Help me pick a replacement body for my dead 5Dii:

yep, killed it. Yes I discounted the antartica sealing issues earlier this year. Yes I now own a drowned 5Dii. I was shooting the waves from hurricane Bill Sunday. I'd shot this location SEVERAL times before and know the area well. I'd also shot here Saturday morning (sunrise), Saturday afternoon (so the wife and kid could see the waves) and then was back again Sunday morning. All 3 times no waves had broken over where I went, but the ocean knows......

anyway, here's the last shot so you can get some idea where we were:

• love the size/weight (I've owned 1 series bodies before and didn't like their size/weight
  
• clean iso 3200 is AMAZING for candids of my son around the house
  
• 21mp only got used for landscape shots, sRAWs for everything else
  
• when you push your images (shadows/highlights) you can get some funky artifacts, but only when you're really pushing them (banding).
  
• the AF was more than good enough for me
  
• 21mp did mean I sold my 40D as the 5Dii crops to 1.6 good enough I didn't need both
  
• I like FPS for sequence shooting, I've been saving up for a 1Dii'N' to compliment the 5Dii for this purpose
  

• Canon 7D
  
  • would need to be FF
    
  • would need to have video
    
  • would need to be faster than the 5Dii in FPS or be less expensive
    
  • would like it to be sealed
    
  
  
• Nikon D700?
  
  • sealed
    
  • better AF (although I never had an issue with my 5D or 5Dii)
    
  • no video (-)
    
  • "only" 12mp (more MP would be nice for the images I might be selling)
    
  • their menus are a PITA
    
  • their layout might not be comfortable
    
  • more customization than I've ever seen!
    
  • their lenses are different, some better (14-24) some worse (no 100-400). I could punt and pretty well replace what I need/want, but it's not an easy swap
    
  • no banding/chroma noise in high ISO images
    
  • ISO200 is base ISO?
    
  • this would mean an entire system swap
    
  • I played with a D700 at my local shop w/o batter or lens. LOVED it. Played with a D300 at best buy [Shudder] and HATED it. Menus suck, control wheels were cramped... But maybe that's just the slightly smaller/different 300-vs-700 layout?
    
  • would have to spend ~$250 to rent one for this weekend
    
  
  
• Canon 1DsII?
  
  • sealed
    
  • 1 series AF (again, I don't need it, but it'd be nice)
    
  • 16mp seems like a sweet spot to me
    
  • no video (-)
    
  • gigantic 1 series build
    
  • expensive and heavy second battery
    
  • old school mark II 1 series menus/controls
    
  • crappy screen (if they'd done a 'N' version I'd be fine, but the 2" screen looks like crap going back from a 5Dii)
    
  • no self cleaning sensor
    
  • how are the ISOs -vs- a 5D even? Coming from a 5Dii I really want clean higher ISOs... 1600 OK? 3200 usable?
    
  
  
• Canon 5Dii
  
  • not sealed
    
  • slow FPS
    
  • banding/artifact issue when getting heavy with the PP
    
  • tons of pluses not worth listing (21mp, high ISOs that are super clean, video, etc)
    
  
  
• Canon 5D & 1DII'N'
  
  • best of both worlds?
    
  • clean high ISOs? I remember 1600 being my limit on the 5D, but I've learned a lot more about high ISO shooting since then, maybe it'd be easier to deal with now?)
    
  • 8.5 FPS
    
  • no video
    
  • 1 sealed body, but it wouldn't be my landscape body
    
  • a better backup
    
  • old school menus
    
  • no self cleaning sensors
    
  
  

I don't have a 5D MkII (had to settle for the T1i) so this is just my opinion.

In your case I believe I would order the replacement 5D MkII and rig up some kind of moisture protection. For situations like what "killed" your other one, I would look seriously a EWA Marine products. They used to have one that was essentially a really heavy duty ZipLock kind of bag with an optical glass lens port. With practice you should be able to handle the basic controls through the transparent plastic and the camera would be moisture protected.

One thing I carry in every camera bag is a 1 gallon size ZipLock bag just to stuff the camera in if I get caught in a bad rain. Also one or two for lenses.

Just my thoughts. May be worth exactly what you paid for them...

^ wouldn't work.

camera was on a tripod so a bag is out. Plus I wasn't expecting to get hit. If I were, I wouldn't have taken the 5Dii into that situation. If I were I'd be able to protect it. Because it was unexpected, NO planning ahead would work. So a sealed body is the only answer beyond being more careful to avoid any chances.

this is what's going to happen if you decide to head away from the 5D MKII .. you'll get either the 1D or D700 play with it and be happy for about 2 weeks, then you're going to miss the menu, the wheel, the weight and how clean files can be with a 5D2 .. so you would then sell it or return it if you're in time .. and be back with a 5D2 again ..

speaking from exprience of course .. all these tech envy is way too costly and Im the same way, i would look for an excuse to purchase a different body or brand ... but when the all the dust and smoke settles ... 5D is back in the bag

oh .. sorry about the lost .. i would've been crying and i also have insurance

Ben,

How about an older 1Ds series? Or lots of Duct Tape on the XSi!

tsw910 wrote in post #8527770
this is what's going to happen if you decide to head away from the 5D MKII .. you'll get either the 1D or D700 play with it and be happy for about 2 weeks, then you're going to miss the menu, the wheel, the weight and how clean files can be with a 5D2 .. so you would then sell it or return it if you're in time .. and be back with a 5D2 again ..

speaking from exprience of course .. all these tech envy is way too costly and Im the same way, i would look for an excuse to purchase a different body or brand ... but when the all the dust and smoke settles ... 5D is back in the bag

oh .. sorry about the lost .. i would've been crying and i also have insurance

I agree with this. The 5d2 files are very clean, I recently switched to a 1d3 for the build, af, and weathersealing and I keep thinking about switching back. The 5d2 files are cleaner than the 1d3 when examined closely and the high ISO on the 5d2 is one stop better. I wish I had both. I vote 5d2 all the way. And you are really gonna miss that high res lcd.

