If you had a chance to re-do your bag ...

[tsw910]

Hey guys ..

long story shot - defected and now i am back ..

when i left, i was using the classic 5D and loved it but of course there were times when the AF can kill a photographer, but overall .. i was very pleased with the outcome ( had to leave to see what i actually had )

so my questions to you wedding photographers ... if you had to re-do you bag, which of these cameras would you pick .. and maybe why ?

1Ds Mark II
1D Mark III
5D classic
5D Mark II

the Lenses that will accompany either one would be the usual suspect Ls ..

So, lets hear what you have to say

oh .. if anyone feels like they have to tell me to search .. Thanks in advance captain !

[jgoodstein]

what are you shooting? Whats your business? most likely the 5DII

[tim]

Being realistic the 5DII is the best value camera on that list. Pair it with a 40D or 50D for better AF in low light, as well as more DOF which comes in handy at times, you've got a good pair. 5D classic is the much cheaper option that still works well.

[tsw910]

Thanks Tim .. I think I may go down that road .. since i've already picked up the 50D with the 17-55 IS .. i think either the 5D or 5DII is an awesome pairing to the 50D

[form]

For the price I find the choice between 1Ds II and 5D II very difficult. The 1Ds II has more than enough resolution for me, better autofocus, is more responsive, and less expensive used. The reasons to really consider the 5D II are the high ISO capability, and other new features like live view, bigger LCD, video mode, etc. Of those things, the only feature that makes the 5D II a more valuable camera to me is the high ISO, which has lots of immediate usefulness where I shoot.

But this is moot for me. I'm done buying cameras for a while, unless for some reason I don't end up getting back into college later this year - in which case I might consider other upgrades, within reason.

[tsw910]

Thanks Form .. your point is exactly why I am in this situation .. both great cameras and both have heavy features and downs .. i have to say this has to be one of the hardest thing for me to choose ..

[Peacefield]

I shoot weddings and I'm really loving my 5d2. As Tim said, an excellent value. A 50D is my second body (an old XT is my third). Though the 50D and 5D2 are a nice coupling, I really wish both of my cameras were full frame. Had I to do it over again, it would be two 5D2's.

[picturecrazy]

I would get a 1D3 over a 5D2 any day. A used 1D3 can be had for about the same price as a new 5D2. The 1D3 is about 500% more camera for the same price. The 5D2 beats it in video (if that's important to you) and megapixels. Let me tell you, the megapixels are totally overrated. I have no hesitation enlarging my 20D shots compared to my 1Ds3 shots. And yes, the 5D2 has ISO12800/25600 but those are for the marketing team to spout off high numbers. If Nikon didn't have 12800/25600 I'll bet canon wouldn't have brought it out. For some reason most people forget that the 1D3 has had an absolutely beautiful ISO6400 for two years now.

[jonwhite]

1D MKIII or 5D MKII ... I use a 5D MKII myself and love it but I have never used a 1D MKIII so cant compare it to that, definitely my only gripe with the 5D MKII is the build quality (the CF card cover flexes so it doesnt feel as solid in the hand) which I think would be much better on the 1D MKIII.

Whatever I was getting though I would get 2 of the same format rather than getting a crop and a full frame (which is what I have at the moment). I originally thought it would add flexibility but the reality is that my lenses are geared around my full frame body now and apart from my 70-200 they just dont suit the crop (extra reach with the 70-200 on a crop is sometimes handy)

I shoot most of the weddng with the 24-70 on the 5D MKII and then also use a 15mm FE, 50mm f1.4, 100mm Macro and 70-200mm f2.8 IS and I would rather keep the 24-70 on the full frame body and ready at all times and use another FF body to swap between the other lenses, taking the 24-70 off everytime I want to use the 15mm FE is a PIA and I will probably get another 5D MKII at some point because of this.

Putting the 24-70 on a crop body results in frustration, its just not a good match.

[tsw910]

Hey Lloyd .. haven't seen you around lately !

yeah, I remember the conversation i had with you about this lol .. but after 5 months of switching and switching gear .. I've decided that Canon was somewhere i was most comfortable and now im back with Canon ..

