the competition.

Chad, I imagine they'll add some of the 7D bells and whistles, like a level, integrated flash controller, and some T3i features like cropped movie modes, potentially the new 1DX AFMA with settings for both a short and long focal length adjustment value. I'm sure they'll find another feature or two to surprise us with as well.

[Steve U]

Hi David, it doesn't pay to try and second guess Canon and the impact of the Nikon D800 I think will be significant.
The actual announcement date of a new product and the delivery of said product is at best, a bad joke. The new super tele's are still not available. The Canon 1dx is no longer even findable on the B&H website, my guess is that there are some spec changes being made and delivery will be even further away.
The 5DMK3 or 5Dx, isn't even announced yet, so it is impossible to speculate on a delivery date.
The 5DMK2 is a sensational camera, it won't stop working with the announcement of a new model and it will produce better images over the next 12 months than the replacement model, because who knows when you'll be able to actually walk into a shop and buy one.
It really gets down to individual personality and what you can live with. I picked up a 5D off ebay about 8 months ago and I have hardly touched the 7D since then. I love it. Personally I am going to wait for an announcement from Canon and then I'll sell the 7D. By that stage there will be plenty of feedback about the Nikon D800 and the specs will be available for the next model 5 series or it might even be a 3 series and depending on the dollars for each option I will either walk into a shop and buy the Nikon D800 and some Zeiss glass, or wait how ever long it takes for the Canon replacement to become available.
Good luck with your decision.

[Dave Johnston]

The pictures that I have seen of this new canon camera in the wild have all been of a wildlife photographer shooting. I am slightly confused that he would be using a 5D which has traditionally been slower firing and not with the advantage of crop factor. I suppose I just looked at those shots and figured he was using a new 7D or the like. Is it possible that those are not even of a new 5D iteration? Possibly.

Are there other photos of a (new 5D) camera that I am missing?

I just wonder what magical things are going to happen between the last 5D and the new one. I am always happy to have better high ISO performance, but what I would really like to see in the new camera body is a better AF system. I have heard that the AF in the 5D mkII leaves some to be desired. 5D mkII were just 1999 around christmas time and came with a lot of extras, now they are already back up to 2199 and just the body.

I just don't want to wait until the announcement of the new 5D that may or may not happen until Christmas or longer, just to have the Mk II jump up 200+ dollars. I don't have that much disposable income and I would like to use that 200 on something else (like foodstuffs).

[Dave Johnston]

And speaking of 5D purchase..... have any of y'all bought from the Cameta Camera on Ebay? I just see that they have a 5Dmk II for 1999. Just wondering if y'all have any reservations about them.... 170 is a good chunk of change to get to keep in hand, and I have seen them that price at Adorama and BH.

If any of you have had experience with them let me know as I am considering purchasing through them.

Dave.

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Buy it Dave, if you want it and you have the money to dispose without going into debt, go for it! Wait too long and the money's gone Plus whatever uprade to the 5DII will cost more and who knows when it comes out.

[Dave Johnston]

Pulled the trigger.

Thanks, Nate et al.

Dave.

[edit] and glad i did pull the trigger. One day later and it is now 2399... all smiles here.

[Dave Johnston]

Got the 5D mk II in the mail today! Here are some of the first shots I've taken with it. I went through all my lenses to get a feel for how different everything is in full frame. So far I love it. The first shot there is actually at ISO 3200. I could barely believe it when I saw the final, noise control is great. The second shot down there is with a wide angle zoom designed for APS-C sensors but works with the full frame. Has a neat effect when zoomed all the way out. Not sure what it would be useful for at the moment, but it does well to make silly shots. You can tell how excited my wife was about it.


5D mark II + 24-70 f2.8 @ 70mm 1/160 f3.2 ISO 3200


5D mark II + tokina 12-24 f4 @ 12mm f4 1/13 ISO 200.

Thanks All!

Dave.