5DM2 IQ, is it really that superior to the 60d??

I've saved up some money to put towards my hobby and its burning a hole in my pockets! I'm looking for some advice on the best way to spend it. First off, I'm a hobbyist and my main subjects are my family and chronicling my two daughters (10 and 6) lives as they grow up. This involves candids when they are playing, some posed shots on trips and life events as well as some portrait work.

Since a lot of my photos will be of impatient kids, most of my work will be with available light or speedlite on-camera/held at arms length. I've been REALLY thinking about getting a 5DM2 on the CLP, but wonder if I should invest in lighting to be able to do more portrait work, which I see on the horizon as my kids get older. I've got some EF-S lenses but they should be easy to resell to get EF equivilants, but I would hate to get the 5dM2 and not see much benefit.

I currently have a 60d, 10-22, 17-55 2.8, 50 1.8 and 70-200 2.8L II with a 600ex-rt. I'm currently using my 60d popup to trigger the 600ex-rt for off camera use and have considered getting another 600ex-rt with a ST-E3 along with some modifiers for a more portable lighting setup. OR.... I could get the 5Dm2 and sell the 10-22, 17-55 and get a 17-40 and 24-70.

Again, mainly available light shooting right now, but I can see more posed portrait work coming... Thanks for any advice!

In a word; yes.

Simple: yes for FF.

I was in the same boat. Did a side by side with my 60D and my bro's 5Dm2. The difference is definitely noticeable so much so, I just picked one up from the CLP. If you can manage, grab it!

If you are shooting with controlled lighting at lower ISOs, then no, not really, provided you pick up a quality fast prime. A fast sharp prime on the 60D in controlled lighting will give you more than enough IQ. What specifically are you looking for where you are willing to move to a body that costs at least twice that of your 60D?

TeamSpeed wrote in post #14564700
If you are shooting with controlled lighting at lower ISOs, then no, not really, provided you pick up a quality fast prime. A fast sharp prime on the 60D in controlled lighting will give you more than enough IQ. What specifically are you looking for where you are willing to move to a body that costs at least twice that of your 60D?

Listen to this man. He speaks sense. Unless you're printing to poster sizes, there is no point for you to move to a 5DII if you control lighting, which you do with your flash, and possible future strobes.

To be honest, if you can't get extremely good quality pictures with what you have already, then you never will. You have the ultimate crop kit, just go shoot with it

I've shifted from 7d to 5d2.

At base ISo for landscape work there isnt so much difference. Slightly better colour differentiation and per pixle sharpness.

I basically shifted so I can use lenses like the 24tse.

For portrait work I would certainly consider the move more.

I own both 5d2 and T2i, and the differences are not great.

There are many side by side threads between the 5d2 and the 7d, so be sure to do some research and come to your conclusion about if it will be worth the difference.

My #1 reason for going 35mm digital was the ViewFinder. Pick up a old 35mm film camera and look through the viewfinder. One can actually maunually focus subjects because it's large enough.

#2. The processed images do, in my opinion, look better though what come out of the cameras may not.

The downside...... I miss my Tamron 17-50 F/2.8 non VC. There just isn't a full frame substitue, in my opinion (Size, Weight, and I.Q.). Unless you're willing to lug around more weight for a comparable lens when it comes to image sharpness.

h14nha wrote in post #14564889
To be honest, if you can't get extremely good quality pictures with what you have already, then you never will. You have the ultimate crop kit, just go shoot with it

This! Unless your photos are already the talk of the town, in which case you'd know why you want to move. If you don't know, what exactly you are after, 'magic', IQ, etc etc won't make better photos for you...

Thats quite true. its more about the right framing and lighting.

Remember a lot of people who use 5d2's are good photographers who know their ****. Thats more often why the shots look good. Yes the camera helps but its mostly about what you do with it.

Thanks for all the great replies, good points to be made and they pretty much jive with my internal monologue I'm having with myself. Overall I'm quite happy with my 60d and it had performed very well for me with the exception of being ever so slightly off on focus with my 70-200. There are specific things I'm looking for in the upgrade but it's weighting those upgrades against the dollar that is my issue.

I really want micro adjust, perhaps some of my missed focus comes from my center point focus/recompose technique, but having MA would clarify the issue. Increased high ISO performance, as a mostly available light shooter (currently) this is a big deal, I have the 70-200 2.8 and he nifty fifty, but if the low light performance started from the body, it would give me more flexibility with ALL my lenses, not just my faster ones. IQ "magic" would have been the kicker for me, if shadow detail and sharpness are significantly greater than the 60d then that would justify it, I read Teamspeed's excellent comparison and I'll look for more examples once I get back to a computer.

I agree some fast primes would offer up great quality but the events that I shoot generally do not allow me to roam around and having zooms is pretty much required and why my very firs lens purchase was the 70-200 2.8. Ahhh decisions!

If you really want your photos to look great, invest in the lighting. Lighting alone is the best bang for the buck when it comes to photo quality. Even if you shoot with fast primes, if the quality of light isn't there, the quality of the photo will be compromised as well. I shoot with both a 5dii and a t2i also. When the light is good, especially for portraiture, you won't be able to distinguish the two unless you are really good at pixel peeping.

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Stealther wrote in post #14564483
I've saved up some money to put towards my hobby and its burning a hole in my pockets! I'm looking for some advice on the best way to spend it. First off, I'm a hobbyist and my main subjects are my family and chronicling my two daughters (10 and 6) lives as they grow up. This involves candids when they are playing, some posed shots on trips and life events as well as some portrait work.

Since a lot of my photos will be of impatient kids, most of my work will be with available light or speedlite on-camera/held at arms length. I've been REALLY thinking about getting a 5DM2 on the CLP, but wonder if I should invest in lighting to be able to do more portrait work, which I see on the horizon as my kids get older. I've got some EF-S lenses but they should be easy to resell to get EF equivilants, but I would hate to get the 5dM2 and not see much benefit.

I currently have a 60d, 10-22, 17-55 2.8, 50 1.8 and 70-200 2.8L II with a 600ex-rt. I'm currently using my 60d popup to trigger the 600ex-rt for off camera use and have considered getting another 600ex-rt with a ST-E3 along with some modifiers for a more portable lighting setup. OR.... I could get the 5Dm2 and sell the 10-22, 17-55 and get a 17-40 and 24-70.

Again, mainly available light shooting right now, but I can see more posed portrait work coming... Thanks for any advice!

I went from a 60D/ 10-22/ 17-55/ 50 1.4/ 70-300. I now have 5dmkII/17-40L/ 24-105/ 50 1.4/ 100 2.8 macro. I do not regret it one bit. Pictures are night and day, much sharper.

Just sold my T2i few weeks back, which has the identical sensor as 60D.

T2i dose a great job for me in low ISO and good lighting condition;
But 5D2 has much better DR and high ISO preferment.

So, your 60D is great / capable camera, also better AF than 5D2.
But 60D's IQ, which is no match to 5D2.

Sorry...