Canon EOS 5D - Should I?
 

Well, my Sony Mavica MVC CD-1000 is getting a bit long of tooth (7 years old or so), and it's probably well past time to upgrade. For a point-and-shoot, the Mavica was awesome, and well ahead of its time.

Now, I think it's time for me to take the plunge and get a Digital SLR. Landscapes are my favorite subject, so I'm thinking an EOS 5D with that wonderfully huge sensor is the camera for me.

I've generally found body-only deals in the $2200-$2500 range. Also, there are a few Bill-me-later merchants (cameraworld.com) offering 6mo no payments, so I can spread the cost out over 6mo without incurring interest charges. Does anyone think the price for the 5D is going to drop significantly before Christmas? I'd like to have mine in hand and practice with it before taking a New Year's trip to the South Island of New Zealand.

Also, any recommendations on lenses for someone who likes to take landscape photos (and quite a few low-light outdoors photos as well)? I'm new to this whole SLR thing, and did some reasearch on this website and others. That website recommends a Canon 50/1.4 lens as a good starter lens for the EOS 5D. I'm wondering if that would be applicable to landscape photography, though...

The 5D is undoubtedly a great camera. Even with a replacement much rumored for next spring, it still is as good as anything out there. For landscapes, the advantage of a full frame sensor make it a winner.

The 50/1.4 is a good lens for the money, but not what I would consider a landscape lens. Depending on your budget, the 17-40/4 and 16-35/2.8 II would be the obvious starting points. If you really need low light capabilities beyond what f/2.8 can bring, then a 24/1.4, 28/1.8, or 35/1.4 are your prime alternatives, although 35 isn't really that "wide".

I've not felt a need for an ultra-fast wide lens as I usually use a tripod for landscapes, so I stop down to get better image quality.

dpreview.com has a dedicated forum for full-frame Canon bodies. Just as you ask travel questions on FT, dpr is the place for photo crazies.

The only caveat I would offer is that the 5D is getting a little old now - I think it came out in 2005 - and is almost certainly due for an update soon. When that happens, the 5D prices will drop, and of course the new model will be even better.

I'm in the market for a full-frame Canon myself, but I decided to wait to see what happens with the 5D before buying. Then again, I have crop-frame SLRs that I can use in the meantime.

Thanks for the quick replies. That 17-40/4 L lens looks like a winner. Saw some great shots taken with it on various sites. I think I may just opt for that and the 50/1.4 (for everyday around the city/home photo-taking).

Now to have a debate with myself over whether I should buy before my trip, or try to rent somewhere in Queenstown (assuming a 5D is available), in hopes that the prices will drop once the successor is announced (hopefully soon).

I swear, if that Sony MVC CD-1000 had at least 5-megapixels, it would be the perfect point & shoot. 2.1 was all they could cram into it back in the stone-ages. 10x Optical zoom on a digicam made in 2000...sweet.

The 17-40, along with the 70-200/4, was my first dSLR lens purchase a few years ago. It was then, and remains, a great budget-L starter set, although some of the EF-S lenses can provide a viable option with a crop camera nowadays.

Those two, plus some fast primes (85/1.8 and 50/1.8 or 1.4) could fill most needs for quite a long time. (Not that I stopped there...)

As far as cases go, do any of y'all have recommendations regarding hard cases that hold up well as carry-ons? I was looking at Pelican Cases, with their pre-cut 1" cube foam set-up, which looked pretty cool. Anyhow, I want something sturdy that will protect my gear (likely a 5D, portable small tripod, 17-40/4 and 55/1.4 lenses) and that also travels well.

Thanks for the link to dpreview.com. I've been reading about 5Ds all afternoon and evening there, as well as on luminous landscape and other sites. I was also looking at Canon's 14mm/2.8 L USM lens, but it was quite pricey, and looked to have serious problems with flare (as well as a strangely designed hood). Just what I needed, another expensive hobby :D

Oh well, at least this one's mostly up-front costs, and not so much recurring costs (or at least not recurring as frequently as my travel costs :p).

Welcome to the party. 10 lenses, 2 bodies, three studio strobes, and counting....;)


I've also heard the 14mm is not a good choice. It's pricey because it's darn difficult to engineer a fast 14mm, but I can't see the advantage of 2mm over the more flexible 16-35. I've never wished for "faster, faster" when using my 17-40/4.

Just wait until you find out how addicting Canon "L" glass is:eek:

If landscapes are your thing then the 5D is great...I personally prefer sports/action and I don't want just 3fps, so I'm going 40D at my earliest financial convenience. And the previous poster is very correct....if you are getting a 5D, it would be criminal to not outfit it with as much L glass as possible in order to get the most from the body. 17-40 and 28-300 are two nice options to go with to have lots of coverage.