Full Frame SLR Advice

[smallcoffee]

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everybody!

So I used to shoot with a Canon Rebel XTI a few years ago before I sold it for reasons unrelated to photography or my enjoyment of it.

I now have a job and income and I'm looking to buy a full-frame SLR and pick my hobby back up again. I've been doing a little bit of research online and I've been looking at a used/refurb Canon 5D.

I was wondering if you guys had any advice purchasing-wise. What to look for, etc.... I have a few sellers on Craigslist in my local area. Should I look at a Mark II? Or try to get a Mark III? Budget is a concern, and I'd prefer to spend less. I don't care about video capabilities at all. I just need extensive control, great viewfinder, capability with Canon lenses, and the absolute best picture quality.

Thanks!

-edit-

What do you guys think of this? I know looking at eBay it's half the price....

 

[Fishrrman]

Are you locked into Canon?

If not, take a look at the SONY a7rII ...

 

[smallcoffee]

Are you locked into Canon?

If not, take a look at the SONY a7rII ...

Yes I'm locked into Canon. Don't want to start over lens-wise and family members have Canon cameras as well. Thank you for the suggestion though.

 

[dwig]

Keep in mind that there are two semi-compatible Canon EOS mounts. Lenses specifically made for their APS-c cameras will not mount on their FF digital bodies. On the other hand, lenses designed for FF bodies will fit all of their digital SLRs and the EOS film bodies.

 

[georgeinnj]

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everybody!

So I used to shoot with a Canon Rebel XTI a few years ago before I sold it for reasons unrelated to photography or my enjoyment of it.

I now have a job and income and I'm looking to buy a full-frame SLR and pick my hobby back up again. I've been doing a little bit of research online and I've been looking at a used/refurb Canon 5D.

I was wondering if you guys had any advice purchasing-wise. What to look for, etc.... I have a few sellers on Craigslist in my local area. Should I look at a Mark II? Or try to get a Mark III? Budget is a concern, and I'd prefer to spend less. I don't care about video capabilities at all. I just need extensive control, great viewfinder, capability with Canon lenses, and the absolute best picture quality.

Thanks!

-edit-

What do you guys think of this? I know looking at eBay it's half the price....

The 5D is a nice full frame camera to start out, that's the one I started with, especially at the prices they can be bought at now. But they do have limitations in regard to the resolution and focus system. If you get into macro or nature photography you're not going to get the same results as with a higher resolution camera like the 5D II, III or 6D. Also, the af system is going to impact you in low light and fast action shots. The 5D II is going to be a step up in resolution but the af system is basically the same as on the 5D and it's going to be in $1000 range. The 5D III is going to be a big step up in the af system and iso over the 5D II but used prices for it are about double that of the 5D II, close to the $2000 range. My self I picked up a refurbished 6D from canon for $1100 earlier this year. The resolution is up there and while the af system only uses 9 points it's much better than the 5D or 5D II in low light and the noise control is much better at higher iso. My advice would be to go for a used 6D as a starter if you're definitely interested in full frame.

One thing I have to ask are what canon lenses do you currently have, are they ef-s or ef type? If they are ef-s then you won't be able to use them on the full frame cameras and should consider other cameras such as canon aps or sony as suggested before.

 

[smallcoffee]

The 5D is a nice full frame camera to start out, that's the one I started with, especially at the prices they can be bought at now. But they do have limitations in regard to the resolution and focus system. If you get into macro or nature photography you're not going to get the same results as with a higher resolution camera like the 5D II, III or 6D. Also, the af system is going to impact you in low light and fast action shots. The 5D II is going to be a step up in resolution but the af system is basically the same as on the 5D and it's going to be in $1000 range. The 5D III is going to be a big step up in the af system and iso over the 5D II but used prices for it are about double that of the 5D II, close to the $2000 range. My self I picked up a refurbished 6D from canon for $1100 earlier this year. The resolution is up there and while the af system only uses 9 points it's much better than the 5D or 5D II in low light and the noise control is much better at higher iso. My advice would be to go for a used 6D as a starter if you're definitely interested in full frame.

One thing I have to ask are what canon lenses do you currently have, are they ef-s or ef type? If they are ef-s then you won't be able to use them on the full frame cameras and should consider other cameras such as canon aps or sony as suggested before.

They're ef and ef-s lenses (family has a variety of cameras).

I like your suggestion of the 6D. I'm interested in nature photography. Ansel Adams is my favorite. I'll check out the 6D.

 

[MCAsan]

Shot Canon for years. Sold it all off to go mirrorless micro four thirds. If I were to go back to 35mm, the only line of bodies I would consider is Sony. I would get the A7RII as the body to use for still life subjects (landscapes, architecture...etc.) and the a6000 for fast moving subjects such as wildlife/birds or sports.

 

[TheDrift-]

Rumour has it, it's likely we will see a canon 5d mk4 early next year...so you should see some price drops further down the line as a knock on effect.

