to 5D or not to 5D

[images_in_light_north_west]

I am considering a 5D and selling my 30D, Costco has it with the cheap 75-300

which i could sell with my 30D and get around $1100 and get the 5D for $2200

after rebate, can any one tell me what is differant on the 5D compared to the

30D besides the sensor size and pixel count ?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Ross

[mark u]

http://photonotes.org/cgi-bin/camera-lookup.pl?camera1=eos30d&camera2=eos5d&camera3=*&camera4=*&camera5=*

[sattler123]

Noise - the 5D is teh king of noise. My wife uses the 350D and there is a huge difference in noise between the two cameras. The other big difference is the viewfinder - you didn't know what you were missing until you look through the 5D view finder - really!

[bob_chapman1]

If you take wildlife photos, or even sports action, you might keep the 30D (you can get the same rebate deal on the 30d and get it under $1000 at BH). The 1.6 crop factor (effective magnification) saves you an astounding amount of money in lenses. Can you afford a 300mm f2.8 on a 5D? or perhaps the 70-200 2.8 IS with the 30D is far better?

 

The pixel density is an issue - if you don't expect to crop much, and you do landscape, portrait and wedding work, then the 5D is a fine choice. You should evaluate the noise at iso 800 or higher though if you expect to do ambient and low light.

 

I can't see getting rid of a 20d or 30d myself - simply because the camera body with the crop factor/magnification factor is FAR, FAR cheaper than buying those HUGE, HEAVY and EXPENSIVE long canon lenses. The crop factor may be creating a revolution in photography - average joes can do things that were once only the territory of the highly compensated professional, rich playboy, or staff photographer.

 

Also - you MUST buy high quality lenses for the 5d. The crop factor in the 30d crops out the abberrations of weaker lenses. Again, this "improves" the quality of many marginal lenses, and you'll find them to perform superbly. So, you have a lighter weight overall system, with excellent long reach, great low light capability, and FAR less expensive than a 5D system. You'll get hammered in the lens cost for the 5d, and you'll be buying plenty more hard drive space or burning plenty more DVD's as well. Remember, the XTi is already beyond the 30D in many ways, so it isn't surprising to see the $600 discount on the 5D.

 

Think very hard about your decision. Is it about wants, or needs? Is it about getting equipment which fills a hole in your creative abilities or portfolio, or is it about impressing strangers who see a 5D? Those in the know will understand that the 30D and 5D are different tools, and you might look foolish with a 5D in some situations.

[images_in_light_north_west]

I have 17-40 f4, 24-105 f4, 70-200 f2.8, 300 f4 and 50 f1.4 and want to do large lanscapes, now I get 30" landscapes when stiching two photos side by side. I want resolution, resolution, resolution. i also do wild life in the jungles of Costa Rica, sloth, monkey etc.

 

Ross

[anson_ko]

Those in the know will understand that the 30D and 5D are different tools, and """""you might look foolish with a 5D in some situations.""""

 

 

I didn't know having a 5D look foolish in any situations. Can you explain a bit more ?

[mike butler]

Yeah,

 

I got the 5D because I wanted people to come up to me and say, "Nice camera.!"

 

Don't have a clue how to use it, though.

[danallen]

Well Mike, I think I can help you out here. I have a REALLY nice 300D laying around that is a LOT easier to use than the 5d. I would gladly take the loss and swap you it for your 5d.

 

The 300D with it's gleaming silver body really attracts attention and makes people feel that you are better than all the rest of the photogs with those boring black cameras.

 

The only reason I would make such a sacrifice is because I like you. And besides, my other 5d is feeling lonely. And if your real nice, I might even throw in an extra battery and 32mb CF card.

 

:)

 

Dan

[gdanmitchell]

Despite some of the earlier COMMENTS (! ;-), the 5D is capable of producing higher quality

images than the 30D in many ways, particularly if you are going to make big prints.

 

If you do landscapes (for example), have excellent lenses, and make big (12x18 or larger)

prints, the 5D will probably be a worthwhile step up for you.

 

If you are big on telephoto shots (e.g. wildlife, certain sports), don't use excellent lenses,

and/or do not produce large prints there is a good chance that the 5D won't gain you much

in real-world performance.

[mike butler]

Dan,

 

You are most generous. Can you get it to me before I have to shoot a wedding Saturday?

 

(should I shoot that in jpeg or raw?)

 

;-)

[danallen]

Sadly Mike, I don't think I'd be able to. I am shooting a wedding Saturday also, and even though I am using my celphne camera as my main, I still need it as my backup. I don't want to take my 5d because it's just too darn big and heavy.

 

If you fin't yourself swinging by St. Louis, be sure to bring the 5D and I'll have the 300d all shined up for you.

 

Dan

[jacull]

Biggest reason for me to get the 5D: Full-Frame sensor.

 

Get the most use out of your glass.

[jon_austin]

Great post by Bob Chapman. I'm planning to buy the 5D's successor next year (or the 5D on closeout, if its successor doesn't live up to my expectations). But I'm going to keep the 20D for the long stuff and for backup.

 

I don't need it, I just want it, but at least I admit it. I find myself doing more "standard range" photography than anything else; my most-used lens is the 24-105, followed by the 17-40, then the 70-200. I more often want to go wider than longer. I actually expect I'll use the 70-200 more once I go full frame, due to the absence of the 1.6x multiplier. I dream of a larger, brighter viewfinder!

