Canon DSLR Advice

Swiftlegend · 1 Jul 2012 at 00:05

Hi all,

I've decided that I want to make a move to Canon from Sony so that I can invest more into my equipment before I get stuck with Sony. I currently use an A700 with a 16-105 lens and I also own a 70-300 but I don't use that too often. I've decided to shift to Canon but I'm not sure if I should take a leap to full frame or not. I really would like to be able to achieve wider angle shots so I was thinking about picking up a 60D for £550 and buying a 10-22 and a second general walk about lens. I've thought about a 7D but I don't really shoot sport or birds so I don't see many benefits for me (look at my Flickr to see what I like to take). I don't want to go backwards when I move to Canon as my A700 is still a good camera.

I'm also considering a second hand 5d mark ii for around £700 and then getting a 17-40. The other problem I'm having is the rumours around a 70d and a 7d mark ii (possibly full frame). So should I wait? But then I think well if I wait then new bodies will be rumoured and I may as well just move now and if needs be sell it on eBay as the bodies seem to hold their value quite well. The problem with this is If I went the 60d route for the time being hoping for a cheaper full frame as I really don't like the layout of the mark ii and would ever envy the mark iii I may be stuck with a 10-22. If this is the case it might be a good idea to go with the 60d and then get the 17-40 sacrifice the UWA for the time being but not lose money on an EF-S lens.

I've spent far too much time contemplating over this and got no where. Anyone's opinion would really help me make a decision.

Thanks

James J · 1 Jul 2012 at 00:20

7D mk ii won't be full frame as it would be too similar to a 5D mk ii and mk iii (weird mix). If you can get a 5D mk ii for £700, snap the hand off whoever is selling it as thats around £400 under the lowest second hand price I've seen! The 17-40L is also a good choice of lens, especially for landscapes. The 24-105L is however a better walkabout lens, yet not as wide as the 17-40 (obviously!) due to it covering far more useful focal lengths.

Gotta ask yourself what do you want to take photos of and what DOESN'T your current gear do which you require out of the upgrade.

Swiftlegend · 1 Jul 2012 at 00:35

Well there are a couple of 5d ii's on eBay for £500-650 with 1 day left. I can't see them going much above the £850 mark.

Edit: just checked sold listings and it seems they go for £1100 so you are spot on!

Nexus · 1 Jul 2012 at 00:37

Trouble is, there are all kinds of rumours surrounding Canon at the moment.

It's highly likely there will be a new 7D or 70D or both announced before the end of the year, but what has suddenly offset that a little is the introduction of the quite significant firmware upgrade for the 7D which is just over a month away.

There are also rumours that they might introduce a more entry level full frame model. The 5D has crept up in price quite significantly, so if they did offer one, it would be at a better price point, however I'd imagine they will seriously have to drop many of the features. That would put it in a weird place though, because the XXD and XXXD models may be better featured than it.

Then there are further rumours that they might have another full frame which shoots really high mp like Nikon.

Ultimately its all about you, how much you enjoy taking photos and how much money you are willing to spend.

James J · 1 Jul 2012 at 00:43

Swiftlegend said:
Well there are a couple of 5d ii's on eBay for £500-650 with 1 day left. I can't see them going much above the £850 mark.

Edit: just checked sold listings and it seems they go for £1100 so you are spot on!

What sort of budget have you got mate? Personally I'd wait and see if nikon do actually bring out a D600 and see how much it costs. It'll be a better camera than the 5D mk ii if it does actually exist! (and I own a 5D mk ii lol)

Nexus said:
Trouble is, there are all kinds of rumours surrounding Canon at the moment.

It's highly likely there will be a new 7D or 70D or both announced before the end of the year, but what has suddenly offset that a little is the introduction of the quite significant firmware upgrade for the 7D which is just over a month away.

There are also rumours that they might introduce a more entry level full frame model. The 5D has crept up in price quite significantly, so if they did offer one, it would be at a better price point, however I'd imagine they will seriously have to drop many of the features. That would put it in a weird place though, because the XXD and XXXD models may be better featured than it.

Then there are further rumours that they might have another full frame which shoots really high mp like Nikon.

Ultimately its all about you, how much you enjoy taking photos and how much money you are willing to spend.

Its due to that firmware update why I believe there probably won't be another 7D for a while as there isn't a single reason for a refresh yet. The 650D just got released which is filling their crop sensor lineup quite nicely and bringing it back upto date. I'd suggest looking at a 5D mk i, yet apart from being full frame, I can't see how it would be a major upgrade over the A700 sadly.

Swiftlegend · 1 Jul 2012 at 00:50

Well my budget isn't set in stone and if an extra couple of hundred pounds fills my needs then I'm willing to spend it. I'd say I'm willing to spend around £1200, possibly stretching £1500 or slightly more.

Personally I'm not sure I need full frame. I probably take no more than a thousand or two photos a year and after reading this thread: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=913638&highlight=jacobsen full frame isn't too important. From reading over the last couple of days lenses seem to be far more important.

James J · 1 Jul 2012 at 00:57

Swiftlegend said:
Well my budget isn't set in stone and if an extra couple of hundred pounds fills my needs then I'm willing to spend it. I'd say I'm willing to spend around £1200, possibly stretching £1500 or slightly more.

