Counting down my five favorite Canon digital cameras ever. Coming in at #5…..

HikeBike

R6
CR Pro
Feb 6, 2019
229
303
Maryland, USA
Technically speaking, my first Canon was a PowerShot SD780 IS (point and shoot). The colors and image quality were better than other digitals I had used up to that point, which made me a Canon fan. Awhile later, I became interested in better cameras, which led to my T3i. I figured out pretty quickly that kit lenses didn't do any camera justice, and started expanding my lens collection (starting with the 50mm f/1.8 II). That nifty 50 made me fall in love with photography as a hobby. I used the T3i for 7 years (and still have it), then got the EOS R.
 
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David_E

Macrophotography
Sep 12, 2019
220
333
www.flickr.com
20D First camera that illustrated what digital was capable of...

Bingo!

M5, best IQ to size ratio of any camera made. Who said you could have any two of IQ, size, or value? The M5 scores way above it’s fighting weight on all three.

Bingo again! The M5 is an amazing little camera, either with its 18-150 kit lens or L-series lenses via adaptor.

As for your 1DX Mark III, I would buy one in a New York minute, but it's just too heavy for a 76-year-old field nature photographer to tote around!

M5 with kit lens:

 
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Mar 25, 2011
16,848
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My first SLR was a Canon FT QL bought new way back in the 1960's. I built my own darkroom and developed print film and slides, and even tried color print film. It was a hobby, and I was working very long hours with little time to spare. Then, my first child came along, and we moved to a larger house, leaving the darkroom days behind. I had a few other SLR's after that, and immediately bought a digital P&S in 1998 not long after they became popular. I eventually bought a Nikon CP 990. I also followed DPR and had read about the Canon 10D and wanted one, but my budget would not justify it. When the Canon Digital Rebel came out for about the same price that my Nikon had cost., I immediately went to our local pro camera store and bought one. I planned to use it for product photography just as I had used the Coolpix. Wrong! I had no live view and found that I had more difficulty framing and getting exposures right. I also found the 18-55 kit lens difficult to manually focus, so while I used the camera every day, it was not what I expected. I also shot jpeg, and did not understand RAW. Even with the disappointment of not being able to compose a live view of the products, I managed fine and still have about 1300 images according to Lightroom. Some of the images are still used today for my products.
 
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Mar 25, 2011
16,848
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Eventually, I added earlier camera models like the D30 and even the Kodak DCS460 just to play with when I was able to buy them for next to nothing. The DCS 460 was the most amazing camera for its time, 6MP APS-H in 1990! The original cost was $32,000 but the price dropped like a rock as competition arrived.

Since then, I've collected and owned many digital cameras as well as getting photos from friends and family. Lightroom shows 106 different cameras now.
 
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Why is it always so fun to reminisce about a first camera?

Mine was a hand-me-down from my younger brother (does that make it a hand-me-up?) who decided to upgrade from a 400D to a 7D, and so I traded him my old iPod for the 400D. Used it with the crummy 75-300 non-IS non-USM, and a nifty fifty, until it had an unfortunate accident on a whitewater kayaking trip that resulted in my entire pelican box getting dumped in a river. It was enough camera to get me the bug, though, and led to buying a refurbed 7D and 70-200 2.8 , which has led to me having an entire shelf of bodies and lenses...



Disclaimer: I've never actually used any of the above lenses. I did just decide to upgrade from the 17-40 to the 16-35 f/4 IS, so I've read a LOT of reviews and comparisons the past few weeks.

"Is it worth it" is always a personal decision, so it's not our place to say whether the more expensive lenses are or are not worth the extra cost, for you. I will say, for non-professional use, I can't imagine the 16-35 f/2.8 being worth the price premium. There are professional landscape and travel photographers who rave about the f/4 IS lens. For that type of photography, you rarely, if ever, really need the f/2.8 aperture, and the IS is often more beneficial. Sharpness, color, contrast, distortion, flare... according to everything I've read the past few weeks, the f/4 IS is as good as it gets. IQ on the older versions of the 16-35 f/2.8 (v1 or v2) is definitely not as good, but v3 stepped up to pretty much match the f/4 IS.

The TS-E lenses and the 11-24 are somewhat their own leagues. 11mm is WAY wider than 16. I kind of see it being most suited to people who are used to ultra wide angles, and looking for that next step. I find that the EF-S 10-22 and 17-40 on FF still feel dramatically wide to me, which has kept me from spending a ton of money to go wider. The TS-E lens lineup is certainly intriguing, but they're pretty specialist lenses. If you're interested in "depth of field games" as just some fun and not too serious, the lensbaby lineup might be worth considering... they don't shift, but they do tilt, and you can have some fun for a lot less money (I got a whole kit for $80).

Also worth considering: Filters. Do you use them? The 11-24 doesn't take screw-in filters, although I believe someone has come up with a filter holder solution if you use square filters. The TS-E and 16-35 f/2.8 use 82mm filters. One of the selling points for me on the f/4 IS was that it's 77mm filters, so I can use the ND filters I already have for my other 77mm lenses (70-200, 24-105, etc). Again, I don't know if this matters to you at all, or if you already have 82mm filters, but it's something to think about.

