What would you do?

[nathan_hoefert]

<p>I currently have a 5D and am going into photojournalism next year for college. I have someone willing to trade me their 1d mark ii for my 5d. I am just wondering what you would do in my shoes. Any questions comments or concerns are greatly appreciated. <br>

Thanks, Nathan</p>

[acedigital]

<p>Depends what type of shooting you are going to do. If its sports and you need a higher frame rate (8.5 fps) then it could be worth it, but the 5Ds picture quality gets great reviews. Why are you considering it?<br>

I would also ask how many shutter actuations it has. If it has not been abused, I might be tempted to go for it. Still only 8mp compared to newer models. But for newpapers you don't need huge files - check with your employers/school first if they have requirements.<br>

Here is the original review from DPREVIEW<br>

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos1dmkii/<br>

The 1D Mark II is also not quite full frame like your 5D.</p>

 

[PuppyDigs]

I'd rather have the IQ and FF VF of the 5D, not to mention the petite size compared to the two brick size of the 1D

series. The ID2 would only be a better camera if need the fast frame rate for sports or weather sealing. I guess you're

going free lance as don't salary positions provide gear?

[john_deerfield]

<p>If the 1DMII is in as good or better condition, I would opt for the trade. Canon reserves their best metering and AF systems for the top two bodies. In other words, the 1DMII should AF a bit faster and a bit more accurately and should meter better than the 5D. At least according to Canon. And sure, the 1DMII is bulkier, but that is because it is built like a tank... all of these (AF, metering, built like tank) might come in handy for a photojournalist. I certainly don't think the 1.3x crop factor will matter all that much. </p>

[charles_blanton1]

<p>Nathan, <br>

I would keep the 5D for all the reasons Puppy says plus I'll add that it's probably a bad idea to trade "backwards" in technology. Even though it's a 1 series camera, I see no benefit for you unless you need high frame rate of speed. Trust me, you'll miss FF as soon as you don't have it. Charles </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I have a 5D, and I'm another who wouldn't trade backwards unless I really, really needed the couple of strong points of the 1DMII (weather proofing and higher frame rate); AND <em>this</em> Canon 1 was really in mint condition.</p>

<p>If you look at the 'completed listings' on eBay (what things actually sold for as opposed to what is asked by the vendor), you'll find (as of this writing) that the Canon 1D mkii typically has been <em>selling</em> for US$600-800 for the body only, and the Canon 5D body is going for about $700-1000. The market place seems to prefer the 5D as of this time.</p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>I am a big fan of the 1series cameras, but in your position, bearing in mind as JDM says you could effectively make the switch at any time and even come out of a future deal with some cash, I'd keep the 5D. If, when you are on the course, you find the 5D wanting, and I'd be very surprised if you did, then think about getting a camera that will work for you.</p>

[nathan_hoefert]

<p>Thanks everyone for the helpful tips. This is just helping me broaden my ideas into what I should do. I guess I will keep my 5D and just wait it out to move up to a 1D mark iii later in life.<br>

Thanks again, Nathan</p>

[nathan_hoefert]

<p>@JDM - Now that I think about it, wouldn't the price drop maybe drastically whenever the 5D mark III comes out? I mean yeah I know that the 1d ii is not being sold at the same price as the 5D, both used, but would you think that price drop might make those numbers between the cameras go a little bit closer?</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>The Canon 30D and the Mark II have 8.2 megapixels. I tested both cameras in the field and the resolution is like comparing apples to oranges. Not sure about the 5D ? </p>

[yakim_peled1]

<p>I'd rather have a 1D2 over a 5D without any hesitation.</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>"I currently have a 5D and am <strong><em>going into photojournalism</em></strong> next year <em><strong>for college</strong></em>. . . I <em><strong>guess</strong></em> I will keep my 5D and <strong><em>just wait it</em></strong> out to <em><strong>move up to a 1D mark iii later in life</strong></em>."<br /><br /></p>

</blockquote>

<p><em>" . . ."Any questions comments <strong>or concerns </strong>are greatly appreciated."</em></p>

<p>The statements quoted are not commensurate with logical thinking. <br />You should NOT "guess"; "wait it out"; nor "move up to".<br />Rather, you should make rational decisions, based upon: your outputs; the course work; and your own (professional) work desires.</p>

<p>With respect and not wishing to get into psychobabble: your reality will grow from your words - and if you begin your College Photography training with those words above, you will not reach your potential and you will make more errors of judgement, than otherwise necessary. . . and likely you will not enjoy the Photojournalism Course, as much as you could have, either.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[philip_wilson]

