Upgrade advice needed

amonline wrote in post #4165497
40D and Glass. Why get a 5D when the replacement is on the way and you'll regret it?

Regardless of a replacement coming out, I don't see how anyone would regret getting a 5D.
I bought my 30D knowing a 40D was coming and I don't regret getting the 30D one bit.

shooterman wrote in post #4171704
Regardless of a replacement coming out, I don't see how anyone would regret getting a 5D.
I bought my 30D knowing a 40D was coming and I don't regret getting the 30D one bit.

I agree with both of these comments.

I still LOVE my 30D that I got a few months ago to replace the 300D (Old Rebel). In my mind the 40D does not bring much more to the table for me besides a few tweaks. Things that would be "Hey Cool" but not really necessary.

The 30D is a fabulous camera at a great price right now. The 5D is also an amazing camera that may be replaced sometime soon, but honestly who cares? The 5D is an amazing camera that will not stop taking some of the best pictures around when a replacement comes. My 30D sure as heck did not start sucking as soon as the 40D came along and it is more down to the skill of photographer than having the latest and greatest body these days.

reefergal wrote in post #4170843
The name comes from that my husband and I own and operate a commercial refrigeration company. ...

As an old Navy man, the term 'reefer' means refrigirator to me. However, having gone through my wild years in the 60's & '70s it also has another meaning...hehehe. I wondered which it meant to you.

And remember. You do NOT have to change your lens if you get the 5D unless you own all "S" glass. For portraits, I strongly recommend the 5D.

Hinson

reefergal wrote in post #4170843
I did not think about having to get new glass along with a new camera. New glass was not in the budget.

This is the single most important factor here and you haven't mentioned what lenses you have now.

If you have a lot invested in digital-only/EF-S lenses, you would probably be best to buy a 30D or 40D (respectively $800-$1000US used/new, and $1300 new).

If you have all or mostly full-frame-capable lenses in your existing kit, a 5D may be ideal for your purposes. (I am not up on the going prices for them, new & used.)

If your budget is tight, you could consider buying used from a reputable place like keh.com, B&H or Adorama. There seem to be some very good deals on 30D and 5D right now. 40Ds are so new a model that they are essentially unavailable used at present.

Going from the XTi, you are losing a modest amount of image resolution with a 30D (10MP to 8MP). However, the ergonomics and overall functionality of the camera, plus it's general durability, are a step up.

Going to a 40D would give you resolution equal to the XTi, with some additional IQ tweaks thrown in for good measure, plus the same and a few more ergonomic, functionality and durability upgrades as a 30D would.

The 5D would give you a modest resolution increase, 10MP to 12MP, and has similar overall ergonomics, functionality and durability to the 30D. But, as a full frame camera, the 5D offers the highest potential image quality, least crowded sensor, and best control over depth of field. These are all important considerations for wedding and portrait work. On the other hand, the camera's technology is older, although certainly still quite capable.

Personally, I just bought a second 30D and vert/batt grip a couple weeks ago, and have relegated my 10D w/grip to backup camera status. I will probably replace the 30Ds with 40Ds sometime next year, but am not in any rush to do so. The 40D's improved viewfinder and AF are probably the biggest considerations for me. On the other hand, the 30D cost me about $500 less, a good one was easily found, I'm quite familiar with using it and I avoided any possible new product "Beta" glitches with it (the 40D appears to be free of these, except for some isolated examples, so far... unlike the 1D Mk III). I just might also add a 5D w/grip sometime soon, but don't have a real need at present.

But, my shooting needs are much different from yours, so this is really not intended as a buying guide, except to say that I don't think you need to be concerned about buying a lightly used camera - if that helps stretch your budget - and to point out that there are some great deals on "last year's models" right now, both new and used. That's true even of the 5D, which is only rumored for replacement at this point in time. If you decide on a 30D, you'd better hurry since existing stock of them will probably sell out pretty fast.

grab 5d u'll never regret.

Go for the 5D. I went from an XT to the 5D about 7 months ago and absolutely love it - no regrets. The IQ you will get with the FF camera will blow you away. (Can you tell I am enthusiastic?) I shoot mostly landscapes and wildlife and although you say you shoot mostly outdoor portraits, the detail you will get with the 5D will be fantastic. HTH.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

reefergal - I've never heard anyone being torn between a $2500 body and a $1000 body? very interesting!

What lenses do you currently have? If you have low end Canon lenses or average third party lenses you will see a more dramatic improvement in IQ by upgrading your glass, especially since you currently have an XTi...