Final thought: If you want wide angles, but don't know what lens to start with, I wouldn't start by buying a new 11-24 or TS-E. A used 17-40 can be had in good shape for $400, and I just bought my 16-35 f/4 IS for $630. At those prices, you can re-sell them for the same price you paid if you end up wanting the pricier lenses for whatever reason, and it ends up being a free test rental. But there's much more of a market for the less expensive options, so it'll be easier to resell them than it would be to resell an 11-24 if you start there and then decide it's wider than you need...

hope that helps!

Thanks for your thoughts on my question.

I also read a lot about these Canon wide angle lenses on the internet, but I wanted to know your opinion here in the forum.

As a hobby photographer I don't have to own the newest and most expensive lenses, but they just have to do their job and give me many years of pleasure.

I only buy second-hand lenses. Of course only if they are perfect ( like new) then I can sell them again for the same price, if they are not stolen, fall down or were used for many years.

I also wanted to spend around 600-700€ for a used 16-35 f4 lens, but in good condition.

In the neighboring village, someone sells a hardly used TS-E 24mm II for 1250€, I will probably go there and get it.
 
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Michael Clark

Now we see through a glass, darkly...
Apr 5, 2016
4,722
2,655
That 17-40 is on my short list.

Unless price is a super critical factor, I would highly highly recommend the EF 16-35 f/4L IS USM. It is a bit larger and a bit heavier, but it's IQ is much better and it's 1mm wider and it has IS. It is one of the finest lenses Canon has ever produced.

I've had a 17-40/4 for years, but if the 16-35/4 had been out when I bought it I'd have went with it instead. At the time the 16-35/2.8 (or maybe the 16-35/2.8 II was already out) was priced too high for the lens' performance. It wasn't that great on the edges and in the corners. The 16-35/2.8 III is much better, but for $1,900 it better be!
 
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Jun 29, 2016
404
313
The digital rebel was my first DSLR, like the AE1 at its time, they "broke" the 1000USD barrier for a digital cameras and that was the time to get one for myself. I also bought it with a grip and since I already had a few EF lenses used the 24-105 and 75-300 on it. Wonderful camera, served me for years. Replaced it with the 7D about 7 years later only because it had some problems which the repai laboratory was not so good in fixing. For most cases, the 2000X3000 size pictures were more than I ever needed (the 10X15 prints I've made with it were excellent).
 

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SecureGSM

2 x 5D IV
Feb 26, 2017
2,360
1,231
I've had a 17-40/4 for years, but if the 16-35/4 had been out when I bought it I'd have went with it instead. At the time the 16-35/2.8 (or maybe the 16-35/2.8 II was already out) was priced too high for the lens' performance. It wasn't that great on the edges and in the corners. The 16-35/2.8 III is much better, but for $1,900 it better be!
not only It wasn't that great on the edges and in the corners, but also awful at 35 mm end across the entire frame.
I bought my 16-35/2.8 III at around US$1300 (a returned product) and very happy with the lens.
 
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Hi Tremotino !
If you are interested in a 24mm TSE, DO NOT buy version 1, no matter how cheap you'd get it.
Version 2 is one of the best Canon lenses ever. But don't drop it (I stupidly did), expensive to get repaired. The 24 TSE II is a great lens for landscapes too, it can also be used handheld for less demanding architectural photography (trips to cities, with light equipment). Buy it, you'll never regret it !
Just for the record: I have now bought a used EF 24mm TS-E II L it's marvelous.
The lense is like new.
 
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stevelee

FT-QL
CR Pro
Jul 6, 2017
2,383
1,064
Davidson, NC
My first SLR was a Canon FT QL bought new way back in the 1960's. I built my own darkroom and developed print film and slides, and even tried color print film. It was a hobby, and I was working very long hours with little time to spare. Then, my first child came along, and we moved to a larger house, leaving the darkroom days behind. I had a few other SLR's after that, and immediately bought a digital P&S in 1998 not long after they became popular. I eventually bought a Nikon CP 990. I also followed DPR and had read about the Canon 10D and wanted one, but my budget would not justify it. When the Canon Digital Rebel came out for about the same price that my Nikon had cost., I immediately went to our local pro camera store and bought one. I planned to use it for product photography just as I had used the Coolpix. Wrong! I had no live view and found that I had more difficulty framing and getting exposures right. I also found the 18-55 kit lens difficult to manually focus, so while I used the camera every day, it was not what I expected. I also shot jpeg, and did not understand RAW. Even with the disappointment of not being able to compose a live view of the products, I managed fine and still have about 1300 images according to Lightroom. Some of the images are still used today for my products.
Did you ever try making Cibachrome prints? I made a few over the years, and the results were gorgeous. I too got an FT-QL as my first SLR and set up an enlarger in my dorm room in grad school.
 
