First-timer gearing up - 5D or wait?

[grady_peters]

I'm finally making the transition to digital after shoot 35mm and medium format film for many years.

 

Are there are practical reasons to wait for a successor to the 5D? My last major photo gear purchase was

six years ago -- that's my standard "upgrade cycle" in the world of film, but I suspect that might change

once I change over. I don't know the schedule of photo shows or Canon announcements, or even if they

tend to show their hand in advance, but if anyone has any convincing arguments for why I should hold off

for a possible successsor I'd be happy to hear them.

[emre]

I'd go for it. You can sell it off later.

[Matt Laur]

I wish I could directly answer his actual question (but I don't have a Canon Crystal Ball either). He wants and would seem to be comfortable paying for a camera in the 5D's class. His "practical reasons" may not have anything at all to do with your personal sense of how $2700 fits into his financial landscape. There are people who've been shooting MF for a long time, and their "first digital camera" was a high-end back that costs 10 times that much. Are you inclined to smack them around, too? Ask more questions if you think there's some poor judgement, here. Otherwise you're taking quite a leap.

[david_oskarsson1]

...and because the other 35 mm option is seventy hundred dollars

 

Yes the 5D won't be bad even if/when the 6D or whatever comes out.

[lars69]

Grady,

 

Life cycle of digital products is short, computers or cameras or anything else.

Canon is probably going to bring out a 6D, 7D whatever in a few months. They seems to bring out new models every 1.5 to 2 years I think.

 

But would I wait? No.

 

Because when the 6D (or something) comes out you could wait for a cheaper 3D or a better 1.6 crop 40D or....

 

Being a camera and computer 'geek' I have given up waiting for the next model because it seriously spoils the fun, companies change their schedule and you spent more time waiting then shooting photographs.

 

The 5D is a seriously good camera, you will love it without doubt, so buy it and don't look back.

And I am sure you will be happy for another 6 years.

 

Plus a 6D will probably only have a few Pixel more (15 Mpixel or so) and be faster in frame rate. So it will be like when the 10D was updated to the 20D. A change but it certainly didn't make the 10D a bad camera.

[damian_tinsley]

Who is absolutely right that upgrading one product does not make the original a bad on in any sense. BUT...

 

The 20D had instant start-up, DIGIC 2, lower noise, 33% more pixels and the ability to take efs lenses wthout resorting to surgery. My point is that the fabled 3D (or 6D or 7D) might be a small upgrade with DIGIC 3, 14MP (a 10% rise), no weathersealing, buit-in sensor cleaning and a 3.5 fps rate with an slightly improved buffer - OR it could be a 17MP 6fps monster with lower noise than the 1DMKIII, true 6400ISO, weathersealing and a 1- series AF system.

 

OK I doubt the latter, but it's not stupid to ask what the jungle drums say about the best and latest technology, especially as it's evolving so much faster than, say, 35mm film technology ever did.

 

All the best

 

Damian

[aleskoubik]

Why not? The 5D is a wonderful camera and it makes the switch from 35mm to digital totally painless. The image quality is as good as film and a 17mm lens is actually a 17mm lens. Buying $1000 toy camera now and "upgrade" to better year later actually cost more.

[mendel_leisk]

Grady, I think the 5D is *the* choice for you, coming from a film slr background. If you can afford it, go for it! I wouldn't bother trying to anticipate new product releases.

[amy_wilson]

Grady, if you need a digital camera now and 5Dfits your budget and it offers what you need, go on and buy. I dont think there is any reason why you should anticipate what Canon will offer the next year or two. 5D is an excellent camera...when Canon releases a new camera, then you can decide if you want to upgrade.

[fourfa]

just a nitpick, but if Canon's naming convention from its single-digit film cameras holds, a 6D or 7D would be cheaper and lower spec than the 5D, and a 3D would be higher spec and more expensive.

[mark u]

I think if you look at the real upgrade cycle for higher end cameras, it is somewhat longer than more fashion conscious consumer end of the market. Certainly the 1 series are effectively on a 3+ year cycle (I don't count an N version as a true upgrade). Whilst the 5D sells in much greater volume than the 1 series, allowing fixed costs to be amortised, it currently has no real competition in the market. There are suggestions that Sony, Nikon and even Pentax may be coming forward with larger sensor cameras (maybe even 24x36mm sensors), but the timescale for those is still probably no earlier than next year. Canon is likely to want to be in a position to trump the competition, given that none of these cameras is likely to be on a short replacement cycle. That makes delaying a 5D successor until at least next year more likely than not.

 

Even when a replacement camera does arrive, the new features may not make for a compelling upgrade for your kind of photography. Live view, sensor "self-cleaning", 6400 ISO etc. don't sound like "must haves" for someone used to shooting medium format.

[jim_b5]

Hello Grady,

 

I recently bought a 5D and it was my first digital camera. I agonized over the price for a year, but decided to stop waiting when the camera was not replaced this winter.

 

There do not appear to be any significant new digital technologies on the horizon that will render the 5D obsolete. There is, of course, room for improvement, but as others have said, that will always be the case.

 

You may want to wait until this fall to see if the 5D will be replaced, but if it isn't you'll have missed the summer shooting season and another cycle of "Do I wait or should I buy now?" will start all over again. The 5D is a pretty desirable camera. I'm sure it will hold it's value if I decide to buy it's replacement. Given the improvements to the 1D Mark III and what that does or doesn't imply for a 5D replacement, I'll likely skip a full-frame generation or two before replacing the 5D.

[jcolwell]

Grady. Any time's a good time to buy a 5D. I'm waiting until I can pay down some debt before getting a 5D, and the 4x5 LF system that I'm selling this week will go a long way towards that. I use 20D and 30D's for most of my shooting, except I'll be keeping my Fuji GW670II and GSW690II rangefinders for at least a while, until I can decide if they still have a role to play after getting the 5D.

[ericf1]

Grady,

 

I recently made the conversion to digital and went with the 5D and have been thrilled. In the film days I was on a pretty long replacement schedule (Shot with an A2e for 10 years, and picked up a Bronica S2A system 8 years ago, and at the time it was probably close to 20 years old). Anyway, I have been very pleased with the image quality and performance of the camera.

[mendel_leisk]

I've just been taking a few low light incandescent shots with mine, with the 50mm f1.4. Using manual mode. It's a delightful camera.

[ulrich_brandl]

"Are there any practical reasons your first digital camera should cost twenty seven hundred dollars?"

 

Yes -

Grady upgrades from film. If he has a collection of good lenses this upgrade comes for body only cost. All cheaper DSLRs have 1.6x crop and you need to buy some new glass as long you as you don't give up wideangle photography. And maybe a 28-70 is no longer useful for weddings. If you add a 17-55 and a 10-22 you get near to the 5D body price. Therefore the decision for a 5D can be wise even from a purely economical view.

 

To answer Gradys question: I have, like all others here, no information about Canon's future plans. The 5D is not under direct pressure from the competition - this might lead to longer product cylces. My guess is an upgrade in the two digit classs this year and maybe a 5D successor next year. The 5D is a very good camera and I don't expect wonders from its successor.

 

Ulrich