Does it make sense to buy 5D Mark one?

[gunjankv]

<p>For purely landscapes and street photography purpose.. no video..<br>

Does it make sense to buy 5D Mark one? Cost is manageable to budget.. but not able to think what else I might be overlooking here..</p>

 

[pjmeade]

<p>Providing you're getting one of known provenance and in good order, I can't see any reason why not. There may be newer versions around, with more features and more Mp, but the fact of the matter is still a very high performing unit.<br>

You may want to check whether the mirror has been replaced or not and I would definately want to shoot lots of frames and look at them. So if a 5D is what you want, why not.<br>

If what you want is a cqapable camera, it may be worth doing some comparisons between the newer 1.6-crop cameras and the 5D on a site like <a href="http://www.dpreview.com">www.dpreview.com</a> to see whether you can get something else for the money.<br>

Just my 2p.</p>

[robin_sibson1]

<p>The original 5D is an excellent camera (I had one) and unless you want to make really huge prints it will do a fine job for landscape work, although Live View can be very useful for such work. For street photography it may not be quite ideal since by 7D standards its AF is not as good and it has less high ISO capability than current cameras – how much these things matter depends on what tpe of shots you are taking.</p>

<p>A consideration to bear in mind is software compatibility. You can use a card reader to transfer image files from CF card to hard disk, and once you have done so you will have no problem handling them (you will be shooting RAW, won't you?). Canon's DPP software, current version, (which is now also the RAW processor for ZoomBrowser) supports 5D RAW files. This is also tru of third-party software provided it is at least as recent as the 5D. The limitation is EOS Utility, which you might need for tethered shooting and for re-setting the user name in the camera. The last version to support the 5D is, I believe, 2.4, and this does not run on the latest versions of Windows – you need XP with SP2 or later. Or something like that.</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>If you can get a good refurbished, or lightly used model(like mine) at a good price then why not. It's still a great camera that out performs many of the newer entry level and several semi-pro models. I purchased mine a few months before the Mk II came out with a $250 rebate, well below full-price. I use it mostly for land scapes, weddings and portraits, or when I want to get the most out of my lenses. I also have a Canon 7D but I hardly use the Live View, or the video ! What I like about the 7D is better focusing & responsiveness, weather sealing, self cleaning, FPS and more accurate picture play-back. </p>

[yakim_peled1]

<p>It all depends what you want. For me, a camera without LV or anti-dust system is not worth buying. I'd rather get a 40D + UWA than a 5D. That said, from IQ perspective alone, the 5D is a fine performer.</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I bought a used one, and it has become the mainstay of my shooting, although I still use my APS-C cameras as well.<br>

The only draw back compared to the newer models is that the sensor is a little different than the newer models, lacks the self-cleaning feature, and is truly a little harder to keep clean if you swap lenses a lot.</p>

[alwin_lai]

<p>5Dc takes great pix when it came out. It still does today. In fact some would go as far to say that the images are more pleasing than the 5d2 which can be over-saturated and plasticky. I find the 5dc image files take abuse much better than cropped cameras.<br>

The large VF is awesome. No cropped cams come close to it. For portrait and landscape, few can better the 5dc in terms of IQ... maybe the 1dsII. It is a no nonsense photographic tool behest of all the doohicky features that sometimes crowd into the fundamental art of photo taking.</p>

[alireza_r]

<p>I got mine used, but in a very good shape. I'm extremely happy with it. Extremely sharp, very good ISO performance, well-built, and obviously you get the magic of FF! The only issue I have with it is that it back-focuses a bit, and there is noway to compensate for it, like more modern cameras. I would check the focus accuracy with a fast lens before buying it.</p>

[peter_langfelder]

<p>The 5D is a great camera (I have had one for some 4 years now). It does have a few shortcomings compared to newer models:</p>

