Upgrade...what to do?

tattywelshie

tattywelshie

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My 20D is now 4 years old, or near there, even though its working properly, it freezes up sometimes, and im thinking its time for a change, i want to stick with Canon however as i dont want to sell all of my gear.

Now, i run a dog photography business and 99% of my photography is dog/animal related, so i need a camera, that is quick, full frame, with good, accurate autofocus, good high iso performance, and can focus properly indoors in low light.

Now the obvious candidate is the 5DMk2...but having spoken to other pet togs, and done my research, i dont really see the point in upgrading to a new camera, which has exactly the same AF system as my 20D. Also, lots of folk have reported focusing problems with the 5DMk2 so im a bit nervous of upgrading.

My question is...should i wait until next year for the 5D Mk3 possibly, or just bite the bullet and get the 5D Mk2 now?
 
The 5D Mkii will do the job fine, but then so would a 30D, 40D, 50D, 7D, 5D Mki or any of the 1D's in much the same way as you current 20D does the job fine.
 
a1ex2001 said:
The 5D Mkii will do the job fine, but then so would a 30D, 40D, 50D, 7D, 5D Mki or any of the 1D's in much the same way as you current 20D does the job fine.
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Yeah, i mean, i've been upgrading my lenses as i know they are miles more important than a body, but im looking at going FF but dont know whether to hold off on the 5D2 and see what the 5D3 is like...if there actually is one at all!
 
Do you need full-frame?

The 7D ticks all of your boxes except that one.

In my family we all (my mother, father and myself) had 20Ds, and now mum has a 7D, Dad has 7D & 5D2 while I have the 5D. I am a great fan of full frame and never really liked crop-frame with the 20D (I put up with it because it was better than film. My EOS 3 was a way better camera otherwise) but the 7D is so good it has me turning my head (but I will have dad's 5D2 when he gets the 5D3).

The 5D and 5D2 focusing system is not "exactly the same" as the 20D. Although superficially it has the same 9-point diamond, the 5D has AI Servo Assist points (6 of them clustered around the centre point) which make it rather better than the 20D for action, combined with more processing power behind it. I've got decent action shots from mine. It is not spectacular and not a patch on the 7D.

I would suggest looking very carefully at the 7D. If not, then buy the 5D2 now. The 5D3 will be introduced at over £2k, and if you're running a business then the intervening time represents far more money than this. Once the 5D3 is out and the initial problems overcome (eg the black spot problem on the 5D2 and the ghost image problem on the 7D) and the price has dropped from its introductary level then that will be the time to buy a 5D3.
 
But if your 20D is focusing ok then a 5d would give you lower light capability, higher MP.

Or there's some 1D range going cheap now.
 
I-S said:
Do you need full-frame?

The 7D ticks all of your boxes except that one.

In my family we all (my mother, father and myself) had 20Ds, and now mum has a 7D, Dad has 7D & 5D2 while I have the 5D. I am a great fan of full frame and never really liked crop-frame with the 20D (I put up with it because it was better than film. My EOS 3 was a way better camera otherwise) but the 7D is so good it has me turning my head (but I will have dad's 5D2 when he gets the 5D3).

The 5D and 5D2 focusing system is not "exactly the same" as the 20D. Although superficially it has the same 9-point diamond, the 5D has AI Servo Assist points (6 of them clustered around the centre point) which make it rather better than the 20D for action, combined with more processing power behind it. I've got decent action shots from mine. It is not spectacular and not a patch on the 7D.

I would suggest looking very carefully at the 7D. If not, then buy the 5D2 now. The 5D3 will be introduced at over £2k, and if you're running a business then the intervening time represents far more money than this. Once the 5D3 is out and the initial problems overcome (eg the black spot problem on the 5D2 and the ghost image problem on the 7D) and the price has dropped from its introductary level then that will be the time to buy a 5D3.
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Yeah, i really want FF, im fed up of the cropped sensor, so the 7D is out. Price wise, your right, im in a strange situation, as my stock photo sales fund my photography gear, so the cost isnt a major issue, although £2k is pushing it!

I just dont want to waste a load of money on the 5D2, if it aint going to significantly make much difference to my photography.

Not having a 5D2, wont cost me business i shouldnt imagine, but will provide a much better end product, which hopefully will lead to more business, but yeah, do i wait, or do i just get the 5D2 now? Hmm...
 
Jut go for it now. When the 5D3 arrives, you'll be saying, well maybe I'll just wait for the 5d4 etc etc etc.

A camera you have is better than one you dont.
 
What's the odds that the next in the 5D line doesn't get state of the art focusing? Knowing how Canon like to hobble the lower models I imagine that they wont want the 5D to steel 1D sales and therefore wont fit their latest focus system.
 
I think it's unlikely. The 5D2 in particular has taken a fair bit of criticism vs the D700 which has a more capable AF system (although the 5D2 has other strengths of course). I think Canon will produce what amounts to a full-frame 7D, whether that's the 5D3 or 3D or whatever it ends up being called. Canon got away with it with the 5D and 5D2, I don't think they can again.
 
I-S said:
I think it's unlikely. The 5D2 in particular has taken a fair bit of criticism vs the D700 which has a more capable AF system (although the 5D2 has other strengths of course). I think Canon will produce what amounts to a full-frame 7D, whether that's the 5D3 or 3D or whatever it ends up being called. Canon got away with it with the 5D and 5D2, I don't think they can again.
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Yeah, thats my thoughts, surely they cant put an ancient focusing system on the 5D3 can they? I agree, im hoping the 5D3 will be more like a FF 7D, that would be cool :)
 
tattywelshie said:
Yeah, i really want FF, im fed up of the cropped sensor, so the 7D is out. Price wise, your right, im in a strange situation, as my stock photo sales fund my photography gear, so the cost isnt a major issue, although £2k is pushing it!

I just dont want to waste a load of money on the 5D2, if it aint going to significantly make much difference to my photography.

Not having a 5D2, wont cost me business i shouldnt imagine, but will provide a much better end product, which hopefully will lead to more business, but yeah, do i wait, or do i just get the 5D2 now? Hmm...
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Why are you "fed up with the cropped sensor"? I find with crop sensors being so good these days (and with the fantastic EF-S 10-22 in my bag covering the wide stuff) that the full frame / crop argument is becoming less relevant. I may have opened a can of worms with that remark but there you go!

I would have thought the crop would be ideal for the running dog shots? As per the comment above, try a 50D/60D/7D before you dismiss crop.
 
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where do you stand on 1.3x crop a 1d3 S/H is similar money to a 5d2 S/H. The image quality isn't as good and the low light IQ is awful in comparrison (both will kick a 20d into touch) but the AF is very very fast.

if it helps I have a 5d2 and sold a 1d3 to give me a 5d classic instead for my backup camera. I feel the advantages of a 1 series camera but I think I'd need a pair of 1ds4's to make the jump and even then I'd miss the 5d2
 
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