Buying a 5DII on a whim

[V8Beast]

I met up with a buddy of mine this weekend who is the editor of a big muscle car magazine to cover an autocross event together. He's a very accomplished photographer and does some outstanding work. During the middle of the autocross, his 1DsII - which has seen a ton of mileage over the last 8 years - took a dump. It's nothing terminal, just the dreaded "Error 99," but something that couldn't be fixed in the field. I let him borrow one of my backup bodies to get him through the event, but he jumped on the phone ASAP to order up a replacement body for another shoot he had the following week.

Him: The guy on the phone says he has a 5D Mark II, is that what you have?

Me: No, I use 5D for statics, and a 1DII for action. I'm getting a 5DIII any day now, but it hasn't been released yet.

Him: What's the difference?

Me: Better AF, faster burst rate, cleaner high ISO files, dual card slots.

Him: Well, I hardly ever use AF, and don't need fast FPS. I really like the IQ of the images you send me with your 5D, so I'm sure the 5D Mark II will be more than enough for me.

Me: Yeah, IQ wise the 5D Mark II is a great camera. That's what Bobby (a mutual friend and fellow photog) uses.

Him: OK, then I know for sure that I'll be happy with the 5DII's IQ.

Me: You can get them for around $2,000 right now because the 5DIII's are about to be released. The 5DIII is hard to get right now and costs $3,500.

Him: I don't want to spend that much. This is just going to be my personal camera until I can get company approval to expense on new body. I'll go with the 5DII.


I know this is an extreme example, but our conversation lasted two minutes at most. I just found it funny how people can deliberate/argue/scream/cry for months on which camera to get, mulling over specs and sample images (I'm guilty of this too!). On the other hand, I watched as a working pro reached a purchasing decision in two minutes based solely on the quality of images submitted to him from other photographers using the body he's interested in.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I had decided on buying the 5D MK III about two years before they finally offered it up. I ordered it the first morning, and am hoping to see it next week. You are right though, some of us(me) procrastinate for weeks, months, or years about a purchase. I'm still on the fence over buying a Canon 24mm L, which for me means I probably won't, if I really needed it, I would have bought it long ago.

I think the difference is between needing a new item and wanting one. I make quick decisions when I actually need something right away.

 

[CowGummy]

I met up with a buddy of mine this weekend who is the editor of a big muscle car magazine to cover an autocross event together. He's a very accomplished photographer and does some outstanding work. During the middle of the autocross, his 1DsII - which has seen a ton of mileage over the last 8 years - took a dump. It's nothing terminal, just the dreaded "Error 99," but something that couldn't be fixed in the field. I let him borrow one of my backup bodies to get him through the event, but he jumped on the phone ASAP to order up a replacement body for another shoot he had the following week.

Him: The guy on the phone says he has a 5D Mark II, is that what you have?

Me: No, I use 5D for statics, and a 1DII for action. I'm getting a 5DIII any day now, but it hasn't been released yet.

Him: What's the difference?

Me: Better AF, faster burst rate, cleaner high ISO files, dual card slots.

Him: Well, I hardly ever use AF, and don't need fast FPS. I really like the IQ of the images you send me with your 5D, so I'm sure the 5D Mark II will be more than enough for me.

Me: Yeah, IQ wise the 5D Mark II is a great camera. That's what Bobby (a mutual friend and fellow photog) uses.

Him: OK, then I know for sure that I'll be happy with the 5DII's IQ.

Me: You can get them for around $2,000 right now because the 5DIII's are about to be released. The 5DIII is hard to get right now and costs $3,500.

Him: I don't want to spend that much. This is just going to be my personal camera until I can get company approval to expense on new body. I'll go with the 5DII.


I know this is an extreme example, but our conversation lasted two minutes at most. I just found it funny how people can deliberate/argue/scream/cry for months on which camera to get, mulling over specs and sample images (I'm guilty of this too!). On the other hand, I watched as a working pro reached a purchasing decision in two minutes based solely on the quality of images submitted to him from other photographers using the body he's interested in.

... your mate sounds like a dude to me. No nonsense sort of a guy - I dig that. Like you said, he's a pro that knows how to shoot and could probably get awesome results with a rebel body. All he needs to know is 'is this camera good'? Referring to the MkII: Yes it is, and no doubt he will continue to take fantastic photographs.

You're absolutely right, people do deliberate for too long sometimes. I used to play guitar in a touring rock band and it's a similar thing with gear there: Some people will spends weeks, months even years testing out different amps to try and find the holy grail. A couple of times on tour when equipment broke, it was more often simply a case of finding the next best music store and getting an amp that could get the job done. Very little deliberating went on there.

The show must go on!