<ol>

<li>If you live in a dusty environment or will be doing long exposures (around or longer than 1/2 second) and don't want to go through a lot of sensor cleaning, get a camera with a self-cleaning sensor. </li>

<li>If you need good AF with large apertures and/or in low light, particularly for off-center subjects, I'd suggest to look elsewhere. My wife's 5D Mark II is much better in this regard.</li>

<li>The rear LCD is not great. But, if you shoot raw, it (and the firmware) is good enough in the sense that it will give you a blinking warning of blown highlights. Again, the implementation on the 5D Mark II (and presumably on newer APS-C cameras) is better.</li>

<li>Resolution is only an issue if you use top-of-the-line lenses and a good tripod... and even then only at huge print sizes.</li>

</ol>

<p>HTH,<br>

Peter</p>

[lmwalker]

<p>If it fits your budget, I doubt you can get better IQ for the money than a used 5Dc. I have both the 5Dc and the 5D2, and as long as you are not planning to print extremely large and don't need to shoot over 1600 ISO, there is little difference that I can tell between the 2 cameras image quality. Over 1600 ISO, the 5D2 is clearly superior, and of course 21MPS will give much better quality at large print sizes. I think the 5Dc shutter is rated to 100K uses but it is not an extremely expensive replacement, and there is a mirror falling off issue that is covered by Canon, which I am pretty sure is extended to non-original owners and has no expiration. I have not had any problem with the mirror on mine and I have never had it replaced. The 5D2 also has slightly better AF and a bigger image buffer for faster shooting, but the 5Dc is not deficient in either area. I think the biggest issue affecting the 5Dc compared to the 5D2 is the lack of sensor cleaning. The 5Dc is a dust magnet which requires regular sensor cleanings, and the 5D2 does not. The 5Dc's LCD is, as noted above, not great, but I never really noticed it was lacking until I bought the 5D2.</p>

[peter_j2]

<p>Yes. I still have one. I used to have three.</p>

[John Crowe]

<p>Yes, although I just chose the 1Ds, for it's superior build quality, but it does weigh a ton.</p>

[Marcus Ian]

<p>It's absolutely worth it, considering you can find one in reasonable condition for ~$1000. I don't think there are any provisions that somebody hasn't already mentioned... Just try to get one from a hobbyist, not a pro -- Since there's no reliable way to tell how many exposures the cameras been used for (aside from sending it to Canon - I think). I would just take care to do a good inspection prior to purchase. </p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>If you want to limit cost you can still make good photographs with a 5D. However, the 5D2 is better in objectively useful ways that you might want to consider:</p>

<ul>

<li>Live view is a very useful feature for landscape photographers.</li>

<li>If you print large and work carefully, you can push the upper print size boundaries a bit more with a 5D2.</li>

<li>5D2 give you more usable ISO options.</li>

<li>The 5D2 dust reduction system is quite effective.</li>

<li>etc...</li>

</ul>

<p>Dan</p>

[ty_mickan]

<p>I would not choose the 5D for either street or landscape, but if you insist on using only one camera, the 5D might be a fair compromise.</p>

[digitmstr]

<p>The 5D is as good a camera today as the day it came out. If you don't need video go for it, you will not regret it!</p>

<p>Te fact that is full frame, its pixels' size, low light performance and handling make it a great camera, even if it's been around for a while.</p>

[lmwalker]

<p>I have to respectfully disagree with Ty, I think the original 5D was and is still an excellent camera for landscape, and especially in the price range of a used 5D Classic. There most likely are better values for street, wildlife and sports. Any APS-C body from the 40D and later, might be more capable in certain situations. But not for landscape.</p>

[belinda_johnson1]

<blockquote>

<p>The last version to support the 5D is, I believe, 2.4, and this does not run on the latest versions of Windows – you need XP with SP2 or later. Or something like that.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Robin you can run it under compatability mode (Right click/properties) and it works fine - I installed it on a friend machine.</p>

<p>Hugs<br>

Belinda</p>