I've been debating on this for a couple months now since I don't really use them for more than taking pictures of my kids and some occasional outings with our friends. It is a pain to lug around with the battery grip and kids stuff and I don't feel like I'm really getting anymore good use of out if (although everytime I take a picture they come out AMAZING). Anyone have any recommendations on something new? I haven't been following the mirrorless cameras much but they seem to be the 'next big thing'. My only requirement is that the camera shoots in RAW as I love to edit photos and touch them up in Lightroom.
Debating on selling my 5D II and 35L/135L for a...
- Thread starter l0pht
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l0pht said:
What about smaller lenses on the 5D2? The 35/2 IS reviews very well and I would expect it to be every bit as impressive as my 24/2.8 IS. Apart from weather sealing and red ring, it is a match for my only L lens.
For similar reasons I am considering a 100D (SL1) to use instead of my 6D on social occasions. That comes as close as possible to mirror less size and weight without losing the optical viewfinder of a DSLR.
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l0pht said:
Mirrorless could be it. They have always been weak in the AF performance, but they are catching up. Check out this video, from TheCameraStoreTV, where they compare the newest mirrorless against each other, and have a Nikon D4S as a reference. Quite amazing and surprising! Photographing kids, AF performance is important.
http://youtu.be/up8K_xd_iwU
Image quality should also be amazing.
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l0pht said:
Mirrorless camera sales are tanking, they took off at first, but then sales dropped drastically, particularly in the USA and Europe.
First, Canon dumped thousands of "M" bodies for give- Away Prices, and then a couple of weeks ago, I saw thousands of supposedly refurbished Nikon J series Mirrorless cameras going for $160 on ebay, and that included Lightroom 5 which was a $80 value. They can't give them away.
This means that you won't be able to sell it if you decide to change, most people do not want them. Its not a comment on the quality of the images or operation, just that they are not selling well.
I bought my 5D MK III from Adorama 2 years back for $2750 with a 2nd Genuine Canon battery, and it has not dropped in value all that much. Neither has your 5D MK II.
I've been looking at upgrading my G1 x to the MK II, the issue is the high price and low resale value. I managed to get the MK I on a one day package special from Adorama, and after selling off the free printer, $400 rebate, etc, it cost me $150.
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unfocused
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I bought a Fuji X20 about a year ago. I wanted something small with an attached zoom that would cover the moderately wide to moderately telephoto range.
It's no replacement for my DLSRs, but when I don't feel like lugging around a massive camera (hiking, grand kids birthday parties, bicycling, etc. etc.) its great. Shoots RAW and the quality is quite good. I love its panorama feature (wish Canon would institute that on its DSLRs), compact size, optical viewfinder and its smart switching between live view and optical viewfinder (put the camera up to your eye and it switches to the viewfinder, take it away and it's in live view).
Rumors say Fuji will soon introduce an X30 with a slightly larger sensor. I'd wait to see what that's like.
If you find yourself not wanting to bring your DSLR along because its too much of a hassle, then look at something smaller. The quality will always be better than what you'll get with your DSLR sitting at home on a shelf.
It's no replacement for my DLSRs, but when I don't feel like lugging around a massive camera (hiking, grand kids birthday parties, bicycling, etc. etc.) its great. Shoots RAW and the quality is quite good. I love its panorama feature (wish Canon would institute that on its DSLRs), compact size, optical viewfinder and its smart switching between live view and optical viewfinder (put the camera up to your eye and it switches to the viewfinder, take it away and it's in live view).
Rumors say Fuji will soon introduce an X30 with a slightly larger sensor. I'd wait to see what that's like.
If you find yourself not wanting to bring your DSLR along because its too much of a hassle, then look at something smaller. The quality will always be better than what you'll get with your DSLR sitting at home on a shelf.
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Pitbullo said:
Normally the camera store are very good but I can't say this test impressed me much, 100mm equivalent at F/4 in daylight with subjects moving in predictable ways isnt really much of a stress test even for non pro users.
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8)EOS M + 22mm F2 and adaptor? Cheap enough so that you can afford to keep your 5D, and it's also a complement / backup for your existing system.
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Don't underestimate just how much smaller and lighter a 6D with compact lenses is compared with your 5DII combo. The new 24-70 IS + the 6D makes a highly versatile and compact package. Put lenses such as the excellent 40 pancake on and you are as light and nimble as a 'mirrorless'.
Given your sentiments you're making hard work of it with a 5D + grip + 135L.
If you think your images are AMAZING now just wait till you've tried the 6D - especially in the dark
Given your sentiments you're making hard work of it with a 5D + grip + 135L.
If you think your images are AMAZING now just wait till you've tried the 6D - especially in the dark
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Those are huge and heavy lenses!
I recently swopped my 5d2 for a 6D. The 6D is not perfect but the price image quality combination is unbeatable! The 6d's body size is a touch smaller than my old 5D2, but with a 40mm pancake it really becomes a 'take everywhere all the time' type of camera. So much so that I keep on putting off my 'dream' of owing a Fuji X100s, because I am afraid that I might just not use it as much as I would like to. The 6d's high iso capabilities becomes quite addictive and once you get used to its 'uber' image quality it becomes difficult to sacrifice a bit of size and heft for the inevitable inferior image quality of a smaller body. ( The Sony 7's excepted of course) My other everyday lens is the 85f1.8 which makes a nice combination with the pancake and 6d body, and I am sure the whole bang shoot weights quite a bit less than your setup, not to mention less bulky too, and my two lenses turn in absolutely superb image quality....My backup camera is a Eos M plus 22mm which I still use occasionally, but there is just no comparison image quality wise to the 'bigger' 6D.
