So where do I start...I have been a longtime photographic amateur and owner of many Canon bodies/lenses. I have progressed up through 350, 450, 550 APS-C bodies until I finally got a 5D2. The 5D2 was working fine for indoor kid things like dance, choir and plays. It even covered soccer good enough. And then the girl starts playing volleyball. At that point the AF was done and beyond it's ability. While I was able to get some good shots I ended up throwing so many away that I started to get mad.
Gym lit soccer is just *terrible*. The lighting is trash and you really have to pull out the big gun lenses to stop the motion. I never could see getting a 70-200 f/2.8 and instead went for some primes. I switch between a 85 f/1.8 and the 135 f/2.0 and work around the court as I can.
After getting fed up with the 5D2 AF I waited until Christmas brought out sales for the 5D3. I was thinking about the 6D and its "super sensitive" center point but kept thinking that every body I went through was an upgrade, but a minor one at that. The 5D3 hit a low enough price point and I jumped on it.
I could not be happier. I had been reading about the AF and all its settings but was not prepared for everything in the menu. For a novice it's quite complicated...or can be. I spent a few days getting everything set in C1-3 for a few different setups that I thought might work. In the end I have gone with case 4, tracking turned down a notch. I have played with the expanded 4 AF points and pure all points. They both work well for 12 years olds. The only time I have OOF shots is because I was not aiming at the right thing. It's amazing to watch it track a player and just not let go.
But what has really turned me is the low light and metering ability. I was able to shoot my 70-200 f/4 , 1/640 and let the ISO do as it pleases. I ended up with shots at 12,800 that look great. If you have just enough light you can really quit using the heavy 2.8 zooms. The build quality is also much better and the CF door no longer feels like a toy. The silent mode is also amazing. When I go into a church or play I no longer have to feel bad for the family in front of me. It really is a game changer. And I sold my 5D2 in just 2 days!
So I had 1 problem. Out of 2 days I took ~1200 pictures. Just 1 of them resulted in the mirror seeming to get hung. The CF light just kept flashing and I saw "err" in the viewfinder. I either didn't notice or see the error number at the time...I have never seen an error in my cameras before.
These are just the ramblings of a photo idiot. I don't make a living with a camera, but I feel good for you guys that are shooting a 5D3....it feels special to me.
Gym lit soccer is just *terrible*. The lighting is trash and you really have to pull out the big gun lenses to stop the motion. I never could see getting a 70-200 f/2.8 and instead went for some primes. I switch between a 85 f/1.8 and the 135 f/2.0 and work around the court as I can.
After getting fed up with the 5D2 AF I waited until Christmas brought out sales for the 5D3. I was thinking about the 6D and its "super sensitive" center point but kept thinking that every body I went through was an upgrade, but a minor one at that. The 5D3 hit a low enough price point and I jumped on it.
I could not be happier. I had been reading about the AF and all its settings but was not prepared for everything in the menu. For a novice it's quite complicated...or can be. I spent a few days getting everything set in C1-3 for a few different setups that I thought might work. In the end I have gone with case 4, tracking turned down a notch. I have played with the expanded 4 AF points and pure all points. They both work well for 12 years olds. The only time I have OOF shots is because I was not aiming at the right thing. It's amazing to watch it track a player and just not let go.
But what has really turned me is the low light and metering ability. I was able to shoot my 70-200 f/4 , 1/640 and let the ISO do as it pleases. I ended up with shots at 12,800 that look great. If you have just enough light you can really quit using the heavy 2.8 zooms. The build quality is also much better and the CF door no longer feels like a toy. The silent mode is also amazing. When I go into a church or play I no longer have to feel bad for the family in front of me. It really is a game changer. And I sold my 5D2 in just 2 days!
So I had 1 problem. Out of 2 days I took ~1200 pictures. Just 1 of them resulted in the mirror seeming to get hung. The CF light just kept flashing and I saw "err" in the viewfinder. I either didn't notice or see the error number at the time...I have never seen an error in my cameras before.
These are just the ramblings of a photo idiot. I don't make a living with a camera, but I feel good for you guys that are shooting a 5D3....it feels special to me.
