Is the 5D a camera I could keep for the next 3 years?

[willg]

We are going to see a big update from the 20d/30d sensor within 3 years, but how about the 5d? If I bought it with the rebate now, would I feel compelled to upgrade in a year? or 2? I got my rebel only a year ago, and I am starting to move toward some professional work (portraits mainly). It feels somewhat limiting with the image quality and speed.

Basically, what improvements do you think the next generation of the 5D will have and how soon will it make the current 5d less acceptable for professional work? I don't see any faults with it, unlike when I bought my rebel, I knew the noise and speed were not the best.

[Jon]

The 5D (and the 20D/30D) isn't going to be any less acceptable for professional work after a new sensor comes out. If it's good enough now that people will accept the digital photos rather than insist on film, or the 1Ds II, that's not going to change. Photographers may decide that the newer sensors, with a rumoured improved density range, will make their work easier. But if you're shooting portraits, with controlled lighting, you already have control over the density range you'll need to capture.

[willg]

my portraits aren't all controlled lighting, some are outside but thats another issue altogether. I like the quality of the 5d images right out of the camera (from what I have read). I did some portrait/headshot work a few weeks ago and ended up with about 1000 pictures to go through, and about 500 I had to process in photoshop. Obviously, my lighting took care of a lot of processing, but the sharpness and colors right out of the camera seem to be a real benefit of the 5d.

[puttick]

In a word, yes. That is my intention. Having been in digital since 2002, the 5d feels to me to be 3 years ahead of the 20d/350d. This is of course, a game with moving goalposts - and high depreciation!

[Steve Parr]

I've never understood the thought process which suggests that a piece of gear, which provides professional results now, won't produce professional results in the future.

My brother went to the 24 Hours at Daytona, and he was speaking to a vendor who was selling 11X14" prints of various cars. My brother says the photos were absolutely amazing, and he figured they were shot with a high-end Canon or Nikon.

The guy shot them with a 350D, and was making money hand over fist.

I've upgraded from the 300D to the 20D, primarily because of the superior high ISO performance of the 20D (I shoot live bands) and the superior build quality. The other upgrades (faster power up, etc) were just icing on the cake. Honestly, if I didn't need the higher ISO performance, I'd probably still be shooting with the 300D, and lovin' every minute of it...

[willg]

Excellent point. With the 30d, there is the full frame and resolution left to be desired, but with the 5d...what is missing?

weather sealing?
5fps?
I really don't see much they could improve to it even when comparing to the 1 series bodies

[Carzee]

... but with the 5d...what is missing?

weather sealing?
5fps?
I really don't see much they could improve to it even when comparing to the 1 series bodies


5D has a big shutter to cover a big sensor, and if you know how elec. shutters work, this is why it has 1/125 sync :(

[calicokat]

People still use the 1D, D30, 10D Etc. The camera will hold up its end of the bargain, if you need to have the newest thing, thats your deal

[Hellashot]

5D will be more than useful for years and years to come. With the rebates starting April 1 the price will be about $2600 - a steal for a great FF camera like the 5D. I'll be ordering mine soon.

[willg]

5D has a big shutter to cover a big sensor, and if you know how elec. shutters work, this is why it has 1/125 sync :(

isn't it a 1/200 sync?

[PacAce]

5D has a big shutter to cover a big sensor, and if you know how elec. shutters work, this is why it has 1/125 sync :(
Aside from the fact that the max sync speed of the 5D is 1/200 and not 1/125, the shutter is also an electronically controlled mechanical shutter. It's not an electronic shutter which is a totally different thing. :)

[Rob612]

The very short answer to your thread title question is: undoubtly YES.

[hemuni]

The only sure thing is, that Canon will keep putting out new cameras with more and better features. If you feel a 5D will cover your needs for now and the next 3 years I say get it, it's an amazing camera, but prepare for new cravings when Canon puts out its replacement :)

[morgan349]

3 years is a very long time in the dslr market, but I would say that we are at a stage now where the technical advancements vs time is strating to level off.

I got my 5D last week, coming up from a 20D and it just feels like a proper camera. I can take shots with it and feel incredibly comfortable with what its doing. Its fast, feels great and the output is just staggering. The limiting factor now is me so I dont have any excuses!

