Reasons to get 5D over 30D

Can any 5D owners give me a short list of reasons to get the 5D over the 30D?

I am currently the owner of a Rebel XT. I have only had it for a few months and while it is a very capable little camera I am not satisfied with several features, namely:
-viewfinder too small
-LCD is too small
-manual focusing difficult because of focus screen and small viewfinder
-body too small and almost unusable without grip
too name a few. I think I will probably get a 30D but am wondering if the 5D is worth the premium.

This choice really only comes down to 1 core factor.. Do you want a full frame camera or 1.6x crop...

If you mostly shoot in the low focal length (eg, Landscape, Architecture, ect...) Then the 5D will probably fit your need better

If you shoot Long, then the 30D will probably be better...

BUT.. these really are generalizations.. because you can find "work arounds" for each.

Personally, If I had the choice and money was not the deciding factor, i would choose the 5D Full Frame... Then my Lenses FOV would be what they say they are.

Well depends how you like to shoot. It can help guide you.

It depends entirely on what you intend to shoot. The 5D is a wonderful camera for landscapes, weddings, and portraiture. For birding, wildlife, and sports, the 30D would be better with its 1.6 crop factor. The 5D files are also huge, necessitating larger CF cards and possibly even a new computer system.

Well, up until recently I owned both...(just sold the 30D). They are similar in a lot of ways so I'll list just the differences that I found I liked..

The pluses for the 30D
price
5fps
1.6x crop for distance shooting

5D:
12.8mpx (image quality is fantastic at very large sizes...details are emphasized in all sizes IMO)
FF...wide angle lenses are use to their fullest
it handles noise much better at the higher ISO's
I think there's larger viewfinder but I really didn't notice the diff. btw. the two...

For me, everything I listed in the 5D made me keep it instead of the 30D...but others like a faster camera and the distance. It's a matter of preference but I find the the 5D is totally worth the $ I paid. It really depends on what your needs/wants are.

liza wrote in post #2283766
necessitating larger CF cards and possibly even a new computer system.

definitely! A 4gb card is a must (IMO) for the 5D where a 2gb will do the same in a 30D. And I did end up buying another external 500 gb HD because the files were so large.

Full Frame
12MP
5D Pixel Size 8.2µm 30D Pixel Size 6.4µm,
5D has the largest pixels size of all Canons D-SLR's.
96% view finder of FF (much larger than the 30D's)
Fast and accurate autofocus
Low Noise
5D has all of Canon research and development up until now incorporated into it.
PLUS MORE

I am getting one soon within 12 months hopefully sooner

I went through that dilemma, the faster fps sold me on the 30D and I have no regrets. I look forward to the 40D now. I am hooked on this money draining hobby!

GCRollo wrote in post #2283759
Personally, If I had the choice and money was not the deciding factor, i would choose the 5D Full Frame... Then my Lenses FOV would be what they say they are.

I was trying to resist arguing here, but I can't. Lenses are not marked with FOV (field of view), only focal length. The FOV you get depends on your sensor size (which I know is what you're getting at). But what you mean is that the lens' FOV is what you, as a 35mm film photographer, are used to getting. For Hasselblad medium format photographers, the 40mm lens is an extreme wide-angle; the 40mm end of the Canon 17-40L is a normal focal length on FF cameras and a short telephoto length on crop cameras. All are 40mm and all are marked as such.

You could say you are 'wasting' some of the image circle with a crop camera, or you could say you are concentrating on the lens' 'sweet spot' - the central area. It's horses for courses definitely, but to give as a reason for choosing the 5D that the lenses give the 'correct' FOV is just wrong.

I would really want both... With the ammount of glass your going to buy...

70-200 lens on a 5D is a totally different lens on a 30D.. IMO its cheaper to buy a 30D than another lens!!!

This really is a question with no correct answer that we can offer you. Both cameras have their pros and cons, so it really depends on what matters to you.

Having said that, I started with a 20D (which is essentially the same as a 30D) then upgraded to a 5D. I find that the 5D is a more pleasurable camera to use and in most situations is the better camera for the job, because of that lovely FF sensor. However the 20D is still used as a second body, when I am at an event and don't want to have to keep swapping lenses, it is also my camera of choice when shooting action or birding etc.

So, usually I use the 5D but at times I prefer the 20D, particularly when I need the 5fps frame rate or extra reach. Incidentally the extra reach is not because of the 1.6x crop factor (you could simply use PS to crop the 5D image to match, if that was the case), it is because it has smaller pixels and so more will be covered by a subject of a given size - so the subject is larger in pixel terms. The difference in reach isn't as great as you might think, one of these days I am going to do a comparison test to see just how much difference there actually is.

Which is the better camera ? The 5D, definitely.

Which is best for you ?? Only you can decide, it depends on your needs.

I have the 5D and 20D, and which gets used most at a given shoot depends on the subject matter. On a recent trip to Greece my usage was about 2/3 5D (15-30 and 24-70)and 1/3 20D (70-200 and 35 f/2). Probably 25% from either camera couldn't have been done with the other (long on the 20D and ultrawide on the 5D).

gooble wrote in post #2283734
Can any 5D owners give me a short list of reasons to get the 5D over the 30D?

I am currently the owner of a Rebel XT. I have only had it for a few months and while it is a very capable little camera I am not satisfied with several features, namely:
-viewfinder too small
-LCD is too small
-manual focusing difficult because of focus screen and small viewfinder
-body too small and almost unusable without grip
too name a few. I think I will probably get a 30D but am wondering if the 5D is worth the premium.

I personally bought a 5D because it went with my lens lineup better, I have the 24-105 f4L and the 70-200 f2.80L IS and I am not wanting for any more lenses. My desire for a 2 lens setup made the 5D the logical choice for me, I shoot people pictures and have no need for a longer focal length. This doesn't mean I won't buy more lenses though! I may buy a prime for my portrait work but the 70-200 really handles this job well so I am not sure I need it. What you shoot will dictate what camera you buy, if you need longer reach for wildlife or stuff like airshow work the crop camera make much more sense. If you have a lot of disposable cash full frame with super teles would be fun!

Jon wrote in post #2284997
I have the 5D and 20D, and which gets used most at a given shoot depends on the subject matter. On a recent trip to Greece my usage was about 2/3 5D (15-30 and 24-70)and 1/3 20D (70-200 and 35 f/2). Probably 25% from either camera couldn't have been done with the other (long on the 20D and ultrawide on the 5D).

Doesn't that depend on lens choice?

You used the 15-30 and 24-70 on the 5D, but could have had much the same coverage by using a 10-22 and 17-55 on the 20D.

You used the 70-200 and 35 f/2 on the 20D, but could have had much the same coverage by using a 70-300 and 50 f/1.4 on the 5D.

My choice is to stick to one system and buy the lenses that work best with that system.

RgB wrote in post #2283803
Full Frame
12MP
5D Pixel Size 8.2µm 30D Pixel Size 6.4µm,
5D has the largest pixels size of all Canons D-SLR's.

I think you will find that the 5D and the 1D II have the same pixel size. The 1D is quite a bit larger.

On the CF size, I prefer 512MB and 4GB; one CD or DVD per card.

If you have the money, and don't need the speed, sealing or AF of a 1, get the 5. The results are awsome.