[ss katy]

I have a 5D and a 10D. The pixel density is a big issue. If you take a picture with a 10D

and resample it to a 5D size, there is a really bit marginal diference in favor to 5D in the

center, and a big diference in favor to 10D in the corners. Tested with L lens.

A 1.6 crop sensor has more pixel density than a FF 5D sensor. I?m not an engenner, I can

see it in my good Apple 20 LCD display.

With the 30D you will get a higher resolution part of a 5D picture.

The best with the 5D is that you will note that you missed a lot of interesting frame, that

contribute to reach the 13 mp frame.

Its like you live in a small but spectacular apartment, and you move to a big and no so

spectacular house. the 5d has more space.

For my work, are better the 13 mp of a 5D. I need them.

[delwyn_ching]

Same answer to Jon Austin: I have the 20D and will keep it for a long time to come. I'll pick up the 5D on closeout or its successor if the bells and whistles excite me, not because I need it but because I have to have it. I'm, vain :(

[walter_smolenski]

In Peter Inovas recient post I think he would say that your money is better spent on a 10mp rebel XTi than a 5D.

 

http://www.digitalsecrets.net/secrets/FullFrameWars.html

 

For landscape you can get a 10-22mm lens and you have only 2mp difference of the XTi and 5D. The 5D will likely be replaced in early 2007 so I would wait and be happy with the 30D untill then.

[jim_doty]

Ross,

 

There is virtually no noise difference between the 5D and 30D. The full frame sensor is the story.

 

I grabbed the following from a post I wrote a few days ago.

 

High ISO on the 5D and 20D are about identical and the same could be said for the 30D.

 

I have run ten of thousands of images through my 20D and 5D cameras at just about every ISO and I find the noise levels to be so close as to make no practical difference. Online tests agree.

 

From DP Review: "The overall noise performance from the EOS 5D is very good and by our measurements almost identical to the EOS 20D." Source page:

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos5d/page21.asp

 

From DP Review: "Apart from the obvious resolution difference the EOS 30D and EOS 5D produced fairly similar levels of visible noise and also limited softening at ISO 1600 and 3200." Source page:

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos30d/page20.asp

 

The 5D does have the advantage of a bigger, full frame sensor. More here:

 

http://jimdoty.com/Digital/20d_5d/20d_5d.html

 

Jim

[Brad_]

<I>I am considering a 5D and selling my 30D</I><P>

 

Why? <P>

 

What is it about your 30D that you find lacking? I've had a 20D for awhile now and thought

about a 5D. Until I tried to understand the benefits it might provide. Don't think it would

make me a better photographer. The noise performance is similar. For the street

photography I do my 10-22 lens is married to the body and works great. So where's the

benefit? Unless you like buying things...<p>

 

Ask yourself similar questions...

[William Michael]

Many answers hit a note with me but two make very good points: Bob Chapman and Brad.

 

I am developing a digital system which will suit my needs. I have a 20D. I have access to a 5D and will buy my own shortly. I will not sell the 20D, I want at least ten years out of it. The 1.6 factor works great for me at the telephoto end on my 70 - 200, and the FF works great too for my other applications. (Bob Chapman)

 

If I did not have the needs (or wants) for a second body I would NOT sell my 20D just to upgrade to a 5D. (Brad)

 

Any extra cash I have would go directly into good quality lenses, not upgrading bodies.

 

Maybe you should consider what you end needs or wants are, hope this helps.

 

Regards

WW

[images_in_light_north_west]

My need is for higher resolution in mostly landscapes, my 30D produces fantastic photos but enlargments over 20 inches is where it starts to lack, I can get great 30 inch shots when stiching two shots side by side, even 36 inch if there is no fine detail , I am thinking in terms of 360 images and high res lanscapes up to 48 inches or more

[John Crowe]

You have a decent dSLR so I would hold off on the 5D for now. Canon is due to release some kind of full frame camera within a year that one way or the other will reduce the price of the 5D.

 

 

Other than that if you shoot mostly with lenses longer than 135mm then a 1.6x factor body is very handy and for a given subject size could outperform or at least be similar to the 5D. If you shoot primarily with lenses wider than 50mm then the added pixels of the 5D go a long way to sharpen up all that extra image area.

[William Michael]

Ross:

then I vote the 5D now or as someone mentioned wait for the next version if you can and choose between it and the 5D.

If I were you scenario I still would not sell my 30D if I could afford not to.

I am really interested in what you decide, please advise.

Good Luck WW

[William Michael]

Ross:

 

Sorry for the inconvenience of asking you to repeat yourself.

 

I scan read the answers and glossed over the fact you explained your big print/landscape need previously in the thread.

 

Cheers WW

[squareframe]

please ignore Bob Chapman's advice, as it is simply incorrect and a product of dogma perpetuated amongst these forums vis-a-vis the topic of 'crop-factor'.

 

visualize a 1-site sensor on the 5D or 30D. now, continue expanding the sensor size in small increments till reaching the 30D sensor size and continuing on to the full-frame sensor dimension. the images are the same, though cropped, and your lenses are only improved at the expense of coverage. background-blur & DOF are identical, and god-forbid your images be ruined by the edge-aberrations and vignetting.

 

spend a minute in Photoshop and observe that the images are identical.

[images_in_light_north_west]

Turned in to a popular thread, I think I will hold off for now on the 5D, maybe see what comes up early next year, the only problem with that is, if Canon comes out with a better Camera, I may have to get that #@&!

 

Ross