Canon 5d vs 50d

Hello All,
Is the Canon 5d (original) a worthy upgrade to the Canon 50d? I mean can I expect a major improvement in DOF for portrait type shots and ISO performance? The 50d has a larger screen, weather sealing, live view and microadjustment; so is the later really worth it? Lasty, what program is used to check the shutter count on a 5d?

Thanks,
Ralph

The 50D would still have better ISO, the DOF advantage is a mute point. Lenses don't magically get faster so you wont get more separation per se, you just get more real estate at the same focusing distance which makes it seem like you get more.

I would still consider it a big upgrade. When I shoot my medium format cameras I never want to go back to full frame.

The 50D woulnt have better ISO performance. I owned a 40D which is very close to the 50D in performance, once I bought the 5D the 40D went unused except for the occassional sporting event.

The only way to check the shutter count on a 5D is send it in to canon.

I have a 5D classic. For anything close up and not moving very much it is a joy to use, I use my 60D's for wildlife and telephoto, though the one time I did use my 5D for birding it was very good for non moving birds that were not too fare away.

The noise on the 5D is easier to mitigate in Lightroom and the noise that does exist is not nearly as distracting as the 60D.

I wouldn't advise upgrading the 50D to the 5D but I would say that I am very satisfied owning both the 5D and the 60D.

Ralph III wrote in post #17255033
Hello All,
Is the Canon 5d (original) a worthy upgrade to the Canon 50d? I mean can I expect a major improvement in DOF for portrait type shots and ISO performance? The 50d has a larger screen, weather sealing, live view and microadjustment; so is the later really worth it? Lasty, what program is used to check the shutter count on a 5d?

Thanks,
Ralph

Heya,

You cannot check the shutter on the 5D. Just estimations.

The 5D is definitely a nicer overall image producer in ISO, image quality, depth of field control, over the 50D for portraiture. The 50D is better for autofocus, burst shooting, etc, so it's more of an action camera, better suited for wildlife, sports, general shooting, etc. The 5D gives you a bit more edge for portrait specifically. It's a great way to get a taste of what full frame is like without going `all in' budget wise.

I shoot a 5D classic exclusively these days for portrait. I don't look at the LCD screen for anything other than the histogram. You can't tell if something is sharp or not on that screen, it's pathetic, definitely not a strong point. It has no live view, so you can't use that for anything useful. It's AF system is not robust, pretty basic, and it's center point while good, is it's only really useful AF point. The other points are pretty weak in my experience. But I shoot my 5D with manual lenses more often than with autofocus, because I'm simply better and more comfortable with manual focus while composing portraits (I don't have to focus, recompose). I use a precision matte screen EE-S with mine, so I focus via depth of field really, so it's easy as pie. I can focus in the dark with a wee bit of light really (so I can focus right through 6 stops of ND filters which I commonly do with this thing as I like shooting F1.4 in the bright sun with flash for some of my portrait work). The ISO grain of the 5D is more pleasing to me too, it has a film look. It's color and tones are also more pleasing to me. You don't get the 5D for advanced features.

When you look at a 5D today, you look at it as a great way to get a film-like ISO digital camera that is full frame, with tight depth of field control, precision matte screen capability for precision manual focus use. You do not get the 5D today for it's autofocus ability, it's LCD, it's resolution, or any other feature along those lines. It's why it's a portrait camera to me. Or a general walk around camera.

I use a more modern APS-C (several actually) for the non-portrait stuff.

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #17255079
The 5D is definitely a nicer overall image producer in ISO, image quality, depth of field control, over the 50D for portraiture. The 50D is better for autofocus, burst shooting, etc, so it's more of an action camera, better suited for wildlife, sports, general shooting, etc. The 5D gives you a bit more edge for portrait specifically. It's a great way to get a taste of what full frame is like without going `all in' budget wise.
[..snip..]
The ISO grain of the 5D is more pleasing to me too, it has a film look. It's color and tones are also more pleasing to me. You don't get the 5D for advanced features.

When you look at a 5D today, you look at it as a great way to get a film-like ISO digital camera that is full frame, with tight depth of field control, precision matte screen capability for precision manual focus use. You do not get the 5D today for it's autofocus ability, it's LCD, it's resolution, or any other feature along those lines. It's why it's a portrait camera to me. Or a general walk around camera.

I've been using a 5D classic and a 50D for years now, for two very different sets of purposes and for different styles of photography.

My 5D has (until very, very recently) been my take-everywhere digital walk-around camera ('naked' with either an EF 35mm/f2 or EF 50mm/f1.2L mounted, or in a small bag with the 50 mounted and an EF 24mm/f2.8). I've used it for events, for travel, for landscapes, for portraits, for street-type shooting, some macro - for pretty much everything where prime lenses are indicated and long lenses and action are not. I preferred it to my 50D for all those things (mostly).

(Note, BTW, that I just love the 5D/50L combination: some of my favourite shots have been taken with that set.)

My 50D has been used, mostly with my EF 100-400L near bolted on, for birds and wildlife, sport, airshows - action photogaphy of all sorts, for the most part. I've also used it for macro (where the longer working distance and wider apparent DOF of APS-C can help), on a mix-and-match basis with the 5D.

And some times I have mixed it up, since having two different formats using (almost) the same set of lenses allows you, sometimes, to get two different uses out of the same lens. I've also often shot with both cameras - for example, using the 50D with flash + EF-S 17-55IS, alongside the 5D with 50L at events, mixing flash photography with available light. Or using the 5D with the 100-400 where shallow DOF is more important than reach (and with something wider on the 50D for scene-setting shots) And so on.