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stevelee

FT-QL
CR Pro
Jul 6, 2017
2,383
1,064
Davidson, NC
Just for the record: I have now bought a used EF 24mm TS-E II L it's marvelous.
The lense is like new.
I rented one for ten days and had a lot of fun with it. I’m thinking about renting the 17 mm soon. If I made any money off real estate photography, I’d buy one or both of them. I can’t justify the expense for what little I would use them.
 
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My first real camera was a Leica II. It was actually made before Canon started to exist. Very impressive picture quality, at that time I developed every shot in my own darkroom and made my prints myself. Into the SLR cameras I started with my first Canon camera, a Canon FTb, which I liked very much. I used it a lot. The next camera, with which I eperimented, was a Linhof Technika. Very heavy, very good for shots of items for a catalog, amazing details. But I also carried it in the night on top of mountains for sunrise and landscapes. Of course, it was way too heavy for that purpose. So I quit that soon. After some accident beyond repair of my FTb, I bought an AE1 which turned out to be my #2 of my best liked Canon cameras. A few years later I tried the T70 which didn't really please me, I gave it away in the family. At the same time I decided to go with a Hasselblad C500 for more detail, when I had no problems with weigt and whenever there would be enough time to create the kind of image, that I like. Especially in enlargements or projections on big screens I was very impressed with my Hasselblad and I loved the results.
My first digital camera was a Dimage 7i from Minolta, the picture quality was actually a little bit better, than I had expected, however still not at all pleasing. Low light situations were not suited for the Dimage 7i. And the battery life was just awful. My decision was, I need a better analogue SLR for 35 mm film. Silver film was so much better than the sensors at that time, so I decided to go with Canon EOS 3 into the next few years, a really fine camera, that became the #3 of my favourite Canons.
The speed of the replacement of film by sensors took me by surprise. Nevertheles I decided to stick with my EOS 3 until the supply of good film became more and more difficult. So early in 2013 my decision was to go digital with the EOS 6D my best liked Canon #4! A wonderfull camera. It has since travelled the world. An EOS D 70 became an addition, but it was never my preferred camera.
My best liked Canon at present is the EOS 5D Mk IV. I like the ease of operation, the results, the speed. For my needs it is perfect. I am not a professional photographer, I take photos for my pleasure, sometimes I use them for a presentation on a big screen, for example when I report my findings on trips to a project location, which we support. And sometimes photos of real estate are needed in voluntary activities.
Almost every new Canon was more to my liking, than the one, I bought before. I am looking forward to the next generation of Canon cameras, that began with the R series. Canon is a true market leader and they keep the top position in a difficult market!
 
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SecureGSM

2 x 5D IV
Feb 26, 2017
2,360
1,231
My first real camera was a Leica II. It was actually made before Canon started to exist. Very impressive picture quality, at that time I developed every shot in my own darkroom and made my prints myself. Into the SLR cameras I started with my first Canon camera, a Canon FTb, which I liked very much. I used it a lot. The next camera, with which I eperimented, was a Linhof Technika. Very heavy, very good for shots of items for a catalog, amazing details. But I also carried it in the night on top of mountains for sunrise and landscapes. Of course, it was way too heavy for that purpose. So I quit that soon. After some accident beyond repair of my FTb, I bought an AE1 which turned out to be my #2 of my best liked Canon cameras. A few years later I tried the T70 which didn't really please me, I gave it away in the family. At the same time I decided to go with a Hasselblad C500 for more detail, when I had no problems with weigt and whenever there would be enough time to create the kind of image, that I like. Especially in enlargements or projections on big screens I was very impressed with my Hasselblad and I loved the results.
My first digital camera was a Dimage 7i from Minolta, the picture quality was actually a little bit better, than I had expected, however still not at all pleasing. Low light situations were not suited for the Dimage 7i. And the battery life was just awful. My decision was, I need a better analogue SLR for 35 mm film. Silver film was so much better than the sensors at that time, so I decided to go with Canon EOS 3 into the next few years, a really fine camera, that became the #3 of my favourite Canons.
The speed of the replacement of film by sensors took me by surprise. Nevertheles I decided to stick with my EOS 3 until the supply of good film became more and more difficult. So early in 2013 my decision was to go digital with the EOS 6D my best liked Canon #4! A wonderfull camera. It has since travelled the world. An EOS D 70 became an addition, but it was never my preferred camera.
My best liked Canon at present is the EOS 5D Mk IV. I like the ease of operation, the results, the speed. For my needs it is perfect. I am not a professional photographer, I take photos for my pleasure, sometimes I use them for a presentation on a big screen, for example when I report my findings on trips to a project location, which we support. And sometimes photos of real estate are needed in voluntary activities.
Almost every new Canon was more to my liking, than the one, I bought before. I am looking forward to the next generation of Canon cameras, that began with the R series. Canon is a true market leader and they keep the top position in a difficult market!
What a wonderfull story.thank you.
 
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