andre_stull

It's all about full frame lenses, because they will last a good ten years or more and retain their value better than any crop lens. And the current 5D uses them the way they are supposed to be used. The 5D is a timeless classic. Unless you truly need live-view, dust shaker or 5 fps get the current model. I think Nikon upped the ante on high ISO performance with the D3, so Canon needs to come out with another knockout for less money. In the meantime, they will continue to drop the price of the current 5D, and tweak the update to match the D3 and sell it for 2000 less. It will be another winner for sure.

 

The 5D is the smallest and lightest full frame dslr in the world today, let alone three years ago. It's timeless...kudos to Canon...

The 5D is a thinking photographers' type of camera. So many people want auto everything. Society in general is like this I suppose. Everyone is afraid to think or doesn't have the time anymore. The 5D makes me feel like a photographer trying to understand the environment I'm in. I have to analyze the lighting and figure out a good shutter speed or dof. And with the viewfinder being nice and big, I feel connected to the subject. It makes me appreciate photography. The Leica M8 has the same type of appeal. I understand those Leica shooters so much better now. Auto everything has a tendency to capture 'great images of fuzzy ideas' because thinking is not apart of the equation any longer.

William is right... 1.4 speed does cost. The 28 1.8 has better manual focus than the 35 2.0 and is 1/3 stop faster. If money is tight go with the 28 1.8. Outside of Canon, the Sigma 30 1.4 is a great option.

 

These lenses only give you a normal perspective, however. The 24L is truly the one one you want with speed to go wide if you can afford it.

Have to agree with Ian. f/4 is slow for a general purpose lens. I chose the 50 1.4 over the 24-105L when I bought my 5D because of the 'brighter viewfinder experience.' Decided to use my feet for zoom.

 

With full frame and 1.4 speed, gathering light is no problem! AF performs better too. I'm addicted to speed now after using the 50 1.4 for the past year.

100 f/2

It's about lenses. The 40D only has one wide lens the 10-22. And it costs the same as a faster, full framed, weather sealed, hood and case included, and mechanically superior, 17-40L.

 

Canon has over 60 full frame lenses and maybe 7 crop lenses. The 5D uses the 60 plus lenses the way they were designed to be used.

 

What's the question again?

Rent the 2.8, 4, and the 70-300 DO. I too have the 5D and that's what I did. I chose the 70-300 DO. It's black color, extra 100mm reach, small size and weight, ultra quick focus, and great IQ won me over. It's always with me and easy to carry/shoot with. The L's were heavy, big and drew to much attention. Plus, they didn't fit in my small camera bag.

 

The DO images need a tad more sharpening to look just like the L's.

 

Have fun testing..

Hi Ben,

 

The DO lacks the weather sealing of the L's. However, it's build quality is very nice (superior to non-DO). And it's zoom ring is somewhat stiff when new but smoothes out in a month or so. It comes with hood and case. Recommend hood all the time. Pass on UV filters and just go with circular polarizers. Will not work with Canon TC extenders but will work with Kenko 1.4 TC. So, on your 40D that's a range up to 670mm if needed in an easy hand-holdable lens. I use DxO Optics Pro to correct all images and it does a great job with the DO.

 

Because of it's excellent IS, lighting quick focusing, full time manual abilities, low weight and 'L' IQ, it has simply been worth every penny I paid for it.

Great lens. Same size as 100 prime. Images need a tad more sharpening in post or increase a notch for in-camera jpg.

 

Some say buy the cheaper non-DO, but I say pass on that one. More difficult to use a circular polarizer or any filter and focusing is slower. Just slows me down, so I passed on it.

 

The L's are great but I like the extra 100mm without buying the 1.4 extender. Plus they draw to much attention. No one pays attention to me at all with the DO and I can zoom in to 300mm for street photography with the greatest of ease.

 

Resale value will be great, plus if Canon ever stops making DO glass it will double in price. Win-Win situation. I have found the DO to be priceless because it is always with me ready to go with L quality with very little weight and size for it's focal range.

Canon makes around 70 lenses currently. They make over 60 full frame lenses from 14mm-1200mm. They make less than 10 crop lenses. The 5D takes full advantage of the 60 plus full frame lenses the way they were designed to be used. The 5D is a timeless classic that is currently a steal. Sure, it lacks live view, and other features, but it will take 100,000 full frame pics.. enough said..

The 17-55 IS is the only reason I even considered the 30D before I bought my 5D. As a street photographer like you, it is very appealing. However, I bought the 50 1.4 prime instead of the 24-105L or 24-70L for the 5D. Zooms simply cannot match the speed, viewfinder brightness, physical small size or sharpness. It has simply been a fantastic lens. Try it and use your feet for zoom. Or try/rent the 50 1.2 for it's ring USM, build quality and of course even faster 1.2 speed. I'm addicted to speed to the point even a 2.8 zoom is to slow for everyday use now. Beware, you might just enjoy a normal prime. Oh, give DxO Optics Pro a try (demo at dxo.com). It's amazing for your images.