But i do have to admit thou, as much as the 5D2 is slower and can't focus with assist beam, i really like the colors it produces and i think i just got caught up in the " gear lust " from all the reading i do on the forums LOL ...

[jongobongo]

I haven't tried out the 1D MKIII, but after upgrading from the 5D to 5Dm2, it's hard to go back. ISO6400 with an L Prime is quite nice for weddings.

[picturecrazy]

1D MKIII or 5D MKII ... I use a 5D MKII myself and love it but I have never used a 1D MKIII so cant compare it to that, definitely my only gripe with the 5D MKII is the build quality (the CF card cover flexes so it doesnt feel as solid in the hand) which I think would be much better on the 1D MKIII.

Whatever I was getting though I would get 2 of the same format rather than getting a crop and a full frame (which is what I have at the moment). I originally thought it would add flexibility but the reality is that my lenses are geared around my full frame body now and apart from my 70-200 they just dont suit the crop (extra reach with the 70-200 on a crop is sometimes handy)

I shoot most of the weddng with the 24-70 on the 5D MKII and then also use a 15mm FE, 50mm f1.4, 100mm Macro and 70-200mm f2.8 IS and I would rather keep the 24-70 on the full frame body and ready at all times and use another FF body to swap between the other lenses, taking the 24-70 off everytime I want to use the 15mm FE is a PIA and I will probably get another 5D MKII at some point because of this.

Putting the 24-70 on a crop body results in frustration, its just not a good match.

I definitely do find the normal range zooms like the 24-70 and 24-105 to be nothing but frustration switching sensor formats. But when it comes to telephoto usage, the flexibility is awesome. For receptions, my 200L or 70-200 goes onto whichever format works best (1.6 1.3 or 1.0) and it's killer. In most cases, where I like to stand, 200mm on a full frame cam is way too far away to reach the B&G at the head table. And shooting loose and cropping is a TOTAL PITA. The ultrawide flexibility is amazing too... an UWA lens for 1.6 crop is also ultrawide on 1.3 and FF, like the Tokina 11-16 which gives you 14mm at F/2.8 for about $1400 less than the canon 14mm prime, yet with better performance wide open than the prime.


Hey Lloyd .. haven't seen you around lately !

yeah, I remember the conversation i had with you about this lol .. but after 5 months of switching and switching gear .. I've decided that Canon was somewhere i was most comfortable and now im back with Canon ..

But i do have to admit thou, as much as the 5D2 is slower and can't focus with assist beam, i really like the colors it produces and i think i just got caught up in the " gear lust " from all the reading i do on the forums LOL ...

I really love my D700. But the lens selection for nikon kinda sucks. All the lenses I want, nikon either doesn't have, or charges an arm and a leg for it. For example, I wanted a 200mm prime because I find the 3.3lbs 70-200 way too heavy to hold up for almost an hour straight.

Canon: 200 F/2.8 1.7lbs and $695
or 200 F/2.0 IS

Nikon: no current 200mm F/2.8. But they have a 200mm F/4 macro which is 2.6lbs and $1650. Granted, it has 1:1 ability but definitely not what I need for event shooting.

I haven't tried out the 1D MKIII, but after upgrading from the 5D to 5Dm2, it's hard to go back. ISO6400 with an L Prime is quite nice for weddings.

ISO6400 with an L prime, with a killer AF system that has 45 points very well spread out across the viewfinder is quite nice for weddings. That is the mark III. ;)

[timnosenzo]

like the Tokina 11-16 which gives you 14mm at F/2.8 for about $1400 less than the canon 14mm prime, yet with better performance wide open than the prime.

Have you seen this tested somewhere, or is it just a guess?

[picturecrazy]

If I could remember/find the link, I would post it up. I can't find it though... stupid google. In wide open shooting, corners were better on the prime, centre sharpness was better on the tokina was the basic jist of it. I value centre more than corners, personally. Those findings didn't surprise me, as the Nikon 14-24 seems to outperform the canon 14 too as far as the online comparisons go. WTF?

[ZGMF-X20A]

Anyone knows if the 5D2 AF speed is faster, slower or similar to that of 40D?

[ngrohosky]

i think the digic IV processor in the 5dii makes all the difference.