Does anyone still love their old gear?

Mar 27, 2011
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I still have my positively ancient 1ds Mark III and it is my go to camera for long outings. I still love the old canon color profiles. In all fairness even the 6d beats it in most areas and the 5d IV mops the floor with it, but there is something about the 1d bodys that are so nice to use. I would love to see a pure replacement for this camera aimed solely at image quality. The 1dx and 1dxII are fantastic but more geared to sports.
 

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Still love my 5D (mark one), still makes a great portrait camera when shooting in raw and using the latest raw converters. The attached shots were with the 5D and EF 100/2 and EF 50/1.4

However I have to say that since getting the 5Ds I've decided to sell my older gear, and that includes the two 5Dii s that I've got as well as the 5D.

The 5D has a hint of the digital primary R, G, B and B&W about it. The 5Diii was slightly better in this respect, the 5Diii a tad better still but the 5Ds really has lost that "digital" signature completely ( as long as you don't use the ACR harsh default profile). A pal of mine has the 5DIV and says that's the same.

So seeing as my goal has been to emulate the Victorian technology of film I'm now up to date in gear :D
 

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I still use my 500D from time to time and its still a capable camera.
We all want better and the cameras are amazing nowadays but location / opportunity is a faster way to better photographs. Sites like this encourage spec comparisons but I often wonder how many photographs some of the contributors actually take.
 
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I still have my first tripod - a Bogen 3001 Professional Tripod With 3025 Head. Every two weeks or so, the tripod would pinch me severely. It's retired. I will eventually give it to someone I don't like. My oldest lens is a Canon 100L macro. I don't love it and use it rarely since I got my Milvus 100.
 
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I still use my 5DMII all the time and am quite happy with the results for the most part. I've been thinking of a 6DMII but I'm not sure I'll go there. I keep waffling because I really do use the 5DMII and like it. Sometimes I think, I know actually, that the wish for a modern camera body is driven more by the desire for newness than actual photographic need. That's probably just me, though. I also have a 7DMII. I just bought it new last February. It's getting long in the tooth according to some people but I can't complain about the pictures I get with it.
 
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dpc said:
I still use my 5DMII all the time and am quite happy with the results for the most part. I've been thinking of a 6DMII but I'm not sure I'll go there. I keep waffling because I really do use the 5DMII and like it. Sometimes I think, I know actually, that the wish for a modern camera body is driven more by the desire for newness than actual photographic need. That's probably just me, though. I also have a 7DMII. I just bought it new last February. It's getting long in the tooth according to some people but I can't complain about the pictures I get with it.

If my original Canon digital rebel still worked, I would still be using it! The desire for newness is great for the camera companies and so totally ridiculous for most photographers who don't need the continuingly climbing MP count or the other minor improvements that have happened over the years. While impossible to define - and I am not the only one who has commented on it over the years - there was something better about less and larger pixels. Of course, it doesn't show up on the tests at all the internet sites, so it can't be real!
 
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dak723 said:
While impossible to define - and I am not the only one who has commented on it over the years - there was something better about less and larger pixels. Of course, it doesn't show up on the tests at all the internet sites, so it can't be real!

There's a way to go back there dak: just open your raw files at 12 mp !
 
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cpsico said:
I still have my positively ancient 1ds Mark III and it is my go to camera for long outings. I still love the old canon color profiles. In all fairness even the 6d beats it in most areas and the 5d IV mops the floor with it, but there is something about the 1d bodys that are so nice to use. I would love to see a pure replacement for this camera aimed solely at image quality. The 1dx and 1dxII are fantastic but more geared to sports.
I'm still regularly using my 1DS III bodies, as well. I know they're getting long in the tooth, but haven't yet found the right replacement. In my line of work, I need the durability of the 1D series (or maybe I've just been spoiled using them the last 13 years). Yes, the 1DX and 1DX II are great, and the one I have totally dusts the older models in terms of speed and autofocusing. But, when I replace these, I'm going to want an upgrade in the pixel count. If only they could put the 5DIV sensor inside a 1D body. Or, maybe a 5DS. (A fellow can dream, can't he? Besides, it's Christmas.)
 
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jhpeterson said:
cpsico said:
I still have my positively ancient 1ds Mark III and it is my go to camera for long outings. I still love the old canon color profiles. In all fairness even the 6d beats it in most areas and the 5d IV mops the floor with it, but there is something about the 1d bodys that are so nice to use. I would love to see a pure replacement for this camera aimed solely at image quality. The 1dx and 1dxII are fantastic but more geared to sports.
I'm still regularly using my 1DS III bodies, as well. I know they're getting long in the tooth, but haven't yet found the right replacement. In my line of work, I need the durability of the 1D series (or maybe I've just been spoiled using them the last 13 years). Yes, the 1DX and 1DX II are great, and the one I have totally dusts the older models in terms of speed and autofocusing. But, when I replace these, I'm going to want an upgrade in the pixel count. If only they could put the 5DIV sensor inside a 1D body. Or, maybe a 5DS. (A fellow can dream, can't he? Besides, it's Christmas.)
A 5dIV style sensor in a 1D body is a worthy Christmas wish indeed!!
 
