The Ultimate Question - Buy a 5D MKII today or wait?

[Wils8484]

I have been renting cameras for sometime now or using my t2i. I went to buy a
5D Mk II today and could not pull the trigger out of fear that a new one could be released anyday now? As we all know this is an ongoing problem for many canon users looking to upgrade at this time so I want hear people thoughts.   Buy a 5d MK II today or Wait?

[timkbryant]

Which "Mk II" do you mean? I assume you mean the 5D, but you need to be a tad more specific.

I renting cameras for sometime now or using my t2i. I went to buy a Mk II today and could not pull the trigger out of fear that a new one could be released anyday now? As we all know this is an ongoing problem for many canon users looking to upgrade at this time so I want hear people thoughts.   Buy a MK II today or Wait?

[Wils8484]

good point 5d

[forgetmenot]

i think you should wait. 5dmk2 was release 2008.. surely they would update it soon.

owning  5d mk 2 and 7d , sometimes i'm liking functions on my 7d over 5d.. and surely canon wouldn't want to fall far behind nikon..

[Positron]

If photography is your business, buy the 5D Mark II today. Even if the 5D Mark III is announced tomorrow, it won't be available for a while.

Otherwise, if you're happy with your T2i (in my case, I am, even though I'd love full-frame), I'd stick with it for a while, until you feel like you're "outgrowing" it and need something it can't provide.

However, I would not recommend using the 5D Mark III's release as an excuse to just keep waiting. It's a recipe for driving yourself crazy. Think of those people who were and are waiting for the new 500mm and 600mm.

Of course it's your choice at the end of the day. If your fear is the price suddenly dropping, you probably don't need the 5D Mark II right now. And if you have that fear but feel like you need it, buy used and then the price will not drop significantly for a long time and you can resell at almost no loss when the 5D Mark III comes out.

[te4o]

Wait...

Well, no one knows what another one should do in life. But if you see the samples of the newly released D800 or not released just announced 1Dx and imagine how Canon will make the next move I'd be crazy to buy a 2008 DSLR with 2005 AF right now. Most of us will be surprised how much a 5D successor will cost though. 2700 at least - 3400 in Australia where I happen to live.... and 2900 Euro..... Good luck!

[crjiro]

Wait....the d800 is officially announced. New 5D will be announced soon. Canon waits for Nikon. But you will be paying more for that then a MkII now.

[jrista]

I have been renting cameras for sometime now or using my t2i. I went to buy a
5D Mk II today and could not pull the trigger out of fear that a new one could be released anyday now? As we all know this is an ongoing problem for many canon users looking to upgrade at this time so I want hear people thoughts.   Buy a 5d MK II today or Wait?

It would really depend on what you want. For one thing, you know the specs of the 5D II, know what its capable of, know its IQ, know its AF system and limitations, etc. If those things are acceptable to you, and the price works for you (which should be pretty darn cheap right now...FAR cheaper than a 5D III on its release)...go for it. Its an artists tool, they all take excellent photographs...newer technology won't change that.

On the flip side, if there is anything about the 5D II that really rubs you the wrong way (such as the top pick for improvement by most Canon people....the AF system), and you think you need something better...wait. Decide on which camera to get once more solid 5D III specs come out. If they aren't as stellar as everyone is hoping (i.e. less than expected AF improvements...not enough to justify a much higher cost), you might just want to save some money and grab a 5D II. If the 5D III IS stellar, then it was probably worth the wait, and you'll likely be happy dropping three grand on your brand new beauty.

[justsomedude]

I have been renting cameras for sometime now or using my t2i. I went to buy a
5D Mk II today and could not pull the trigger out of fear that a new one could be released anyday now? As we all know this is an ongoing problem for many canon users looking to upgrade at this time so I want hear people thoughts.   Buy a 5d MK II today or Wait?

I got a 5D during the Xmas sales and I'll never regret it.  For $2k it's the best frickin' bang for your buck for any DSLR on the market right now. 

Shot last night... 4000 frickin ISO... f/3.5... dark auditorium... 100feet away... 70-200mm lens at f/3.5 (IS on)...



You just can't beat that for $2k right now.  Get the MKII -- you won't regret it.