5D mk ii is definitely on the cards then. Good news is you can use websites that sell lenses (brand new) considerably cheaper than UK stores like digitalrev and still have a warranty as canon have international warranties on their lens lineup. The 17-40L from there is about £80 cheaper than jessops as an example. Second hand you can expect to pick one up for around £440 if you REALLY look around, saving even more money.

If you intend on shooting animals like birds, I'd probably look at something else, perhaps a D700, as the autofocus in the 5D mk ii although competent, can mean you will get more throw away shots than keepers when trying to nail fast moving birds in flight etc as its a fairly simple setup. The D700 has a vastly better autofocus system and those can be had for around the same price second hand. Don't be put off by the mp count as you'll end up cropping most of the images from the 5D mk ii until you are very familiar with how the focus system works anyway!

Lord-Jaffa · 1 Jul 2012 at 01:02

5D Mk2 is a great option, wouldn't consider anything else canon within your budget range.

James J · 1 Jul 2012 at 01:08

Lord-Jaffa said:
5D Mk2 is a great option, wouldn't consider anything else canon within your budget range.

Same here, the hardest choice is now between the 5D mk ii and the D700 imo. Theres pros and cons to both. I only chose the canon option as I mostly shoot still objects and sell large prints so the autofocus system doesn't disadvantage me and the mp count is actually a plus. The D700 has better autofocus, dynamic range and vastly better weather sealing whilst the ISO performance is similar between both camera's.

Swiftlegend · 1 Jul 2012 at 01:30

Well it seems like a 5d mark ii and a 17-40 seems like the way to go.

James J · 1 Jul 2012 at 01:38

Swiftlegend said:
Well it seems like a 5d mark ii and a 17-40 seems like the way to go.

You'll be impressed with the results. Remember to pick up a decent compact flash card also if you don't already have one. 8gb stores around 280-310 photos in RAW at 21mp at a push with the 16gb doing twice as much obviously.

Spare batteries are around £11.99 on amazon via third party brands and work perfectly, even showing up on the battery info tab showing their serial number, charge left and recharge health status just like the official battery.

Mieke do a third party battery grip for around £30 if you look around which is decent quality (albeit not as good as the official one, but its absolutely fine and all the buttons work as they should) and a canon 50mm f1.8 lens is £50 second hand and is tack sharp, giving you some fun with depth of field when you want or need the bokeh in your shots. With that lot you are set for doing some great shots!

Swiftlegend · 1 Jul 2012 at 22:25

What would you recommend if my budget was sub £1000? I don't think the 7d is worth the extra money over the 60d. But then I could only afford one decent lens and I wouldn't want to just have the 10-22.

James J · 1 Jul 2012 at 22:50

I'd probably wait and save up some more cash mate personally. The A700 really isn't a bad camera as the sensor it uses is rather good. I think you'd benefit more if you saved up for another month(s) and go full frame.

Swiftlegend · 1 Jul 2012 at 23:10

Ok, thanks. You've been most helpful

An Exception · 1 Jul 2012 at 23:10

Any particular reason your set on Canon?
If your after FF, then I'd easily take a D700 over a 5D except for a few special circumstances.
If your after a crop, then I'd easily take a D7000 over a 7D except for a few special circumstances.

However I wouldn't actually recommend buying now. If the D600 materialises and the prices rumoured, then it will offer allot more camera for the money compared to a 5Dii, and will likely outshine a D700 in terms of sensor tech, all while being cheaper.

Swiftlegend · 1 Jul 2012 at 23:38

No I'm not set on Canon, I don't mind Nikon - I guess I've always wanted a Canon. I used to use a compact Canon and I guess that's what really got me into photography. I think I'm going to go into a shop and just have a feel of all the cameras with a few lenses. That should help me make up my mind.

Raymond Lin · 1 Jul 2012 at 23:40

Swiftlegend said:
No I'm not set on Canon, I don't mind Nikon - I guess I've always wanted a Canon. I used to use a compact Canon and I guess that's what really got me into photography. I think I'm going to go into a shop and just have a feel of all the cameras with a few lenses. That should help me make up my mind.

Yup, have a play, how it feels in your hand, how you find how easy it is to navigate the menus, placement of buttons, do you like twist clockwise or anti-clockwise to put on the lens.

You'll know when you pick it up

Swiftlegend · 2 Jul 2012 at 16:18

An Exception said:
Any particular reason your set on Canon?
If your after FF, then I'd easily take a D700 over a 5D except for a few special circumstances.
If your after a crop, then I'd easily take a D7000 over a 7D except for a few special circumstances.

However I wouldn't actually recommend buying now. If the D600 materialises and the prices rumoured, then it will offer allot more camera for the money compared to a 5Dii, and will likely outshine a D700 in terms of sensor tech, all while being cheaper.

Can i ask why you would take a D700 over a 5d ii?

Raymond Lin · 2 Jul 2012 at 16:31

Swiftlegend said:
Can i ask why you would take a D700 over a 5d ii?

The D700 is a better camera for the reason of the AF.

Unless you like to use video, want more mega pixels or invested heavily in canon glass, between the D700/5Dii, the Nikon is a better tool for the job.

5D3/D800 however things are more even.

An Exception · 2 Jul 2012 at 16:59

As above.