5d vs 60d?

Hey all, this is my first post here. I'm currently a Pentax user but decided to switch to Canon. I've narrowed down my decision to either getting a 5d classic or a 60d. I've held the 60d, and used it in store and really love the way it feels. On the other hand I'm not able to try a 5d before buying one, since it is not in stores.

I currently take mostly pictures of my own children as well as family portraits and engagements. I would really like to try out the world of wedding photography and become more of a professional.

The man in the store said I surely wouldn't want a camera as old and outdated as the 5d (although he's biased as a salesmen, since he doesn't have that one to sell me.) Said the sensor need to be cleaned often, and the autofocus system is so much more outdated that I will be frustrated with it. for other 5d users, do you find only the center to be accurate? What about single point AF in continuous mode when not using center? I"m very drawn to the photos I've seen using the 5d. The larger format gives such attractive photos, especially using a 35mm. (I eventually want a 5d mkIII once I can justify it.)

There's also the busying used, vs buying new thing I'm worried about. Not knowing what the camera has been through, etc.

Any advice thoughts or opinions, is so appreciated

MelissaHaws wrote in post #14421918
Hey all, this is my first post here. I'm currently a Pentax user but decided to switch to Canon. I've narrowed down my decision to either getting a 5d classic or a 60d. I've held the 60d, and used it in store and really love the way it feels. On the other hand I'm not able to try a 5d before buying one, since it is not in stores.

I currently take mostly pictures of my own children as well as family portraits and engagements. I would really like to try out the world of wedding photography and become more of a professional.

The man in the store said I surely wouldn't want a camera as old and outdated as the 5d (although he's biased as a salesmen, since he doesn't have that one to sell me.) Said the sensor need to be cleaned often, and the autofocus system is so much more outdated that I will be frustrated with it. for other 5d users, do you find only the center to be accurate? What about single point AF in continuous mode when not using center? I"m very drawn to the photos I've seen using the 5d. The larger format gives such attractive photos, especially using a 35mm. (I eventually want a 5d mkIII once I can justify it.)

There's also the busying used, vs buying new thing I'm worried about. Not knowing what the camera has been through, etc.

Any advice thoughts or opinions, is so appreciated

The sales person actually knows what he is talking about. 5D had its day, but 7 years is LONG TIME. Look around your house, how many of your electronics/computers are 7 years old? I had 5D with 24-105 and I loved it, but I would not buy it at this age.

MelissaHaws wrote in post #14421918
Hey all, this is my first post here. I'm currently a Pentax user but decided to switch to Canon. I've narrowed down my decision to either getting a 5d classic or a 60d. I've held the 60d, and used it in store and really love the way it feels. On the other hand I'm not able to try a 5d before buying one, since it is not in stores.

I currently take mostly pictures of my own children as well as family portraits and engagements. I would really like to try out the world of wedding photography and become more of a professional.

The man in the store said I surely wouldn't want a camera as old and outdated as the 5d (although he's biased as a salesmen, since he doesn't have that one to sell me.) Said the sensor need to be cleaned often, and the autofocus system is so much more outdated that I will be frustrated with it. for other 5d users, do you find only the center to be accurate? What about single point AF in continuous mode when not using center? I"m very drawn to the photos I've seen using the 5d. The larger format gives such attractive photos, especially using a 35mm. (I eventually want a 5d mkIII once I can justify it.)

There's also the busying used, vs buying new thing I'm worried about. Not knowing what the camera has been through, etc.

Any advice thoughts or opinions, is so appreciated

I'm happy with the 60D as a portrait camera, but the images that 5D sensor produces are golden. There are a lot of pro wedding and portrait photographers out there still using the 5D for this reason.

There isn't a wrong choice between the two, both are great sub-$1000 cameras.

There are many, many 5D classic lovers on this forum. They say there is something magical about the quality of the pictures produced. I think a 5D would be fine for portraits and such - maybe a bit to slow to be running around with at weddings. You can get great deals on them too - they usually sell for around 900. Pair it with an L prime and you're golden

Seven years is a long time? Really. I bet a 5Dc that has been properly maintained would take the same quality photos it took when it was new. I drive a 15 year old Toyota with 264,000 miles on it. I hope to get to 400,000 on this one. I still have a Yashica FX-2 that functions perfectly; it was made in 1976. Math... oh yeah, that was 36 years ago. Hell, for that matter, I've been around for 55 years, and I am still going strong. Buy the 5Dc!

Contary to Gearheads and Salesmen ...
The 5D is called classic 5DC for good reason.
Great Fullframe IQ with low AA filter and noise.
I just purchased Canon refurb 5 D MK II and my low miles 5D C is now a trusted backup and second.
The big 5D C thing is no sensor clean if you change lenes ... I dont do it much ... so no issue.
You might look into new and refurb 5D MKII deals also.
FFDSLR is a whole new world.
The 60 D as well as 7 D has too small pixels and too small format in my book.
Cameras last a long time and whatever you choose - plan a long happy life w them,
invest in glass, and forget the expensive camera upgrade latest model scam.

pasm365 wrote in post #14421992
Look around your house, how many of your electronics/computers are 7 years old? I had 5D with 24-105 and I loved it, but I would not buy it at this age.

Looking around my house I see an old Canon 30D. I absolutely LOVE the images I get with it. A 5D classic would be even sweeter. The lenses are more important than the body. The photographer is important too.

