worth changing to digital for comfort and speed..? (thinking about EOS D5)

[seoulman]

hello,

i guess this question has popped up before a hundred times but still every case is slightly

different and maybe some people here have some good advice for me.

 

i am a semi-pro who works for motorcycle-magazines around the world. so far i am very

succesful with my work and i sell a lot of articles. but i am still working with slides so far

as that is what the magazines wanted when i started my work some years ago.

recently though i just scan the slides in (nikon coolscan V) and send the pics as digital

images. so why not change to digital at all and safe the hassle of scanning and so on?

 

well, first there is the problem with my job riding motorcycles often on dirt tracks with lots

of bumps and dust. my SLR has never caused me any problems with that (even survived

some minor accidents) but i don't know how let's say a Eos D5 (that would be the camera i

would aim at) would take the dust and so on?

 

then there is the question about my lenses: i mostly use the canon 16-35 mm, the sigma

ex 28-70mm and sigma ex 105 macro. would i able to use them with the 5D? (ok, of

course i could use them. the question is more: would it be advisable or not?)

 

i shoot with fuji sensia and pretty decend lenses but still when i see pics online (or

sometimes in the magazines) that where shot digitally they seem to be sharper than my

pics, even though i resharpen my scanned images with nic sharpener.

 

would a switch to a D5 (same lenses) rather improve image quality or not? what do you

think..?

 

maybe someone here went through the same questions and can share some of his/her

experiences...

 

thanx!

 

seoulman

[richard_s1]

If you're worried about build quality I think it might be smarter to go with the 1D Mark II. You can get the original (basically the same as the new 1D Mark IIn, smaller LCD screen that's about it) used for around 2700. As far as image quality, digital is different, not necessarily better. One plus, if you shoot with slides you are already used to having very little dynamic range (guys who switch from print film to digital complain about losing dynamic range, but going from slides to digital you actually gain a little). High iso in canon's dSLR's has less grain that high iso films, which is nice.

[mike_earussi1]

Several things to consider:

 

1. Longevity of images. No one knows how long digital media will last, the standard cds and dvds that use the organic dyes, maybe 3-5 years before you start loseing bits.

 

2. Contamination problems. How often do you change lenses? Is dust a problem where you photograph? If so, then you need to take into account the possibility of constantly having to fight dust on your sensor.

 

3. Durability, though this may be a problem you're already use to since you already shoot autofocus.

I have a friend of mine that prefers to take his Leica on backpacking and bicycling trips because of its durability. Also ran into a photojournalist who mentioned that he would go through a new autofocus body every 1 1/2 years, whereas his old manual bodies would last for decades.

 

4. Validity. There is no way to prove that a digital image has not been manipulated (I have heard about some sort of digital watermarking program, but I'm not sure how much it costs or what it entails). Now this may not be important for your line of work, but for many people it is.

 

These are the only issues I can think of though there are probably others. For me the main purpose for digital is rapid feedback of what I shot and overall economy as it saves me film costs and when I want quality I shoot medium format.

[digitmstr]

You didn't say what body you are using now...

 

If you are using an EOS1v then, you'll want a 1DsMKII or 1DMKII. Otherwise, the 5D will do just fine.

[john tonai]

You will find that digital is the way to go because magazines are starting to prefer digital. This has nothing to do with quality, but rather workflow. It is much cheaper, faster and easier for them to use files instead of film.

 

Permanent storage will be an issue, I would never rely on DVDs or CDs for library archiving, but a combination of DVD and multiple hard drives. If I'm really paranoid, I can get a negative or transparency made of the file, but I haven't done this.

 

I own a 5D, but, while digital is a very good idea for you, I'm not sure the 5D is the best choice for your purposes. First, the good things. It is full frame so your lens angle of view doesn't change. This is especially important since you seem to prefer wide angle. Digital does show off flaws in the lens more than the more forgiving film.

 

Digital allows you to shoot more since you don't pay per shot like you do with film. You can sometimes suffer from image overkill, but at least you have the choice. As you know with action shots, not every one is a winner.