I don't regard one as an upgrade to the other. More like very good complements to each other. Given that a 50D won't fetch that much, these days, I'd be inclined to get the 5Dc and keep the 50D. Of course that matches my use patterns and might not match yours.

...Mike

[P.S. I'm in the process of putting both cameras into semi-retirement: a 7D2 to replace the 50D as my primary APS-C body and a non-Canon system as my primary FF approach. Both will still get use as secondary bodies, though, as they're probably still worth more to me for that than I'd get from selling them.]

"I don't regard one as an upgrade to the other. More like very good complements to each other. Given that a 50D won't fetch that much, these days, I'd be inclined to get the 5Dc and keep the 50D. Of course that matches my use patterns and might not match yours."

^^^ this

get it in addition to your 50D. if shallow DOF is a priority in your portraits, then FF is the only way to go.

This thread is what Im milling over right now. Local shop has a nice condition 5D in, with the mirror fix for 480. They also have one that has been beat to hell for 380, also with the mirror fix ( and I mean beat!!, the grip is all grey discolored plastic, nicks in the body, it saw plenty of use ).

Next weekend they are having a trade in event, 10% trade in credit on used gear. Really thinking of taking my 30D i never use in to trade and the cash I have to get that 5D i was playing with. But i was fearful i'd never get use out of my 50D but then again, for the kiddio playing and birding, the 50D is much better option, where for landscapes and good pictures of the kid the 5D would shine. I also tend to take my cameras places I shouldnt in conditions I shouldnt so the weather sealing of the 5D is also appealing. I just dont know what Im going to do. I do have a lens that I can use for the 5D, and i've also been toying the idea of trading in some of the other lenses I have to a 24-105L.

The weather sealing on the 5D is roughly the same as your 30D. In many ways the 30D and 5D are similar in construction and design as they are contemporary designs. The 5D is incredible compared to the 30D in every other way though. I dont get your logic above, are you afraid of better inages or that your 50D will get jealous?

Once you account for the resolution differences, the 50D and 5D are remarkably close in terms of high ISO performance. I think the 5D still ekes out a win on that front, but not by a whole lot. The main difference is that the color noise is worse with the 50D, but that cleans up much more easily than luminance noise does.

The 5D easily wins for depth of field, however. Note that this is because you have to use a longer focal length in order to achieve the same angle of view, but regardless, assuming you've got lenses that equalize the angle of view, full frame will handily win that contest.

Thanks for the input!

Just FYI, at the moment I have two Canon 40d's and one Canon 50d.

My plan was to sell the two 40d's and get a matching Canon 50d or possibly a 5d, if a reasonable price could be had and if I felt it would serve me better for portraits as you confirmed.

Anyhow, I just got a great deal on a Canon 5d which was being sold as a package. By the time I sell the other gear the cost of the camera will only be slightly higher than had I gotten a 50d.

So I'm excited about getting a full frame as my second body for portrait work. Thanks for the input...

God Bless,
Ralph

Ralph III wrote in post #17256443
Thanks for the input!

Just FYI, at the moment I have two Canon 40d's and one Canon 50d.

My plan was to sell the two 40d's and get a matching Canon 50d or possibly a 5d, if a reasonable price could be had and if I felt it would serve me better for portraits as you confirmed.

Anyhow, I just got a great deal on a Canon 5d which was being sold as a package. By the time I sell the other gear the cost of the camera will only be slightly higher than had I gotten a 50d.

So I'm excited about getting a full frame as my second body for portrait work. Thanks for the input...

God Bless,
Ralph

Oh, you didn't mention that you already have a 50D. Yes, if you already have a crop camera and the additional camera you'd be buying doesn't have substantial advantages over it, then the logical body to buy would be the full frame one, if only because it gets you depth of field capability that you don't already have.

What lenses do you have?

kcbrown wrote in post #17256493
Oh, you didn't mention that you already have a 50D. Yes, if you already have a crop camera and the additional camera you'd be buying doesn't have substantial advantages over it, then the logical body to buy would be the full frame one, if only because it gets you depth of field capability that you don't already have.

What lenses do you have?

Well, I was inclined to get another 50d because it would be easiest making adjustments when carrying two camera's with different lenses (zoom, prime). I really want to see what the 5d can do in regards to portrait shots though, so I'm fine in having it along with my 50d.

I'm in the midst of a lens shakeup but have or recently had the following; Canon 15-85mm, Canon 18-135mm STM, Canon 24-105L f4.0, and Tamron 60mm f2.0 Macro.

I'll probably keep the 15-85mm for my APSC and look to get another f2.8 zoom (maybe Tamron 28-75mm) for the 5d or a longer prime. The 5d I got actually includes a Sigma 50mm f1.4 (non Art) lens; so I have a lot of options all of which seem good. It will just come down to what is most practical...

Take care,
Ralph

Ralph III wrote in post #17256932
I'm in the midst of a lens shakeup but have or recently had the following; Canon 15-85mm, Canon 18-135mm STM, Canon 24-105L f4.0, and Tamron 60mm f2.0 Macro.

I'll probably keep the 15-85mm for my APSC and look to get another f2.8 zoom (maybe Tamron 28-75mm) for the 5d or a longer prime. The 5d I got actually includes a Sigma 50mm f1.4 (non Art) lens; so I have a lot of options all of which seem good. It will just come down to what is most practical...

Oooh. The 24-105L. That's going to be an excellent lens on your 5D. Do you still have it? Sounds like you might not.

I've owned both. I currently own the 5Dc and recently sold the 50d. I didn't think I would use it much, but now that I'm shooting everything with the 5Dc, I wish I would have kept the 50d. These two cameras do make nice compliments to each other. I would suggest keeping the 50d and picking up the 5Dc.