AxxisPhoto wrote in post #8527800
Ben,

How about an older 1Ds series? Or lots of Duct Tape on the XSi!

yeah, the 1DsII is on that list. And @ duct tape. If you can't duck it, **** it!

justaf IREMAN wrote in post #8527873
And you are really gonna miss that high res lcd.

D700 would have it. And it'd have the clean high ISOs. It'd be missing the video which HAS been fun with my 18 month old son (but also not CRUCIAL and with the price difference we could get a flip).

I would wait on the 7D and see whats up with it, even though its looking like it might not be FF. Other than that, I dont see you being as happy with anything else.

Sorry for your lost.
I would wait for the 7D just to see the final specs.

1DsII for sure!

It sounds like you were very happy with the 5DII other than fps, and your work certainly reflects it.
Was this the only time your camera got wet? If it was just a freak thing, and you're not likely to get it wet all the time, I'd get another 5DII and continue saving for the 1DIIN.

If I had your lens lineup, I wouldn't even think about switching to Nikon. I love what they've done with their AF and high-ISO IQ, but to me, the controls are fiddly, and I don't like the shutter release.

I would wait, for all we know the 1DMK3 replacement might be a ff and a crop

If you're really going in for these wet shots, why not stick to the 5D2 and get an underwater rig for it? I'm not sure it'll work with sticks, but if you're paying alot for it, I suspect it can be rigged for one. I stayed away from the 1 series because of the weight and bulk and lack of video.

The 1 series is sealed, but that's mainly for rain. I wouldn't trust it for salt water which can leave salt deposits under knobs and dials. All the great photos that I've seen of yours have been seashore related, and I wonder if an underwater housing would ultimately be the best choice. I think the cost of the 5D2 and a watertight housing would be less than a new 1 series.

Yikes! Bad luck mate

Glad to hear you have the insurance sorted though

If the same happened to me, I wouldn't see any point in switching brands, Nikon doesn't seem any better, and rather bland on what the D300 and D700 throw out based on what I've seen without loads of correction in CS4.

thanks for all the compliments guys!

Brett wrote in post #8528130
Was this the only time your camera got wet? If it was just a freak thing, and you're not likely to get it wet all the time, I'd get another 5DII and continue saving for the 1DIIN.

yeah, I've been shooting around either the ocean or in the mountains on snow for ~15 years now. And a lot on boats offshore. I've had 1 series for parts of it (1Nrs back in my film days and 1Dii for 18 months) but I've NEVER gotten ANY of them wet before. So it was a bad decision that mother nature caught me on. But it could happen again. Yes I'm insured, but I'd feel like and ass if I had to call in ANOTHER body anytime soon (like within 5 years).

Haven't SHOT one yet, so I can't comment on the shutter. I actually LIKE the manual switch/button external controls (and it keeps you out of their ****ty menus! :lol. I'm torn on the lenses though. My 24L gets the most shots put through it and it'd have to be turned into a sigma 24 1.8 (I don't mind sigmas, and the 1.4 -> 1.8 loss isn't huge, but I wish it was a 1.4...). The 100-400 isn't available, but I've been considering swapping that for a 70-300 IS AND 150-500 OS combo (for the same money) which I'd do with the Nikon. The 17-40 was picked up on a trade, I could live w/o it. I don't use my 24-105 much and have been considering selling it for a 24-70 again.... The 35mm was a test for a 35L, but this WOULD be an issue if I wanted it. The sigmalux is a direct replacement.

The wide end is an interesting issue honestly: Nikon's 14-24mm is AMAZING. So I'd consider "treating" myself to one if I switched. The problem is it and it's pricetag are ALSO AWESOME! But it'd be my 12-24mm AND 17-40 all in one, plus the price difference on the body. The fact it's 2.8 means I could actually use it around the house (I've tried 2.8 zooms though and prefer fast primes *cough* 24L). But I never loved the size/weight/cost of the 16-35s, so this would probably be worse. Not only that, but stopped down the sigma is "close enough" and smaller/cheaper...

MaDProFF wrote in post #8528136
I would wait, for all we know the 1DMK3 replacement might be a ff and a crop

I'm waiting for 9/1 for sure. I might rent a D700 this weekend just to know, but I'm not buying ANYTHING until we know what's coming. Although I think the 1Div will be due in January, but I can't afford a 1 series when they're launched anyway.

tvphotog wrote in post #8528146
If you're really going in for these wet shots, why not stick to the 5D2 and get an underwater rig for it?

it's funny, I've always wanted one. I even emailed about one and the dude emailed me back THE DAY AFTER the 5Dii died! But they're not cheap.... not at all. Also, how would I use one on legs? Plus, no filters?


the other camera I'm toying with is the A900... If it's high ISOs didn't suck I'd seriously consider it. I'd have to go with almost ALL sigma lenses, but it's DR is compelling.

thanks for the input guys, keep it coming!