5d mk II v 5d mk III?

<p>Greetings,</p>

<p>I am currently shooting a Canon 40d and will be upgrading this year and make my 40d the backup. The question that I have is which 5d should I upgrade to? I know the 5d mk III isn't out but I am wondering what features/enhancements would make you instantly purchase a mk III and dump your mk ii? I currently shoot portraits and that will be my primary function for the camera.</p>

<p>Thank you,</p>

 

<p>Unless the Mk. III makes my morning toast (lightly toasted rey bread, unsalted butter, blueberry preserves, mint leaf garnish) I don't want it :-)<br /> <br /> C'mon, cameras are tools, very personal tools, just ask yourself what you needs/want in a camera and decide whether you want an existing model or a nonexisting one. If you don't need a camera right now, wait and see what, and when, happens with the evolution of 5D.</p>

<p>A camera you can use is always better than a mirage.</p>

<p>If it was exactly the same but half ECF, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. More MP, iTunes compatibility, zillion AF points, GPS, not so much...</p>

<p>Ummm... pro-level AF (or at least 7D-equivalent) and 5+ fps. Don't see either of those happening (at least at the current price point) so no real worries about having to run off and sell my 5Dii. </p>

<p>Besides, even if we assume that there will be a 5DIII here soon, we have no idea about features, much less the date you can actually get your hands on one. Even if we assume that Canon will start taking orders in March (unlikely, but why not hope), unless you preorder the first day, you will be lucky to have one in your hands by September. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I think this question has been asked before, check the search button.</p>

<p>5D2 sensor inside a 7D body will make me instantly buy it. I do not want to feel that I am buying a great sensor wrapped by a mediocre body.</p>

<p>I could nit-pick and say that I'd also welcome a revolving screen a-la 60D, a CF that enables the spot metering to be linked to the active AF point a-la 1-series or venture into fantasy land and ask for a useful AF in video a-la MILC cameras but as I said, these are nit-picking.</p>

<p>Or Canon could make the 7D Mk II with these minor modifications and I'll be asking once again: "Who needs FF?". I shot many portraits with 40D and 7D in the last 4 years and never felt the need to upgrade to FF. May I ask why do you feel that need?</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim.</p>

<p>I think about this a different way perhaps, given that the features of a potential "5D3" camera are unknown.</p>

<p>If you need a full frame camera now, get the 5D2. For the kinds of photography where it excels, it is an outstanding camera and it can produce top notch image quality.</p>

<p>If you do not need a full frame camera right now, just wait. You have a perfectly functional camera right now that you can continue to use. When such a new camera comes out you can make your decision based on what we actually know about it rather than what we imagine might be true.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

Get the mk-II now and start saving for the mk-III.

Sorry,it's late over here. I meant to say get the mk-II now, start saving for the mk-IV. I have the mk-I, now waiting for the

mk-III but YMMV.

<blockquote>

<p>5D2 sensor inside a 7D body will make me instantly buy it. I do not want to feel that I am buying a great sensor wrapped by a mediocre body.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>To me, the only thing remotely "mediocre" about the 5DII is its AF system. In every other respect it's my ideal camera.</p>

<p>I have had the 5DII since it came out and it is still a great camera (I prefer it to my 7D). THe main improvements that I would like to see are better AF (7D like) built in viewfinder blind, multi-spot metering and faster fps (say 5-8 fps). I do not need more MP but would like to see Dual Digix V processors and better high ISO performance - perhaps 2 stops better than today.</p>

Wait for the MKV

<p>This falls into the same category as comparing the Obama and Gingrich presidencies - wait 'til it happens before you decide which is better.</p>

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<p>To me, the only thing remotely "mediocre" about the 5DII is its AF system. In every other respect it's my ideal camera.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>For many it is so. Nevertheless, it lacks many features the 7D has which <strong>I</strong> find very useful. A few notable examples are more buttons (better ergonomics), a built-in flash that can also act as a master, an electronic level, a swivel screen (60D) etc. But I certainly agree that the AF system is the 5D2's biggest problem.</p>

<p>A note: The 7D's AF system is superior not only because it has more AF points and they are all cross type but also because the AF points cover a larger percentage of the sensor area. As of today - where almost all AF systems are shared by APS-C and FF cameras alike - this is an inherent advantage of cameras with smaller sensors. Canon also recognize this and when designing the AF system in the 1D X they enlarged the AF coverage from 15mm in the 1Ds Mk III to 19mm. According to Chuck Westfall a bigger AF coverage is not possible in the current technology because of the technical limitations, mainly related to the mirror box.</p>

<p>Dear Mr. Westfall, the answer is obvious. Remove the mirror altogether....</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br /> Yakim.</p><div></div>

Maybe I'm old fashioned. Or just old.

 

Maybe I spent too many years focusing a 4x5 camera, squinting to see the dark corners of a faint image while holding my

breath so as not to fog the ground glass.

 

Maybe I expected too much from the fancy autofocus system on my Nikon that did everything an engineer could imagine

except focus consistently on an eyeball.

 

Personally, I'm delighted with the AF performance of the 5D2. It's consistently accurate when used with fine tuned

lenses. It's not meant to be a sports action camera. If you need one of those, they make the 1DX now. If you're on a

budget, a 7D offers all of the resolution you'll ever need for action shots plus a very helpful crop factor.

