Things my 5D has taught me

After having only owned and used crop camera bodies since I began photography (XTi -> XSi -> 50D + 7D), I was getting the itch to try out a full frame camera. So, I figured I would pick up a simple 5D and see what full frame shooting was all about. I went into it ready to learn the simpler nuances of full-frame photography like how the FOV changes, noise performance differs, etc. but instead have come out with some completely different lessons and appreciations that I never expected.

My 5D has taught me...

1) How incredibly awesome and useful Canon's latest rear LCD's are for reviewing your photos (which leads me to point # 2...)
2) How to better rely on your histogram for post-shot review
3) How only a 45ms difference in viewfinder blackout can sometimes feel like an eternity
4) How far the autofocus and metering technology has progressed in Canon's latest cameras

These are just a quick few lesson as I'm sure others will continue to follow. It has not only shown me first-hand the great features that a full frame sensor offers over a crop sensor, but it has also given me a greater appreciation of how far cameras have progressed into the technology we have available today. It has made me a lot more appreciative of my crop bodies and what I'm able to do with them, performance-wise.

This whole experience was just so pleasantly unexpected that I wanted to share this with anyone who has been considering a switch to, or trial of, a full frame camera. I would highly recommend it not only for the lessons you expect to learn, but also for those that you don't.

As per #3 - that's one of the main reasons I prefer my 1D III over my 5D II (that I used to have..) - super snappy

So... Your buying a 5D2 now?

#3 is an eternity after using a 7D.

Sorry to say this, but your comments are stating the obvious. I would have been surprised if Canon had not implemented any technological advancements or innovations in its cameras since 2004/05 - especially in the face of a fierce competition. In this vein, starting my 69 Camaro in cold winter mornings makes me appreciate my 2010 Infinity. But I like my Camaro for a different sensation that the modern car lacks.

What 5D brought to users and some are still very valuable after almost seven years was crystalised in its CMOS and image output. If one expected a middle-weight mostly studio-oriented FF camera performed like a top-end sport-oriented crop body in terms of reaction and processing performance, one was looking in the wrong place.

I have a number of DSLRs including 5D, 5D2 and 7D. 5D has its own special place and I do not intend to offload it in the future. What people find useful or frustrating in a camera depends on their needs not on spec sheets. 'For me', if I was to choose which one to lose - 7D or 5D - it'd be no brainer - 7D. Surely 7D has features that are very useful for me. But when I look at images from 7D and then 5D in the end of the day, I like 5D's much more.

I'm sorry you missed the whole point of the post, but it is about unexpected lessons and appreciations. The points you've mentioned are all what you'd expect to find, so they obviously do not fall into this category.

babel_fish wrote in post #13714415
So... Your buying a 5D2 now?

No, just enjoying the simple classic at the moment. I've already spent too much this year.

Fligi7 wrote in post #13714675
I'm sorry you missed the whole point of the post, but it is about unexpected lessons and appreciations. The points you've mentioned are all what you'd expect to find, so they obviously do not fall into this category.

I guess it comes down to what is 'obvious'. May be it relates to experience and how one has used different cameras over time.

Interesting post. You mentioned better relying on your histogram, can you go into more detail? I can't say I've ever looked at my histogram for performance, yet I know it's a crucial factor that I'm missing. What's the best way to read it for quality/exposure optimization?

actprivate wrote in post #13714773
I guess it comes down to what is 'obvious'. May be it relates to experience and how one has used different cameras over time.

Sure, it could relate to that. The post is purely opinion as well, so it's hard to argue what is expected or not. I was just simply relaying what I found to be unexpected but very beneficial lessons I've learned. At any rate, the thread wasn't meant to get any deeper than that.

KROHN27 wrote in post #13714801
Interesting post. You mentioned better relying on your histogram, can you go into more detail? I can't say I've ever looked at my histogram for performance, yet I know it's a crucial factor that I'm missing. What's the best way to read it for quality/exposure optimization?

There are a lot of tutorials out there on how to read a histogram so I won't go into trying to explain it myself when many others have done it so well already. The take-home point for me was that I had gotten spoiled by having a nice, colorful LCD display that I could look at when I needed to review an image to see if it turned out properly. Because the displays on newer bodies, like the 7D, are so incredibly accurate at representing to you how a picture was recorded, it allows you to cheat a bit by just looking at it on the display rather than checking or relying on the histogram. Suffice to say, the 5D LCD is no great representation of how the image was actually recorded, so you have to rely on the histogram to determine how well the light and colors of your image were actually exposed. This is something that I understand how to do but never really did on a regular basis because I had the benefit of bodies with very good LCD's on the back. It's nothing terribly hard to do and the 5D reminds you not to forget about it.

Even with an upgraded LCD that better depicts the images, you should still use the histogram, if you want to get the most of your images, expecially at high ISO and using ETTR techniques. When shooting high ISO with the 7D (or even the 1D4), I rely on the color histogram to make sure I haven't clipped any colors, but have put as much of the exposure to the right as I could. But yes, the newer LCDs are very nice and it was a shame it took Canon so long to incorporate them. It was basically the competition''s new offerings that forced the change-over.

So, are these positive lessions? Or things you miss about your 7D?

David

That is what I do on my 7D when I shoot low light, high ISO sporting events using ETTR. The difference is that on the 7D I could still look at the LCD to satisfy my OCD tendency I've created of needing to see an image to know it came out properly, regardless of what the histogram shows. The 5d has helped me break that. I now feel more comfortable relying solely on it than the combination of it plus a quick look at the display image on the LCD, not that it necessarily makes a difference.

davidc502 wrote in post #13714939
So, are these positive lessions? Or things you miss about your 7D?

David

All of these are positive, so hopefully they don't come off as the opposite. I still have my other bodies, this body is just an addition that I feel has helped me become a bit more rounded in my skills and experience.