[Quasimodo]

Jrista wrote:

"go for it. Its an artists tool, they all take excellent photographs...newer technology won't change that."

I totally agree. I like most are curious to look at the new specs on the forthcoming 5d, but I have the mk II now, and it is by far a killer camera. Could it be even better..? Of course, but what are your photographic needs? The one thing that bothers me with the MK II is the 3,9 fps. Not sure if I need it faster (I don't shoot sports or wildlife), but it sure looks cool when looking at the other Canon cameras that do.

[wickidwombat]

I have been renting cameras for sometime now or using my t2i. I went to buy a
5D Mk II today and could not pull the trigger out of fear that a new one could be released anyday now? As we all know this is an ongoing problem for many canon users looking to upgrade at this time so I want hear people thoughts.   Buy a 5d MK II today or Wait?

I got a 5D during the Xmas sales and I'll never regret it.  For $2k it's the best frickin' bang for your buck for any DSLR on the market right now. 

Shot last night... 4000 frickin ISO... f/3.5... dark auditorium... 100feet away... 70-200mm lens at f/3.5 (IS on)...



You just can't beat that for $2k right now.  Get the MKII -- you won't regret it.

while i agree with you completely, i am interested to know why you chose to shoot that shoot at iso 4000 and f3.5 rather than iso 3200 and f2.8? considering the 70-200 has very little benefit to sharpness in stopping down relative to wide open.

[justsomedude]

while i agree with you completely, i am interested to know why you chose to shoot that shoot at iso 4000 and f3.5 rather than iso 3200 and f2.8? considering the 70-200 has very little benefit to sharpness in stopping down relative to wide open.

It was a deathly quiet lecture, and I was directed not to shoot excessively to avoid distracting the audience with "clicks".  That said, I knew going in that my image count would be low.  And, as expected, my first sort yielded only 87 high quality "keepers", which will probably be cut down to 40 or less final images that are passed on to the client.  For a client that typically sees 200+ images for my event work, this may come as a surprise (but they understand the shooting limitations).

So... since I knew my shots would be a "one and done" type approach, I dropped the aperture down to improve focus and maximize keepers.  f/2.8 owns when I can shoot as much as I want, but when I can only shoot a couple times a minute - I need to know my focus is on 100% of the time - and f/3.5 gives me that extra security of knowing my DOF won't miss in those types of strict shooting environments.

Just my $0.02.

[wickidwombat]

while i agree with you completely, i am interested to know why you chose to shoot that shoot at iso 4000 and f3.5 rather than iso 3200 and f2.8? considering the 70-200 has very little benefit to sharpness in stopping down relative to wide open.

It was a deathly quiet lecture, and I was directed not to shoot excessively to avoid distracting the audience with "clicks".  That said, I knew going in that my image count would be low.  And, as expected, my first sort yielded only 87 high quality "keepers", which will probably be cut down to 40 or less final images that are passed on to the client.  For a client that typically sees 200+ images for my event work, this may come as a surprise (but they understand the shooting limitations).

So... since I knew my shots would be a "one and done" type approach, I dropped the aperture down to improve focus and maximize keepers.  f/2.8 owns when I can shoot as much as I want, but when I can only shoot a couple times a minute - I need to know my focus is on 100% of the time - and f/3.5 gives me that extra security in those types of strict shooting environments.

Just my $0.02.

cool thanks for the answer i knew there must be a reason

[Mark1]

I just pulled the trigger on a 5D2. Hoping it gets delivered by the weekend. I got it right at the bottom of its price curve and have no problem whatsoever with the AF on my 5D original so personally I feel like Ive got a steal!

The 5D3 will be announced within 2 or 3 weeks I've no doubt and will cost more than my budget allows so I didn't really have a decision to make. If you can afford the extra and the sleepless nights before it's announced then why not wait but personally I'm very happy with my decision on financial grounds. It's also a quantum step forward compared to my 5D original, mainly because of video which I am really looking forward to getting into.

[Axel Reefman]

I purchased an ST-E2, it definitely helps the 5D MK2 with focusing, especially gig photography. 

I hope the 5D MK3 fixes the AF and ups the ISO capability.  I couldn't care less about a Megapixel War with Nikon, and would be happy with 21mp if that's "all" was offered.