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I don't use it anymore because it's simply impractical for work (work demands a minimum of 20mp files), but the 1Dsmk2 is my favourite 35mm format camera in terms of the feel in the hand, the feel of the shutter button, and the sound of the shutter, and I sorely wish I could get that same 'shell' with a newer sensor & processor. (Er, and a newer screen, too.) It may be collecting dust due to not meeting modern requirements, but if Canon released all of their cameras in a limited edition which simply had the 1Ds2's outer case and shutter, I would gladly pay double for them. Love that thing.

The other Canon I'd give a nod to is the 5D2. It was the standard workhorse for years and other things being better now doesn't stop it from still being a really solid, workhorse camera today. It's not my main camera, but it's still my #3 backup body, and with current prices around the £550-600 mark—the same as a new SL2—I've started pushing new photographers toward buying a used 5D2 over any APS-C body, at least for stills.

Other than that, I still get a lot of enjoyment out of Canon FD gear, some of the early 90s EF lenses are still fantastic (the 100mm is the most underrated Canon lens), and my 'old' Mamiya RZ67 Pro II is still my main backup camera. (Adapted to a digital back, it takes the #2 spot behind the Phase.)
 
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I still have my first DSLR, the 40D. I found it to be really good and fun to use after decades of shooting on film.
This photo was from my first outing with it and made my some upgrade money. I went for a fun shoot and the motorcycle show photography didn't show, so I got the gig and that continued for a few years.
I still have my 7D and may upgrade to the 7D Mark III. I'm mostly into FF now but keep a line of APSC going- including mirrorless.

Sara and ER HED © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr
 
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The old cameras were slow, small lcds, limited buffers, but darn if the image quality wasn't bang on. I really think before video became a thing and the focus was purely on IQ in some ways the cameras were better. How do you not love a camera that still is amazing 10 years later!!
 

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I still enjoy my 1DS Mk III, especially in the desert where things can be tough if you rappel down something or crawl along rough sandstone. It does show wear, but still operates just fine. Color is great. I don't think the current 5* bodies are as tough as the 1D* bodies - only from observation.

Saw one 5* camera w/ 70-200 f4 lens dropped on the rocks of a river bank in Maine. The lens and bracket in the camera pulled out, and numerous other little pieces flew about. In Idaho, I saw a 1D Mk II with 24-70 f2.8, dropped due to loose tripod head, hit the large rocks on the side of a road, and bounce down the stone fill about 25 feet. The owner just about had a cow right on the edge of the road. He worked his way down to his camera, and after listening to him cuss for a good minute and a half, I started hearing shouts of joy. Although scratched, and the viewfinder cover was gone, the camera and lens were dirty, but still functioning to his satisfaction - nothing needed but a cleaning.

This may mean nothing (sample size 2) or it may be indicative of the build quality of the different models or something in between or something completely different. In any case, I am hoping for a 1Ds Mk IV with all the bluetooth niceness and super-high-speed sync flash and many other things for which there is no space here. I am sure any of you could add a few items to the list.

So with the money I have invested in L glass (many version II), I will keep using my old stuff as long as it holds out.

I hope all of you have great shooting in 2018 regardless of what you are shooting.
 
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Nope. I recovered my T90 and some old FD lenses in July and at first there was a great sense of nostalgia. But I can't buy film where I am and if I order some it will be expensive. Then getting it developed will be difficult and expensive. Then I will have to mess about scanning it in and the results won't be half as good as the images out of my M6. I can't see it ever getting used again. I got an adapter to use the FD lenses on an M body, but manual focusing is a pain.

My 40D just died. I thought it was the battery, but it's still dead with a brand new BP511. Even when I could use it had started to feel very slow and dinosaur-like. Technology is advancing so quickly that old gear ages very quickly.
 
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Still us and love my 5D Mark II. Why? Because it is the last of the 5D camera line that allows native use of interchangeable focus screens. The 5D Mark II "grided" focus screen is invaluable to me as I use it set up 16 x 9 aspect ratio photographs that are destined for use in Ken Burns effect videos.

Don Barar
 
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No, I don't.
They are just sitting in dust. Technology of yesteryear are not good enough for me. Everything that is still good enough didn't get updated and I keep on using them regardless of age or existing new technology; everything that is not good enough got replaced and whether given to relatives or sitting in dust.
 
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