EOS 5D now or wait?

[sim]

I know these things can be debated ad nauseam and there's probably not one right

answer, but I'm asking anyway. The situation is this: I'm in the market for a

new Canon DSLR and I am/was _this_ close to buying a Canon 5D. Then the 1D Mark

III announcement came and messed with my thoughts.

 

Here's the rub: while certainly enticing (mainly due to weather sealing), 1D

Mark III is over my budget, especially considering the assumed forthcoming

rebates for 5D. Now we know the 5D is due for a replacement soon-ish, but I

guess there's consensus that it won't happen in the immediate near future - I

can wait for a few months and to the end of the year if I absolutely have to but

of course I wouldn't want to.

 

So to help(?) me decide, does anyone foresee any of the following happening in a

few months time:

- 5D replacements being announced?

- Dramatic drop in 1Ds Mark II's price due to Mark III?

- Any other Canon cameras comparable or superior to 5D being announced?

- Any chance of 1D Mark III being available in the $3500 price range this year?

 

My personal feeling would be a "no" to pretty much all of the above, so I'm

mainly looking for (but not hoping for ;) disagreements.

[alec_myers]

Is this a troll, because it *is* the millionth time this question's been asked on this site - and that's only this month.

[sim]

Not a troll and I have been digging into the archives - but probably not enough, then.

[bobatkins]

I can give you a definite maybe on all those points.

 

Anyone wanting a 5D should have bought it earlier this year with the $600 rebate. Not very useful advice now of course...

 

If you need the camera, buy it. If you don't wait. There will always be something better and cheaper if you wait.

 

The only trick is to figure out when to stop waiting. That's your gamble to take.

 

In all likelyhood the 5D replacement will be announced about 1 month after you buy one.

[charles_lipton]

Now. As is the 5D is an awsome tool. If and when Canon updates this model it may only be something like an exterior mirror lock up button or ECF. Nice additions but it won't make the camera take pictures any better than it is now designed to do.

[JosvanEekelen]

Perhaps best to look at the timeline at Dpreview. Canon introduces most new models pre-PMA and pre Photokina or if there is no Photokina - like this year - somewhere in August. So don't expect any announcements before August. OTOH, 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the EOS system, things may be different this year.

[sim]

Thanks for the replies - and I'm quite convinced that no matter when I buy anything, Bob's prediction will hold true.

 

I hate it how the camera business has sort of gone the way of the PC business - as soon as you walk out of the store with something, a new product makes your purchase _feel_ obsolete. Of course it's not really obsolete (as I'm sure a 5D bought now would serve my photographic needs for the foreseeable future), but the damn marketers still get to me every now and then as much as I didn't want them to! ;) (sorry for the OT rant)

[d12monkey]

A little FYI.... I spoke to a Canon Rep 3 days ago and they where projecting the Mark III launch on or around the 15th of April. Also their MSRP was going to be approx $3900 but the final price is up to the dealer to place.

[KenPapai]

Right the 5D's replacement will be in the marketplace between this September and next April 2008. Are you willing to wait?

 

For sure the 1D3 price will drop below $3900 by Xmas, but much below that is anyone's guess.

[j.kivekas]

If you look at the D60, 10D, 20D and 30D - you very little true changes that affect really your photography. I still use 1D MkII and I can not see that big difference to 1D MkIII because already the 1D MkII is such a marvellous camera. 5D is a fantastic piece of machinery too. The new things with eventual replacement are not going affect your photos very much.<p>

Between 1d MkIII and 5D it's all about your own phtography profile. 1D MkII is a reportage/sports body where as 5D is a full frame body suitable for more "artistic" work. 1D has better focus and faster fps and 5D has full frame. Both are excellent, but it's really different horses for different courses.

[joeh]

I just bought a 5D, and I guess that a replacement will be announced in August or September (no inside info, just a guess based on historical patterns). By the time the replacement is actually in stores it will be in the fall, and by the time the usual firmware bugs and/or other start-up issues typical of new cameras are fixed and the actual selling price comes down from the msrp a bit, it will be a few months after that, so figure early 2008. I don't want to wait that long, hence my purchase of the 5d now. Then I estimate I could sell my 5d for maybe $1200 less than I bought it for. So amortize $1200 over 9 months to a year, as rental on the 5d.

[catchlight]

Sami, I have a 5D and a 1DMkII and they are both great cameras, but they are very different. It will help your decision if you are clear about which you need more: full frame; or 8.5 fps, high customizability, more durability, and weather sealing.

 

For example, as 3 fps the 5D is pretty average for shooting sports or any other kind of action, but for landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits the 5D delivers 'way more pixels.

 

On the used/mint market, 1DMkII's are getting down to just over $2000, and the N version is just over $2500. Heck of a lot of camera for the price.

[sim]

Thanks again for the comments. Juha & Brent, I'm well aware of the differences between 1D MK whatever and 5D - sports and reportage are not for me; however the weather sealing would be very nice. Required? No, but very nice as to be able to shoot in worse conditions. Then again, I mostly shoot landscape so a wide angle (i.e. full frame) is better for me in that respects.

[jim_b5]

Like Joe Hooper, I too just picked up a 5D. I grew tired of waiting for Canon to release a less expensive full frame DSLR and wanted to make the move from film to digital. If, as Joe says, Canon does release an updated 5D soon and I absolutely have to have it, the 5D should have good resale value.

 

I went through much the same process waiting for the right time to buy a big screen HDTV. At a certain point the hardware situation is good enough and you time it for rebates, promotions and sales as best you can. I have to admit, however, that I was relieved when my TV only received cosmetic updates for this year.

[j.kivekas]

Given the history I doubt the new "5D" will be weather sealed. Only the pro series (1D and L) are full weather proof. Why would they change their marketing strategy which works. For bad weather there are optional tricks like plastic bags etc.

[drfl]

Bob, what was the price of the 5d during the rebate? If I'm not mistaken, Canon lowered the price post-rebate which is better given the history of Canon Rebates.

[kanellopoulos]

After seeing the quality of the prints at 40X60 cm from my 20D, and considering the incredibly low noise and full-frame of the 5D, I would get one right NOW, if I had the money. I will do it around September. I cannot wait until early 2008. I don't think a replacement will be available earlier.

What is more important, how much better do you think the replacement will be? The big step was from the 20D (8MP, 1.6 crop) to the 5D (12MP, full-frame). The ultimate question in electronics has always been: does it cover YOUR needs? I would bet it does!