Best startup 5D setup?

[garywhite]

Be careful, the non-L zooms tend to vignette on the 5D and there's a lot of CA. I have had nearly 3 years of experience. I tend to stick to non-L primes (e.g. 50mm, 85mm), L-primes (e.g. 35mm, 135mm) and good zooms (e.g. 17-40L), 70-210 L. If you want something longish, go for the last with a 1.4 extender. Gary

[lindsay_dobson]

"Also, I recently heard a complaint about the 5D that I never heard before. Battery life? I heard I'd probably only average about 200-300 shots per charge?"

 

Even with IS, that's not been my experience at all. Perhaps their batteries were old, or non-Canon, who knows. Try not to be influenced by the odd throw-away comment.

[david_e._starr1]

@Gary White<br>Yeah, that is true, but luckily vignetting and CAs are pretty much the two easiest optical flaws to Photoshop out. For a budget, temporary lens, the 70-300 IS wouldn't be so bad.<br><br><br>@Lindsay Dobson<br> About how many shots do you find yourself getting per charge?

[._._z]

"I've been shopping for my first DSLR for a long time ... I, for some reason, didn't mind the cropping on the 40D, until I tried it with the 5D.... With my 40D, my budget was about $3,000, and that was going to get me the body with a grip and four lenses. But, uh... the 5D is going to substitute a significant amount of those lenses (I may wait on the grip...), and even more so if I wait for the successor "

 

Analysis paralysis.

 

You spent too much time comparing specs before placing a body in your hands.

 

You decided immediately on getting a camera, 4 lenses AND a grip immediately upon purchase of your first DSLR? Insanity.

 

The 5D successor will cost at least $3200 -- beyond your budget.

 

Get the 40D and a single, decent lens and start shooting. There's supposed to be a $200 instant rebate on the body starting next week, bringing the price down to $950 or so. Get ONE good lens and play with it for a few months and then decide on another lens. You like the 50mm field of view? Get Canon's 35mm lens, or Sigma's 30mm, or the fairly decent kit lens.

 

The 5D is also expected to come with a $300 rebate, bringing its price down to around $1900. Just enough for you to hit your budget if you want. But nothing you've written suggests that you need or could take advantage of a full frame sensor.

[juliehodgins]

I have the battery grip, but I just shot over 800 photos with my 5D the other day and my camera is still showing a "full"

charge. So even if the ONE battery is dead, it took WAY more than 200-300 shots!