Looks like a great list. Only buy full frame lenses because they will keep their value and will work great on full frame body if you upgrade. With that in mind, the 15 fisheye is really a cool lens (especially with full frame). Also, buy the program DxO Optics Pro(dxo.com).

I've tried the 1.2, 1.4, and 1.8. I bought the the 1.4 because in the long run it's a great value lens. The 1.8 is really for those who just need a low light lens in the bag just in case. They probably use zoom lenses the most but see the benefit of having the 'niffty fifty' in the bag.

 

I use this focal length 90% of the time so the benefits of the 1.4 are perfect. Plus, I use the enhanced focus screen to pop in manual focus perfectly in low light and see DOF.

 

The 1.2 is awesome. Physically, mechancially and under f2, it's the best. I sometimes wish I did buy it because it's that good. However, the 1.4 is truly excellent for the price and is why I bought it instead.

The current 5D is the answer. The price is excellent and with it being full frame it uses lens the way they were designed. The viewfinder is excellent and IQ is better than any crop camera at any iso. All you have to do is crop your image to match a crop body's image. However, Canon crop bodies only have one slow lens to go wide. Why limit yourself to that when you can be limitless with the 5D? It's all about quality glass and the 5D can take advantage of them correctly.

You are always better off investing in quality lenses because they will hold their value for years to come. So, I would purchase full frame glass only! One example, why.. 10-22 crop costs the same as 17-40L full frame. The 'L' is faster, weather sealed, mechanically superior and comes with a hood and case and will work on ANY canon d-slr body!

 

As for the body..full frame lenses deserve full frame sensors. No more guess work about focal range, what you see is what you get. Lenses are designed to have certain bokeh quality that only a full frame sensor can bring out truely. You can use the lenses the way they were meant to be used. That's why the 5D is a better camera than any crop body. Your subject just stands out and bokeh is smooth as heck. Yes, the 40D is awesome and has great speed (fps). However, over 95% of Canon lenses are full frame and the 5D takes proper advantage of them all. The 5D viewfinder blows the 40D away. You can always crop a 5D image to a 40D perspective. But how can you go wider and faster than the 10-22 lens on the 40D? You simple have more options with the 5D.

 

As for lenses.. 15 fisheye, 50 1.4, 100 2.8 macro, 70-300 DO and DxO Optics Pro software. Dxo will de-fish the fisheye to 12mm then around 8mm fully. That's amazing. It will fix everything automatically. It's crazy good. Just try out demo at dxo.com. The 'DO' lens is the same size as a 100mm prime so it will always be ready for action which makes it pricesless in my book!

 

I prefer primes but just rent what you think you need and have fun shooting.. Good Luck...

Not sure what or how you like to shoot but I recommend these three lenses and one software package.

 

15 fisheye, 50 1.4, 70-300 DO and DxO Optics Pro software.

 

DxO will fix vignette, distortions, colors, etc. automatically. But get this, it will de-fish the fisheye to 12mm normally and 8mm fully. That's awesome with the 5D and 1Ds cameras. Try the demo at dxo.com with your current 50 1.4 and use the vivid and sharp preset and watch your images came to life..

 

These three lenses will fit easily in any camera bag and will be with you all the time. The 70-300 DO is the same size as a 100mm prime and here again DxO brings it to life.

 

Rent lenses if you are trying to decide on what to buy. Have fun shooting..

Oh, do not put them on to tightly! It took me forever to take one off to use on a different lens.

First, I would buy in this order: Lens Hood (es-71ii), Hoya Super Hmc (for indoor shots) and Rodenstock Circular Polarizer (for outdoor shots) in size 58. Never put cheap filters on your lenses.

I would buy the 17-40L and 50 1.4 to go along with your 70-300 full frame lenses. As for a body..current 5D to take advantage of the full frame lenses. Canon will phase out crop bodies and lenses so why invest in them?

Joe - You are better off in the long run with the current 5D. Great price and great lens to start with. Canon will be phasing out crop bodies in the future so why invest in them. Also, you want to purchase full frame lenses and use them the way they were designed. Crop lenses will not retain their value as well. For example..10-22 crop lens cost the same as 17-40L that has hood, pouch, weather seals, faster speed and mechanical superiority. There are other examples but you get the drift..

The 40D is a great crop body, but it's viewfinder is a peep hole compared to the 5D. What's the first thing a person does when they pick up a camera? Put it to their eye.. The ability to see your subject just happens to be a big deal to me and reason enough but..