Its hard to say if you will not want to upgrade within 3 years because we dont know whats around the corner as far as the technology is involved, but I would say that the 5D is an incredible camera whcih will serve your every need.

[calicokat]

The 30D and 1DMIIN are proof that the technology has leveled off a bit. I think Canon will continue with the moderate improvements. Next are probably: 1DSMIIN, an upgraded 350D. But camera's out today will compete with camera's that come out in three or even five years. We have reached the top of the practical megapixel war.

[ijohnson]

It is the reason that I bought a 5d. I want to have an investment that will not limit me in any way for at least 5 years. I could only imagine that the 5d should last me 10. It is a perfect camera for what I do with it. I can't imagine a time where magazines or newspapers wont accept a 13mp image. I know that some now wont accept 6 (total crap for sure).

I wouldn't mind 30 fps though. That would be awesome. Oh and live histogram in the viewfinder. Oh and 12800 iso (clean).

[Elton Balch]

We are going to see a big update from the 20d/30d sensor within 3 years, but how about the 5d? If I bought it with the rebate now, would I feel compelled to upgrade in a year? or 2? I got my rebel only a year ago, and I am starting to move toward some professional work (portraits mainly). It feels somewhat limiting with the image quality and speed.

Basically, what improvements do you think the next generation of the 5D will have and how soon will it make the current 5d less acceptable for professional work? I don't see any faults with it, unlike when I bought my rebel, I knew the noise and speed were not the best.

Yes--there will be "improvements" over the next few years. The real issue is what are your needs. My former secretary whined and complained about needing a new super high speed computer to "do her work better". She quickly discovered (and to her credit admitted) that it really didn't make a difference when she received one. If 12mp is enough for you now then it will likely be enough in a couple of years unless the nature of your work changes significantly.

[digitaljoe]

I would say easily - I agree that development is leveling off and we are likely to see bells and whistles features added to the existing range rather than any major new development.

[Steve Parr]

"Nobody will ever need more than 64K" - Bill Gates

Product development, with an eye to significant improvements, will always occur. Business can't survive if it becomes stagnant.

I wouldn't be surprised if Canon came out with some a camera which, right now, would be complete unfathomable.

Will that make existing cameras obsolete? Probably not. I think the idea of something being obsolete is, largely, perception, and not nothing more...

[SWPhotoImaging]

If you are "compelled" to upgrade just because new cameras have new features, then nothing will last you three years. If you spend more time taking photographs and improving your photography, then I'd bet the 5D will meet your needs for a long time.
Sure, the next models will have something faster, higher resolution, higher ISO, etc., but as far as a camera actually holding you back in photography, the 5D isn't going to do that unless your niche is as a motorsports photographer or other fast-moving sport where one "might" use fast frame rate more often.

[SWPhotoImaging]

I wouldn't mind 30 fps though. . .

Canon makes those already . . . . they are called video cameras . . .

[ScottE]

Image quality of a 20D, 30D or 5D is not going to deteriorate over the next three years. If they meet your needs now, there is no reason they should not meet your needs in the future.

If the real question is will there be a better camera introduced within three years, the answer is, "Almost certainly, yes."

With the 5D, Canon left a lot of room open for future improvements that they can easily engineer such as frames per second, buffer size, weather sealing, auto-focus, etc. In many ways it looks like a detuned version just waiting for the next performance model to come out when the market has been established.

[OviV]

In my film days I went 10 years without upgrading my camera. Now days, I upgrade often. I will be the first to admit that a lot of it has to do with looking the part. I do sports photography and it is often that I encounter parents with a 20D or a D70. Some of them end up buying my pictures any way. I think ultimately it is the quality of my prints that sells them but I also feel that if I went on the field with the same equipment they were using from the stands, they may not give me a chance to show them my work. They see the big white lens and it is similar to the ones they see on the sidelines at pro games and they think, this guy is a pro. There was a whole thread about this and it is unfortunate that photographers sometimes get judged by their equipment and not their talent but it is a fact of the world we live in. Not to mention the fact that I am gadget freak, much to my wife's dismay ;).

[Double Negative]

Hey, I still use a D30! It's going on five years old.

Doesn't mean I don't curse its shortcomings when out in the field, however. Still deciding between the 30D/5D/1D Mk IIN at this point though... Looking to make the leap in a month or so... And I plan to keep that body probably just as long as the D30.

