Yet another second body/backup camera question

[RobT]

To make the story short, my wife and I started a photography business for candid portraits and journalistic style weddings almost six months ago and are seeing enough business and opportunity to take the plunge on a big purchase to upgrade our equipment.

I currently shoot with a 50D and she has a T3 and we have stretched these cameras to their limits.

We are potentially buying two cameras. The first will be a 5DmkIII without question, but the possibility of buying a second is still in the air. If we are going to take the plunge from a business perspective I'd like to buy two 5D3s, but that's out of our budget coupled with the lenses we need to upgrade.

We could probably get by with the 5D3/50D/T3 as backup but I don't trust the T3 to compete with anything once a light is turned off. It barely squeaks by at ISO800, and that is unacceptable to me if we should need it.

What would you all suggest as the second camera? The 6D is outside of budget and close enough in price to the 5D3 from an investment perspective that we'd just get two if we could swing it, but we can't. So that leaves the the 7D and 5dmkII.

For those of you that have used these cameras at weddings and other candid events, what would you say the highest acceptable ISO is when shooting RAW? What about AF performance at f/2.0 and below in okay to worse light?

I know full-frame is the best option for portraits, but the 7D is pretty cheap brand new right now, so I don't want to take it off the table.

Thank you once again CR 

[tron]

You haven't mentioned the lenses you  already have. For example if you have EF-S lenses you could sell them together with 50D/T3 and
get a 5DMkII as a backup to your 5DMkIII.

On the other hand if you have EF-S glass you will feel sorry to part with you can sell 50D/T3 and get the 7D you want.

[titokane]

I always tell people that the 5D Mark II didn't magically become a bad camera when the Mark III came out. I have one and still use it all the time, and recently these forums have shown me how many people still use the original 5D "Mk I"! I love the look of full frame, but I know tons of photographers who use one ff and one crop just to have the option of the extra reach, plus the frame rate of the 7D is awesome. You won't regret either!

As far as RAW performance, as long as you're using Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, Aperture, or something similar, noise shouldn't be an issue from the 5D around 1250 and 1600. You can honestly take 2500 or higher, but you'll be trading for sharpness. It all depends on your preferences and post-production methods. The Mark II has a pretty good center point for AF, and in low light especially I wouldn't even have the others enabled. I've heard good things about the 7D's AF but I can't speak on it directly.

Don't know if flashes fit into your shooting style, but a well-utilized shoe mount flash can make ISO worries and low-light focusing issues a thing of the past (mostly).

[tron]

And to answer your question 5DMkII is a fine camera for high ISO. How high always depends on what your needs are and on the specific conditions which you may not control...

[tron]

Oh, since you are interested in AF performance at f/2.0 just make sure the 2nd body you get supports AFMA (both 7D and 5DMkII support it).
But you probably know that since your 50D has AFMA capability...

[RobT]

Yep, AFMA is an absolute must when I'm usually shooting at f/1.8 

And as for the lenses, we use only EF primes, so either body is not an issue. Our only EF-S lens is the kit lens from the T3, which is happily collecting dust.

I'm asking about AF performance at low apertures since we stay away from external flashes when possible. Currently we pull out the flashes when ISO 800 at 1/60-1/100 around f/2.0 doesn't cut it, which is almost always at wedding receptions or shooting outside just after the sun goes down.

If the 7D can swing 3200 with decent AF we can work around the crop sensor for a strong camera at a great price, but if we are going to buy two cameras anyway, we might as well spend $300 more for a 5D2 over the 7D...

[tron]

I am satisfied with my 5DMkII and my recent 5DMkIII.

I have no experience with 7D but this site is full of reports about 7D saying IQ is not so good at high ISO (although I haven't seen any complaints about its focusing which is said to be very good anyway).

I would opt for a 5DMkII for the quality in high ISO and format compatibility with 5DMkIII.

[Dylan777]

My vote is 6D if you plan to shoot center AF point.

[TommyLee]

I have a 5D3 and just sold my 1D3 and 5D2....

5D2 was a good camera...

my own feeling is that two 5d3s make sense.....

if any of your future (or current) lenses are zooms ... you get better micro adjust
the 5D3 wide AND TELE micro adjust (2 points) was a good improvement over 5D2...

also if you have the same cameras you will refine your understanding of ops/function together
...faster ... sharing settings /questions - IMO

finally when one camera seems to have an issue...the two can be compared..
much like working on a stereo amplifier... you have a working reference to compare to.. L or R channel

I dont see 6D as viable... the focus systems are too different ... 5D3 versus 6D (not strong enough)

maybe 2 ... $2800 purchases are steep...but if it is a 'near option' ...
then just stretch into it (...not having to pay myself ......sorry)

or WAIT for a new Canon 2013 body....but a long wait maybe...


the 1Dx is to far away to get 5D3/1Dx combo.... I am sure

just my opinion...not having to live with your budget....

TOM