Tell me about Canon DSLR bodies.

MikeHunt79 · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:44

I'm hoping to start a new job soon, and which involves using Canon bodies with Nikon lenses. A bit of a strange combo I must admit, but I'm a Nikon owner so I have no idea what the difference is between a 350D and a 5D! I'd like to get to know a bit about Canon's before I start the job really, so...

What current full frame DSLR's do Canon currently produce and how to they roughly compare with something like a D700? Are there any strange quirks which the Canons have? Has anyone gone from Nikon to Canon and if so what was the biggest difference between the two in day to day usage?

Stupot_ · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:53

MikeHunt79 said:
using Canon bodies with Nikon lenses.

What is the job and why does it require this? Some kind of scientific application?

Canon has the 5D mark II and the 1Ds Mk3 which will shoot full frame. I'm sure you'll find both are staggeringly capable cameras depending on what your application is. Just depends if the person you're asking is in the canon camp or the nikon one

Raymond Lin · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:54

The lens twist on the opposite direction.

Paul11 · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:54

yes, do tell us more about this job

sorn21 · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:58

List of recent bodies by price and performance(ish);

1000D
400D
450D
500D
550D

40D
50D
60D
5D

7D
5D MKii
1D...

In order of price (almost!)
That's all I know not really sure of the Nikon range TBH.
Pick a model and I'm sure somebody will tell you about it and how it compares

Raymond Lin · 9 Dec 2010 at 20:59

You forgot the 1 D variants.

sorn21 · 9 Dec 2010 at 21:09

Yeah I just left it at ... because it's pretty hard to class which is better when it comes to them, they do different jobs really.

Also, no idea if a 1D MkIV is worth more than a 1Ds MKIII without checking online!

Phate · 9 Dec 2010 at 21:43

Canon DSLR bodies are rubbish.

Simian · 9 Dec 2010 at 22:04

Phate said:
Canon DSLR bodies are rubbish.

Yeah Especially the 5DmkII... thats pure pants!!!

Phate · 9 Dec 2010 at 22:14

Simian said:
Yeah Especially the 5DmkII... thats pure pants!!!

I bought mine as a paperweight tbqfh

MikeHunt79 · 9 Dec 2010 at 23:29

Stupot_ said:
What is the job and why does it require this? Some kind of scientific application?

Not scientific I'm afraid, apparently it involves stop motion animation... I don't really know much more than that I'm afraid but I do know that it will involve using full frame Canon DSLR's which I'm unfamiliar with right now, hence this thead.

Stupot_ said:
Canon has the 5D mark II and the 1Ds Mk3 which will shoot full frame. I'm sure you'll find both are staggeringly capable cameras depending on what your application is. Just depends if the person you're asking is in the canon camp or the nikon one

Cheers, I'll have a hunt on the Canon site, with any luck they'll have the 5D mark II and 1Ds Mk3 manuals so I can familiarise myself with what setting is in what menu, etc.

Raymond Lin said:
The lens twist on the opposite direction.

Thanks, I'm sure that will feel a little odd at first but shouldn't be a problem.

Paul11 said:
yes, do tell us more about this job

I don't really know that much myself yet apart from that I've already said, it doesn't start until next year so I'm hoping that I'll have more details in a few of weeks.

n1blo said:
List of recent bodies by price and performance(ish);

1000D
400D
450D
500D
550D

40D
50D
60D
5D

7D
5D MKii
1D...

In order of price (almost!)
That's all I know not really sure of the Nikon range TBH.
Pick a model and I'm sure somebody will tell you about it and how it compares

Am I right in assuming that the 7D, 5D MKii, and 1D are all full frame? And that the 5D Mki is crop frame? I think they'll probably by using the Canon equivalent of the Nikon D700, ie the cheapest FF body available. Would that be the 5D MKii?

Phate said:
Canon DSLR bodies are rubbish.

Well I've never tried them so I'll have to take your work for that!

Raymond Lin · 9 Dec 2010 at 23:33

Canon's ONLY FF cameras are

5D, 5Dii
1Ds (whether it is Mkiii or Mk ii)

You HAVE to remember the "s" in the 1D, it stands for Studio. 1D are 1.3x cropped. Every other cameras are 1.6X cropped, including the 7D.