I have a 5d2 (will be going for the 5d4) when it releases, the 5d2 is a fine camera. Other than its AF it's very capable so if you are not into sports/action shots that's where I would aim for..if you do need the AF then perhaps consider dropping FF and going for a crop sensor with better AF.

 

[b0fh666]

if you, like me, can live with the crappy 9-point AF system and SD card, get the 6D. those are the only weak points. I am one of those types that only use center AF so no problems there. The SD is not that bad, it's slow as hell so forget bursting (6D is slowish anyway) but at least you can take it off the camera and plug into the macbook no need for cables. That reminds me I need to find my USB cable to load a lens profile for the old 24-70 been procrastinating this for almost a year now

 

[iTiki]

Another vote for the Sony a7r11 with a lens adaptor

 

[The Bad Guy]

Budget's a concern and some of you suggest the new Sony stuff? Hahaha...there's three types of fanboys on this site now.

 

[coldsweat]

Original 5D is still a very good camera & can be had for a great price if you can live with the following....

It's only 12mpix
Won't take your EF-S lenses
Old AF system (still works well though & is the same as the 5D2)
No auto ISO except in Green box Jpeg mode
Rear screen is shocking by todays standards
Battery grips can be expensive

Maybe by a 5D & spend the spare cash on a decent lens???

 

[MCAsan]

If you staying with Canon, look at the deals on reforms at Canon USA. You can trade in an old Canon body, even a film camera, for hundreds off the refurb price. You have to call in to get the trade-in quoted. http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

The wife and I got most of our L glass and a few bodies from the refurb site.....saved a lot.

 

[nburwell]

Another vote for the Sony a7r11 with a lens adaptor

I couldn't agree more with this option. I kind of wish rather than me selling all my Canon gear and moving to Nikon, I just sold my 5DIII and got the A7r instead, while keeping my EF lenses.

 

[dwig]

@OP:
You should sit back and give a lot of thought as to why you want to move to a FF body and whether an older body, with its old less capable sensor, is worth getting. Many of the newest "state of the art c.2015" APS-c sensors perform better than older FF sensors.

There have been several excellent posts over at TOP (read: The Online Photographer) recently. Check them out at:
http://theonlinephotographer.typepa....html/the_online_photographer/blog_index.html

 

[MCAsan]

And look at the camera rankings at DxO Mark. You will see that slugging it out for top camera body brand is Sony and Nikon. Canon is not to be found until you look way down the list in 24th place. Also look which bodies rank best when you look at portrait, landscape, and sports categories. If one of those is far more important that others, it could change the rankings.


http://www.dxomark.com/cameras#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo

 

[Apple fanboy]

And look at the camera rankings at DxO Mark. You will see that slugging it out for top camera body brand is Sony and Nikon. Canon is not to be found until you look way down the list in 24th place. Also look which bodies rank best when you look at portrait, landscape, and sports categories. If one of those is far more important that others, it could change the rankings.


http://www.dxomark.com/cameras#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo

My D750 comes third for landscapes which is what I mostly shoot. But tbh, I challenge anyone to tell the difference in IQ between most of those top 20 cameras with a comparable lens and processing.

 

[MCAsan]

But if I can as good or better performance from lighter/smaller mirrorless....no way I am carrying a DSLR. That is why I sold off all my Canon stuff 2 years ago.

 

[OreoCookie]

I would also third the suggestion to look at mirrorless: since getting my Fuji X100s (which I know is not an interchangeable lens camera), my dslr equipment has for the most part collected dust. The idea to look at Sony plus an adapter is smart, but I reckon that in the end two, three lenses got you covered in most situations. So in addition, have a look at Fuji's and Olympus's mirrorless offerings. I would stay away from Nikon's 1 system and Canon's EOS-M.

 

[simonsi]

But tbh, I challenge anyone to tell the difference in IQ between most of those top 20 cameras with a comparable lens and processing.

This. Just this. Really camera brand choice comes down to ergonomics and personal preference. Nothing more.

 

[EdwardSmith36]

Nikon D810

Give a try to this full-frame DSLR camera! Just have look at it's features & specifications. surely you will love it. No other camera can beat this.

 

[The Bad Guy]

I've heard those new Hasselblad's are pretty good...

 

[AleXXXa]

I would say 5dmk2 if the budget is a concern, but keep in mind you might have to replace the shutter on an old and used camera. And this can be quite pricey on a full frame camera.

Budget's a concern and some of you suggest the new Sony stuff? Hahaha...there's three types of fanboys on this site now.

Yeah lol. Plus the second hand market is full of Canon and Nikon accessories and lenses. Sony stuff, not so much.

 

[Abiatha Swelter]

Nikon D810

Give a try to this full-frame DSLR camera! Just have look at it's features & specifications. surely you will love it. No other camera can beat this.

I plan to wait until the next version comes out, and then the price will drop for the 810. Since I will be able to use some of my older lenses with it, I don't plan to switch brands.

 

[Meister]

5d mark III is a terrible deal for the money.

Why do you want to upgrade at all?
What is your current setup missing?