 

For at least half of my shots I use MF anyway. The Live View is so good, it makes me want to jump for joy. (Sorry, Nikon. No jumping for you.)

 

What would convince me to buy a 5D3? A little more effective dynamic range, possibly. on demand grid lines. Anything

more would be a bonus. I'm sure that whenever it arrives it will be a splendid instrument, and I'm looking forward to

evaluating one in real shooting situations rather than reading rumors online. In the meantime, my 5D2 continues to

delight and amaze me every time I pull it out of the bag. You should see what you're missing.

>>> Personally, I'm delighted with the AF performance of the 5D2.

 

Me too. For shooting people, candid or posed, it's something I can *rely* on day or night.

 

If I were an action sports shooter and also needing higher frame rates, that would be different. I

think some of the negative AF comments are simply propagated on the net without direct experience and

dovetails with the "need to have the best lens" world. Best "portrait lens," best bokeh, best sharpness, etc.

You see that in the world of high-output LED flashlights as well; the quest for finding the absolute "best." It's ultimately about the chase.

 

I'm much more interested in what meets my needs for what I like to shoot, and ultimately aiding in creating the

photographs I like to make.

 

A 5DIII with two more stops of DR would be interesting. Why? Because that would address a real world need of

mine. Not that I'm using my 5DII much now anyway, but that's temporary.

<p>While I found the 7D's AF a little over the top for what I use my 5D2 for professionally, I'd take the AF on my Elan 7e over than of the 7D (5D2, or 1Ds I've played with) any day of the week. If you've never used ECF, you can't be blamed for just not understanding. To put it in a nutshell, it's like selecting your focal point w/ your eyes (as opposed to using your fingers to fiddle around), when properly calibrated, I found it was like working with a tool that could literally read your mind.</p>

<p>Frankly though, with the current tech level, there is no reason Canon couldn't equip the 1Dx, 5D3 or even 7D with an ECF module; even better, they could link the spot metering to the focal point. Like Puppy, I think that's about the only feature which would cause me to toss my 5D2s and pick up a couple 5D3s <em>regardless</em> of cost - right now.</p>

<p>To answer the question... I would say that the 40D is an excellent camera for portraiture. I don't think it makes any sense to buy a 5DII right now if you already have a 40D for portraits where you control the lighting. I would wait for the 5DIII. It will definitely have the new and improved auto focus. It will likely have improved high ISO capability, but we will have to wait and see if the 5DIII is revolutionary or just evolutionary.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I think this question has been asked before, check the search button.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Understatement of the year :)</p>

 

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<p>Personally, I'm delighted with the AF performance of the 5D2.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Ditto. The 5D Mark II is an amazing tool.</p>

<p>The 5D mk2 now is in reasonable good price, and it is a very good camera too. The only drawback is the auto focus speed and frame per second speed. However, if you are not shooting motor sport or extreme sport, it should be good enough. The Mk3, if it comes out, will undoubtedly perform better than Mk2, but its price will be a lot higher too.</p>

<p>I just bought a 5d mkii recently I had been waiting for the prices of the mkii to come down for a while, all the time I was waiting it was getting closer to the announcement of the mkiii. I was talking to a guy in sales and he said just before a new camera comes out the prices of the one it's replacing go up, not loads , This is to make the price of the replacement model look more reasonable, and this has exactly happened.<br>

The mkiii is going to be better the question is how much. In my opinion the biggest changes will be in the video side of things and the AF.<br>

Regarding the AF, I'm annoyed at Canon because all the focus point should be cross type for a camera at this price, considering the 40D has better focus points, it's a joke. Having said that the focusing system it very capable and has never let me down, because I upgraded from a 20D and for years I was never relying on an advanced tracking focus system. I have heard cases of people owning both the 7D & the 5Dmkii and they have said the centre focus point on the 5dmkii was more accurate even in low light. The 7D was faster but not accurate. For me the only advantages of the 7D's focusing system is tracking and in good light where it will always be accurate it's faster.<br>

The image quality of the 5dmkii is defiantly superior but in good conditions with the right lenses both can produce stunning images. But the IQ is better on the 5d because it's in a full frame cameras nature not to put so much stress on a lens as a high mega pixel crop camera will. The 5D uses all the lens not just loads of pixels bunched together using the middle of the lens. I've heard rumers of the mkii not having anymore pixels, I've heard that a 45 mega pixel 5d is on it's way. All I know is the images I'm getting from the mkii I will be happy with until it falls apart, I can't see me needing a 45 or 36 mega pixel camera, I wouldn't say no as long as there was no reduction in IQ at lower resolution settings. ( I mean in camera softening of images). If you need a 45 mega pixel camera you must be earning tons of cash from your photography , and properly already have a medium format camera.</p>

<p>While I do wish the features on the 7D were on my 5Dmkii , unless I needed the advanced tracking of the 7D, I would not choose the inferior IQ over superior IQ just for features. While the features are useful this can be achieved on the 5D mkii with technique and accessorise such as a hotshoe spirit level and a remote flash system. I maybe wrong but I don't think you can turn the flash off on a 7D so it only acts as a trigger. If this is the case I would end up using a remote triggering or a 530ex , the 530ex gives the option of directing and manipulating the light compared to the 7D's pop up flash</p>

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<p>I don't think you can turn the flash off on a 7D so it only acts as a trigger.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You are right but you can reduce its power via negative FEC to -3. Combine that with its low GN and for me it's more than enough.</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim.</p>