I'd put my 30D work up against most of the stuff being posted in the current "5D III owners Unite" thread.

Nothing wrong with a 5D classic....however if the OP is SERIOUS about getting in to wedding photography professionally she'd appreciate a better AF system.

EL_PIC wrote in post #14422057
Contary to Gearheads and Salesmen ...
The 5D is called classic 5DC for good reason.
Great Fullframe IQ with low AA filter and noise.
I just purchased Canon refurb 5 D MK II and my low miles 5D C is now a trusted backup and second.
The big 5D C thing is no sensor clean if you change lenes ... I dont do it much ... so no issue.
You might look into new and refurb 5D MKII deals also.
FFDSLR is a whole new world.
The 60 D as well as 7 D has too small pixels and too small format in my book.
Cameras last a long time and whatever you choose - plan a long happy life w them,
invest in glass, and forget the expensive camera upgrade latest model scam.

+1 as to the above.

I have had the 5d for three years. Then I bought the 60D for all its bells and whistles. Sorry it could not produce the same IQ as the 5D. Kept the 5d and returned the 60D at the 30 day point. The 5 D is now my backup to the 5dII.

I agree, 5Dc is a bit old. If you can afford, go for a used 5d2 if you want a ff. If not, a used 60D is a great value.

60D and older 5dc do not have AF micro adjust. In that regard thats not good. On the other hand the 5dc cannot help that since micro adjust never existed back then. You just have to be more critical when you purchase lenses so the calibration of the lens works well with the calibration of the camera body.

ISO 3200 is quite useable with the 5dc. Sure its old and clunky but the 5dmk2 virtually has the identical AF system. When I take photos with the 5dc I have confidence that my files will look the way I want (as I pull the files off the CF card after the shoot). The 5dc is quite forgiving.

I still prefer the 5dc files over a 7d or 60D.

I'd suggest jumping to a 5dmk2 since the IQ is excellent. ISO performance is good enough for majority of dreadful situations you can get into as a wedding photog. 5dmk3 is much better at higher ISO's but its also aprox 2000 dollars compared to a 5dmk2. If you have the beans in your pocket the 5dmk3 is a machine!!

pasm365 wrote in post #14421992
The sales person actually knows what he is talking about. 5D had its day, but 7 years is LONG TIME. Look around your house, how many of your electronics/computers are 7 years old? I had 5D with 24-105 and I loved it, but I would not buy it at this age.

Compared to your 5 year old 40D?

I'd take the full frame 5D any day of the week over a 60D. Unless I was interesting in the video function.

pasm365 wrote in post #14421992
. Look around your house, how many of your electronics/computers are 7 years old? .

Although that statement is intended for bashing 5Dc, it actually works in favor of 5Dc. 5Dc thread is still in front page for a reason. Old is not bad always.
I have some 30+ Years old Zeiss & Takumars, I bet will beat the crap out of latest & greatest similarly priced Canon.
About sensor cleaning, its not big deal. For portraits, probably you will be at F2.8 or lower, you wont see any dust.

mzondeki wrote in post #14423731
Although that statement is intended for bashing 5Dc, it actually works in favor of 5Dc. 5Dc thread is still in front page for a reason. Old is not bad always.
I have some 30+ Years old Zeiss & Takumars, I bet will beat the crap out of latest & greatest similarly priced Canon.
About sensor cleaning, its not big deal. For portraits, probably you will be at F2.8 or lower, you wont see any dust.

The Zeiss and Takumars aren't electronic (in the same sense), they're mechanical, and they probably don't autofocus either. That kind of vintage stuff will probably beat down any electronic equivalent in terms of durability and quality.

I am currently doing exactly the same thing. I've used Pentax for last 15 years, I recently dropped my K10D and cracked the top plate, right where the hotshoe fits in. I had to choose between buying a new Pentax and a new in the box 5D. I choose the 5D. You will be stunned with the quality of images coming from this camera. It may be old, but still produces quality images that are sellable. The DOF is indispensable for weddings & portraits. You dont absolutely have to have the latest and greatest gear in order to create great images, you just need a creative mind, a good level of technical knowledge, and the need to experiment outside the box.....my vote is the for the 5D

mzondeki wrote in post #14423731
Although that statement is intended for bashing 5Dc, ...

Enjoy your 5D while you still can, and let's check back in 2~3 years. When I sold mine last year, the color of the LCD display was already slightly off.

A digital camera is basically a mini computer, almost no tolerance to error (unlike simpler electronics or mechanical stuff). As its parts age, the reliability/useability will greatly decrease.

I still have my 2nd digital camera, a Nikon 5700, 10 years old now. It was one of the highly regarded digital cameras of its day. I bought the camera at the same time with 2 of my friends. One of them had a bad sensor, the other had a bad lens motor, all within 5 years. Mine still works "perfectly", well, the lcd color isn't so right, and most importantly, from around 7 years old, I started to notice more and more hot pixels. Now it's basically useless except taking 800x600 for sale item pictures.

If you think your 5D can last forever, good luck. My personal experience tells me that old electronics at certain age is NOT WORTH buying. Why? Buy a 5Dc for $1000, you are risking loosing it all in 2 years. Buy a 5D III for $3500, you sell it in 2 years for $2500, but you are enjoying newest technology and THINKING LESS about your camera and MORE about taking pictures.