• 04-10-2006, 12:20 PM
    Bevb
    Views on the Canon 5D please.
    Im using the Canon 20D but have been looking at the 5D to upgrade, iv heard mixed opinions as to there is not alot of difference other than Pixels and screen size etc etc! (going on reviews theres alot of etc etc's)Also im myphed as to why these cameras dont have fixed flash, why? Im yet to actually get my hands on one and get the feel of it, but any feed back if anyone has got one, or has had a go with one would be most helpful.:rolleyes:
  • 04-10-2006, 03:10 PM
    SmartWombat
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    I think the 5D is a halfway house to the professional 1DSmkII crossed with the 1DmkIIN screen. For me that price is well on the way to a 1DS, particularly with the Canon outlet on ebay auctioning off 1yr warrantied refurbished bodies.

    So why get the 5D instead of a 1DS then?
    Price, weight, size. All in favour of the 5D.

    http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re...5d-field.shtml

    1DSmkII is water/dust resistant sealed, has larger long life battery, has vertical controls for portrait, it's heavier and bigger, you might not see the 16MP difference over 12.
    5D is unsealed, has smaller battery, needs a BG-E4 accesory to get vertical controls, it's lighter and smaller. you might not spot the 12MP vs 16. But has a bigger screen and picture modes.



    One problem with early bodies?
    http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/eos5d...irmware-e.html

    This firmware update incorporates the following improvements:
    1. Fixes the phenomenon where the images are monochrome.
    2. Fixes the phenomenon where the shutter cannot be released when using the EOS 5D + EF85mm F1.2L + Speedlite580EX. (*)

    *: For EOS 5D units that contain 1 in the fifth digit of the body number (e.g., XXXX1XXXXX), the correction will not be reflected even if the firmware is updated to Version 1.0.5.
    If you have an affected product that you would like to have fixed, please contact the nearest Canon Service Center.
  • 04-11-2006, 03:29 AM
    Bevb
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    Thanks Paul for taking the time to give your views and advice on the 5D, the links are a great help. Hmm, loads to consider, and things alot more clearer now. I would love the 1DS but funds would be stretched considerably but what i have read and learnt now about both these cameras, overall i think its worth waiting for the1DS, i have only had the 20D since Christmas 2005, but like everything we all want more and yesterday! Could you adviseme as to whether i should put the 20D in for a service, everything is, and has been running ok but is it wise to have a service anyway? i use the camera probably everyday but not hard shooting.regards Bev.
  • 04-11-2006, 08:47 AM
    Loupey
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    Bev, the only reason I am considering the 5D is due to the sensor size. I am currently shooting home interiors for designers and find that my 17mm is not wide enough on the APC size sensors.

    Based on the beautiful shots you have been posting, I think your 20D is better suited for you. Otherwise, with the 5D you will probably be cropping more to get the same effect as with the 20D. Unless you buy a longer lens or shoot more wide angle than you appear to be.

    Plus, the 20D's 5 fps is better for birding than 5D's 3 fps.
  • 04-11-2006, 12:27 PM
    Bevb
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    Thanks Loupey both for your good advice and your nice comments about my pictures. You have pointed out something very important regarding my photography and that is the fps, so it looks like my 20D will be here for a while yet! regards.:D
  • 04-11-2006, 02:22 PM
    SmartWombat
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    I agree, with your love of wildlife shots, going to a full frame sensor will mean a whole lot of expense buying longer lenses. Or a 1.4x extender and lose a little quality.

    Even the 1DSmkII is only a little different from the 20D in terms of burst speed.

    The 1DmkIIN is really fast but still spends most of the time not taking a picture :)
    I think 8fps at 1/100 second still leaves 7.92 seconds uncaptured !
  • 04-11-2006, 06:35 PM
    Loupey
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    I'm glad you two are convinced. I'm not.

    I've come close to buying the 5D twice now but haven't. At my local pro store, I compared the 5D with the 20D, then the 5D with the 30D. Both times, I found the 20D and 30D bodies to have more than enough features for me except for the bigger sensor.