Whatever you do, you might consider waiting until spring after the new products are announced at PMA. The 5D successor is scheduled to be released, which will cause the current 5D prices to plummet even further, and the 40D will likely go down a bit in price as well.

Grentz wrote in post #4171751
I agree with both of these comments.

I still LOVE my 30D that I got a few months ago to replace the 300D (Old Rebel). In my mind the 40D does not bring much more to the table for me besides a few tweaks. Things that would be "Hey Cool" but not really necessary.

The 30D is a fabulous camera at a great price right now. The 5D is also an amazing camera that may be replaced sometime soon, but honestly who cares? The 5D is an amazing camera that will not stop taking some of the best pictures around when a replacement comes. My 30D sure as heck did not start sucking as soon as the 40D came along and it is more down to the skill of photographer than having the latest and greatest body these days.

Well said and very true!

amonline wrote in post #4165497
40D and Glass. Why get a 5D when the replacement is on the way and you'll regret it?

Because right now there are some good rebates and other deals on the 5D. I've often said that the 5D is, dollar for dollar, Canon's best camera, and that ratio has only improved in recent days. I have a hard time imagining someone who does weddings and portraits regretting it to any great extent. And when the 5D2 comes out, the 5D will still be an awesome camera...unlike when the 40D came out and every 30D everywhere ceased taking great pictures before simultaneously catching fire and melting into the gutter (that was a firmware glitch).

reefergal wrote in post #4162363
I have a rebel xti and want to upgrade and I am torn between the 5D or the 30D. I mostly shoot portrait, some wedding but mostly portrait outdoors. Any pros and cons on both cameras would be helpful!!

When I took up digital photography I thought the camera I'd like best would be a 5D but couldn't see spending that much without being sure I would enjoy the hobby as much as I hoped so I went with an XTi for a starter camera. My wife is using it now since I purchased a 40D when they came out and love it. Quicker focus than the XTi for one thing and it feels better in my hand. The 40D is here to stay but they are bringing my 5D tomorrow and I expect to love it as well. It will get used for landscape and portrait work and the 40D for sports and wildlife.

Choose your body based on what you shoot the most but if you choose the 30D/40D then go with the 40D. I believe it is a significant upgrade from the 30D (focus and high-ISO performance).

I think the 40D and 5D compliment each other and I'm just glad I have a wife and a budget which enable me to not have to choose between them.

I always enjoy watching others tell people how to spend money on here. Granted, they ask for the advice and I'm just as guilty as the next guy/gal, but I am probably the only one in the thread that is actually speaking with the knowledge of having shot all the cameras we're talking about and having to make the same choices recently.

For that reason, I can safely say that those of you who are voicing the "40D can't be that great of an upgrade" opinion simply have not used the camera. It's a night and day comparison in quality; even from the 30D. I don't care what any review may/may not say out there, the difference is massive in image quality over anything lower. I won't even go into the technical differences between the models.

I'm not saying the 5D's not worth every penny as it most certainly is, but we're talking with a person here that owns an XTi and most likely very few lenses and other gear. I, for one, have looked at the OP's other posts and get the feeling we're talking with someone fairly new to all this with very little in the bag. Blowing the family wad on the most expensive camera they can get will do little more than put them in a bind when very soon they realize much more critical gear is needed for the job. We're talking wedding work here and no one has stressed how important it is to know what the OP actually owns before making such a choice in "next step" gear purchasing.

I still stand by my recommedation of the 40D (yes, still quite the upgrade here) for a second (new primary) body and additional fast quality glass or other critical needs. The OP might have many more needs than even these things. A second body is for sure, but what else is backed up?

To the OP - how about a list of your current gear? I bet that will take this thread in a whole new direction.

Thank you for all the info. Some of you love the 5D and some love the 40D. so far I think I am leaning toward the 40D. As far as lenses I have they are 85 F/1.8 (I use for portraits), 28-135 f/3.5 (use most of the time and seems to work great for my son's football games) and a 100-300 (use for my husbands car racing mostly). A lot of my pics just don't have that "pop", all though since I started using the 85mm and lightroom for seniors, they seem to pop a little more. I have rented the 70-200 for a couple of weddings and that will be my next lens purchase. a 5D won't break the bank as I have taken most of the money from paid shoots and set aside for this purpose. an upgrade. From a lot of what I have read it sounds like maybe I should go with the 40D and save up some more for new lenses? I will attach a reply with my recent senior pic with the 85mm.

here are some from my current set up. most of them I used a 580ex for fill.

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and one more. These are my kids. Resizeing the pic makes it look blurry on my screen.

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