Canon 5D - anything better for £650?

paulcamcas

paulcamcas

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I'm upgrading from a Sigma SD10 (just sold on ebay) and so have no legacy lenses and a 5D at this price is just in budget. IQ and people photos (portraits & life stuff) is my priority - although fast-moving dogs and nippers are frequent subjects. So what do you say, anything better than a 5D?

If I go for it, what lens do you recommend. The 24mm - 105mm L looks about right but I can't afford it. What do you suggest up to about £500.

Many thanks for any advice offered.

(Better change my Sig, the SD10 and DP2 have just gone.)
 
The 17-40 F4 L is a stunning lens. It will be wide on the 5D though. What do you like to shoot?
 
I'd push for either a S/H 24-105 or maybe try an 85/1.8 and 28/1.8 depends on shooting style

5d classic is niiiice loving mine but lacks a little something past iso 3200 :p

**** it if you can buy a 5d classic with a 50/1.4 then go for it and add something else later
 
Canon 5D Classic is a fantastic camera :) I use 2 of them myself :D

As for a lens to accompy it for around £500 why not consider a Canon 28-70mm F2.8
Can get them used for £500-600 ish and it's pretty much a 24-70mm F2.8 just an older version and it's fantastic.

Hope that helps :)
 
Thank you Dave for the suggestion but the 17-40 F4 L won't be long enough for me. I shoot mainly with a 50mm f1.4 on a crop body at the mo so I reckon it's got to be 50-100+ on FF. I shoot people really. Portraits. No landscapes.
 
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david1701 said:
I'd push for either a S/H 24-105 or maybe try an 85/1.8 and 28/1.8 depends on shooting style

5d classic is niiiice loving mine but lacks a little something past iso 3200 :p

**** it if you can buy a 5d classic with a 50/1.4 then go for it and add something else later
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Thanks David. 24 -105 would be perfect. I'll check prices. Otherwise the 85/1.8 would be a good option.
 
J4MIE_P said:
Canon 5D Classic is a fantastic camera :) I use 2 of them myself :D

As for a lens to accompy it for around £500 why not consider a Canon 28-70mm F2.8
Can get them used for £500-600 ish and it's pretty much a 24-70mm F2.8 just an older version and it's fantastic.

Hope that helps :)
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Thanks Jamie. I'll check it out. I don't mind the wide end not being 24mm but I'd probably be using it long a lot of the time. Is it constant aperture?
 
I would buy the body and save a bit more for a 24-105 then Paul. It's a fantastic lens. Pin sharp. I use it for all my studio work on either the %D or 1D Mk III and can't fault it at all.
 
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I never got round to selling my EOS 650 film camera (bit late now :lol:) and just dug it out and found an EF 28 - 70mm f3.5 - 4.5II still on it, and an EF 100 -200mm f4.5 in the box too (bought that and used it once). I think both were very much kit/cheapies AF lenses but I guess they'd work on a 5D body until I found the right lens?
 
paulcamcas said:
Thanks Jamie. I'll check it out. I don't mind the wide end not being 24mm but I'd probably be using it long a lot of the time. Is it constant aperture?
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There's not a lot at ALL between 24 and 28mm I've never noticed it at all!!
And yes it is a constant aperture and it's also an L series lens.

Canon 28-70mm F2.8L

It's the old L series version of the 24-70
 
paulcamcas said:
Thanks David. 24 -105 would be perfect. I'll check prices. Otherwise the 85/1.8 would be a good option.
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I have a classic and an 85 here if you want a few samples or anything, just drop me an email

The 28-70 is a niiiice lens but hard to find and not repairable if broke.

my go to is a 24-70 on a 5d2 and looking to turn the 85/1.8 on a classic into a 135L
 
onefunkypenguin said:
im selling my canon 24-105mm lens on here by the way... ;)
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I'm tempted but looking at some sample images suggested so-so bokeh and I'm not that keen on f4 minimum aperture. I think starting with the 85mm F1.8 and seeing how I go while I get some more cash together may be the way to go.
 
paulcamcas said:
I never got round to selling my EOS 650 film camera (bit late now :lol:) and just dug it out and found an EF 28 - 70mm f3.5 - 4.5II still on it, and an EF 100 -200mm f4.5 in the box too (bought that and used it once). I think both were very much kit/cheapies AF lenses but I guess they'd work on a 5D body until I found the right lens?
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They will be fine. I have a 650 that I interchange lenses with from my 40d. The old kit lens from that fits just fine. As long as its EF it fits. EF-s on the other hand are only for the digital crop sensor cameras.
 
paulcamcas said:
I'm tempted but looking at some sample images suggested so-so bokeh and I'm not that keen on f4 minimum aperture. I think starting with the 85mm F1.8 and seeing how I go while I get some more cash together may be the way to go.
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I don't think you'll regret getting the 85mm 1.8, the 50mm on a crop works out around 80mm so its not far of what your used to and its a cracking piece of glass for the money.
Sadly though fast lenses especially zooms designed for FF are a bit lacking in most makers catalogues, especially around the 24-135 range though Tokina do have a rather nice 50-135 F2.8 in their pro range that might suit your needs and fits your budget (£529 @ warehouse express).
These things are built like a tank as well so should last.

http://www.tokinalens.com/products/tokina/atx535prodx-a.html
 
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If you are doing portraits only, perhaps you would like 70-200mm L f/4 (stunning lens if f/4 is enough), 100mm f.2.8 macro, 85mm f/1.8 (super sharp even wide open, but it is only 85) + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, etc. I guess 70mm max is far too limiting for portraits.

