What should I do with the 5DII

Yes. I purchased a 5D II which was completely an impulse buy.
I still have my beloved 450D, my first camera which I had it over 2.5 years now..
And I think I know the 450D pretty well.. and have some nice glasses (including 10-22 (ef-s))
yet, it's a hobby and being a PhD student doesn't allow me to shoot that often.
But I truly and sincerely love the images out of 5DII.. I never knew that my 24-105 f4 had such a shallow DOF.. and I can't stop thinking about it..

Plus I can't justify my photographic skill to use 5DII yet.. It's a such a masterpiece and I keep questioning myself if I am good enough use such a beautiful machine..
After taking only a few shots.. my brain is telling me to sell it.. before I losing more money.. but my heart keeps trying to convince me to keep it longer.

And now, I see 5Dii price is going lower and lower as the almighty 5D3 coming out soon. And I don't know what to do..

FF was my dream just like everyone else. But I wanted to wait until I get kids. By the, I think photography becomes the most rewarding hobby ever.. (not married yet though). Now I have both 5Dii and 450D and knowing that my 450D will still serve me well for a long time until I can justify owning the masterpiece (5D iii or equivalent). But I simply can't seem to decide easily..

So I ask here. I actually posted a similar post last night and deleted right after.. That's how much this decision has been torturing me.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated..really.. Like I said, as far as photography goes, I am only 2.5 years old baby So whatever you will say will probably affect my decision significantly..

You can be mean, if you think it is necessary. I think I can handle the pain. Will hurt.. but I think I can

Thanks
JRS.

Honestly, this is a decision only you can make.

If you aren't using it too much, and you can use the money on other things, then I would sell it. There's no need to have that kind of money invested in something you won't use.

As for the 5D3, we don't know when it's coming. But again, if you aren't using the 5D2, why hang on to it. In fact, why even bother with the 5D3 for that matter?

1. Keep the 5DII,
2. sell all your 450D and EF-s lenses.
3. Buy a 50 1.4
4. go have fun taking pictures

Is it going to make you happier having the 5D2 or the $2,xxx.

Send the 5DII to me, we can figure this problem out together.

You should sell it, prices are high right now and you'll get more out of it today than if you wait. You can always buy another down the road when you're ready, it's not like you have the only one they ever made.

dump the croppers and any EF-s lenses and learn FF photography using L lenses.

Consider yourself very lucky to have such a problem...that you can turn into an opportunity.

Can you live without the 5dII? Is there something better you can do with that 2 grand (like save for the engagement ring maybe)? I'm sure the answer would probably be a yes.
Sell it.

It just really depends if you want to have $2k back in your pocket.

Besides photography, I have a big interest in audio, and at one point had 4 subwoofers, two 5.1 setups, one big 7.1 setup (that I still have), as well as 11 different headphones ranging from $70 to $350 each.

I still enjoy audio and listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of movies, but I've downsized to two pairs of headphones, two subs, and the 7.1 setup. It put a lot of money back in my pocket, which was nice at the time.

So...long story short (too late), if you aren't going to shoot a lot at the moment, sell it, and get another FF when you will go back into photography. Enjoy your 450D!

ADDENDUM: A more relavent story... when I started college I bought a used Rebel XT, but ended up not taking a lot of pictures. 4 years later (now), I get back into photography, but a lot has changed and I regret my purchase. Luckily I'm able to sell the XT for near what I bought it for, and got a T2i. While the body doesn't necessarily improve images as much as a lens, the larger screen and updated interface made it a lot more fun to shoot. Again, point of the story, if you're not going to be using it a lot, I'd just sell it.

One of my big arguments about having good photography equipment is this... When you travel places you get to see things that are once in a life time... to some extent even if you go back to the same place. You only have one opportunity to capture that photo. I don't want to look back and wish that I had a better camera to capture that scene that I won't ever see again. A little dramatic but that is just me

gtg844f wrote in post #12999570
Yes. I purchased a 5D II .....
Plus I can't justify my photographic skill to use 5DII yet.. It's a such a masterpiece and I keep questioning myself if I am good enough use such a beautiful machine..

Thanks
JRS.

JRS,

Don't question yourself...... I'm going to tell you that you are good enough. There are no rules & if there were - I suggest breaking them. Go have fun and stop worrying.

Since you bring up the financial considerations, I'll add this..... Forget what you paid for the camera it's worth what it's worth today. I'm of the opinion that the value of the enjoyment you will get out of actually using it, is more fiscally / logically responsible than selling it now due to concerns of diminished value later. Are you willing to accept the loss of, say, $500 to further your experience / learning /development?

Shoot and post the pictures ---

Keep the 5D2 and sell the cropper.

Sell everything and focus on your school instead, save the money for a rainy day. As a student, there will be lots of rainy days ahead. I've been there myself.

/ Magnus

strobe monkey wrote in post #13000181
Keep the 5D2 and sell the cropper.

That's what I would do, even if I could use the money from selling the 5d2. Clearly, you have an interest in photography as a hobby. As a PHd student, I"m sure there are some stressful times when you could use a nice hobby to escape into. Not that you couldn't do that with the other body, you could. However, you will enjoy this beautiful machine for a long, long time and are unlikely you outgrow it any time soon. If there were ever a time you could indulge yourself, it is now, before the responsibilities of a wife or children are screaming for your financial attention. Develop your hobby with this fine machine and don't look back or second guess your decision. And SELL the other one, or you'll end up keeping the 5d in plastic and never hauling it out and using it. It was meant to be used and enjoyed.

Magnus3D wrote in post #13000204
Sell everything and focus on your school instead, save the money for a rainy day. As a student, there will be lots of rainy days ahead. I've been there myself.

Even if this wasn't true (which it is!), why have a $2k camera sitting in a drawer?

Either use it or sell it. From the tone of your post, I think you'd be happier with the latter choice.

strobe monkey wrote in post #13000181
Keep the 5D2 and sell the cropper.

This...

You'll feel like you're starting over but you'll see the world in a very different way.