 

As for your lenses, it depends on if they were chipped for the current Canons. The Canon isn't a problem but the Sigmas could need to re-chipped. You might find that you don't like the sharpness at the corners of the lenses, but with your type of photography, this may never be an issue

 

Now, the real problem areas: The issue of dust is a biggie. In the conditions at the track, you would want to limit changing lenses. You actually don't want to change lenses on locations like this. However, you could use your digital for the primary shots and use the film body for the other two lenses.

 

Speed is another possible problem. The 5D only shoots 3 fps. While this is satisfactory for many people, some complain that it is too slow with action sequences-of course the old timers will say that to solve this problem just press the shutter at the right time ;)

 

Vibration could also possibly be another problem. I've taken it on long motorcycle rides and haven't had any problems, but if you are taking it on a dirt bike and riding the track/trail, that is pretty extreme. The recommendation of the 1DsMKII/1DMKII is right on for that aspect. Problem there is that the price is much higher than the 5D (Have you considered buying used? The prices can be much closer to the 5D price)

 

Hope this helps some.

 

John

[chrisjb]

Hi, I reckon the 1dmk11n is more in line with your work, far more robust more frames/sec,You`ll already be accustomed with safe lens changes and padded carrying gear. I`ve never had problems on my ol Bonney and she vibrates slightly. All our mag and paper subs have been soo much quicker with digital less work flow, and as you know most archive the stuff you give them so its mainly sentimental or portfolio that you keep anything. I`d hire one for a week and satisfy curiousity, should be tax deductable, well it is here in Oz.

You may find deadlines easier to make or the guy next to you with his digital no longer becomes competition.

 

good luck

[seoulman]

hello,

thanx for all the quick and detailed answers. from what i read i see the following

problems:

 

- i change lenses a lot and i have to do so even in dusty environments. i just returned

from a photo-shoot from cambodia and that place is basically a dusty desert with a few

palm trees. if a digital camera i allergic to dust (i changed lenses with my SLR for years

under harsh conditions and it never caused any problems on the film. there is dust on the

mirror, which i can ignore until i have time to clean it off) than it will be difficulty for me to

switch.

 

- luckily i don't have much pressure from deadlines. i produce travel stories and sell them

often year after they have been produced, depending on the demand of the mags. but still

i could safe weeks of work and loads of money thinking of all the rolls i go through every

year.

but if i have to change bodies a lot that will not really make a difference i guess....

 

- so far i work with the EOS 30 which has served me well and has proven to be very

robust. i surely like the mark IIs but the crop factor kills me. more than half of my pics are

16mm shots and i would not like to give up a single mm. but i also don't think there is a

lens out there that could give me that range on a 1.3 cropfactor and still allow me to use

filters..?

 

- i don't do sport photography. if i would cover races 3pics/sec would probably be to slow

but for me i guess it would do. i would like to have the high res form the D5 though that is

said to almost aim at medium format quality.

 

- living in korea i am not so sure if i can rent a camera for trials but maybe i can talk to

canon korea directly.

 

thanx again for the advice and i still would be grateful for additional thoughts and

opinions!

 

seoulman

[james_davison]

If you like 16mm there are three options:

 

No weather sealing: 20D or 30D and 10-22mm.

Partial weather sealing: 5D and 16-35mm (lens sealed anyways).

Full sealing: 1DsII and 16-35mm.

 

Or, Nikon and a D200 and a 12-24.

 

If you've shot with the EOS 30 then you'll be happy with the build of the 5D/20D/30D - the digital bodies are sturdier.

 

I'd go with the 5D, a sensor brush and a good blower. I use the sensor brush with the 10D and they're great.

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste]

The 5D has as good, if not better build than your EOS 30 so you don't need to sweat that aspect of it. Yes the 1D mkII would be far better, but if you weren't using a 1 series body until now and were happy then it shouldn't be a problem.

