20D vs 5D for professional use

[song4themoon]

Hi, I am a new photographer (started about 1 year ago) and have been shooting with my 20D so far. I am now getting a lot of enquieries for weddings and need to buy a second camera for that reason.

Now I am torn if I should buy a second 20D for now and then upgrade later on after I shot a few weddings or if I should just invest into a 5d now?

What would you recommend? Does anyone own a 5d and are you satisfied with it?

[SkipD]

Hi, I am a new photographer (started about 1 year ago) and have been shooting with my 20D so far. I am now getting a lot of enquieries for weddings and need to buy a second camera for that reason.

Now I am torn if I should buy a second 20D for now and then upgrade later on after I shot a few weddings or if I should just invest into a 5d now?

What would you recommend? Does anyone own a 5d and are you satisfied with it?What do you have for lenses? You might be better off by getting another 20D body (you really must have a spare body for weddings) and spending the extra cash for some fast lenses and possibly a really great zoom like the 24-70 f/2.8L.

One advantage to having two identical bodies is that you don't have to "re-teach" yourself when you grab the spare body. I wouldn't do weddings without a spare, and my spare - when I was doing weddings - was always identical to my main camera (I was using the original Nikon F's in those days).

[song4themoon]

What do you have for lenses? You might be better off by getting another 20D body (you really must have a spare body for weddings) and spending the extra cash for some fast lenses and possibly a really great zoom like the 24-70 f/2.8L.

One advantage to having two identical bodies is that you don't have to "re-teach" yourself when you grab the spare body. I wouldn't do weddings without a spare, and my spare - when I was doing weddings - was always identical to my main camera (I was using the original Nikon F's in those days).

I have a
28-70mm 1:2.8-4
18-55mm
70-300mm 1:4-5.6
Macro attachment with Super Wide 0.45x Lens
0.42xAf Fisheye lens
and
100mm f/2.8 Macro Lense

I understand that the 20D works better for the Telefocus lens, but I wonder if I could just keep the tele lens on the 20D and use the 5d for everything else? Or is the 5d just not going to work in my favor now... meaning is it no improvement if I get the 5D rather than 20d?

[hemuni]

I recommend you wait until the end of february, before making any decisions. Chances are Canon will introduce a replacement for the 20D at the PMA show.
Other than that, the 5D would be my choise for a wedding camera mainly because of better low light performance, but on a budget Skip has a point.

[etaf]

i suspect this 18-55mm is a EF-S lens and will not work on the 5D as its full frame.
i think SkipD has a good point, what lens do you use the most during the wedding?
you may want to consider 17-40L or a faster lens 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
any EF-S lens will not work on a full frame camera.

[song4themoon]

i suspect this 18-55mm is a EF-S lens and will not work on the 5D as its full frame.
i think SkipD has a good point, what lens do you use the most during the wedding?
you may want to consider 17-40L or a faster lens 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
any EF-S lens will not work on a full frame camera.

Yes it is a EFS lens. Why will it not work on the 5D?

I really cant say what lens I am using most at wedding shoots because I like to switch them. Since I have my first wedding coming up in march I can only talk about other events that I have done so far and I used all lenses pretty equally often, maybe the tele lens a little more than the others.

[SkipD]

I have a
28-70mm 1:2.8-4
18-55mm
70-300mm 1:4-5.6
Macro attachment with Super Wide 0.45x Lens
0.42xAf Fisheye lens
and
100mm f/2.8 Macro Lense

I understand that the 20D works better for the Telefocus lens, but I wonder if I could just keep the tele lens on the 20D and use the 5d for everything else? Or is the 5d just not going to work in my favor now... meaning is it no improvement if I get the 5D rather than 20d?None of the lenses you have listed are fast enough, in my opinion, for weddings where you would use natural light.

It's been about 30 years since I shot weddings professionally, but recalling the situations, I could probably do a whole wedding with nothing more than my 20D fitted with my Canon 24-70 f/2.8L zoom and maybe a 50 f/1.4 prime for really low-light situations. Seldom would I find a need for a significantly longer lens than 70mm, though a lens wider than the 24mm might be useful at times (all on the 20D body).

I really think you'd be better off buying another 20D, since the price is dropping fairly quickly in anticipation of the new replacement, and put the balance of the funding into some really good fast glass.

[etaf]

The EF-S lenses are designed for cameras with a crop factor of 1.6
so 300D 350D {rebel and rebelXT} 20D - i think the 10D .

http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_SLR/EOS_5D/
The EOS 5D is compatible with over 60 EF lenses (excl. EF-S) and all EX Series Speedlite flash units.

[hemuni]

i suspect this 18-55mm is a EF-S lens and will not work on the 5D as its full frame.
i think SkipD has a good point, what lens do you use the most during the wedding?
you may want to consider 17-40L or a faster lens 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
any EF-S lens will not work on a full frame camera.

Just remember that on a 5D the 28-70 will be just as wide as the 17-40 or 16-35 on a 20D.
Also the 100mm macro will be very nice for portraits, working well on both cameras, but with less distance to your subject on a 5D.

[KevC]

I'd have to say, your lenses aren't the best for weddings. As Skip said, they don't have the speed (wide apertures) required for availalbe lighting.

Take that money you were going to spend on the 5D, and get the following:

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8EX
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8EX
Canon EF50mm f/1.4

These three lenses should be enough to cover your wedding. With the extra money, pick up a Digital Rebel XT for your backup. You can try to sell your other lenses for extra cash.

[SkipD]

The EF-S lenses are designed for cameras with a crop factor of 1.6
so 300D 350D {rebel and rebelXT} 20D - i think the 10D .EF-S lenses only work with the 20D and the two Rebels. The 10D was made before the EF-S lenses were, and thus cannot use them. The next generations of APS-C bodies will surely all use the EF-S lenses, though.

[song4themoon]

Thanks a lot for the advice about the lenses. I think I will go ahead and get another 20d and some additional lenses

[Tom W]

I recomend you wait until the end of february, before making any decisions. Chances are Canon will introduce a replacement for the 20D at the PMA show.

Definately wait until the end of February. There's quite possibly a new camera body or two on its way. Also, a couple of new lenses might be announced at the PMA show. If none are to your liking, it's OK as you will have only wasted a couple of weeks.

The 5D is very suitable for weddings, but you appear to need lenses more than you need an expensive body right now so the 20D or its replacement (assuming there is one at the end of the month) is a good choice and will leave enough money to get some faster lenses.

[etaf]

as said - if they do announce a replacement for 20D watch the price drop - when the Xt was announced the 300D drooped down to a slow as £350 a huge saving

[jjonsalt]

Thanks a lot for the advice about the lenses. I think I will go ahead and get another 20d and some additional lenses

Yeah, Skip gave some good advice. Another 20D body and a 24-70L would be the best way to go. However, If I were able to spend 5D + BG money it would go for a 1D MkIIn first.