Stay with the 5D until you decide what it lacks and thus what you need

[JDMvW]

<blockquote>

<p>wouldn't the price drop maybe drastically whenever the 5D mark III comes out?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>After the 5D mark ii came out, it took a while for the (used) 5D (mk i) to drop at all, and since I bought mine two or three years ago, it has maintained itself reasonably well in the marketplace. One in as close to mint condition as the one I got, could still be sold for about what I paid back then, tho' it is at the high end of today's market.<br /> There are a lot of people for whom 12+ MP and no video are still attractive, combined with "full frame".</p>

<p>I have a suspicion that a similar demand could exist for an 18+ MP camera with video despite whatever more the new one offers.</p>

<p>I would not bet on big savings on used Canons in this class.</p>

<p> </p>

[nathangardner]

<p>I love my 1D II, and think it would be great for PJ, however the 5D tends to sell for more than the 1D II, so if you traded you should get about $300 with the camera, Unless it's a 1D IIN, then it would be closer ro an even trade. So what would I do? I'd definitely go for the 1 series, but not as an even trade.</p>

[zack_zoll]

<p>Agreed with William. Also, much more importantly: if you haven't taken the class yet, then you shouldn't buy ANYTHING unless the instructor says you will need it for class. Even if you're at NYU, you'll still have a better camera than at least half the other students.</p>

<p>This is just a class. The goal is to learn how to do things, and you have more than sufficient equipment for that. Until you have actually completed the class and know what you need to accomplish your goals, I'd say there is about an 80% chance of anything you buy being the wrong thing.</p>

<p>For instance, until you took the class you might not know that most newspapers print halftone, and on terrible paper. That means that more often than not an 8 megapixel image will look just as good at a 16 megapixel image. That also means that noise from high ISOs will often be attributed to the paper's printing (and thus 'doesn't matter'), which means that lens quality is often more important than camera quality. Internet news sites are no better, as those are all low-res images.</p>

<p>And the number one thing you'll learn is that the content of the photograph is <em>at least </em>twice as important as the quality of the photograph. You'll be a much better photojournalist if you took the money you would use to upgrade your 'good enough' camera and instead spent it on airfare, sleeping accomodations, guides, and the occasional greased palm.</p>

<p>Shoot, the image of the man facing down a line of tanks in Tiamenen Square (I'm an idiot for forgetting the photographer) isn't even totally in focus. And yet, that's exactly that good photojournalism is.</p>

[ty_mickan]

<blockquote>

<h1>What would you do?</h1>

</blockquote>

<p>Why would you want a BIGGER camera if you're going into photojournalism. You want a camera that is small and discrete. If anything, the 5D is too big.........look at a Leica M9, or even better, an MP.</p>

[nathangardner]

<blockquote>

<p>the 5D is too big.........look at a Leica M9</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Look at the price of an M9 and see if you still want it, a waste of money for 99.9% of people, its a full frame rangefinder. And even though a 1 series is big, there' no doubt it's the camera of choice for PJ. Most of the features, such as a sound recorder to record sound to link with photos, are tailored specifically to PJ. But as said above, if you're just taking a class, dropping a lot of money on a camera may not bethe best idea. If you want a budget camera, I don't think you can do any better than a used 20D for the money. They can be had for about $200 now, and its a supurb camera. </p>

[b_christopher]

<p>There are pros and cons to both the 5D and 1DII models, and many have been mentioned in this thread - and it seems you've already made a decision, but just for future reference(if valuable, at all), I'll throw in a few observations of the two cameras. <br>

My take is, for photojournalism, the 1DII is a better choice. A camera for photojournalism should be built well and be able to handle a lot of hard use. Much of the photojournalism work puts a lot of physical strain on the equipment - it's just the nature of the job. A 1 series is built for such work; the 5 series, less so. Also, I like that the 1 series shutter button is much more sensitive than the 5 series. Sometimes, it's frustrating to use a 5D in fast action situations(sports, news coverage, wild life, children, etc.), after having used the 1D series, due to its slower shutter reaction. I sometimes feel as if the 1 series shutter has the ability to read my mind. That is, it seems to fire as soon as I see a picture in the viewfinder and think about taking the picture. Another reason why I would choose the 1D series is for the better design of mode selection. You set the shooting mode and it stays. A 5D's mode dial turns with the slightest touch. Swing it over your shoulder to quickly change the vantage point of a scene and bring it back to the eye to shoot and notice the mode has changed, forcing a missed shot.<br>

I think a 5D may suffice for college work, but for professional photojournalism work, I would certainly choose a 1 series.</p>