Canon 5d classic (or mk ii) in 2020

[Steve F]

45 minutes ago, Jon Rosenthal said:

Hi all

 

Apologies for the poor forum etiquette of asking a question and then failing to follow the conversation after the first few posts.

 

Fantastic advice here for if I decide to make the plunge into full frame - but for now I think I will keep what little cash I have in the bank and continue with APSC since the camera I already have far exceeds my skill (and talent).

 

Thanks again for the help.

Hi Jon,

I think the question when going full frame is how much is photography a hobby for you. If it's a major pastime or you actually make some money with your photography with some commercial work, then there's an argument for going full frame. If not, then save your cash! Additional factor for me was the better build quality of the equipment and the weather and dust sealing for full frame.

Steve

 

p.s. and there are a number of successful photographers that don't necessarily use full frame. I think clients often expect to see large cameras for reassurance at all the money you're charging them(!) but that will probably change with the advent of mirrorless cameras.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Steve F

[Harry Harrison]

5 hours ago, Jon Rosenthal said:

but for now I think I will keep what little cash I have in the bank and continue with APSC

You have a very good camera there so no concerns over image quality and it is much more discreet than a large full-frame such as the 5D series, which seems increasingly to be an advantage out 'on the street'. Steve is right in that there are professional applications where the 5D Mk. II, III or IV would be better, wide angle architecture and interiors might be one for example, pro sport photography  might be another, but it doesn't sound as if you're planning to do a lot of that. I've just bought a few more batteries for my X-Pro1 whereas I can go a long time before changing the battery on the 5D Mk. II, the Fuji batteries are a bit small and presumably  you do a lot less looking at the screen using a camera with a pure optical viewfinder like a DSLR. I love the optical viewfinder on the X-Pro1 for certain things though, unique.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Harry Harrison

[Jon Rosenthal]

Yup. Fuji did not put enough oomph into their early batteries. Glad you are enjoying the X-Pro 1, there is still something magical about its sensor.

 

[Bryan]

I had a Mk1 and still have the MkII. Heartily endorse the comments re dust and the MKI but the MKII, although much better, is not totally immune.

 

I love the appearance of the shots from the 5DII, you get a great 3D effect due to the limited depth of field,  but, with FF AF lenses it weighs a ton and I no longer carry it around. Then there is the occasional  problem with shadow noise that I can't fix with LR/PS.  I now only use it around the house/garden, taking bounced flash or natural light shots of the grandkids etc. where it does a great job. One thing in particular to admire - it's built like a tank!

 

My go to camera is currently a Sony A6500 with a range of old film era lenses, this camera is wonderfully small,  has a great sensor and in body image stabilisation. If I were to ever invest again it may be to go in the opposite direction to full frame, i.e. to a yet smaller sensor, probably a Sony RX or lookalike.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Bryan

[Jon Rosenthal]

Thanks @Bryan  That's helpful.

 

[Allan Bell]

If you are thinking of staying with Alamy and not bothered with any other work, whether for personal use or making money as a side line, then APS-C is good enough for Alamy images.

 

Some photographers on the forums are even using cameras with so called 1" sensors like Sony RX100 series. That includes me although I do have and use APS-C and full frame bodies too. Others are using 4/3rds sensors too.

 

Allan

 

[Betty LaRue]

For what it’s worth, I did buy a full frame and regretted it. At the time I was shooting a lot of birds and it didn’t have the reach that the crop sensors have. But it wasn’t just birds, it was everything.

I know...everyone said just crop the image down, big deal. But for me, it was a big deal. I kept it for a couple of years, sold it, then happily went back to APSC.

These days I shoot with Fuji X-T2 and love it.