Buy at the upper limit of your budget on a camera that has enough capability and the lifespan will lengthen for you. But near this stage of the game, most of the Canon DSLRs are "near peak" IMO. That is - what more do you really expect to need after having say, full frame and 12MP? Unless it breaks, it's about as good as it gets for the conceivable future. It's mostly features beyond that (backlit LCD, more AF points, yada yada)

Digital means upgrading a lot more than film - to a point (the aforementioned sweet spot).

[Lord_Malone]

Is the 5D a camera I could keep for the next 3 years?

Why of course. ;)

[Tim S]

We are going to see a big update from the 20d/30d sensor within 3 years, but how about the 5d? If I bought it with the rebate now, would I feel compelled to upgrade in a year? or 2? I got my rebel only a year ago, and I am starting to move toward some professional work (portraits mainly). It feels somewhat limiting with the image quality and speed.

Basically, what improvements do you think the next generation of the 5D will have and how soon will it make the current 5d less acceptable for professional work? I don't see any faults with it, unlike when I bought my rebel, I knew the noise and speed were not the best.

It is doubtful that you would outgrow the capabilities of the 5D in 3 years. Yes, sensors will continue to develop better resolutions. The fact that the 5D has a FF sensor along with numerous other features makes it a great upgrade from the original Digital Rebel. Beyond that unless or until you are making a great deal of money from your photography I wouldn't think it would make economic sense to "upgrade" just for the sake of having the latest and greatest new model. There is always the EOS 1Ds mark II for that market. Have fun! It's not always about the equipment-it's what's behind the camera that counts!

[Double Negative]

There's no crop involved - you use your lenses as they were designed and intentioned. A wide angle is truly a wide angle.

You can squeeze more photoreceptors onto the larger CMOS (higher density and/or megapixels).

[bones]

The problem and thought is.....where does it all end. In 5 years are we all going to want a 32 Mega Pixel camera. How much is enough. I sure hope Canon doesn't expect us all to chase technology like we do with computers. Where will it all end. I think they should take it to a certain level and then make improvements on certain other things that people like. Or in a word. Make them better and more reliable. And maybe get rid of the dust in the sensor problem. I bet most would like that.

lar

[Double Negative]

The biggest reason for more megapixels (higher resolution) is for larger prints. If you shoot high resolution magazine shots or more like large prints and especially billboards... If you're putting all your pictures on the Web, you hardly need even a 3MP. If you print 11x17 or beyond, you'll want every bit of those 12MP or more. 3MP prints up to 8x10" decently. Go up from there.

The biggest things I see coming are wider dynamic range (yay!), continued refinement of capturing accurate colors, higher resolutions and greater pixel density. Also sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. At some point it would be awesome to be able to shoot at 6400 ISO and have it look like 100 ISO.

The size of the CMOS can be whatever we want - today. It's a matter of the consumer paying for it. We've got full frame. Now it's all about what we do with that finite space.

[ijohnson]

Some day there will be an orb that you ignite during an event and it will capture one million megapixels at one thousand frames per second everywhere in the room. You can crop whatever you want out of it.

Until then, the 5d is already equivalent to any film camera I've ever dreamed of for my needs. I really feel like I will never need another camera.

Until the 1dsmIII comes out.

[Carzee]

Aside from the fact that the max sync speed of the 5D is 1/200 and not 1/125, the shutter is also an electronically controlled mechanical shutter. It's not an electronic shutter which is a totally different thing. :)


So much for short term recall. :(

I swear I read it somewhere as 1/125th. [rubs glasses]

[ffureel]

Unfortunately there will always be that newer "better" model to tempt you into buying.

[JaertX]

So much for short term recall. :(

I swear I read it somewhere as 1/125th. [rubs glasses]

you might have...in the owners' manual, page 102 :lol:

Sync with non-Canon, compact flash units at 1/200 or slower. Studio strobes at 1/125 or slower. I'm pretty disapointed in that, but it will work.

[EOSX]

There's always people who want to have the latest and greatest. If you are one of those, then the 5D won't be the end for you because there's going to be 4D or whatever beats that. Everything becomes somewhat obsolete due to newer technology.

[Jon]

The sttudio flash sync is low because some flashes have either slow response or long bursts. You can always try faster speeds to see what your gear can cope with.