Canon 5Dc as an entry for FF? yay or nay?

5Dc as an entry level FF.


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I know I've asked this before, but I kind of want a solid answer. I really do want to go FF but seeing as a used 5Dc is the only real alternative I have, I'm asking if it's actually worth it. I'm looking to keep my collection strictly EF glass because I do want to upgrade to a 5Dmk3 one day. I understand the limitations of a 5Dc (sluggish feel, horrible LCD, slow FPS, average AF) Is the 5Dc still a trust worthy FF camera that offers the basic needs of an amatuer street,landscape, and portrait photographer?
 
No one can tell you if its worth it to you, you have all the facts. IMHO, the 5D Mark II has dropped so much in price thats a better value. Keep a eye out for new ones in the $1700 range.
The classic models are starting to get to the age where they fail more frequently, and usually aren't worth the cost to fix, since you can get another for less.
If you happen to find a low usage one that has hadthe mirror fix, for $600 or less, it is likely a ok deal.
 
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The 5DC is a brilliant camera and great value pre-owned. You should have plenty of choice as photographers make the upgrade to 5D3. Look out for a low mileage example. FWIW I used my 5DC with it's original shutter up to around 400,000 shutter actautions. I gave it to an assistant who still gives it pretty solid use. However if your budget can stretch to a 5D2, that will always be the better choice.

-PW
 
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You better go for 5D2. Since you're upgrading anyway, there's no reason to upgrade to something that will last longer and you will use longer. 5Dc had its merits but it is very hard to find one that's still in pristine condition. I'd say 5D2 is worth your investment long-term. I'm also looking to upgrade to FF and I'm looking at either 5D2 or 6D. I've tested 5Dc and found its IQ almost the same as my 500D (Ti1). I can't find any reason to upgrade to 5Dc since the primary reason why I want to upgrade is IQ. Also if you want to stay on budget with regards to lenses, you can stay with mostly prime EF lenses. They're almost on par with L zooms in terms of quality but of course is inconvenient for usual professional usage (e.g., wedding). Mostly I'm into portrait, landscape and macro photography thus changing lenses isn't that much of an inconvenience to me.

One other thing, since it seems you still are not invested too much on lenses, you might want to consider Nikon (they've got better and cheaper body but a little bit more expensive lenses) though of course it depends on your preferences.
 
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verysimplejason said:
One other thing, since it seems you still are not invested too much on lenses, you might want to consider Nikon (they've got better and cheaper body but a little bit more expensive lenses) though of course it depends on your preferences.

+1! Consider all the choices you have at your disposal - i went from 450D to D700 and I'm loving it, though I'd consider switching back once I can afford a set of L primes. At the risk of offending the fanboys here, please PM me if you have any questions about Nikon :) I spent a good amount of time researching both systems before making my choice.
 
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Once you get over the hurdle of finding one in good condition, the camera really is pretty wonderful. I bought one a couple of years ago when I wanted to make the leap to full frame and I was shocked at how much I favored it over my 7d for beautiful, low noise images. In this day and age it's a pretty stripped down camera but it simply produces great photos. I still regret having to sell it this past summer (for a brief and shining moment I had a 5Dc, 5D2, and a 5D3). If you are looking for something that is a great photographic tool at that price point, in my opinion, nothing compares.
 
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weekendshooter said:
verysimplejason said:
One other thing, since it seems you still are not invested too much on lenses, you might want to consider Nikon (they've got better and cheaper body but a little bit more expensive lenses) though of course it depends on your preferences.

+1! Consider all the choices you have at your disposal - i went from 450D to D700 and I'm loving it, though I'd consider switching back once I can afford a set of L primes. At the risk of offending the fanboys here, please PM me if you have any questions about Nikon :) I spent a good amount of time researching both systems before making my choice.

I have tried shooting with Nikons and they're wonderful cameras. When I first started, I really wanted to get a Nikon D7000. It seemed like a really badass camera that kicks low light in the butt. But (teehee) I've gotten used to the settings and ergonomics of a Canon camera. I don't have a lot of glass for my Canon per say but my girlfriend and I share glass because she has a Canon 400d with L glass. I might give Nikon a chance, do you have any good FF recommendations from Nikon?

Mt Spokane Photography said:
No one can tell you if its worth it to you, you have all the facts. IMHO, the 5D Mark II has dropped so much in price thats a better value. Keep a eye out for new ones in the $1700 range.

I do crave the 5dmkII oh so much, but to be honest I'm not going into to photography as a profession. Spending $1700 doesn't sound like a lot, but to a college student that can buy books and tuition for 2 years. I'm just not ready for the big leagues. Just purely for hobbyistic reasons. I also don't like the fact that the camera has a video mode. I don't know I'm very harsh against DSLR videography now, bad experience with a group of filmmakers can do that.

verysimplejason said:
You better go for 5D2. Since you're upgrading anyway, there's no reason to upgrade to something that will last longer and you will use longer. 5Dc had its merits but it is very hard to find one that's still in pristine condition. I'd say 5D2 is worth your investment long-term. I'm also looking to upgrade to FF and I'm looking at either 5D2 or 6D. I've tested 5Dc and found its IQ almost the same as my 500D (Ti1). I can't find any reason to upgrade to 5Dc since the primary reason why I want to upgrade is IQ.

Interesting, I have a T1i too. I love the IQ that my T1i gives me. I've spent so much time with the camera, that I do know how to get pretty Tack Sharp photos with my kit lens. I would be nice to have that kind of IQ on a FF camera that can handle low light. Do you have any sample images that show no difference between a 5Dc and a 500d?

(I know that the T1i does handle low light pretty decently, but I don't like shooting at 1600 or above, it just looks really dull and bleached out from the noise. It could just be my eyes though.)
 
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So far there are:
(estimated from the good posts)

Yay: 6 people
Nay: 3 people

Solid NO. : 1 person.

I should have added, as a college student, spending about $1700 on a 5dmkII is extremely out of my budget at the moment. I could use that money to pay for tuition and books for 2 years, and about 5 packs of Ramen a day :D

In all seriousness, I'm not really looking forward to spending that much on something that I'm not doing as a profession. I'm just looking for a great entry point and staying at there to the point where I have refined my skills as a photographer as much as possible.

-PS: I'll put a poll here, that way it's more cleaner haha
 
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It depends on your needs. Keep in mind tethering is no longer supported with LR on Lion/ML. However, I don't have AF issues. I even use the out focus points on my 50 1.2L to get in-focus shots.

That said...The 6D is very tempting with it's extra low light sensitivity and light weight.
 
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jayvo86 said:
It depends on your needs. Keep in mind tethering is no longer supported with LR on Lion/ML. However, I don't have AF issues. I even use the out focus points on my 50 1.2L to get in-focus shots.

That said...The 6D is very tempting with it's extra low light sensitivity and light weight.

can you go into a little more detail, about this whole LR Lion/ML stuff? I don't know what it means. haha.
 
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