Is the 5DII really no good for action?

tarmac_chaser

tarmac_chaser

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Carl
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Always wanted a 5DII but have had crop cameras because used to primarily shoot sports and wildlife.

I'm mainly a landscape guy now and have having owned a 7D before I think I'm ready for a move to full frame.

I still shoot the odd sporting event every now and then but is the 5DII really not good enough for anything moving? Whilst I liked the 7D the image quality was the only thing I found lacking
 
Ive done high speed roller derby with a 5Dc and the sucess rate was close to 80% after learning how to get the best out of it. I would honestly say it is easily more than good enough in the right hands, just not as instant as a 1D for example.
 
Using the centre focus point I find it pretty usable, not as good as the 7D but then the IQ is better so it's a bit of a swings and roundabouts situation really. The shot below was taken with the 300 f2.8 and the 2x Mk III attached and 4 out of 8 shots were bang in focus.

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Having said that, my general rule is; if it moves 7D, if not then 5DII.
 
I would add and say that for most sporting events, it should be ok.
I have used mine on airshow, dog actions, puffins landing, people running, birds of prey inflight etc etc. Some with higher success rate, some lower.
 
For straight line sports/motion it's generally OK. Where it falls down is coping with constant interrupted tracking and change of focal points; ie conditions which are usually found in field sports like footie, rugby (both types) and hockey.
 
DemiLion said:
For straight line sports/motion it's generally OK. Where it falls down is coping with constant interrupted tracking and change of focal points; ie conditions which are usually found in field sports like footie, rugby (both types) and hockey.
Click to expand...

Id agree with this, it struggles when the subject is moving quickly towards or away from you. It can be very frustrating when doing portraits of kids.
 
I've shot plenty of sport, both motorsport and field sports with an old d30 (no, not a 30D), a 10D, 400D and even a 300d and never had a problem.
A 5DII is easily better than all of those and I would have no problems using a 5DII for any sort of sport.
If you expect it to perform like a 1 Series, it won't but it is a more than capable body for near on any subject.
 
As per Neil above, I shoot centre spot on mine and it copes with some situations quite well but it will never have a 7D or 1D quaking in their boots when it comes to serious AF tracking.
 
I used to use mine for Low Fly stuff on occasion... In fairness though, it works better if the sporting/fast action is taking place outside in daylight! :D

Now the 5DMKIII is something else again... The only thing lacking with that camera is reach and even that can be taken care of if your wallet is deep enough (and unfortunately, mine isn't). ;)
 
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