    But I have a hard time justifying spending $1,900 to $2,200 more for just the difference in sensor size. The 30D's construction, features, LCD screen, and noise characteristics are very similar to those of the 5D. In my opinion, I can see spending $500 or even $1,000 more for the bigger sensor but $1,900!

    Both times, my patient saleman unseals the 5D box before my eyes (one of my requirements :p ) thinking, "this time he's going to buy it". Canon has done a great job at determining the price points. Makes one really think about the choices available.
  • 04-12-2006, 12:54 AM
    Bevb
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    Thanks Paul and Loupey you have certainly made me look at my 20D in a different light, if i had the time to go away for trips to take more exciting and exotic pictures of different species then i would probably definately look at the 1DmkllN, its taken a while for me to get my 70-200L f2.8 IS USM lense and i alread have the 1.4 & 2X converters and use them very little due to the slight lack of quality as you stated Paul, so forking out for more lenses etc at the moment is a no no! but i have learned alot through this, thanks guys.
  • 04-13-2006, 09:12 AM
    Stephen Lutz
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    If money were not a consideration, I would choose the 5D because all my lenses would have the same FOV as when I last shot film with my EOS 3. I miss that.

    However, in terms of image quality, at reasonable print sizes, it is unlikely you would see much difference. If most of your pictures end up in web format, then the 20D/30D is the better choice.
  • 04-13-2006, 10:30 AM
    Anbesol
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    you arent sacrificing your telephoto lengths with the 5d though - per sensor size - you could crop a 5d shot to 8 megapixels and its hte same as a 20D. so i dont agree with "you'll spend more money on telephoto lens" - i suppose that may be true if you really dont like cropping.
  • 04-13-2006, 06:35 PM
    Ronnoco
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Loupey
    But I have a hard time justifying spending $1,900 to $2,200 more for just the difference in sensor size. the choices available.

    Look at test results from Popular Photography or Image Resource and you will find that there is no resolution improvement by going for a larger sensor. As a matter of fact the Nikon 200D with 10 megapixels and a smaller sensor turned in slightly better resolution than the Canon 5D with a full size sensor and 12.8 megapixels.

    The only advantage to a full size sensor is if you do a lot of very wide angle shooting and you already have some super wide lenses. Super wide angle lenses become less wide when used with a smaller sensor. For example a 17mm might become 35mm or more when used on a DSLR with a smaller sensor. On the plus side your telephoto lenses become longer by the factor associated with the size of the sensor.

    Ronnoco
  • 04-13-2006, 07:06 PM
    darksoto
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    It is a tough one no doubt about that, i belive the only REAL difference between the 20D and 5D is the sensor size, but heck, who doesn't to upgrade right! For the money, the 20D is the better choice simply beacuse of the features it has, but who really needs a 12MP camera. But if you're like me, average is not good enough, you have to have the best of the best, and the 5D is that, but i don't have the "Benjamins" to afford the best right now. The 20D is the best choice for money and quality.
  • 04-14-2006, 08:28 AM
    Loupey
    Re: Views on the Canon 5D please.
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ronnoco
    The only advantage to a full size sensor is if you do a lot of very wide angle shooting and you already have some super wide lenses. Super wide angle lenses become less wide when used with a smaller sensor. For example a 17mm might become 35mm or more when used on a DSLR with a smaller sensor. On the plus side your telephoto lenses become longer by the factor associated with the size of the sensor.

    Ronnoco

    I plan to use the 5D ONLY (ok, "mostly") for my wide angle work.

    I was going to give my older brother my 10D but the 1.6x factor is great when I'm using my telephotos. Sorry, brother! Of course I could just crop the images that the 5D produces but where I shoot with teles the environment tends to be harsher. So I'd rather smack the 10D on a tree or drown it rather than the 5D :p

    That's my plan. Keep the wides on the 5D, teles on the 10D. With the 10D as a general backup for the 5D.