Man, full frame: Talk me off the ledge?!

I thought I got over it, but that FF bug is biting me again. I purchased a brand new 60D last month and it's been great and definitely giving me the type of pictures I can be happy with right now.

But the recent 5D Mark II price reduction, along with the fact that I could return my 60D with no restocking for another 3 days (checked with the seller), is REALLY tempting me.

What's holding me back obviously is price. Spending an extra $1000, which is what this would cost if I return the 60D and pick up the 5D body only, is already scraping the limit of my budget comfort.

Getting the kit for $2500 would officially fall into the realm of discomfort from a money standpoint.

That being said, if I get the body only, I'd have 2 lenses that can work on the FF: 50mm 1.8 and 70-300mm (non L), without the budget to get more lenses for quite a while.

I know the rational thing would be that if I want to spend an extra $1000, I should be looking at adding primes or getting the 17-55 f/2.8 for my 60D.

But I enjoy shooting people - candids/ portraits, sometimes in low light, so seems like a FF is perfect for me.

Talk me off the ledge? Or not? If I do make it another 3 days beyond the return period then I'm set, as I'm not going to sell the 60D anytime soon...

With the extra $1000- does that mean you can buy a new camera - or a new camera with a suitable lens ?

Oh, go big or go home... Don't settle for a 5D2- you know - you want a 5D3 !

I guess I could help here though- if that's what you want.. I don't understand why someone would want the inferior AF system that is on the 5D2 ! Did that help ?

i bought the 5d mark 2. Saving up for 5d mark 3 :/ i would never go back. the auto focus system suits me since I don't do sports other then that I have been drooling.

wayne.robbins wrote in post #15065236
I guess I could help here though- if that's what you want.. I don't understand why someone would want the inferior AF system that is on the 5D2 ! Did that help ?

I wish it did, but the justification I keep using is I very rarely shoot fast moving subjects... I upgraded from an XSi to a 60D, and the better AF system has been nice, but I think that's been the least important factor to me in the upgrade. I've enjoyed the low-light performance and especially the handling (I like the larger size, more buttons, top panel LCD) even more.

Just do it! You'll regret not getting it once the return period for your 60D is over. The 5D2 is an awesome camera and FF will give you a whole new shooting experience that will keep you busy for the next few years. The price drop only makes it easier to justify getting it.

Do you have any EF-S lenses you can sell to help with the cost? The 50/1.8 should be plenty for getting some good street candids and portraits for now until you can afford better quality glass.

FF is only important if you want lenses to perform as designed regarding DoF.
5DII auto focus is fine form most situations. High ISO performance is very nice as long as you are using a real ISO speed not H1 or H2 which are signal boosts that really add noise.

As someone who came from the 550D to the 5dmk2, I can tell you I could absolutely live with either format. The only reason why you have the bug is because you're letting the bug bite you

Both formats have their pluses and minuses, but you will need to weigh those differences in your mind to determine if it's worth changing.

The determining factor for me, more than any other, was that a 35mm lens is 35mm on Full Frame. Don't get me wrong, not that a 35mm lens isn't 35mm on APS-C, because it is, it's just that you're going to get a different frame with APS-C. Since I go back to the 35mm film days, it was important to me to get the same field of view.

With that said, the 5d2 is a really good camera, and I'm sure if you switched over you would be happy.

I was in the same place as you a year ago. I listened to a friend that has a 5DII and made the plunge. Seriously, the image quality between the FF and my 7D are slight at best. While it's true that the 5DII shines in low light, I don't shoot under those conditions often enough to justify the purchase.

That being said, those who rant about the 5DII's "inferior focusing system" are giving you bad advice IMHO. I read an article this summer that showed some of the best photos from around the world taken in 2011, and guess what camera was used most often: Canon's 5DII.

In your case, I'd say to try to control your "possession obsession" and get out and use your 60D. It's a very capable camera.

FF is not a ledge but it is an edge.
The big delta between DSLR's is FF vs Crop.
Crop Current versions have too small pixels.
All the other "features" are weasle words for those who are advertising influenced.

Jump! Jump! Jump! (You obviously came to the right place to be talked off the ledge!)

If the 2 best lenses you have to use on a full frame right now are the 50 1.8 and the 70-300mmIS 4.5-5.6 then I really think you should consider upgrading your lenses. Besides in a year or so the 5DMKIII will be in the range of where the MkII is right now.

Why put yourself into financial difficulty when you don't have to....

I know I am a downer but then I have seen enough pictures to realize the real magic happens behind the camera.....

jwp721 wrote in post #15065479
If the 2 best lenses you have to use on a full frame right now are the 50 1.8 and the 70-300mmIS 4.5-5.6 then I really think you should consider upgrading your lenses. Besides in a year or so the 5DMKIII will be in the range of where the MkII is right now.

Why put yourself into financial difficulty when you don't have to....

I know I am a downer but then I have seen enough pictures to realize the real magic happens behind the camera.....

This, 100 times over. Sure, the 5DII will produce incrementally better images than your 60D will, but you'll get a whole lot more bang for your buck by spending that extra 1k on lenses for your current setup.

I have both and bought my 5d2 after my 7d. While the 5d2 is better with noise and subject isolation the differences are still only minimal. I use the 7d w/ a 17-55 canon and only use my 5d2 with my fast primes(4) 90% of the time and the other 10% with my 24-105. I use the primes so i can take advantage of the oof the 5d2 can give and for the real low light situations. Otherwise my 7d & 17-55 combo can do half the stuff i need it to do. just my opinion.

I used a few crop cameras before FF (Xsi, T1i, 7D) before buying the 5D... I was blown away the moment I took that first shot. I then sold my 7D and 5D and got a 5D2 and loved it for the year I owned it. Now I use the 5D3. I won't go back to crop only, but they are very useful for getting more reach with telephotos. Honestly that is probably the only benefit along with cheaper prices.

But I would probably buy another 5D (original) before a crop. I still think to this day, the original 5D has simply the most beautiful images. The colors and how it renders is just amazing. I would love to get one as a backup camera. The 5D2 honestly did not match how nicely the 5D rendered images, although you did gain a much better camera. You can get close in post processing, but I just loved what came right out of the 5D.

The difference between crop and FF for sure is there, especially at higher ISO and details overall. I never honestly noticed the whole DOF difference except with my 24-105. I know you gain a stop technically of depth of field, but I never really saw it even with lenses like the 135L, 85L, etc...