savas_kyprianides Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 When was the 5D first announced and how long before it is replaced? Before anyone makes a wise-crack, I bought a 20D last month and promptly returned the unopened box once I caught wind of it's replacement. After all, I have been and continue to shoot a five year old Olympus E-10. So a little bit of waiting made sense for me. But now that I read reviews of people gushing about their 5 D's, it is starting to look very attractive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyboy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 September I think it came out (if you searched you would find the answer), typically product life is 18 months, however, just because a camera is replaced does not mean it is unusable. If you wait forever you'll be using your aging E-10 forever, if you're happy with it then stick with it until you see something you prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neild Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Well... the 20D will work just as well today as it did 3 months ago. Same with the 5D. If you are so worried about getting the latest technology, then you only have 2 options open to you: either you must buy each thing as it comes out, or you should not buy anything, ever. Only by following one of these two paths can you avoid frustration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_ferguson1 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Savas, for the last few years I've upgraded to latest and greatest as soon as they became available. Not cheap but, I could clearly see the quality benefit in the final print. However, if you print to an A3 or smaller inkjet (and that's the great majority of us), that stage of the market's development is over. Let me give you an example, I use a 5D and a 1Ds Mk II. Assume the same shot with each. The 5D at 300 ppi gives a 14.6" x 9.7" print which fits perfectly on a sheet of A3 with a one inch border on each side. Perfect! The 1Ds Mk II gives 342 ppi for the same print, and as far as I know my Epson printer then throws away this additional resolution and rezzes back down to 300 ppi. Bottom line, I can't see any difference in the final print between a 5D and a 1Ds Mk II with the current state of printer technology. I can see a small advantage when using Piezographic black and white prints, but that's a fairly specialised application. Now of course there's lots of other reasons why a new camera may give advantages, buffer size, weather proofing etc etc. But for the great majority of photographers we're reaching the end of history. So my advice would be, get the 5D. You may not have the very latest gadget around your neck in a few years time, but I doubt your prints will be disadvantaged in any meaningful way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmichaelc Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Why does it matter? My old D30 works like a charm and if something ever happened to it; i think canon could still fix it. All of them are good at the moment but all will be improved upon in the future. It's best to plan based on your current needs, not by what might/might not happen in camera development - because it will be of continual change. So, "Is it a goot time to get a 5D?" I'd say yes, if your current needs demand it. No, if it doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_d. Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Savas, IMHO, the bigger question is whether you want/need a full frame sensor featured in the 5D, or the smaller one with a 1.6 mag factor this is in the 20D, and likely in its successor. This is the factor which will determine the lenses you attach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savas_kyprianides Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 Thank you for the variety of input. Seeing as how I got my present camera new early 2000, I pretty much stay with a camera for a while. (Though I never liked its atrocious replay delays from day one.) Staying with a camera for a while is why I ask. A case in point - 20D has no spot metering. Can I go for another five years without spot metering? Maybe its successor will offer it. It's minor and bothersome things that accumulate. Things Canon probably holds back purposely in order to ensure an upgrade path given the seemingly mature state that one of the posters referred to. I look forward to handling a 5D in order to experience what others refer to. Firm in the knowledge that its succesor is not right around the corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_doane Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I can't see that spot metering (or the lack of it) is much of a factor with any DSLR that has a histogram display. The histogram gives you far more information than any meter, and all it costs you is one shot (which you can later delete). The 5D processes the image very quickly, and displays the histogram (if you have it set up to do that) almost immediately after taking the shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 "I can't see that spot metering (or the lack of it) is much of a factor with any DSLR that has a histogram display. The histogram gives you far more information than any meter, and all it costs you is one shot (which you can later delete)." Sometimes you only get one shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_helmke Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 When I was still shooting Canon I had a need for another digital body RIGHT NOW one day and had to purchase a 20D to go with the 3 10D bodies we had. I couldn't see a big advantage to the 20D other than buffer size frankly and it was not often an issue. Simply