Your 2 lenses and 650 could probably raise you a little more cash towards good lenses (£150-200? maybe). No need to keep them.
 
iancandler said:
Tokina do have a rather nice 50-135 F2.8 in their pro range that might suit your needs and fits your budget (£529 @ warehouse express).
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This won't fit 5D or anything full frame. 70-200mm f/4L is the lens to get if you need a zoom.
 
daugirdas said:
85mm f/1.8 (super sharp even wide open, but it is only 85) + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, etc. I guess 70mm max is far too limiting for portraits.
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:thinking: why is 'only' 85 an issue for portraits, its tha classic portrait focal lenght, and you may guess that 70mm max is too limiting for portraits but you'd be wrong. Engage your subjects, don't stand at a distance
 
Thank you all for your very helpful input. 5d it is then!

And I've just been paid for my DP1 too so I might be able to stretch the budget a bit :-)
 
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boyfalldown said:
:thinking: why is 'only' 85 an issue for portraits, its tha classic portrait focal lenght, and you may guess that 70mm max is too limiting for portraits but you'd be wrong. Engage your subjects, don't stand at a distance
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"only 85mm" may or may not be an issue. It purely depends on the composition, desired background, etc. I like mine, but I wouldn't make it my ONLY lens.

Granted you can take good portraits, more likely full length, or waste up under 70mm, but you certainly wouldn't want to limit yourself at 70mm. 50-200mm is the most productive part. 135mm f/2L would be my sweetspot there. 24mm and 400mm can be very useful sometimes, just not as much. BTW we are talking in terms of 35mm FF.
 
daugirdas said:
50-200mm is the most productive part. 135mm f/2L would be my sweetspot there. 24mm and 400mm can be very useful sometimes, just not as much. BTW we are talking in terms of 35mm FF.
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That makes complete sense to me.
 
daugirdas said:
"only 85mm" may or may not be an issue. It purely depends on the composition, desired background, etc. I like mine, but I wouldn't make it my ONLY lens.

Granted you can take good portraits, more likely full length, or waste up under 70mm, but you certainly wouldn't want to limit yourself at 70mm. 50-200mm is the most productive part. 135mm f/2L would be my sweetspot there. 24mm and 400mm can be very useful sometimes, just not as much. BTW we are talking in terms of 35mm FF.
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I gathered we were talking in terms of FF when he said 5d thanks :thumbs:

50-200 ain the most productive part, or maybe it is if you don't like engaging your subjects
 
24-105mm is a fantastic, fantastic walk around lens. For strict portraiture then a prime (or two) is obviously the way to go.
 
I haven't taken the 24-70 off for anything portraiture related in a fair while, 70-200 is nice for more press type stuff where you are far away but I think 2 bodies just rule
 
Someone told me today that the "5D feels like a cheap camera - unlike a D700". Is this true? Feel is important to me. I don't like things that feel cheap - who does?

The 50D feels good in my hands. Is the 5D like the 50D feel-wise?
 
The 5D is a very sturdy camera and in no way is it cheap feeling! It had virtually the same body shape and size to the 50D IIRC? As mentioned at that price I would bite the persons hand off, depending how many shutter actuations it had done of course. If portraits are your thing then this camera and the 85mm 1.8 are a match made in heaven..
 
onform said:
The 5D is a very sturdy camera and in no way is it cheap feeling! It had virtually the same body shape and size to the 50D IIRC? As mentioned at that price I would bite the persons hand off, depending how many shutter actuations it had done of course. If portraits are your thing then this camera and the 85mm 1.8 are a match made in heaven..
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Thanks Matt. After much dithering I'm clear in my own noodle that the 5D is the one for me. And the 85mm f1.8 would be top of my lens list.

What should I look out for in terms of shutter count? I know the shutter is rated to hundreds of k but I would like to get a firm idea of just how many shots a camera has done before I buy it. And should I be sure of a clean sensor before I buy?
 
Aha, thanks. Makes it tricky to judge. Have to rely on condition which could be misleading.
 
Only canon can tell you the shtter count as far as i have been told,but it is a brilliant camera.
I picked up a second hand one last week,love it.:):love::thumbs:
 
I tried the 50D and a 5D mk 1 & 2.
Couldnt bring myself to get a 2nd hand 5D (classic), the Mk2 felt very much like teh 50d in the hand, both very well built, might want a battery grip to improve things a little. Eventually settled on the 5D/2, except they didnt have any new ones in stock and wouldnt discount the 'used' model, so I bought a 50D, its the wife's camera now I just wished I'd bought a 5D instead. I eventually got a 1D Mk2 (a silly buy off e-bay - impulse) and fell in love with it, might be worth looking at that also (or a later model) I doubt anyone/clients would notice any real IQ difference and at a 1.3 crop it might open up other lens options for you? (or confirm you want a 5D).
The 85 1.8 is a beauty so is the 100 macro lens which easily doubles up as a portrait lens, just to give you more options should you feel you want to go into macro later, also allows closer focusing than the 85 of course.

I'm still seriously thinking of a 5D (or a mk2) - I think its one of those cameras that always has that "must have" feel to it.

Matt
 
MatBin said:
I tried the 50D and a 5D mk 1 & 2.
Couldnt bring myself to get a 2nd hand 5D (classic)
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I'm the opposite. I can't bring myself to buy anything new. I like used but minty. Trouble is, so does everybody else and I keep being sniped at the last second on fleabay:bang:

I've had a think about a 1D (and Fuji S5 Pro and D300 and just about every other camera ever made) but decided not to confuse myself with any more options. It's a 5D or nothing!
 
i think the 5d and mark 2 feel almost identical in the hand? certainly didnt feel like the 5d mk 2 was that better built than the mk 1 but maybe thats just me!
 
Phew. Big relief all round, I've bought a 5D. Cost a little more than £650 but it's one-owner, 6k actuations and nice nick.

Thank you all for your excellent and very helpful advice. :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
 
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