Hmm, IQ being the same..well I disagree here too. You see, Bokeh quality is just plain smoother and buttery on the 5D as compared to the 40D (and any crop for that matter). The subject just stands out better, period. The 40D also has a very strong AA filter (soft images) and gathers less light than the 5D too in low light shooting (smaller pixel pitch).

Lastly, the 5D replacement..big deal, it will cost you 3g's body only. The added features just don't seem worth it to me over the current awesome price of the 5D and kit.

Rent the cameras and lenses you are interested in and decide.

The Nikon D3 is a great camera for the industry. Shooting at iso 25600 with quality is awesome. Even though I love my 5D and use fast lenses in dim light, I do see the benefits of faster shutter speeds etc with an higher iso. However, six years is a long time to come to market with the D3. A lot of people went with Canon during this time and we know they will match the D3's abilities. Why switch if you have Canon lenses? Plus, the 1D3 competes with the D3 with extra reach. As for megapixels, the more the better for cropping. Great for comsumers...

Keep 10D and 24-70L..Buy current 5D, 50 1.4 or 85 1.8 and DxO Optics Pro (dxo.com). Shoot Raw and Jpeg at the same time with 5D. DxO will correct the corner distortions automatically with 24-70L and your images will look fantastic. Rent the 5D or 40D first, then download DxO demo and take it from there. Have fun. :)

I rented a Nikon D200, Leica M8 and Canon 5D before I bought the 5D. All three bodies were excellent. However, I found Canon to have a broader range of high quality lenses. In addition to the full frame coverage and price of the 5D it was really an easy decision. Now the price of the 5D is 2g's. What's there to think about other than lens choices from the broadest range of full frame lenses?

 

That being said, why buy crop lenses that cost the same as full frame Canon L's. Example..10-22 crop costs the same as full frame 17-40L that comes with hood, pouch, weather seal, and mechanical superiority. Or, 17-55 2.8 crop vs 24-70 2.8 or 24-105L that comes with better build, hoods, pouches, etc..Which ones do you think will retain their value if you need to sell? Canon and Nikon will push full frame bodies so buy full frame lenses. So, I would pass on the 40D if you do not need 6.5 fps...

 

The 5D replacement will cost 3g's (body only) and probably have dust sensor, 16mp, live view, and 3 inch screen. However, I would purchase the current one because it has a higher pixel pitch and you can get it with the 24-105L and Pro 9000 printer for less than 3g's. It's image quality should remain sharper (with lower noise) too because of the larger pixel pitch. Curious, where does the dust go with cameras that use the dust sensor shake? Is it trapped in the body? I use the fire fly sensor cleaner that actually removes the dust.

 

Rent the bodies you are interested in with the lenses you need and then decide. Have fun. :)

Mark, I only shoot RAW so post processing is a given. Most people I know post process as well (digitally). However, if one has a jpeg workflow, simply increase sharpness a notch in camera and your images are L quality. I have found all digital images to be soft due to AA filters over their sensors (the Leica M8 being the exception). So I always sharpen no matter which lens I use. The DO images simply need a tad more to look just like L's. But that's what makes it controversial to those who think it is a lack of resolution, when it is simply acutance.

 

The DO is a pleasure to use and carry all day. It's -few features- over the non DO pay big value in the field. Ring USM with non rotating front element means I can use a circular polarizer with no problem and fine tune the super quick autofocus a notch manually if need be instantly. How do you do this easily and without effort on the non-DO?

 

Monetary Value means compromise. The non-DO has too many for my tastes that slow me down for street photography or landscapes. I have found DxO Optics Pro to bring out the best in my RAW images. It really makes the DO lens shine.

 

How much value do you place on a lens that is always with you, produces L quality and does not slow you down?

If you can afford the DO get it. It is an amazing design. Controversial because of price and softness compared to the 70-200L's. However, it's weaknesses can easily be overcome in post processing that makes it an invaluable lens.

 

It is the same size as a 100mm prime and uses cheaper 58mm filters. It has a ring USM for lighting quick and accurate focusing and 3 stop IS. It's black which draws no attention whatsoever. Build quality is excellent but not weather sealed. Zoom is somewhat firmer than the L but loosens with time.

 

Yes, the 70-200L's are nice, but they are larger, heavier, white and draw to much attention. You also need the 1.4 teleconverter to get to 280mm. Well, this just added another half pound to your camera. For the same price as the teleconverter, you can purchase DxO Optics Pro (dxo.com) that will make your DO images amazing (especially if you use the vivid and sharp preset).

 

The non-DO 70-300 has a micro USM which is slow and lacks full time manual focus. It has a rotating front element which makes using a circular polarizer to difficult. It's not as well built either.

 

The 70-300 DO is a priceless lens because it will always be with you ready to go with the greatest of ease. Just shoot RAW and sharpen your images and they will be L quality.