1D Mk II or L Glass?

[martcol]

I have some windfall cash. Do I get L Glass to go with my 10D or a 1D Mk II?

I'm thinking of getting:

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

Martin

I have 50 1.8, 28-135, Sig 15-30.

[Pekka]

You seem to have plenty of good glass already so Mark II would make more difference than a new L.

I'd choose Mark II even if had only 50/1.4 but that is just me.

[scottbergerphoto]

Get the MKII now with the cash, get the L glass tomorrow on you cc. :D
Scott

[Tom W]

You can have your glass in 3-5 business days. The camera won't be around for a little while.

Good glass never loses style, but a good body is usually appreciated only in its youth. :)

[martcol]

Good glass never loses style, but a good body is usually appreciated only in its youth. :)

Thats the way I've been thinking Tom. I suppose the question is as much: "Will I get better results from my 10D and L glass than a 1D Mk II and non=-L Glass?

martin

[GenEOS]

You can have your glass in 3-5 business days. The camera won't be around for a little while.

Good glass never loses style, but a good body is usually appreciated only in its youth. :)

I would appreciate a 1D today and it is "old". But since getting a new 1D is getting difficult or near impossible, I am waiting on the Mark II. If you have all the "L" glass listed, the greatest impact is getting a true "pro" body behind it.

[PacAce]

I guess a lot of you missed the point that Martin DOESN'T have any L glass right now and hence his "poll". I think the 10D with some L lenses would be much more useful than the 1DMKII and no L lens. You can always save up for the 1DmkII (or it's replacement) and in the mean time, you can be taking some really nice pictures with the 10D and the L collection. :)

[scottbergerphoto]

Here's a different tack. If you really want fast action shots, where it's more important to capture the man sliding in to home plate, or catching the winning pass, then how crisp the shot is, you want the 1D Mark 2 and some non L lenses. If speed is not the isssue, but quality (resolution, lack of distortion) of the pictures is, then the L glass is the way to go if you don't have it. If you can afford it, buy both.
Scott

[martcol]

Hope I didn't mislead... this post wasn't really about the windfall cash. I am interested in the underlying question...

Is a 10D with L glass going to better than a 1D MkII with no L glass. I have felt that my shots lack some of the ooomph that I see in similar shots with L glass. It is pretty basic stuff I know, that the best camera in the world will not perform to its best without a decent lens (not that my lenses aren't decent).

Lenses seem to develop less quickly than bodies so I could probably get the 1D Mk II in a few years time when it will cost a couble of quid (bucks).

Martin

[garethhhhh]

IMO

Bodies come and go, but your lenses stay the same unless they are crap / they break.

A 10D can take outstanding pictures as long as the image it is given by the lens is great, even a 1D mkII will produce poor pictures with a poor lens...

[scottbergerphoto]

Is a 10D with L glass going to better than a 1D MkII with no L glass.
Martin
It comes down to making a choice. Do you need high 8.5fps or not. The image quality from the 10D and 1D MarkII are both excellent (10D from experience, other from what I've seen and read). You will get great 8x10's from both. The 10 D with L glass will probably give you tecnically better pictures with L glass then the 1D Mark II without it, but you
won't capture fast action sequences. If you are interested in the best picture for the money and speed isn't a big prioity, buy the L glass. If you plan on being a photojournalist get the 1D MarkII. Sometimes a grainy, poorly exposed picture wins a Pulitzer Prize.
Scott

[pradeep1]

The body is a tool. The glass is an investment.

[rossm]

It really depends on the size of your windfall!

As you have probably read elsewhere on this forum, Canon are currently selling refurbished 1D MkII's (only for the UK) through their Canon Outlet at really good prices. I have just bought one (next day delivery) and it was totally unused in a scruffy box - it even still had the original Vn1.0.2 firmware! (which I have since taken to 1.2.4)

I had never used a 1 series before and I am smitten! As value for money, it is cheaper than a new 5D!

Sure, it is heavy but it is also VERY well balanced so, as long as you get an E1 handstrap, it is just a (slightly!) heavier weight at the end of your arm. I find the autofocus in a different league to the 20D (for me at least)

I would also recommend the 24-70L lens as the f2.8 uses extra sensors on the autofocus and it balances so well on the series 1 body.

Bear in mind that the 1D MkII is a 1.3 crop so it is half way to full frame rather than the 1.6 crop of your 10D

Normally, I would recommend L glass, L glass, L glass first but, if you have enough, you may be able to juggle both together!

[Andy_T]

Ross,

welcome to the forum :D

thank you for answering Martcol's question, but maybe he already made up his mind since he asked it ... one and a half years ago :wink:
(Happens to me too, when I look at the 'similar posts' section at the bottom of the screen... :lol: )

Mart, what did you get in the end?

Best regards,
Andy

[PetKal]

I wish all dilemmas were as easy to untangle as this one. When it comes to the IQ, a
300D+good lens combo will beat the living crap outta 1DMkII(N) + mediocre lens combo, any time day or night.:D
Except in one case...where MKII(N)'s good AF servo performance and/or high FPS rate (burst depth) is critical for the shot.

Besides, camera bodies do not hold their resale value very well.
Good, well cared-for lenses do.

[jaykkub]

I'd go with better glass for the time being. When you purchase "L" glass you'll most likely be keeping it for a good amount of time. Like others say... it's an investment. Whereas when you purchase a new body, you'll probably only keep it until you're able to afford the next step up or once you outgrow it.

I've actually had the opportunity to purchase a 1d camera, but decided against it since I'm using the 20d. I'll purchase the 1d once I get better and once I'm done "collecting" my glass. I actually have a Canon 135mm f/2.0 L & a Cannon 200mm f/2.8 L on it's way to me now. It'll hopefully be here by the end of the week.

I think you'll appreciate the glass sooner than you'd appreciate the new body.

[GSH]

Drop the 70-200 IS and get a 20 / 30D.

Buy the other lenses.

That'll sort you out for a good couple of years i should think :)

[Billginthekeys]

id say get a bit less glass and get a 20D/30D as a new body. then save up for the new replacement for the 1D mkII

[rossm]

Thanks for the tip! - I'm blushing furiously - oops!

[remo]

30D + 24-105L