Have a look at my blog for reviews of the 6D etc..
I recently swopped my 5d2 for a 6D. The 6D is not perfect but the price image quality combination is unbeatable! The 6d's body size is a touch smaller than my old 5D2, but with a 40mm pancake it really becomes a 'take everywhere all the time' type of camera. So much so that I keep on putting off my 'dream' of owing a Fuji X100s, because I am afraid that I might just not use it as much as I would like to. The 6d's high iso capabilities becomes quite addictive and once you get used to its 'uber' image quality it becomes difficult to sacrifice a bit of size and heft for the inevitable inferior image quality of a smaller body. ( The Sony 7's excepted of course) My other everyday lens is the 85f1.8 which makes a nice combination with the pancake and 6d body, and I am sure the whole bang shoot weights quite a bit less than your setup, not to mention less bulky too, and my two lenses turn in absolutely superb image quality....My backup camera is a Eos M plus 22mm which I still use occasionally, but there is just no comparison image quality wise to the 'bigger' 6D.
Have a look at my blog for reviews of the 6D etc..
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Sporgon said:Don't underestimate just how much smaller and lighter a 6D with compact lenses is compared with your 5DII combo. The new 24-70 IS + the 6D makes a highly versatile and compact package. Put lenses such as the excellent 40 pancake on and you are as light and nimble as a 'mirrorless'.
Given your sentiments you're making hard work of it with a 5D + grip + 135L.
If you think your images are AMAZING now just wait till you've tried the 6D - especially in the dark
Yes, I can confirm this! That 24-70 IS also seems like a good lens. I had a grip for my 5d2, and although it has its uses, I actually ended up hardly ever using it for my type of photography.
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l0pht said:
Why don't you just sell the battery grip and 35L, and pick up a 35mm f/2 IS USM? That would cut down weight and give you a smaller and lighter 35mm lens that is just as good if not better optically IMO. Keep the 135L as it is a nice and light 135mm tele.
The full frame mirrorless many recommend like the Sony a7/a7r is deceiving because though the body is small, the lenses are literally still as big as DSLR full frame lenses - in fact the 55mm f/1.8 for the Sony A7 is twice the size of the Canon 50mm 1.4! So you have this tiny body but still have to lug around the big lenses making the ordeal pointless and an ergonomic mess IMO. I am also unconvinced mirrorless is the next big thing, I believe DSLR will be the choice of pros, cell phones the choice of mainstream, and mirrorless will remain niche for gadget fans.
The only way you are going to realistically save space with mirrorless is with an APS-C mirrorless, but then you will be sacrificing quality. Plus, again you still won't be saving that much space say compare to a Canon Rebel SL1 and EF-S lenses.
If you really want to cut down, you might try a Canon Powershot G1X Mark II. While I don't recommend this as a main camera, it is probably the best compromise as it does not require carrying separate lenses and is still relatively small yet decent quality.
Realistically, though, I think the best bet is just sell the battery grip and 35L, pick up 35mm f/2 IS USM instead. The battery grip is really unnecessary unless you do tons of vertical/portrait shots, and the 35mm f/2mm IS overall bests the 35L at f/2.2+ while being much smaller and lighter IMO. That will save you some weight but allow you to retain the quality level you are used to. You could even go a step farther and get the tiny 40mm pancake, but the 35mm IS is an optically superior lens to that one while and one must really question if the size savings of the pancake is worth it.
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My X100s is an addition to my 5D3.
Mirrorless cams are taking some amazing pics these days but, when I need a serious camera for a shoot, there's only full frame DSLRs.
Mirrorless cams are taking some amazing pics these days but, when I need a serious camera for a shoot, there's only full frame DSLRs.
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Giving up the 135mm would be a shame. Hard to beat for larger studio or anything outdoors. Color, sharpness, bokeh, fantastic for portraits. On mine, the AF is instantaneous. Expecting first child soon, so still don't have experience with tykes. I can see they move fast, so maybe not having zoom is a problem for you?
I actually sold my 35mm L and got the Sigma 35mm Art. Great move for me, though others are liking the Canon 35mm 2.0. I didn't want IS, and I did want 1.4, so easy choice. The weight is a non issue.
If you do get a 24-70mm, the 35mm 2.0 seems pretty redundant. My 24-70mm 2.8 L is super sharp wide open, beyond sharp enough for portraits, for sure.
No opinion on mirrorless.
I actually sold my 35mm L and got the Sigma 35mm Art. Great move for me, though others are liking the Canon 35mm 2.0. I didn't want IS, and I did want 1.4, so easy choice. The weight is a non issue.
If you do get a 24-70mm, the 35mm 2.0 seems pretty redundant. My 24-70mm 2.8 L is super sharp wide open, beyond sharp enough for portraits, for sure.
No opinion on mirrorless.
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