Basically, Canon's best 1.6x cropped body is the 7D.

The latest FF camera is the 5Dii (the 1Ds Mkiii was release before that).

glitch · 10 Dec 2010 at 10:15

MikeHunt79 said:
Not scientific I'm afraid, apparently it involves stop motion animation... I don't really know much more than that I'm afraid but I do know that it will involve using full frame Canon DSLR's which I'm unfamiliar with right now, hence this thead.

I know of a couple of people using DSLRs to record stop motion animation - something about needing the Nikon 'non-G' lenses with their aperture control to help control/avoid flicker?

What I don't understand is why they all seem to want to shoot on a Canon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought SMA was shot frame-by-frame? So why not shoot it on a Nikon body?

dannyjo22 · 10 Dec 2010 at 10:25

Raymond Lin said:
The lens twist on the opposite direction.

That's the one thing that bugs me with the canon body. Why wasn't the lens release button in about the 7 oclock position viewed from the front. So you could hold the camera as normal, push the button with your right hand and twist off with the left.

Raymond Lin · 10 Dec 2010 at 10:25

glitch said:
I know of a couple of people using DSLRs to record stop motion animation - something about needing the Nikon 'non-G' lenses with their aperture control to help control/avoid flicker?

What I don't understand is why they all seem to want to shoot on a Canon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought SMA was shot frame-by-frame? So why not shoot it on a Nikon body?

Canon goes down to ISO50 and Nikon don't?

and probably because it is cheaper even if by as little as 5% in some cases.

Money talk.

glitch · 10 Dec 2010 at 10:31

Raymond Lin said:
Canon goes down to ISO50 and Nikon don't?

Well, Canon go down to ISO100, which Nikon don't.

ISO50 on the 5D is just overexposing the lowest setting the sensor can record at (ISO100) by one stop and then processing the information to account for the overexposure and thus losing a load of dynamic range from doing so.

The same is also true for the extended higher ISO options, only this time it's underexposing and processing the results accordingly.

Hence why it's an option you can switch on and not included by default. If the sensor could shoot at ISO50 it would be a selling point, not a custom function.

Raymond Lin said:
and probably because it is cheaper even if by as little as 5% in some cases.

Money talk.

Even though you have to buy an expensive adapter to fit the lenses to the camera? Doubtful.

Raymond Lin · 10 Dec 2010 at 10:33

dannyjo22 said:
That's the one thing that bugs me with the canon body. Why wasn't the lens release button in about the 7 oclock position viewed from the front. So you could hold the camera as normal, push the button with your right hand and twist off with the left.

Because you right hand grip on that side and if your little pinky pushed it down whilst picking it up...Plonk!

Raymond Lin · 10 Dec 2010 at 10:35

glitch said:
Well, Canon go down to ISO100, which Nikon don't.

ISO50 on the 5D is just overexposing the lowest setting the sensor can record at (ISO100) by one stop and then processing the information to account for the overexposure and thus losing a load of dynamic range from doing so.

The same is also true for the extended higher ISO options, only this time it's underexposing and processing the results accordingly.

Hence why it's an option you can switch on and not included by default. If the sensor could shoot at ISO50 it would be a selling point, not a custom function.

Even though you have to buy an expensive adapter to fit the lenses to the camera? Doubtful.

Then canon goes down to 100, Nikon don't. There's your selling point lol

glitch · 10 Dec 2010 at 13:08

If it's just a case of ISO100 v ISO200 I'll be staggered. I wouldn't have thought there was that much of a difference between the two.

bigredshark · 10 Dec 2010 at 16:07

glitch said:
If it's just a case of ISO100 v ISO200 I'll be staggered. I wouldn't have thought there was that much of a difference between the two.

I can't think there's much relevant difference... the 5DII does video, the D700 has far superior AF and shoots faster - that's the highlights but they don't seem relevant here. I'm guessing it's probably just done that way out of habit rather than a requirement to use Canon cameras.