 

Although dust will be a problem, it will be less of a problem than than the sand getting into the film compartement and film canisters causing scratches. You can clean off the sensor each night with a blower brush and maybe the visible dust artic butterfly. Any dust that you will have to clone out from your photos in photoshop will not be any worse, and probably far far better than cloning out dust and scratches from your scans that you have been doing until now.

 

I can't remember what the FPS of the EOS 30 was, the 5D is 'only' 3FPS, don't know if that is an issue for you. The buffer is huge though, you can shoot jpgs at 3FPS for about 70 shots before stopping to catch up...

[rob_murray]

Well, not sure of your deadlines but skipping the E6 processing will save some time. A semipro friend of mine saved $6000 his first year when he went digital on film and processing.Dust may be a problem but you will probably get good at cleaning your sensor. Your EOS30 is called the Elan7 in the USA and if your sigma lenses work on it, they SHOULD work on the new digital camera. With that body they changed the software and sigmas quit working. A call to SIgma with the lenses serial numbers will give you a better answer. Can you rent a digital camera to try first?

[andrew_c2]

Hi there,

 

Anton's brought up a question that I have; one that I must apologize to pros for being somewhat obvious, perhaps, in their books. The question is, how often do publications pay for film/development costs? Does it change from publication to publication?

 

If a magazine insisted on using slide film today, would there be a way that photogs could somehow fanangle an agreement that the mags would cover those costs? Anton, if you had a great relationship with some mags, could you somehow get some costs subsidized? I wouldn't stop what you're doing now if you could.

 

Otherwise, the 5D sounds like a great idea. Instead of the Sigma 28-70, I would spring for the Canon L equivalent. The 5D's picture quality, many people have said, really depends on the glass.

 

Then again, some have ditched their 24-70/2.8Ls for the Tamron 28-75/2.8, much, much cheaper!

[conraderb]

Responding to the above:

 

1. Longevity of images.

___________

 

If your images are that important, you can have triple redundant backups on three hard drives. The chances of all three drives failing at the same time is quite low - much safer than negs, IMHO.

 

___________

 

2. Contamination problems.

___________

 

Get a Giottos Rocket Blower and most of your problems are solved.

 

____________

3. Durability

____________

 

Get an extended three year Mack warranty. After three years, you will probably upgrade your body anyway.

 

____________

4. Validity.

____________

 

No change from film. You can scan film and then manipulate it, as you would any digital image.

[jmf]

Actually Canon has an add on that create a digital signature when the image is created in the camera. It's primary use is law enforcement/forensic evidence. Canon DVK-E2

[eric merrill]

I went from a 1v to a 5D. I figured I'd have some disappointment with the 5D, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I bought the grip at the same time I got the 5D, and it's been a fairly seamless transition. The only thing I really miss about the 1v is being able to spot meter from the active AF point. I actually prefer the way to select the AF point manually in the 5D.

 

 

Eric

[seoulman]

hello again,

well first an answer about the reimbursement for films and development. sadly i have

never received anything like that. i have a price per page or per story (depending on the

magazine and country) and that is what i get. how much money i spend getting the shots

together is my own trouble... (but i know that some people do get reimbursement. i am a

freelancer who produces the story first and sells it later. if someone would ask me to do a

special story i might ask for some extra cash..)

 

reading some of the new answers i think it might be possible after all to change to digital

in the near future. looking again at the canon page i noticed that the mark II 1ds has a full

frame cmos but the price of the body is out of my range so far. the 5D i could afford but

not if i have to change the body too often. usually i change bodies every 2-3 years but

they also have not been that expensive so far. why change a digi body if for the size of

images i produce (double page is the max) it is sufficient? is there any wear on the cmos or

other vital parts of the camera?

 

it seem dust is still the biggest issue. what about the sensitivity to vibrations and shocks

of the sensor and stuff? like i said i use the camera in rough terrain. but film doesn't care

much if you shake it (as far as i know).

 

ever heard of tools like the Kinetronics SpeckGRABBER Professional? bettert than a blower

or just useless toys?

 

thanx again for all the answers and advice!

 

cheers!

 

anton