If you have Full Frame, did you still keep your Crop Body?

In the past, when I upgraded bodies -- Rebel XT -> 40D -> 7D -- I always sold my old body. However, when I purchased a 5D3 three years ago, I decided to hang onto my 7D to use as a second body, dedicated to wildlife. When we travel, I shoot both landscapes and wildlife, and would spend a lot of time changing lenses. However, with two bodies I was able to leave my 100-400L mounted on the 7D for wildlife and use the 5D3 with a couple of lenses for landscapes, greatly reducing my lens swapping and also ensuring I was always ready for any wildlife that would be encountered -- grizzly bears and wolves will not wait for you to change lenses.

While the 7D did not get used as much as the 5D3, I found the combination useful enough that I recently upgraded the 7D to a 7D2 (and sold the 7D) in anticipation of another visit to Yellowstone National Park this summer -- it will be my 6th visit to the park. I am really liking the 5D3 / 7D2 combo, as the two bodies are almost identical in control layout and feel. Both bodies will also auto focus at f/8, allowing me to use my 100-400L II with a 1.4x TC for additional reach, when necessary.

For years I used a 50D and a 5Dc. I saw them as supplementing each other, not competing, and used them for quite different purposes with (mostly) different lenses and found they complemented each other nicely. I thought very seriously about upgrading from the 5Dc to a 5D3 but ended up pursuing a non-Canon FF solution (I kept the 5Dc, though, which still gets occasional use). I have upgraded to a 7D2.

...Mike

mfunnell wrote in post #17591011
For years I used a 50D and a 5Dc. I saw them as supplementing each other, not competing, and used them for quite different purposes with (mostly) different lenses and found they complemented each other nicely.

Wow! I don't believe it! That was EXACTLY the case with me, too. I had a 5Dc and a 50D as my two main bodies for 3 1/2 years. The 50D was my primary body, getting 80% of the work, while my 5Dc was the secondary body. Why? Because in most situations, the crop-sensor 50D simply produced better images than the full frame 5D.

Do you miss the 7D and crop lenses? I have a Rebel T4i and want to jump to the 6D, but am unsure if I should keep the T4i (currently want to sell it and use the cash to help fund the jump), especially since I have the Sigma 18-35 Art married to it.

I want to make the FF jump from my rebel. I've been thinking about the 6D because the cost is reasonable, but do you advise jumping to the Mark III instead, especially as the price drops with the expected release of the Mark IV?

Do you need the more robust autofocus of the 5dII? Or the dual card slots? if not, go with the 6D and pocket $1,000.

I don't need the dual card slots. Would prefer the better AF, but need? Probably not. I assume you did and that's why you went with the 5DIII?

Thanks for the reply.

This is my dilemma too. Deciding between FF and Crop.

I feel like if I get the 5dMkIII now, it will get upgraded next week.

spooky action wrote in post #17593160
I don't need the dual card slots. Would prefer the better AF, but need? Probably not. I assume you did and that's why you went with the 5DIII?

Thanks for the reply.

I bought the 6D first because I'm a cheapskate. Focus-and-recompose was fine when I was using my slow f/4.0 lenses. When I started shooting the razor thin f/1.2's and f/1.8s, I realized that for portraits, the linear points are usually fine on the 6D because there's plenty of contrast in the human eye where we usually like to focus for a portrait.

The megapixel difference is negligible (20.2 vs. 22.3--both are more than most need), and the 6D is actually slightly better in uber low light with noise. I also much prefer how the 6D's auto focus points illuminate red as opposed to black on the 5dIII. The 6D's sole cross type auto focus point in the center is also better in low light than any on the 5DIII. That said, the 5dIII tracks moving targets better and there are 41 cross type auto focus points (and 20 linear) as opposed to one cross-type on the 6D.

GPS and wifi are also found on the 6D, and lacking on the 5dIII. However, you give up a full magnesium alloy body in trade so the signal can get out.

wicktron wrote in post #17593191
This is my dilemma too. Deciding between FF and Crop.

I feel like if I get the 5dMkIII now, it will get upgraded next week.

Keep in mind that if a replacement is announced, it will still be many moons before it hits the shelves. The 5Ds/sr is just coming to market now after being announced months ago. Remember also that the 5dIII can be had for $2,000-2,500, whereas a Mk IV could debut at $3,500. Your 5dIII won't start taking worse photos just because a new model comes out. However, the street value will take a hit.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17591024
Wow! I don't believe it! That was EXACTLY the case with me, too. I had a 5Dc and a 50D as my two main bodies for 3 1/2 years. The 50D was my primary body, getting 80% of the work, while my 5Dc was the secondary body. Why? Because in most situations, the crop-sensor 50D simply produced better images than the full frame 5D.

Im in the same boat with you as well, but mines alittle more 50/50. I use the 50D for wildlife ( free 240mm out of my 400 ) and for ultra wide angle. The 5Dc I use for walking around and taking pictures of the kids. The FF DoF and final images are just very lovely.

I can't justify spending beyond what the 6D will cost. I played around with the various bodies at Best Buy the other day and was slightly bothered by the 5DIII not having the red light for AF. What I could not figure out for the life of me on any of the newer/FF bodies was how to adjust Aperture without going into the "Q" screen, i.e. how to use the wheel to change aperture. Neither the dial on the top nor the large wheel on the back changed it. I assume I will figure out after more than 10 minutes handling it, but what am I missing?

That's a good point. Waiting on the 6D II to be announced later this year/early next is one thing. It arriving on the shelves - either to buy it or take advantage of another price drop in the 6D - is another.

spooky action wrote in post #17593314
... Neither the dial on the top nor the large wheel on the back changed it. I assume I will figure out after more than 10 minutes handling it, but what am I missing?

This has to mean that the demo was set to some auto mode that prevented manual control, as the top wheel changes aperture in AV just like every other Canon DSLR.

All of it is customizable too.

I was shooting it in manual mode though, as I almost always do. On my T4i I can tap an "AV" button and roll the top wheel to change aperture. I could not find a similar button on the full frames.