5D as first 'real' camera?

I've never owned anything but a point and shoot, but have always wanted more

creative freedom. Photoshop is something I've started to explore with my 2mp

sony cybershot but the camera shortcomings are obvious and keep me from

putting too much into it.

 

With the upcoming rebates on the 5D and 30D, I was thinking about jumping in

head first. I'm leaning towards Canon over the competition since I plan to do

a lot of low-light shooting (my wife is a dancer/choreographer) - something

I've never been able to capture.

 

The photography (using the term very loosely at this point) I do with my

cybershot is usually on mountaineering trips (skiing, hiking, landscape, etc.).

 

I don't want to buy a camera I'll need to upgrade soon. (I understand

technology and fully expect to see twice the camera I buy this year for half

the price in 3 years.) Quality is important to me and I'd like to go FF for

the improved image.

 

If I can get a 5D for $2,100 after a $600 rebate, it should be a great camera

to learn with, and also expect to get great photo's from (when I get lucky).

 

I'd buy a good prime (50 or 85) to start taking test shots and learning how to

use the camera. As my skill grows and I learn how to compose an image, I can

invest in a good zoom. Again, I'm leaning towards the 5D so I can buy lenses

in the future and not worry about upgrading bodies.

 

Am I insane? Photography is the creative outlet I've been looking for, but so

far I am without tools.

Insane? Nope. I just got started with photography last year, and absolutely love it. If you have the money, go for the 5D; I think you'll be happier with it in the long run.

Not sure what the question is here? Are you insane? If you have the money, no. If it is going to put you on cans of beans... perhaps. No one here is going to restrict your creativity.

 

Good luck!

I'm not sure I understand why you, as someone 'starting out',

needs to pay the ~$1000 premium for the 5D full 35mm frame

sensor, over the bodies that have APS C sensors.

 

A camera body is just a box to stick lenses on. You might want to

consider putting your money into a a cheaper body with a range

of lenses, and get a feel for the gear before going top end. As

you yourself put it, you will (probably) be able to buy twice the

body for half the money in a couple of years.

 

Not so with good lenses. If you pick your lenses right, you should

be able to use them with the newer bodies for several years at

least. Or resell them.

Skill level is irrelevent to buying a 30D vs. 5D vs. XTi. They all work more or less the exact same way.

 

WHat determines which body to buy, aside from features, is price, and if a beginner can afford a 5D then why not? The only reason I can think of for a beginner NOT to buy the 5D is if the cost will prevent him/her from getting the good lenses.

 

The 5D does not take anymore skill to use then the original Rebel XT 6mp camera.

Do NOT buy a 5D for the not needing to upgrade thing.

 

You do not need to upgrade any camera you buy until the camera limits you're photography (such as your 2MPixel or my 300D did).

 

A replacement for the 5D will come out within 6 months or a year. But remember, that won't affect the 5D you own at that point (if you buy one), so that shouldn't be a reason to need to upgrade.

Jump in! Buy a 5D and 85/1.8 or 30D and 50/1.4, and get going. You'll get more than test shots - as you get better, you'll get excellent results (IOW, the limit will not be the equipment). Don't worry about "upgrades", either of these cameras will do what you need. If you need more, it won't be an upgrade, it'll be something different. BTW, FF does not give you an improved image just because it's FF. More megapixels lets you make larger prints with the same quality (i.e. apparent resolution) as fewer megapixels yield for smaller prints. Don't worry about this unless you want to go bigger than 8x12 on a regular basis. FF gives you wider angle of view (AoV) with a given lens than you will get with the same lens on a 30D x1.6 CF body. This can work to your advantage if you want wide angle shots. OTOH, if you tend to "go long", then the x1.6 CF can be an advantage.

Coming from a point and shoot to a Rebel XT, 20D or 30D you will always be pleasantly surprised. Previous remarks are correct: invest in lenses more than cameras. I started with the 350D/Rebel XT, got the 30D and was really happy. Upgrading to a 5D to me comes from the desire to get the fullest of the great lenses I bought, and enjoy the benefits of fullframe. Coming from a point and shoot however, we are debating at high level - as you just chucked your FIAT and are trying to debate between a ferrari and a Lamborghini. Choose your priority. If you already make good pictures, and the cam as a tool limits you from making great ones, then go for it! If you can answer that, you then know why the 5D and not a 350...

 

All the best,

Fredrik

One more vote for "jumping in". If you can afford it, it's a great way to go. Don't forget to budget for a 4GB (or larger) compact flash card, and a spare battery. I would also suggest having a good backup plan for your data.