purchasing the 20D didn't make the 10D's uselss or obsolete and I generally kept using my 10D with the grip on it. I guess the 20D got under 1200 cycles in the 4 months I had it before moving back to Nikon. Just because a newer model may be about to come out doesn't mean you can't buy the current one. As we all have seen it is several weeks or months after the announcement before anyone can actually buy one and longer before they are in stock. If you were to order one the day it is announced you might get one in hand in April. Then there always seems to be at least one issue with every new camera. Banding, a focus problem, BGLOD and who knows what else. I wouldn't buy a new model for at least six months. Then there are the price drops on the latest old model. I think the 20D is about $400 off of its regular price. Rick H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve santikarn Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 one reason for not buying a camera that is about to be replaced would be the fall in the resale value when the new model arrives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry_smith2 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 ...which will be accompanied by a fall of the retail price of the leftovers, making a D20 a very attractive proposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdkirk Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 With regard to the Canon line, there are two issues Canon has been addressing closely compared to 35mm film: Handling performance and image quality for typical enlargements across the line-up. By the end of 2005, they had sufficiently addressed both issues. Across their lineup, handling performance is as good as 35mm cameras (instant on and instant "wake up," for instance, and the ability to run "on" all day). As well, all the cameras produce images that look virtually identical up to 8x10 and a bit beyond, as as the case is with film cameras--up to the point that the smallest file requires upsampling (and the smallest can now reach 8x10 without resampling), they all now look pretty much alike (this is a curious thing about digital images that's different from film. With film, you can see the advantages of larger formats even in small enlargements). Someone has called this the "end of history," and in a manner of speaking, that may well be. The 5D and the expected new 1D should increase enlargeability of the images, but this won't be easily visible except at the point that enlargement with the "lesser" cameras requires resampling. Those who require no more enlargement than 8x10 or 11x14 need not upgrade this year just for image quality. The distinction now is about the same as it was with film cameras: Whether or not you need that last few percentage points of optimized image quality, durability, or performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savas_kyprianides Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 To which can also be added pleasure of handling and use. 5D is supposed to have a wonderful viewfinder. Couple this with fast glass and it can be heaven. One thing is for sure, whatever is available now is miles beyond what I am currently using. One of the reasons I am going Canon is from my sisters influence. She is a non-photographer who took a photography course in the midwest and came back with wonderful pictures shot with a Digital Rebel. She subsequently bought a Rebel XT that I had a chance to handle. That's where things started. The only reason I mentioned spot metering is that my lowly Olympus E-10 born five years ago has it. Although I can honestly say it came in handy once when shooting a difficult subject. It is frustrating, though, that today's cameras can lack features from older equipment, yet have great aspects in addition. It is apparently not in Canons interest to give you everything, as it will help cannibalize future sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon chang Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Get yourself a Leica for that money and return to real photography without fear of it being replaced after only 18 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icephoto Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 <i>It is apparently not in Canons interest to give you everything, as it will help cannibalize future sales.</i><br><br> In one sentence you speak great wisdom. Canon has to keep a revenue stream going. Stockholders to keep happy and whatnot. And if they can make incremental enhancements to features instead of selling the whole farm up front, then they have a good chance of making those new enhancements out to be the best thing since sliced bread. Nevermind that it was in a film camera 20 years ago, it's the best thing now.<br><br>From what I've read (as I have not yet picked up/shot a 5D), you will be very satisfied with the purchase when you get there. I would, however, wait until after Canon gets done showing us what's behind curtain #2 at the end of this month before sinking $'s into the 5D when the 20D's successor may be everything that you need at a fraction of the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_c2 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 "Get yourself a Leica for that money and return to real photography without fear of it being replaced after only 18 months." Sorry, as far as I know, digital is just as real as film. And I've owned 2 Ms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_canazzi Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 "As far as I know, digital is just as real as film". Yes but you can see, smell and touch film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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