. . . "What Canon DSLR will give me the best results for for shooting dance in low light without flash?"

 

I've shot a lot of dance over the last five years starting with a D30, then a 10D, 1D, and now a 5D. The low noise of the 5D at high ISO puts it in a class by itself, and the high resolution keeps the noise acceptably low when you have to crop a shot of dancer who is further upstage.

 

The Canon 50/1.4 and 85/1.8 are both excellent for dance. If have to be farther from the stage, the 135/2L is worth considering. On a 5D the new (and expensive) 85/1.2 MkIIL would be the dream lens for dance.

 

Unless scenes are lit by spotlight, zooms, even at f2.8, frequently don't enable you to set a fast enough shutter speed to freeze action.

 

IMO, the 5D will be a viable tool for a long time. Take the plunge, and enjoy!

People new to a DLSR often question whether it is broken or not, when they get unfocused

images or other perceived flaws that are almost always traced to user inexperience. A DSLR

requires technique to get results that you might not have given thought to when taking

photos with a point and shoot. What opens up is an entire range of photographic results that

a point and shoot simply cannot match.

Speaking as both a 5D user and a photographer of musicals.

 

 

Go for it!

 

 

http://www.iancollinsphoto.com

Thanks all for the feedback. Lots of good advice. I understand a good picture is mostly photographer, light and lens. But after that, there sure are a lot of opinions about the 'box' holding the lens! ;-)

My advice, honestly, is that if you really want to learn photography buy a view camera. I learned by far the most when I bought a 6cm x 9cm view camera. I used the "baby view camera" format because the roll film is a lot cheaper. A year ago I sold my view camera setup and Imacon scanner and bought the 5D. (I sold it because since my baby boy was born I don't have the time to scan film, or to work wtih a view camera. I still love view cameras, and may get one again in the future.) The 5D is a fantastic camera to learn with, and to excel with. I have only prime lens, and would highly recommend using only primes both for quality, creative possibilities, and for learning. My recommendations for the first lenses to get on the 5D are: 1) 50mm f1.4 and/or 45mm TSE, 2) 85mm f1.8, and 3) 28mm f1.8, not necessarily in that order. I'd get the 45mm TSE sooner rather than later if I were you.

i'd go the other way around, concentrate on buying good lenses first and foremost - those will last you as bodies typically get updated more frequently in one's bag.

 

i have a love/hate relationship to my 5D, i happen to think it feels and is built like a $400 consumer camera with a magnificant FF sensor and good viewfinder.

Jeff, the remark about the camera body just being a box, etc, had some validity for film cameras, in the limited sense that at the moment the photograph was taken the camera was just a light-tight box between the lens and the film. Whether the low-end camera would ever have enabled you to get the photograph that the high-end camera produced was another matter altogether. With digital cameras, where the sensor and electronics are an integral part of the camera, the remark is complete nonsense, and you are right to give careful consideration to what you need. No reason not to get the 5D, but ask yourself whether you are going to exploit the extra performance of the 5D sensor over that in the 30D, and whether you have a reason for needing FF rather than 1.6-factor in relation to lens usage. If not, would you get more from a 30D with more glass for the same overall spend?

Will buying a 5D cause you to compromise on lens quality? If so, my recommendation goes to the 30D.

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

While the FF would be nice for the reduced noise while shooting dance, it would put a crimp on my lens options.

 

For the same price as a 5D and 85 1.8, I'm now leaning towards a 30D with the 35L and 85 1.8. Are those two lenses on a 1.6X a viable choice for shooting dance? The performance spaces are usually fairly dark, and rather small - we're not in Carnegie Hall just yet... ;-)

 

I usually go to a few of the shows, so I thought it would be fun to shoot each night with a different FL.

<p><i>"The performance spaces are usually fairly dark, and rather small - we're not in Carnegie Hall just yet..." ;-) </i> <p>

 

Jeff, when shooting dance in low light your biggest challenge is to achieve a fast enough shutter speed to freeze action, while keeping the ISO low enough to control noise.<p>

 

The 5D does a significantly better job of this than the 30D, albeit at a price.<p>

 

I believe I read on dpreview.com that Canon is about to offer a big rebate on the purchase of the 5D. That might make it a more viable option than a 30D and extra lens.<p>

 

Before buying any lens(es), go to the main venue(s) in which you will be shooting and check on the optimal focal lengths needed for the one, two, and multiple dancer shots you will want. If you have permission to be really close to the stage, an 85mm lens might be too long, especially on a 30D.<p>

Spend the extra money on lenses, not the body. The body will change every 18 months for a

few more years before the technology stabilizes. The lenses haven't.